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Cpu upgrade help for speeding up LW render?

genesis1

Member
OK I'm working on a modest budget upgrade. I currently run an x99 5820k 6 core 12 thread which is ancient now by todays standard. I was thinking of getting an e5 2680 v4 or 2690 v4 which are also old I Know but have more cores. Obviously these have more threads but slower clock speed than i7 5820k. Would I see much increase in render speed in LW if I upgraded to an e5? Or is it not really worth it? Would there be any down sides. I don't game, I use LW, Adobe after fx, marmoset, substance painter, zbrush.
 
The e5 2680 isn't going to be a big jump in render speed. It's only slightly faster than your current processor and it might actually be slower under some situations. The biggest advantage to that upgrade (crossgrade?) might be stability, but that would also depend on your motherboard and power supply.

If you were purchasing a dual LGA2011 motherboard, then it might be worth it.

2 x e5 2680 at $70 - $170 (depending on how picky you are) and between $160 - $289 for the motherboard would come to somewhere between $250 and $470, not counting odds and ends (cooling, new PSU probably).

But in the end, you have 16 cores for a reasonable cost.

Alternatively, you might want to just save up and get a complete upgrade.

For around $670 you can get a decent motherboard, processor, and 16gb 3200 SDRAM (GIGABYTE Z390 UD LGA 1151, Intel Core i9-9900 Coffee Lake 8-Core, 16-Thread, 3.1 GHz (5.0 GHz Turbo), and CORSAIR Vengeance LPX 16GB). You would also need a new heatsink and fan and most likely a new power supply (but maybe not).

I saved up for a little over a year, purchasing my system components one at a time until I had them all, but I am very happy with my upgrade. It is a complete night and day difference from my old system which was very long in the tooth.

I hope this gives a little perspective.
 
So just to clarify, an e5 2680 v4 14 core cpu at 2.4ghz wouldn't give me much more speed with 28 threads as apposed to the 12 threads I'm getting now? Would that be because of reduced clock speed?
 
So just to clarify, an e5 2680 v4 14 core cpu at 2.4ghz wouldn't give me much more speed with 28 threads as apposed to the 12 threads I'm getting now? Would that be because of reduced clock speed?

My mistake! :rolleyes: When I looked up the e5 2680, it was only listing 8 cores, not 14. I left off that pesky v4. My apologies!

The e5 2680 v4 (got it that time!) is certainly a considerable speed upgrade.

I guess the only possible issue would be the socket. The Xeon takes the FCLGA2011-3, not LGA2011 v3. You would have to check your motherboard manufacturer to see if your motherboard / BIOS supports it.

If it does, I would definitely purchase it. Passmark rates its performance at double your i7 and the price is reasonable.

I wanted to ask, if you use Marmoset ToolBag, what is pushing your need for LW render?
 
My gpu is not really good enough being only a 4gb 1050ti. It works with marmoset but slows up on poly heavy scenes, and gpu upgrades are silly money at the moment for anything descent. There are still things I find easier and can render better in LW. So upgrading my cpu to get faster renders seems more cost effective for me at present than paying a Kings ransom on an rtx card.
 
Thanks, I'll see how it goes. I've just realised I've got to update the bios, something I always sweat over doing.
 
Cpu upgrade help for speeding up LW render?
If single computer is not enough for your daily work, renderfarm is the answer..
Search net for what renderfarms support LightWave
e.g. GarageFarm
And have a test ride..

ps. Making home renderfarm is typical way how people progress, before going for external renderfarm. i.e. use older machines around you as render nodes.
 
I'd go with an i9-10900K or similar
If you do consider something more then an AMD 3970x

Looking at what you use, I'd say that a GFX card and/or ram may be a better option.
In that case, I would go for a 2080ti and above. It is the equivalent of the 3970x in terms of rendering and makes a huge difference in all 3d apps and video processing.
Ram would also help if you are below 16gb
 
So just to clarify, an e5 2680 v4 14 core cpu at 2.4ghz wouldn't give me much more speed with 28 threads as apposed to the 12 threads I'm getting now? Would that be because of reduced clock speed?
well, I found the additional threads were good for rendering but the slower clock speed compared to modern processors was very noticeable when jumping between machines. If you only want rendering speed, I found the dual xeons to be pretty good, if you can get them cheap. Maybe an old dell?
saying that I would probably go for one of the i9's or the Ryzen 9 5950X or similar, just for the newer MB etc
 
Not sure what to do. Yes I guess the slower clock speeds might be more noticeable with modeler viewport and other software... If I upgraded my graphics card it would help other things like after fx and toolbag, but LW doesn't use gpu unless you use octane which is then more expense for a subscription.
Maybe I just need to sit it out and save to get a more modern upgrade later.
 
