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Max rendering threads?

pmingpming Posts: 44
in Carrara Discussion

Hiya.

Just wondering what I'm doing wrong or not doing. My new rig is a beast. No, really. It's up there. Anyway, I decided to install Carrara 8.5 Pro and do some testing. I can't get Carrara to use more than 41 threads (less than half the number I have available). Is there a setting somewhere, or do I have to render stuff through a 'single computer network render' or some other computer wizardry?

Thanks for any help/info!

^_^

Paul L. Ming

Comments

  • JonstarkJonstark Posts: 2,738

    Hi Paul, that sounds strange, I don't think you're bumping into the core limitation that requires the Grid plugin, since it's all on a single machine.  My main PC tops out at 32 cores, so I don't have direct experience, but I seem to remember someone (Stringtheory?) mentioned in a thread a year or so ago that they brought home a monster machine similar to yours from their workplace (they were working at home on the machine for work-related reasons but thought it would be fun to load up Carrara on it to see how it performed)  and was able to get all the cores on the PC rendering, and threw up a screenshot even showing what it looked like.  I think it was like 64 cores or something like that, defintely more than 41.  

    As far as network rendering, I've got several dual-xeon workstations and made myself a mini-render farm, and I get 100 cores rendering that way (of course you can only network render in the batch queue).  I cannot get more than 100 cores, so I suspect that's the upper limit. 

  • DartanbeckDartanbeck Posts: 21,326
    Jonstark said:

    and I get 100 cores rendering that way (of course you can only network render in the batch queue).  I cannot get more than 100 cores, so I suspect that's the upper limit. 

    That's WITH Grid, right?

  • JonstarkJonstark Posts: 2,738
    Dartanbeck said:
    Jonstark said:

    and I get 100 cores rendering that way (of course you can only network render in the batch queue).  I cannot get more than 100 cores, so I suspect that's the upper limit. 

    That's WITH Grid, right?

    Yeah, with Grid it maxes out at 100, sorry I should have been more specific.  Theoretically without Grid I believe it's supposed to max out at 20, but since the restriction doesn't seem to kick on until you are network rendering with other computers, it seems that even without Grid you should be able to use every render core that your primary PC can supply.

  • DartanbeckDartanbeck Posts: 21,326
    edited October 2017

    Maybe it tops out at 40, plus one for the initial thread? Still... that's a lot of render buckets! ;)

    Post edited by Dartanbeck on
  • JonstarkJonstark Posts: 2,738

    I'm pretty sure it doesn't though, there's no logical reason it should.  It wasn't more than a year or so ago I could swear someone posted a screenshot of something like 64 render buckets all at once, and not network rendering either (which gives gray buckets) but the multi-colored render buckets proving it was all on one pc.

  • DartanbeckDartanbeck Posts: 21,326

    Yup. That was Brown Bunny. Quite the monster he's built.

  • pmingpming Posts: 44
    edited October 2017

    Hiya!

    Interesting, Dartanbeck. Why do we both get 41? I'm running a custom built MAINGEAR machine (pertenent info: 128gb ECC RAM, Dual Xeon E5-2699 v4's, OS and Carrara both on a 2TB Samsung PRO M.2, ASUS Z10PE-D8...with a FirePro W9100 32GB vid card to keep up). It gives me 88 render threads (22 Cores x 2 CPU's). I know it's utilizing it as running MODO 11 and rendering it shows 88 little render boxes (...*sniff*...such a beautiful sight...*sniff sniff*...). When I ran a "Marbles" benchmark on Lightwave, it caps at 64 threads...I guess LW can't do more than that on a single computer. Running Maxon's CINEBENCH R15 I also get the full 88 threads rendering (fyi, the cine score is about 5450, plus or minus up to 25 or so; and the vid card gives me a nice, acceptable 130fps...not bad for a non-game card).

    Hmmm....maybe I'll have to fiddle around with CPU and Thread Affinity and Priority to see if I can get more, when I have the time/desire to do it. As is, 41 threads renders the Caustics scene, at twice the render size, in just a fraction under 3 seconds. :)

    Thanks again, guys n' gals. I *really* like Carrara's render engine...not sure why, but the colours just sort of "pop" for my aging occular orbs.

    ^_^

    Paul L. Ming

    Post edited by pming on
  • DartanbeckDartanbeck Posts: 21,326

    Cool! Yeah... when I saw my eight little boxes zip across the screen, I was amazed. I think 88 might just cause me to make poopies in my drawers! LOL

    Wow... that's one helluva system you've got there!

    Hopefully I can get back into the swing of things and do some upgrading ;)

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