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Rendering & Video Card questions

PippenPippen Posts: 265
edited December 1969 in The Commons

When you render in Daz and Poser, is it using your video card? I had a new rig (PC) built and I'm returning a defective video card. I'm wondering....for rendering, if a 2GB or 4GB card is better? I don't game. I just want fast rendering. I have a i7 3930k with 16GBs of RAM.

Here is what I'm looking at

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814125462

I don't know where else to ask this question.

Thanks

Comments

  • frank0314frank0314 Posts: 14,049
    edited December 1969

    Rendering uses the processor, not the graphics card. The graphics card is only used for your viewport while setting scenes up. Once you hit render it switches to your processor, so a big processor is gonna render faster. The increased RAM on the graphics card will allow you to set up big scenes without many problems

  • PippenPippen Posts: 265
    edited December 1969

    Frank0314 said:
    Rendering uses the processor, not the graphics card. The graphics card is only used for your viewport while setting scenes up. Once you hit render it switches to your processor, so a big processor is gonna render faster. The increased RAM on the graphics card will allow you to set up big scenes without many problems

    Hmmm. I thought for sure rendering went through the video card. Ok. So, by what you say, 4GB would be better. That would future proof it as more HD content comes out.

  • frank0314frank0314 Posts: 14,049
    edited December 1969

    I've got 2.5GB on my graphics card and 32 GB in my system so I don't have any problems setting up any scenes.. DS uses both, your GPU RAM and your system RAM

  • SlimerJSpudSlimerJSpud Posts: 1,453
    edited December 1969

    I think that video card is WAY overkill for what you need. You could spend half that and never notice a difference.

  • JonnyRayJonnyRay Posts: 1,744
    edited December 1969

    Slimer_J_Spud said:
    I think that video card is WAY overkill for what you need. You could spend half that and never notice a difference.
    100% in agreement with Slimer.

    For 3D graphics, the most important performance factor is OpenGL support. Sure, if you try to load a massive scene with a couple dozen Victoria's (even if they only have swords) you may see a slight difference with more power in the GPU, but not enough to justify spending $400 on a video card.

    Now, if you use the PC for gaming ... then you might have an argument. :)

  • jorge dorlandojorge dorlando Posts: 1,157
    edited December 1969

    Pippen said:
    When you render in Daz and Poser, is it using your video card? I had a new rig (PC) built and I'm returning a defective video card. I'm wondering....for rendering, if a 2GB or 4GB card is better? I don't game. I just want fast rendering. I have a i7 3930k with 16GBs of RAM.

    Here is what I'm looking at

    http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814125462

    I don't know where else to ask this question.

    Thanks

    Rendering to daz or poser, you will be using CPU.
    The focus is on processor and ram memories

  • mjc1016mjc1016 Posts: 15,001
    edited December 1969

    Slimer_J_Spud said:
    I think that video card is WAY overkill for what you need. You could spend half that and never notice a difference.

    Yeah, but that card can kick some serious a$$ when it comes to the latest games...

  • icprncssicprncss Posts: 3,694
    edited January 2014

    Not to mention it takes up way too much room and can cause heat issues. Won't do you much good if you fry your mobo.

    Post edited by icprncss on
  • SlimerJSpudSlimerJSpud Posts: 1,453
    edited December 1969

    mjc1016 said:
    Slimer_J_Spud said:
    I think that video card is WAY overkill for what you need. You could spend half that and never notice a difference.

    Yeah, but that card can kick some serious a$$ when it comes to the latest games...
    The OP said he doesn't game. Here's another issue with a killer graphics card: You might fry the power supply, or need to buy a bigger one just because of the graphics card. If the power requirements of the suggested card are a lot bigger than the old one, watch out for this.

  • StratDragonStratDragon Posts: 3,167
    edited December 1969

    the more powerful the card the greater need for a more powerful power supply (PSU) and more $$$ to invest, a weak or underpowered PSU could start damaging your components if it does not have enough juice to go around your motherboard for devices and drives and cards.

