Posts Tagged ‘Cinema 4D’

Jan
06
2010

Building a CG Workstation. Part 7. Testing and Wrap-Up

Passmark tests running an hour cycle

Passmark tests crunching the RAM

While I can heave a big sigh of relief that the computer I’ve researched and assembled actually works, there is still testing to do to make sure that the system components will function well under stress.  I bought a quad core CPU which when you add Hyper-Threading kicks the amount of computing threads up to 8, but can they stand up to several hours worth of continuous function at close to 100%? This is where you find out if the components of your build are all that they are cracked up to be.

Most home-builders like myself either use free programs like memtest or prime9 to test their  builds, but I like a more complete system of tests that will also give me information about my system components as well as testing practically every piece of hardware in my build. For that you have to shell out a few bucks. I chose PassMark Software’s Burnin Test 6.0 and Performance Test 7.0. PassMark is an established software company whose programs have become standard at major review sites like Anandtech.com and Tomshardware.com. I added the Performance Test application because Passmark had a special on both for $44.

But before we get into testing, I want to mention why I chose Windows 7 64 bit for my new operating system. I’ve had little faith in Windows OS since the major screw-up of Vista, but many positive reviews at trusted sites plus running for several weeks on my new laptop convinced me that it was worth the money. The 64 bit version allows for a higher amount of RAM for the system ( I plan on upgrading to 12Gbs sometime this year). And practically every major CG application runs much better (and faster) on a 64 bit system, so I chose that version of Windows 7.

It’s usually much better to do a clean install rather than an upgrade (lots of driver issues) and since there really is no viable upgrade from XP to Windows 7 (it’s essentially a new installation), I decided to simply buy a new OEM version of Windows 7. The OEM version is cheaper as it doesn’t come with a manual, etc, and is essentially limited to one machine, but that’s not an issue for me. Newegg.com ships Windows 7 64-bit Professional OEM for around $140. Took me a bit of research to realize that I didn’t need the Ultimate version of Windows 7; the Professional version is just fine for my needs.

Passed RAM and CPU tests for over an hour

Passed RAM and CPU tests for over an hour

Both RAM tests and CPU test crunched for over an hour and both of them performed flawlessly. I also download Real Temp (a cpu temperature program that reads all 4 core temps in real time) and an essential application, CPU-Z which reads all of the information about your CPU you’d ever want to know.

-I decided to wait on over-clocking the CPU until I’ve had a chance to test everything and conduct more research on the best techniques for overclocking a i7 920 CPU. It’s more complicated with this CPU and chipset, so I want to be sure I’m fully aware of what I’m doing before I start making changes to the bios. I don’t plan on doing a large over-clock, but something more modest like 3.4 Ghz (the CPU standard clock speed is 2.66 Ghz). More on this in a future post

Passmark interface: you can see that everything gets tested

Passmark interface: you can see that everything gets tested

Running Real Temp at the same time as I’m testing the RAM and CPU gives you a good idea of how the Prolima Megahalem heat sink is cooling the CPU when it’s under stress. The results were good, but a little higher than I expected. At idle the cores run at about 32 c and under full load (98%) they can get as high as 56 c.  Most of the test results I read indicated that the Megahalem heat sinks kept the CPU under 50 c, but many forum posts indicated that my results were pretty standard. Plus, 56 c under load for an hour is well below any kind of over-heating, so I’m good hear. Still, I decided to go back to the “push/pull” arrangement of 120mm fans on the heat-sinks (I had taken one off and placed it at the bottom of the case pulling in air). Once I did this, I dropped a couple degrees C, so I’ll keep it that way.

Also added a cheap Aerocool front fan/temp indicator to keep track of my fan speeds and temps. The touch 1000 adds the ability to control 4 fans and check temps for the PC case, the GPU, the RAM and hard-drives. Installing was a bit of trouble as I suddenly had a lot of new connectors to hide/bundle, but it took about an hour and I was all set. Left the main fan on the heat-sink connected to the mobo so I won’t get an alarm from the bios. Plus, you can’t really attach a thermal sensor to the CPU once it’s been installed and has a huge heat-sink attached, so I just place a sensor near the center of the case for basic system temps.

AeroCool 1000 temp/fan guage

AeroCool 1000 temp/fan guage

And there you have it. From selecting/researching the components, assembling them, problem solving, installing an operating system and testing, I’ve got a very fast machine that’s designed specifically to create machinima and computer graphics. From here it’s simple taking the time to load in back up files and all of my applications. I’ve designed this computer to be a true workstation devoted solely to animation, so most of my daily emails/etc will be on the new laptop I got for xmas (and where I’m typing this now). That way the system is kept clean of too many unnecessary software installs, etc.

