HARDWARE: give me opinions

[Guest]

Hello.
RIght now i am going to start a big project. Since i will be using a lot of effects and tracks, render times are huge.

So I have two problems to fix:
- previewing
- rendering

In order to render faster, the best choice right now i think is to buy a P4 3 Ghz HT as a server and main computer, and 1 or 2 cheaper network computers.

I have two options for the network CPUS:
- I could buy TWO whole P4 Intel® Celeron® D 325 (2.53 GHz, 256 MB cache, 533 MHz FSB for just €300
- Or another Intel® Pentium® 4 with HT (3.0 GHz, 1 MB cache, 800 MHz FSB) for around €600

I´m sure the 3.0 HT will go faster than the celeron, but we are talking that we can have TWO PCs for the price of one, rendering together in the network, and having each one 512 Mb of RAM and a 80 Gb hard disc.

Since i have not use the network render in vegas, i do not know how fast things go.
That is why i am writing this, so you could give me your personal experience.



And second point, how to speed up previewing. Since i use level correction, and cropping... usually the preview screen goes too slow (around 4 or 5 fps). I do not want to mute video tracks nor to ignore video effects, becasue that is what i need to see. And if i render a preview, it takes a lot of time which i don´t like.

Is there any way to speed this up? Thanks for reading the whole post. Bye!

 

[Barry_Green]

Re: HARDWARE: give me opinions

I've got limited experience with network rendering (plugging my cheap laptop onto the network with my desktop). Coincidentally my laptop is also a Celeron D 325. The desktop is just a P4 2.66.

Network rendering with the laptop can shave as little as 10%, or as much as 33%, off the render time. Part of what determines speed is your network connection, you should use AT LEAST 100mb ethernet, and I've been using firewire at 400mb/s. Gigabit Ethernet would be even better.

I've got really low RAM in the laptop though, only 256mb, so once I get that upgraded maybe it'll change things.

I don't know how much better things would be with the P4 3GHz, so I can't help with that. But theoretically, under the best circumstances, having two render computers would cut your rendering at least in half.

I don't think there's any way to speed up previewing.

 

[David Jimerson]

Re: HARDWARE: give me opinions

[quote author=Barry_Green link=board=Vegas;num=1097165067;start=0#1 date=10/07/04 at 10:22:23]I don't think there's any way to speed up previewing.[/quote]

[mutter]Yes, and here's where Vegas could learn from Edition.[/mutter]