    The Video Card or Graphical Processing Unit (GPU) will speed up renders if you use a GPU assisted rendering engine like Octane (Daz does not allow links) for instance and to some degree LuxRender which works through Reality (over at Renderosity, but again can't link) or Luxus (which I don't use)

    3Delight does not get any advantage to rendering through your GPU but your screen redraw, navigation, moving models around the scene might be somewhat to significantly faster if it's suffering now, especially on higher quality settings but I generally leave mine pretty low for redraw to maximize speed, quality comes from the render.

    There is also some argument to the "Quality" of a CPU vs GPU render, while some GPU renders are astonishingly fast and realistic some have claimed they are not as good as the ones what you can get under the CPU. There are also hybrid rendering engines that use both CPU and GPU.

  • PippenPippen Posts: 265
    edited December 1969

    StratDragon said:
    the more powerful the card the greater need for a more powerful power supply (PSU) and more $$$ to invest, a weak or underpowered PSU could start damaging your components if it does not have enough juice to go around your motherboard for devices and drives and cards.

    The Video Card or Graphical Processing Unit (GPU) will speed up renders if you use a GPU assisted rendering engine like Octane (Daz does not allow links) for instance and to some degree LuxRender which works through Reality (over at Renderosity, but again can't link) or Luxus (which I don't use)

    3Delight does not get any advantage to rendering through your GPU but your screen redraw, navigation, moving models around the scene might be somewhat to significantly faster if it's suffering now, especially on higher quality settings but I generally leave mine pretty low for redraw to maximize speed, quality comes from the render.

    There is also some argument to the "Quality" of a CPU vs GPU render, while some GPU renders are astonishingly fast and realistic some have claimed they are not as good as the ones what you can get under the CPU. There are also hybrid rendering engines that use both CPU and GPU.

    Those are what I was also wondering if the GPU would help. I also use a lot of Adobe products and Zbrush is a purchase coming soon. I'm learning to model and thought the GPU was important.

  • PippenPippen Posts: 265
    edited December 1969

    mjc1016 said:
    Slimer_J_Spud said:
    I think that video card is WAY overkill for what you need. You could spend half that and never notice a difference.

    Yeah, but that card can kick some serious a$$ when it comes to the latest games...

    Yes. A friend of mind has the 2GB version and says it kicks major butt in Battle Field 4.

  • PippenPippen Posts: 265
    edited December 1969

    Slimer_J_Spud said:
    mjc1016 said:
    Slimer_J_Spud said:
    I think that video card is WAY overkill for what you need. You could spend half that and never notice a difference.

    Yeah, but that card can kick some serious a$$ when it comes to the latest games...


    The OP said he doesn't game. Here's another issue with a killer graphics card: You might fry the power supply, or need to buy a bigger one just because of the graphics card. If the power requirements of the suggested card are a lot bigger than the old one, watch out for this.

    I have a 750W power supply. Plenty of room in my case.

  • mjc1016mjc1016 Posts: 15,001
    edited January 2014

    Pippen said:
    StratDragon said:
    the more powerful the card the greater need for a more powerful power supply (PSU) and more $$$ to invest, a weak or underpowered PSU could start damaging your components if it does not have enough juice to go around your motherboard for devices and drives and cards.

    The Video Card or Graphical Processing Unit (GPU) will speed up renders if you use a GPU assisted rendering engine like Octane (Daz does not allow links) for instance and to some degree LuxRender which works through Reality (over at Renderosity, but again can't link) or Luxus (which I don't use)

    3Delight does not get any advantage to rendering through your GPU but your screen redraw, navigation, moving models around the scene might be somewhat to significantly faster if it's suffering now, especially on higher quality settings but I generally leave mine pretty low for redraw to maximize speed, quality comes from the render.

    There is also some argument to the "Quality" of a CPU vs GPU render, while some GPU renders are astonishingly fast and realistic some have claimed they are not as good as the ones what you can get under the CPU. There are also hybrid rendering engines that use both CPU and GPU.

    Those are what I was also wondering if the GPU would help. I also use a lot of Adobe products and Zbrush is a purchase coming soon. I'm learning to model and thought the GPU was important.