I’ve mentioned at the beginning of this project that the new workstation is built around Cinema 4D and Mach Studio Pro, but I’ll also be loading in Moviestorm, IClone 4, Blender, Steam and the entire HL2 saga + tools, Dragon Age and it’s toolset, plus the Torque Engine and Second Life, both of which I plan on learning a lot more this year. I’ve got plenty of space with a fast 640 Gb hard-drive, so it’s on to installing.

Wrap Up and Suggestions

Some of you have commented that after reading my posts on building a CG workstation, you’d like to try building your own system. I’m very glad to hear that since that was partially my goal in writing these chronicling my process of building a computer. If you are serious, there are several step-by-step guides on the net that would come in handy. GeekTeks has a nice overview of the process; Newegg.com has got a good tutorial which includes a review of the case I used (the HAF 932). If you like written tutorials here’s a nice one that goes into great detail: mysuperpc.com. I’m partial to Scott Mueller’s Upgrading and Repairing PC’s since it comes with video tutorials and a written text as well. It’s also a great bible for trouble-shooting computer related problems.

Cost? My new workstation cost approximately $1000, but I used several parts from my old computer which brought the price down a bit. If I did this entire build from scratch, I estimate it would be about $1400, which is damn good considering the power and speed that this workstation is capable of.

However, I’d recommend that if you want to build your own computer, don’t go with the i7 CPU as they are much more expensive than the i5 CPU and the motherboards/Ram are much cheaper. Tomshardware.com has a nice series of system builds that include an i5 in the mix. And here’s an excellent article on building a balanced Game PC from Tom’s Hardware that goes over a lot of possible hardware choices.

And that’s it for this 7 part article on building your own CG workstation. It’s been a lot of fun for me to do and I hope you all have found it interesting. I plan on posting a one-page version of all 7 entries for those who want to read/print the whole thing in one sitting.

And here are my final workstation specs:

Machinima/CG Workstation Build:

Mobo:          ASUS P6T Deluxe Version 2

CPU:             Intel i7 920 1366 chipset

RAM:           6 GB Crucial DDR3 Ballistix PC-12800 Memory

CASE:           Coolermaster HAF 932

GPU:             ATI FirePro v8750

PSU:              Thermaltake toughPower 750W PSU

Heatsink:    Prolima Megahalem w/2 120mm Yate Loon fans

HD:               Western Digital 640 GB Caviar Black Sata HD

OS:               Windows 7 64-bit OEM

Main Software: Cinema 4D, Mach Studio Pro, Adobe Premiere/Audition, Moviestorm, IClone, Blender/Steam Games

Misc:         Aereocool 1000 LCD temp/fan speed indicator for front panel

And basic LCD monitor, keyboard and mouse.

Ricky with his new workstation.

Ricky with his new workstation.

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Dec
20
2009

Building a New CG Workstation. Part 1

Finally, I’ve caught up with almost all of my post-Expo work and can relax a bit. As part of a personal and professional project (I’ll be writing a 2 part article for Renderosity.com in Jan), I’m constructing a new Zombie Workstation (my title) for Machinima and traditional 3D work. I’ll be building it around Cinema 4D and Mach Studio Pro, a new real-time software company I’m reviewing. Of course, I’ll have several Adobe products (Audition, After Effects, etc) and Game SDK’s (Half Life 2, Dragon Age, Moviestorm, Second Life, etc) in the system as well. I plan on using this system only as a workstation for CG and video editing. My partner, Lisa Morton, gave me a nice Sony VAIO laptop for Xmas and I’ll be using it for my day to day emails, forums and surfing.

Cinema 4D

Shot of C4D interface

Shot of C4D interface

I’ll also be documenting my new system build both here at my personal site (in detail) and with more general posts at renderosity.com.

Basically, building your own computer is something just about anyone who is familiar with computers can do. If you can create machinima, you can build your own system. While it might seem daunting, it’s really not once you understand the basic hardware structure of most PC’s (MACS are another thing entirely).

