Dual Graphics Card Question for New PC Build

Foxy3D

I am pretty new to Daz, and will be building a new rig to better handle Iray. My parts are starting to arrive.  :-)  

I could use some advice on one thing. I just got a 980 TI, but also have an old 560 SC (1 GB version).

What's the best plan to drive my monitor? (Just one 24" @ 1920x1080). 
Should I plug my monitor into that old 560 to conserve the 980 TI's memory for the scene? 
Should I run the monitor on the motherboard's integrated graphics?
Should I just run my monitor on the 980 TI, and accept less memory available for the scene?

Here are the rest of the specs, in case you're wondering or if it helps with your suggestions: 

Windows 10 (64 bit)
ASUS Z170-A Motherboard
i7 6700K Processor 
16 GB RAM @ 3200
525 GB SSD + 3 TB HD
EVGA SuperNOVA 850 G2

I don't think I need to worry about the added heat from the second GPU (if I should use it). I will have a Corsair liquid cooler for the CPU, and plenty of case fans.

My intended usage: Daz Studio 4.9, Iray rendering. Two or three G3 characters (maybe more, if 6 GB VRAM can handle it), and I would like to start using more complex environments like this (http://www.daz3d.com/penthouse-suite-level-1). I also plan to move my Premiere Pro and After Effects rendering onto this machine.  

My case doesn't arrive until Tuesday, but I am really excited to get this thing built!

Bonus Question: Does the resolution of the render have anything to do with how much VRAM will be needed? For example - will a 4000x6000 image require more VRAM than the same scene rendered as a 2000x3000 image? My guess is "no"... (I am aware that it is four times larger, and will theoretically take four times longer to render, though).  

Thank you, in advance, for your assistance. 

 

nicstt

Don't use the 980ti if you can manage it as the video driver; try the on board graphics, or try the 560 - personally I'd load a complicated scene and see which is better, the onboard graphics or the 560. Both might struggle I expect with a complicated scene, but worth finding out which, if any actually does.

The 980ti should be fine with three figures, clothed and with scene stuff; it will depend, on what you have; textures take up most of the room. If the characters have the same skin, then you'll get more in the scene. A fourth figure may or may not be too much, but as said, will depend on what else you have.

I see 'plenty of case fans' and worry. It isn't how many you have, but their position, and if they're balanced to give positive or negative airflow; positive is the norm, as those that forget tend to have less dust build up to contend with. It is very possible to reduce the number of fans and get better cooling.

Yes resolution affects the RAM usage. I'd reccommend getting GPUz; you can check how much RAM is being used for the scene. You can see what adding a figure costs in RAM, easily with it, once you start rendering of course.

Foxy3D

@nicstt - Thank you for your reply. Not driving the monitor with the 980 Ti pretty much was my goal, if either of the other solutions made sense.  

Yeah, I understand your concern about my cooling. I really didn't elaborate on my cooling plans. The case I have coming is a Cooler Master HAF 912. I will be putting a CM 200mm MegaFlow as a front intake, and another one as a top exhaust. I will also have a 120mm side intake, and then the liquid cooler will have a 120mm rear exhaust, pulling air through the radiator and pushing it out the back. My 980 Ti is of the reference design (with a blower and shroud that exhaust out the back), so I know that will contribute to negative pressure. My case has a filtered intake grille on the bottom for the power supply, so I plan to mount it fan-down. Then, it will be no factor pressure-wise. Also will be removing the unused HDD rack to allow for clean airflow from the front fan. I was going to see what the ASUS Fan Xpert auto tuning came up with, and if needed, tweak it to maintain positive pressure.  

As far as the VRAM goes... Maybe I wasn't too clear. I do know that putting more stuff in your scene takes up more VRAM. What I meant was resolution (as in pixel dimensions) of the final render. Does the size of the rendered image have any bearing on the amount of VRAM used?  

GPU-Z: I just bookmarked it and will install it. Thanks for the suggestion!  

Foxy3D

Hello there. I just realized there is a more appropriate place for this. Could a moderator please move this thread to the Technical Help category?

Thanks!  :-)

Chohole

You can actually move it yourself.  click on tjhe gear in your first post to edit and then change the category, over on the left hand side.  I have done it for you this time,  but it's worth remembering.

nicstt

Martini said:

@nicstt - Thank you for your reply. Not driving the monitor with the 980 Ti pretty much was my goal, if either of the other solutions made sense.  

Yeah, I understand your concern about my cooling. I really didn't elaborate on my cooling plans. The case I have coming is a Cooler Master HAF 912. I will be putting a CM 200mm MegaFlow as a front intake, and another one as a top exhaust. I will also have a 120mm side intake, and then the liquid cooler will have a 120mm rear exhaust, pulling air through the radiator and pushing it out the back. My 980 Ti is of the reference design (with a blower and shroud that exhaust out the back), so I know that will contribute to negative pressure. My case has a filtered intake grille on the bottom for the power supply, so I plan to mount it fan-down. Then, it will be no factor pressure-wise. Also will be removing the unused HDD rack to allow for clean airflow from the front fan. I was going to see what the ASUS Fan Xpert auto tuning came up with, and if needed, tweak it to maintain positive pressure.  

As far as the VRAM goes... Maybe I wasn't too clear. I do know that putting more stuff in your scene takes up more VRAM. What I meant was resolution (as in pixel dimensions) of the final render. Does the size of the rendered image have any bearing on the amount of VRAM used?  

GPU-Z: I just bookmarked it and will install it. Thanks for the suggestion!  

A little difference, but only an issue really if the scene is only just too big.

JD_Mortal

The i7 can play almost all 3D games at 30-60 FPS, exceptions for those games which depend on speed-tricks that only GPU's hardware provide. You will be fine using the CPU for your standard video output. You rely do want to save your video-card memory for rendering. However, a second monitor without daz running on it, for gaming-use or reff images, would not consume much memory.

6GB sounds like a lot, but it is not. That is one clothed model, with full HD tessalation and full HD graphics, standing alone in an empty room. Three clothed models can easily push it up to 6GB, in some instances.

Unlike a game, that uses the GPU to do tessalation, Daz actually creates all the surfaces manually, loads, then renders as-is. Which is why games load faster and consume less memory. The GPU hardware adds the detail at the point of display only, not the programs themselves, adding the detail to the actual model.

The most memory an "Image" will consume, is as raw bits, per pixel... 32-bit (24-bit) color consumes 4x 8-bit (3 colors, plus an alpha)... Red, Green, Blue and Alpha. (CMYK is not used for monitors output) Also known as 4-byte color, per pixel. Soo... a 4K image (4096 x 2160) will consume... (4096 x 2160 x 4-bytes = 35389440-bytes or 35389-KB or 35-MB or 0.035-GB) Thus, screen resolution is moot, in memory.

Foxy3D

Chohole said:

You can actually move it yourself.  click on tjhe gear in your first post to edit and then change the category, over on the left hand side.  I have done it for you this time,  but it's worth remembering.

@Chohole - I did not know that. I see it now. Thanks for pointing it out!  :-)  

@JD_Mortal - Thank you for your input. I appreciate it.