    Is that card on Adobe's list of cards?

    If not, it's just like not having it. Most Adobe products will use the GPU...of a workstation class card, not a gaming card (at least without hacks).

    Zbrush also has a requirements list.

    And so does Luxrender, Octane, etc...but none of them are the same. If you are building a system, build it to the app that has the 'toughest' hardware requirements, not one that has the lowest...and DS falls in the low end of the spectrum, except for the fact that the 3Delight version included can handle more than 4 cores (if I recall, it's core unlocked), while the stand alone 3DL is limited to 4 cores, now. And that product is probably going to be something from Adobe or Zbrush (unless you are getting Max or something, too).

    Post edited by mjc1016 on
  • StratDragonStratDragon Posts: 3,167
    edited December 1969

    I don't think Adobe (photoshop) started taking advantage anything outside of Nvidia Quadra cards before the Creative Cloud so depending on what version or how recent a release of "adobe" you're running you need to find out. Don't quote me on that, It's probably on the web somewhere but I ain't even had my coffee yet.

  • Richard HaseltineRichard Haseltine Posts: 100,791
    edited December 1969

    StratDragon said:
    I don't think Adobe (photoshop) started taking advantage anything outside of Nvidia Quadra cards before the Creative Cloud so depending on what version or how recent a release of "adobe" you're running you need to find out. Don't quote me on that, It's probably on the web somewhere but I ain't even had my coffee yet.

    I'm pretty sure that CS6 used Cuda only on launch, and I don't recall any notes in updates that that had changed. I don't know what CC does.

  • PippenPippen Posts: 265
    edited December 1969

    Richard Haseltine said:
    StratDragon said:
    I don't think Adobe (photoshop) started taking advantage anything outside of Nvidia Quadra cards before the Creative Cloud so depending on what version or how recent a release of "adobe" you're running you need to find out. Don't quote me on that, It's probably on the web somewhere but I ain't even had my coffee yet.

    I'm pretty sure that CS6 used Cuda only on launch, and I don't recall any notes in updates that that had changed. I don't know what CC does.

    I have Photoshop CC. According to them....they use OpenGL and OpenCL. You need both or functions in Photoshop wont work or wont work as well.

    "Beyond the CPU, the Mercury Graphics Engine in Photoshop CC includes features that use your
    GPU for acceleration. In Photoshop CC this engine delivers near-instant results when editing with
    key tools such as Liquify, Blur Gallery, Warp, Lighting Effects and the Oil Paint filter, plus delivers
    a more responsive, fluid feel as you work. The Mercury Graphics Engine uses both the OpenGL
    and OpenCL frameworks.
    OpenGL GPU-accelerated display and image processing functions in Photoshop CC include the
    Adobe Color Engine (ACE), Pixel Grid, Smooth Pan/Zoom/Scrubby Zoom, Bird’s Eye View, Flick
    Pan, Rotate Canvas, the Heads-Up Display (HUD) Color Picker, on-canvas brush resizing and rich
    cursor info, Bristle Tip Preview, 3D (including Extrude, formerly known as Repoussé), Liquify,
    Adaptive Wide Angle, Lighting Effects Gallery, Oil Paint Filter, new 3D enhancements such as
    Draggable Shadows, Ground Plane and ground plane reflections, Roughness, On-canvas UI
    controls, Light widgets, and the image-based light controller, plus GPU previews for Warp and
    Transform including Puppet Warp and Content Aware Scale. Additionally, Photoshop CC can
    take advantage of OpenCL acceleration for Iris Blur, Field Blur, Tilt-Shift, and Denoise in Smart
    Sharpen. OpenCL acceleration is also used for mouse-down interactive previewing in the Blur
    Gallery features (1GB of VRAM required).
    In order to take advantage of the Mercury Graphics Engine in Photoshop CC, you must have a
    supported video card and updated driver. If you do not have a supported card, performance will
    be degraded. In most cases the acceleration is lost and the feature runs in the normal CPU mode.
    However, there are some features that will not work without a supported video card."

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