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PC or Apple? Which is better to Render and create animation with?

leo04leo04 Posts: 334
edited June 2014 in Technical Help (nuts n bolts)

Okay I have been playing with this 3D stuff for a while and I have come across an interesting question concerning hardware.

Is the PC or the Apple computer better for rendering and creating animations?

I have heard that most gaming developers use Apple computers, but I have no knowledge about this.

I am looking to build another PC dedicated just to DAZ 3D and development of imagery and animations but I want the biggest bang for my bucks.

So the question is?

PC or Apple? Which is best for imagery and animation.

Please post your reasons why you chose as you did.

If you chose Other please specify.

Post edited by fixmypcmike on

Comments

  • fixmypcmikefixmypcmike Posts: 19,583
    edited December 1969

    Poll removed per the TOS.

  • jestmartjestmart Posts: 4,449
    edited December 1969

    PCs and Apples can be built using the same hardware. The disadvantage I see with Macs is you are reliant on Apple to provide the graphics card drivers, if Apple's drivers aren't up to par there is nothing you can do.

  • StratDragonStratDragon Posts: 3,167
    edited June 2014

    jestmart said:
    PCs and Apples can be built using the same hardware. The disadvantage I see with Macs is you are reliant on Apple to provide the graphics card drivers, if Apple's drivers aren't up to par there is nothing you can do.

    Only if DS for Mac were developed with MacOS specific drivers that are not available to the general public to begin with. The problem is more evident with PC's. Drivers are developed all the time which may or may not benefit you specific card but if a particular Windows version of Studio needs that driver you need to keep it updated and the windows WHQL version and the developer versions are not always on the same page.

    The problem I run into having both the Windows and MacOS platform is that some of the particular tools I use are Windows only, but my core tools: Studio, Blender, LuxRender, Reality, Adobe Creative Suite are very much cross platform and I go back and forth all the time without hiccups thanks to cloud storage.

    Post edited by StratDragon on
  • fixmypcmikefixmypcmike Posts: 19,583
    edited December 1969

    StratDragon said:
    jestmart said:
    PCs and Apples can be built using the same hardware. The disadvantage I see with Macs is you are reliant on Apple to provide the graphics card drivers, if Apple's drivers aren't up to par there is nothing you can do.

    Only if DS for Mac were developed with MacOS specific drivers that are not available to the general public to begin with. The problem is more evident with PC's. Drivers are developed all the time which may or may not benefit you specific card but if a particular Windows version of Studio needs that driver you need to keep it updated and the windows WHQL version and the developer versions are not always on the same page..

    The problem is if you have an older Mac the graphics card may have updated Windows drivers but not Mac drivers. Not an immediate issue for the OP since he's talking about getting a new computer, but if he doesn't get a brand new one, or several years down the line, it could be an issue.

  • StratDragonStratDragon Posts: 3,167
    edited June 2014

    fixmypcmike said:
    StratDragon said:
    jestmart said:
    PCs and Apples can be built using the same hardware. The disadvantage I see with Macs is you are reliant on Apple to provide the graphics card drivers, if Apple's drivers aren't up to par there is nothing you can do.

    Only if DS for Mac were developed with MacOS specific drivers that are not available to the general public to begin with. The problem is more evident with PC's. Drivers are developed all the time which may or may not benefit you specific card but if a particular Windows version of Studio needs that driver you need to keep it updated and the windows WHQL version and the developer versions are not always on the same page..

    The problem is if you have an older Mac the graphics card may have updated Windows drivers but not Mac drivers. Not an immediate issue for the OP since he's talking about getting a new computer, but if he doesn't get a brand new one, or several years down the line, it could be an issue.

    At this time most anything above a core 2 duo is upgradable to Mavericks 10.9.3, provided you have OS 10.6. already on the system. The update is a free download from the Apple Store app.

    http://support.apple.com/kb/ht5842?locale=en_US

    Post edited by StratDragon on
  • fixmypcmikefixmypcmike Posts: 19,583
    edited December 1969

    StratDragon said:
    fixmypcmike said:
    StratDragon said:
    jestmart said:
    PCs and Apples can be built using the same hardware. The disadvantage I see with Macs is you are reliant on Apple to provide the graphics card drivers, if Apple's drivers aren't up to par there is nothing you can do.

    Only if DS for Mac were developed with MacOS specific drivers that are not available to the general public to begin with. The problem is more evident with PC's. Drivers are developed all the time which may or may not benefit you specific card but if a particular Windows version of Studio needs that driver you need to keep it updated and the windows WHQL version and the developer versions are not always on the same page..

    The problem is if you have an older Mac the graphics card may have updated Windows drivers but not Mac drivers. Not an immediate issue for the OP since he's talking about getting a new computer, but if he doesn't get a brand new one, or several years down the line, it could be an issue.

    At this time most anything above a core 2 duo is upgradable to Mavericks 10.9.3, provided you have OS 10.6. already on the system. The update is a free download from the Apple Store app.

    http://support.apple.com/kb/ht5842?locale=en_US

    Yes, but an older graphics card may have better OpenGL support for Windows from the vendor, than it does for MacOSX.

  • StratDragonStratDragon Posts: 3,167
    edited June 2014

    fixmypcmike said:
    StratDragon said:
    fixmypcmike said:
    StratDragon said:
    jestmart said:
    PCs and Apples can be built using the same hardware. The disadvantage I see with Macs is you are reliant on Apple to provide the graphics card drivers, if Apple's drivers aren't up to par there is nothing you can do.

    Only if DS for Mac were developed with MacOS specific drivers that are not available to the general public to begin with. The problem is more evident with PC's. Drivers are developed all the time which may or may not benefit you specific card but if a particular Windows version of Studio needs that driver you need to keep it updated and the windows WHQL version and the developer versions are not always on the same page..

    The problem is if you have an older Mac the graphics card may have updated Windows drivers but not Mac drivers. Not an immediate issue for the OP since he's talking about getting a new computer, but if he doesn't get a brand new one, or several years down the line, it could be an issue.

    At this time most anything above a core 2 duo is upgradable to Mavericks 10.9.3, provided you have OS 10.6. already on the system. The update is a free download from the Apple Store app.

    http://support.apple.com/kb/ht5842?locale=en_US

    Yes, but an older graphics card may have better OpenGL support for Windows from the vendor, than it does for MacOSX.


    OS 10.9.3 supports cards developed as far back as 2007, the frequency of the updates is not as necessary since Apple deploys a far more controlled deployment of cards in their computers.
    http://support.apple.com/kb/HT5942

    Most vendor updates are for newer cards that use the same chipset instructions as older ones, so for the most part there is no performance benefit for the older cards, it's a compatibility update. Unless the code for Mac OS is compiled from the Windows version and not developed on the mac this could be the issue.
    Is that the case?
    I'm not trying to argue, I'd actually like to know if you know the answer,

    Post edited by StratDragon on
  • fixmypcmikefixmypcmike Posts: 19,583
    edited December 1969

    It may very well not be an issue these days, but I know there were times a few years ago when people had cards with inadequate OpenGL support, the vendor had updated drivers for Windows but Apple hadn't released updated drivers for Macs.

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