Cheap PC Options for Network Rendering??

Started by Robb63, November 09, 2012, 06:46:29 AM

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Robb63

What would be some examples of cheap(er) PC's that could be used to network render?

I have a BOXX i7 3960X system that is my main computer, and I'm looking for a few cheaper PC's to offload for rendering. I've bought the network render option, but in order for it to make sense for me to use, I'd like to have the PC's use the full 32 cores of network rendering power I paid for.

The only way I can get close to doing this now is to use my BOXX, an older Alienware i7-920, and my ROG Laptop (only 28 cores). This gives me some decent rendering speeds, but mainly because my BOXX system (12 cores) is in the mix as a master, and slave. If I take the BOXX out of the available renderers, the two older spec machines alone aren't as fast as forgetting about the network and just using the BOXX by its self.

If I can find some pre-built solutions that would be great, but I'm not afraid to build a system either. I've done a lot of Googling,  but just don't know where to find info on a DIY 32 core machine (maybe I'm not using the correct search string though?), or several lesser cored systems linked that will give me a lot of render horsepower.

Thanks for any help!!

guest84672

Tying a bunch of older computers together may be ok, but not not the best solution. Building one yourself may be the best route to go.

DriesV

If I were in total control of our own rendering infrastructure (let's keep on dreaming  ;D), I would buy NR asap.
Then I would build around 10 mini-ITX systems; each with an all-in motherboard, i7-3770 CPU, 8GB RAM, a small HDD, all shuffed in a complete barebone. Nothing more. Because that's all what's needed for them to work as dedicated slaves  :).

Dries

Robb63

I think so too, I'm just not sure what system or systems to build to get the best bang for buck

Robb63

Dries, what is an NR??

A buddy of mine has used the mini-ITX units for photography to control shutters doing Matrix style camera arrays, but I'm not too familiar with them myself. I'll look into it.

DriesV

I like this website very much and also the buying guides on it, like this one:
http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/gaming-cpu-review-overclock,3106.html

I quote:
"The criteria to get on this list are strictly price/performance..."

This guide should be a pretty good starting point.

NR = network rendering  ;)

Dries

Robb63

Dries, thanks for the link. NR means Network Rendering, couldn't see the forest for the trees there   ;)

Does anyone know if you can use Amazon Web Services (or similar) and run the Network Render software there (a lot of other 3D render packages seem to be able to). It would be nice to pay as I go, since I don't always need all of that render power.

guest84672



DriesV

#9
This quest for ultimate price/performance/comfort ratio is quite fun!  ;D

I was thinking that building a small DIY 19 inch rack could be a very neat way to assemble a lot of rendering power on a relatively small footprint, even for a small office. Plus: a rack with f.i. 10 servers looks a lot tidier than 10 desktops and is easier to relocate, manage, clean etc.

This is what I came up with (Newegg.com quotes):

FOR EACH SERVER:

*SUPERMICRO CSE-111LT-330CB Black 1U Rackmount Server Chassis (including 330W PSU)
$209.99

*ASUS P8H77-M PRO LGA 1155 Intel H77 HDMI SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 Micro ATX (assuming that -for stability- you're not going to overclock)
$129.99

*Intel Core i7-3770 Ivy Bridge 3.4GHz (3.9GHz Turbo) LGA 1155 77W Quad-Core Desktop Processor Intel HD Graphics 4000
$299.99

*Dynatron K199 80mm 2 Ball CPU Cooler (is rated for max. 95W. Max TDP for i7-3770 is 77W)
$29.99

*CORSAIR Vengeance LP 16GB (2 x 8GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) Desktop Memory Model CML16GX3M2A1600C10
$70.99

*Intel 520 Series Cherryville SSDSC2CW060A310 2.5 inch 60GB SATA III MLC Internal Solid State Drive (SSD) - OEM
$89.99

*SAMSUNG 8X Slim Internal DVD Burner, OEM Package Without Software Black SATA Model SN-208BB - OEM
$23.99

TOTAL: $854.93

19 inch rack chassis can probably be found for as little as $100.

So buying a 5-CPU i7-3770 based configuration would set you back $4375.
This setup will be about 3.7 times faster than your current single 3960X box (if not OC'd).

You could choose a 2U heght chassis as well, but that would be more expensive and take double the space. You would have a wider range of cooling options for the CPU, though. (1U casing fans and CPU fans can be pretty loud!)

EDIT:
Oh, you also need 5 licenses of Windows, so add $699.95 on top (Windows 8 Pro).

Dries

DriesV

A slightly optimized configuration  ;D.

A bit more expensive. You do get a much tinier chassis, better airflow, server grade core components and a CPU with lower heat output with the same performance.

FOR EACH SERVER:

*SUPERMICRO CSE-512F-350B Black 1U Rackmount Server Chassis
$139.99

*SUPERMICRO MBD-X9SCL-O LGA 1155 Intel C202 Micro ATX Intel Xeon E3 Server Motherboard
$159.99

*Intel Xeon E3-1270 V2 Ivy Bridge 3.5GHz (3.9GHz Turbo) LGA 1155 69W (!) Quad-Core Server Processor BX80637E31270V2
$369.99

*SUPERMICRO SNK-P0046P CPU Heatsink for Xeon Processor X3400 / L3400
$21.99

*CORSAIR Vengeance LP 16GB (2 x 8GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) Desktop Memory Model CML16GX3M2A1600C10
$70.99

*Intel 520 Series Cherryville SSDSC2CW060A310 2.5 inch 60GB SATA III MLC Internal Solid State Drive (SSD) - OEM
$89.99

*SAMSUNG 8X Slim Internal DVD Burner, OEM Package Without Software Black SATA Model SN-208BB - OEM
$23.99

TOTAL: $876.93

Robb63

Dries, You Da Man!!!
It's too bad you need to buy individual Windows licenses for each machine (that's a budget killer).


KeyShot, Is there any chance of a Linux version of the network renderer?

guest84672

Yes there is. It is a matter of demand, though.

tfinlay

Quote from: Thomas Teger on November 12, 2012, 06:14:37 AM
Yes there is. It is a matter of demand, though.

Would that enable users to use GPU-based processors?  A bunch of PS3s would be really cheap and have quite the bang for the buck.

guest84672

No - KeyShot will remain CPU based only for the foreseeable future.