@ecuadorian said:

Oh, never mind. If they don't feel like accepting me... it's their lose. Buenos Aires seems like a good place to visit in September, when Spring begins in the Southern Hemisphere

For me that sounds actually like a better plan

E5520 and greater seems to have turbo mode too. Core i7 can compete against Xeon 55xx family only with price, features are same. Add a second Xeon 55xx and the story is different... From legitreviews:

Also E5520 has a tdp of 80, sounds like a good target for over clocking, if motherboard has any support for it.
btw Xeon W3520 is basically same as i7/920/D0 stepping and it do OC!

Shame no dual E5520 systems at the list. i7 is impressive if overclocked, certainly most bang for the buck! But still a multi processor system is required for really high end workstation use.

If you want to know how much this will improve your system. Take a look on
http://www.techarp.com/showarticle.aspx?artno=539&pgno=8 and be surprised. Most likely gaming performance will suffer and there are some applications that do not support softmod, like maya. No idea if SU will benefit of this - worth to try anyway. Softmod to quatro is not possible with anything above the G80 (8800GTS/GTX/Ultra).

@solo said:

I'm going for the i7, definately, even the new Mac pro will have i7's in them, and I will go for at least 12 GB DDR3 ram, maybe even more.
I will not bother with a Quadro card as the difference in performance between it and the new gtx's is not even noticable in 3D apps to justify the difference in price.

Okay now I need a few quick paying projects to afford it.

I was in a impression that new mac pro has Quad-Core Intel Xeon “Nehalem”... same as I suggested ealier... 2 x E5520 I can understand going in a single i7 with high clock, if you run mainly programs that do not support multi threading, like SU. Quadro is a good option if you really need excellent driver support - I have hear that in some problem cases they even have compiled a custom driver to solve a time critical problem - but usually not worth of the premium prize. GTX 275 sounds fairly impressive card. More memory is good, 12 GB sounds reasonable - just keep in mind that when running 32bit app in a 64bit win, they have only marginally more ram in use, if comparing to 32bit win.

@pixero said:

The only reason for buying a off the shelf PC would be if it comes with on site next day support.
IMHO.

Agree 100%

Qty. Product Description Savings Total Price
1

LG 22X DVD±R DVD Burner Black SATA Model GH22NS30

LG 22X DVD±R DVD Burner Black SATA Model GH22NS30 - OEM 
Item #: N82E16827136152
Return Policy: 30 Day Return Policy




$24.99

1

SAMSUNG Spinpoint F1 HD103UJ 1TB 7200 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s 3.5" Hard Drive

SAMSUNG Spinpoint F1 HD103UJ 1TB 7200 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s 3.5" Hard Drive - OEM 
Item #: N82E16822152102
Return Policy: 30 Day Return Policy




$79.99

1

ASUS ENGTX275/HTDI/896MD3 GeForce GTX 275 896MB 448-bit GDDR3 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready SLI Supported Video Card

ASUS ENGTX275/HTDI/896MD3 GeForce GTX 275 896MB 448-bit GDDR3 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready SLI Supported Video Card - Retail 
Item #: N82E16814121313
Return Policy: Limited Non-Refundable 30-Day Return Policy

-$49.99 Saving



$259.99
$210.00

1

Nvidia Gift Call of duty - World at war

Nvidia Gift Call of duty - World at war - OEM 
Item #: N82E16800999088
Return Policy: Limited Non-Refundable 30-Day Return Policy




$49.99

1

Creative Sound Blaster X-Fi XtremeGamer 7.1 Channels PCI Interface Sound Card

Creative Sound Blaster X-Fi XtremeGamer 7.1 Channels PCI Interface Sound Card - Retail 
Item #: N82E16829102006
Return Policy: Standard Return Policy




$94.99

1

Antec Signature SG650 650W Continuous Power ATX12V / EPS12V SLI Certified CrossFire Ready 80 PLUS BRONZE Certified Modular Active PFC Power Supply

Antec Signature SG650 650W Continuous Power ATX12V / EPS12V SLI Certified CrossFire Ready 80 PLUS BRONZE Certified Modular Active PFC Power Supply - Retail 
Item #: N82E16817371017
Return Policy: 30 Day Return Policy

-$20.00 Instant



$199.99
$179.99

1

Logitech Deluxe 250 Black USB Standard Keyboard

Logitech Deluxe 250 Black USB Standard Keyboard - OEM 
Item #: N82E16823126013
Return Policy: Standard Return Policy




$8.99

1

Logitech RX1500 Black 3 Buttons Tilt Wheel USB Wired Laser Mouse

Logitech RX1500 Black 3 Buttons Tilt Wheel USB Wired Laser Mouse - OEM 
Item #: N82E16826104242
Return Policy: Standard Return Policy

-$12.00 Instant



$39.99
$27.99

1

Crucial 6GB (3 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1066 (PC3 8500) Triple Channel Kit Desktop Memory Model CT3KIT25664BA1067

Crucial 6GB (3 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1066 (PC3 8500) Triple Channel Kit Desktop Memory Model CT3KIT25664BA1067 - Retail 
Item #: N82E16820148246
Return Policy: Limited Non-Refundable 30-Day Return Policy

-$10.00 Instant



$83.99
$73.99

1

LITE-ON Black Blu-ray Drive - Bulk with Software SATA Model DH-4O1S-61

LITE-ON Black Blu-ray Drive - Bulk with Software SATA Model DH-4O1S-61 - OEM 
Item #: N82E16827106294
Return Policy: Limited Non-Refundable 30-Day Return Policy