Not sure what to do. Yes I guess the slower clock speeds might be more noticeable with modeler viewport and other software... If I upgraded my graphics card it would help other things like after fx and toolbag, but LW doesn't use gpu unless you use octane which is then more expense for a subscription.
Maybe I just need to sit it out and save to get a more modern upgrade later.

That's my recommendation, honestly. You will be happier with a newer mobo / processor and GPU combo in the long run, I think.
 
To note, I think it matters with TurbulenceFD and GPU, so faster simulations if you got a better GPU card there as well, If you have TurbulenceFD or intend to buy it.
If not..then there isn´t much else I think in Lightwave that will require GPU, only other software to worry about then.
 
Not sure what to do. Yes I guess the slower clock speeds might be more noticeable with modeler viewport and other software... If I upgraded my graphics card it would help other things like after fx and toolbag, but LW doesn't use gpu unless you use octane which is then more expense for a subscription.
Maybe I just need to sit it out and save to get a more modern upgrade later.
I think it comes down to how much you use it. If a lot, then go for it
 
Just to throw it out there. Would an i7 6950x be better than e5 2680 v4? I know it's only 10 core 20 threads but higher clock speed an unlocked for overclocking. Would I see a faster render? Much difference? I use Adobe software too so I wouldn't want other programs to be slower. What do you guys think?
 
I would have to agree with chunderburger, but with a bit of 'what's your budget' and 'how patient are you ?' thrown in for good measure :)

As a hobbyist, my PC upgrades are down to when I can afford them or when something packs up and has to be replaced. I do allow myself a two PC setup though. I have one principally for internet use and a second one for Lightwave and similar product use. In years gone by, I used to build my own PCs but in recent times I have gone with refurbished off the shelf ones as they worked out cheaper. Back in 2019, my setup was a Lenovo ThinkStation S20 E5420 CPU 12GB DDR3 RAM 1050ti 4GB for internet and a Lenovo C20 2 x E5620 CPUs 24GB DDR3 RAM Quadro K4000 3GB GPU for Lightwave.

My internet PC started to show signs of age with boot problems and RAM failures, so I hunted around for a replacement on a tiny budget of £300. In May 2019, I lucked into a refurbished Dell Precision 5810 off eBay for £275. It included: Xeon 1620v3 3.5GHz CPU,16GB DDR4 Ram, Quadro M4000 8GB, 1TB HDD. At the time, I looked on it as buying the M4000 with a free PC thrown in as a bonus. The 1050ti went in this 'new' PC and my Lightwave PC got the M4000.

Early last year, my LW PC started to have memory problems so I tracked down a replacement on eBay. I got lucky again and this time picked up a refurbished Dell Precision 7810 2 x Xeon E5-2680 V3 CPUs, 64GB DDR4 RAM and a 512GB SSD for £420. Both Dells came with 825W PSUs too so had scope for expansion. Soon after that, I stumbled across a 2080 RTX GPU in the Amazon Warehouse section for £445 (about £200 below the regular list price at the time), so snapped it up. Definitely my best buy last year given the silly prices currently being asked for similar kit.

So now I have two decent Dells as my main Internet and LW machines with the Lenovo C20 as an internet backup that can also run LW if need be.

The point of all this rambling is that there are lots of options for getting decent PC upgrades if you are on a limited budget but have patience and are willing to shop around and compromise a little :)

 
Yes thats what I'm trying to do, but not easy in the current climate as parts are increasing in price. I've just updated my bios so can fit any of the e5 2600+ cpu, but even though the more threads will render faster, I'm thinking maybe other programs may take a hit with lower clock speed. I really want to upgrade a little now. E5 2680 v4 2.4ghz at around £200 seems tempting but don't want to make the wrong decision.
 
ps. Making home renderfarm is typical way how people progress, before going for external renderfarm. i.e. use older machines around you as render nodes.
yeah, kinda
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the problem i had when doing this at a former job was that the computers were incredibly outdated.
it took 4ever. Be sure to check if the computers are "worth it"
also, don't make a too big farm, it will suck tons of power.
my advice, go with a small but very strong farm.
or like Sensei linked, use a farm like Garagefarm.
(or both)

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