The process of building a computer consists of four parts:

1. Research and shopping/buying
2. Preparing for the build
3. Assembly
4. Post-build testing & Problem solving

Mach Studio Pro

Mach Studio Pro Interface

Mach Studio Pro lighting Interface

Research and Shopping

Researching any new system build is often the most enjoyable part of creating a new computer. Not only do you find lots of interesting information on computer technology, but you learn a lot in the process.  Most of you already know that computer tech is advancing faster than most of us can keep up with. And high end components are often too expensive for machinima mortals like me. Still, reading about new tech is exciting to me and I enjoy comparing components and weighing the merits of various motherboards and RAM. There are also some wonderful tech sites out there with very helpful forums

This is the 6th computer I’ve built for myself and all of them have cost about $1000 to $1200 to build, although I didn’t set that budget when I started out. Most of the components I buy are slightly older, which makes them a bit cheaper since they are older technology. This isn’t nearly as bad as it sounds since popular and effective hardware has a longer life than components not as well designed or constructed. And even though a particular company might be selling a “bells and whistles” new version of their product, if you look at sales records/reviews you’ll find they make a lot of their money on their older and cheaper hardware. So, buying year-old hardware is a good way to go for system builders because it’s cheaper and you’ll find a lot of practical information (and possible problems) from users on the net (youtube is excellent for this). The trick is to buy so that you have room to upgrade, which isn’t always an easy thing to do when you are combining computer parts.

The primary task when you start research is to decide what you are using the computer for. Sounds simple, but you have to put a lot of thought into answering this question because it will determine practically everything you buy. Once you figure this out, you can buy complimentary components which should go together well in the Assembly stage.

I chose to build a workstation for CG and Machinima. A workstation usually is a computer who has a very specific function and is not used for every day kinds of things like email or typing blog posts like this one.  My workstation, will be built around using Cinema 4D, Mach Studio Pro and machinima tools like Moviestorm, Second Life and the Torque Game engine.  I’ll also be doing some DV editing for live action documentary work. Mach Studio Pro is a new, real-time software that allows you to edit the lighting, cameras and materials for your CG project. Since it’s real-time you there is no need for expensive render farms, but you do need a fast Graphics card which is why they bundle the ATI FirePro 8750 with the software.

On the other hand, I’ll be using Cinema 4D for the actual content creation (and to support my Machinima work) so I’ll need a fast quad-core CPU for rendering.  After research at Cinema 4D sites (great one at c4dcafe.com) and reading through the Mach Studio Pro forums and FAQ’s, the best CPU for the job is the new socket LGA 1366, X58 chipset,  i7 920 which operates at 2.66 Ghz, but has a ton of overclocking headroom. Add this to the requirements for the FirePro 8750 and you have the two components the workstation will be built around.

CPU: Intel i7 920 Bloomfield (X58 chipset)

i7 920 CPU Installed

i7 920 CPU Installed

I think it’s pretty obvious that the X58 is the way to go for a relatively current workstation build. I could have gone for the cheaper 1166 chipset, but the upcoming 6 core cpu (spring of 2010) does not support it. Only the 1366 chipset will work with the next generation of Intel CPUs. This was important to me as I want a workstation that is upgradeable and one that will last longer (my current system is 3 years old and going strong). The problem comes with the fact that the 1366 chipset requires more expensive components like DDR3 memory and specific motherboards that are mostly in the high $200 range.

In this case, I decided to pay the extra money and go with the X58,  i7 920 CPU even though components supporting the chipset are more expensive.

Although I read up on a lot of sites, there are three main tech websites that I read all the time and that have excellent reviews and forums. They are

Tom’s Hardware

Anandtech.com

Xbitlabs.com

Many builds listed at the forums of these websites whose primary focus was CG used the i7 920 and almost all of the builders overclocked the CPU to at least 3.4 Ghz. I collected listings of about a half a dozen builds using this CPU and started paying attention to hardware that kept reappearing in all of the successful computer builds. The 920 was highly effective in builds for Cinema 4D with very high Cinebench scores.

ATI FirePro 8750 Graphics card

ATI FirePro v8750 GPU

ATI FirePro v8750 GPU

As it comes with the Mach Studio Pro software, the v8750  it is at the top of the workstation graphics cards. Perfect for Mach Studio Pro, it’s drivers are fine tuned specifically for CG work (and not for games), but it does a decent job for gaming and open GL. I’ll be able to run most of my games at their top settings using this card. Cinema 4D won’t see much of a boost as CPU speed is more a factor for that program, but Mach Studio should blaze away.  It will be interesting to see how the card works overall in my system. I’ll definitely be testing it once the build is complete.

My main shopping sites are NewEgg.com (good, but not always reliable customer feedback), TigerDirect.com, Fry’s Electronics (a walk in store near me) and frozencpu.com are the sites I bought almost all of the parts for this build from.  Taxes is high in California right now (almost 10%), but since there is a warehouse in Southern California the delivery is usually next day from NewEgg.com. Very good customer service and a well-designed website/ordering system has made NewEgg a main stop for system builders. They also have very competitive prices and regular sales.

Now that we have decided on how the system will be used and have two major components chosen, we can begin to look at hardware that will compliment our core choices.

Next Up: Choosing the case, the mobo and other major components.

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