$89.99

2

Intel Xeon E5520 Nehalem 2.26GHz LGA 1366 80W Quad-Core Server Processor Model BX80602E5520

Intel Xeon E5520 Nehalem 2.26GHz LGA 1366 80W Quad-Core Server Processor Model BX80602E5520 - Retail 
Item #: N82E16819117185
Return Policy: Processors (CPUs) Return Policy




$759.98
($379.99 each)

1

ASUS Z8NA-D6C Dual LGA 1366 Intel 5500 ATX Server Motherboard
Antec Nine Hundred Black Steel ATX Mid Tower Computer Case

*

      ASUS Z8NA-D6C Dual LGA 1366 Intel 5500 ATX Server Motherboard - Retail 
      Item #: N82E16813131378
      Return Policy: Standard Return Policy

*

      Antec Nine Hundred Black Steel ATX Mid Tower Computer Case - Retail 
      Item #: N82E16811129021
      Return Policy: Manufacturer Warranty

-$30.00 Instant

-$50.00 Combo

$409.98
$329.98

Subtotal: $1,930.87

(newegg)

Go figure http://ark.intel.com/cpu.aspx?groupId=40200
Intel states that it has hyper threading... but perhaps it different. Never seen one of these new zeons in real... yet.

edit:
"Technical compute platforms based on the Intel Xeon processor 5500 series support up to 16 simultaneous threads"
http://download.intel.com/products/processor/xeon/dc55kprodbrief.pdf
They do not advertise it like they have done with i7, but for my understanding it's the same.

edit2: looks like 5500 series only support 1066, 800 DDR3 memory. But That not a huge trade off. One have to look on X5550 if he likes to use 1333 DDR3.

Why not to start building from something like this:

Quantity Product Name  	         Each    Total  	
2	    Intel Xeon Quad-Core E5520 $368.00 $736.00	
1	    Asus Z8NA-D6C Dual LGA1366 $249.99 $249.99	
1	    STT DDR3-1333 6GB (3x 2GB) $79.99  $79.99	
	
                                           Sub Total
                                           $1,065.98
+ tax

16 cores with hyper threading....

I'll certainly will keep eye on this.

Thank you. This is like Christmas!

@majid said:

as some KT masters awared me , my thin frosty material was tricky ,and maybe the only way to make correct material is using "layered materials" ... and also describing "how to make layered materials" was not easy to write , so i made an wink exe tut, that describes how to make a simple layered material ( also it is a thin frosted glass).it is a bit tricky to , but much much more better than what i've described in "fast start" guide.
cheers

Mind to create this in some other format - flash or what ever platform independent.

@honoluludesktop said:

Keep in mind that this is a review of software that cost less then half of SU. While others would consider it, I do not think it elegant to spend more on render software, then the modeler.

That is a matter of taste... some sell raw diamonds, some cut diamonds and some ideally cut diamonds. "Same stuff" in different package, production cost do vary, so do render programs and the value they give to your work.
I think there is a flaw in your logic, sorry. If some render program do have a crucial feature that you need in your work and there is no work around for that - would you still care the cost, knowing that with investing to a proper tool, the value of your work is higher. I am not suggesting that expensive render package is necessary any better than a low cost or a free one, but it might be, if it has a feature in need or in some cases you might pay from nothing.

Totally ridiculous! Shame.

@unknownuser said:

Would this be a first step to Jeff's request?
[attachment=1:147ahau1]<!-- ia1 -->Bending 2.wmv<!-- ia1 -->[/attachment:147ahau1]

Fredo

Ok, can we start a official Fredo fan club?

@solo said:

Thanks majid.

You make it difficult for me to find reasons not to give KT a try with such valuable tutorials like this.

Welcome, there is always room for one.

Cheers!

Funny, first look do gives me clock wise rotation, but just a brief concentration to the image turns rotation to counter clock wise and the if I turn my concentration to the text the animation starts running with clock wise rotation again. This is a keeper, thanks.

I cannot call it fair. But perhaps this is:
"In an Islamic mortgage transaction, instead of loaning the buyer money to purchase the item, a bank might buy the item itself from the seller, and re-sell it to the buyer at a profit, while allowing the buyer to pay the bank in installments. However, the fact that it is profit cannot be made explicit and therefore there are no additional penalties for late payment. In order to protect itself against default, the bank asks for strict collateral. The goods or land is registered to the name of the buyer from the start of the transaction. This arrangement is called Murabaha. Another approach is EIjara wa EIqtina, which is similar to real estate leasing. Islamic banks handle loans for vehicles in a similar way (selling the vehicle at a higher-than-market price to the debtor and then retaining ownership of the vehicle until the loan is paid)." http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Islamic_banking

@unknownuser said:

mortgages are up to 90% virtual money

It's called fractional-reserve banking, risky business when a crisis hit (like now, lucky we have not seen massive bank runs)... If some individual would do it, it could possibly be called a embezzlement... some even might say it's sort of pyramid scam... but I think that should be reserved to investment banking or other shadow banking.

What to do then, it's obvious that we need banking, but more controlled. Failure was that a shadow banking system evolved, more and more of the world's transactions were conducted by institutions (investment banks etc) that were not subject to traditional banking regulation (fractional-reserve banking is regulated, even it's a scary system).

Worth to read: http://krugman.blogs.nytimes.com/ (sorry, no conspiracy theories or debunking)
Basic info:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fractional-reserve_banking
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Money_supply
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shadow_banking_system