The best computer for working with DAZ?

switt1313_7709dc8a65

Hi,

I'm thinking of investing some in a new computer for working with DAZ, and I'm trying to gain some basic understanding of cpu clocks, cpu cores and gpu. But in the end I get lost in petween all the numbers since working on a scene and rendering seems to need different things :( 

Basically what I want to do most is make and render still scenes for graphic novels using Studio (I also have Bryce and Carrara, but I very rarely use them). I may also wish to continue learning Hexagon to create some of my own content. Lastly (and least importance) I may wish to try working with some basic animations for advertisment purposes, but this would be secondary.

So, basically I need good performance on the cpu clock to work on the scenes. But since I need to render a lot of different scenes for a graphic novel I'm still hoping for some reasonable rendering times as well. Do you have any suggestions on the best combination of cpu and gpu to get a good balance between good performance while working on a scene and good performance while rendering the scenes? (don't worry about price right now I do have some money saved up for it, I just want to make sure I spend it wisely).

Thanks for any hints you may have.

Sascha

Paintbox

I'll assume you are an entry level computer user for this explanation, sorry if I am being verbose. First of importance is understanding what each does. Otherwise it's hard to make decision. For graphical work like DAZ Studio, the GPU is the most important.

GPU = Graphics Processing Unit. A videocard handles all graphical output and processing. For DAZ Studio, this means it needs be able to draw the viewport (where you set-up your scene) well. The more intense your scenes, the more power it needs. If you create graphic novels and you use a lot of characters, props and architecture, a low end videocard will not suffice.
Next the GPU / videocard is also responsible for your renders, the final output for your novels. The same applies, a low-end videocard will take a lot longer to render. In this case, it is mostly determined by the amount of CUDA Cores. DAZ Studio primary renderer is iRay, and it only works with Nvidia cards who exclusively have CUDA cores. So that's your only option when buying.

Now when it comes to Nvidia cards, the latest generation is the 20xx series, but I believe they are not yet ready for iRay use (But I could be wrong here). The 10xx series is the most used right now, having been on the market for a while.
In terms of power, it ranges from the 1050 to the 1080 series. When it is marked with Ti , it means it has extra processing power. So the least powerful is 1050, and the maximum power is the 1080Ti.

I would personally never go for the 1050, only if you are mere hobbyist doing a few renders every now and then. The choice here is between 1060, 1070, 1080. I believe each generation adds roughly 33% more speed. If you want to buy, go for the fastest card you can afford, and calculate if there is a proper ROI on them if you get a faster card.

The VRAM, or the amount of videomemory on the videocard is of VITAL importance. You see, everytime you render the whole job is sent to your videocard for processing. So if a scene of DAZ Studio doesn't fit on the card, it passes the job to the CPU, which is ill equiped when it comes to rendering in iRay, it will be VERY slow. So the more VRAM the better. Personally I wouldnt go under 6Gb, and more is better.

Thats the GPU side of things.

For CPU, you could opt for the i5,i7 or the AMD equivalent (not well versed in AMD chips atm) , where the CPU handles all other calculations. A faster CPU helps with responsiveness with software and calculations. So if you need to spare some money, get the midrange CPU.

For RAM, your computers working memory to perform calculations in, the minimum is 8Gb, but for serious work 16Gb is a must, especially if you get a videocard with lots of RAM. I believe the rule is to have twice of much RAM than your videocard. So if you get a 6Gb videocard, get at least 12Gb of RAM.

These are things you must be aware of when buying. Another is cooling, make sure you have a computer that cools properly. Budget systems tend to cut on this bit, and it decreases the longevity of your system, which is a shame if you spent a lot of money on otherwise good parts.

GL!



 

kenshaw011267

You should, assuming you don't have money to burn, completely ignore Intel at this time. Buy an AMD cpu either the R5 2600 or the R7 2700 depending on how much money you have to spend.

For RAM you want either 16Gb or 32 Gb. How much will depend on the GPU. If you get a higher end GPU you'll want 32 Gb.

Now for the GPU, just ignore anything labeled Radeon or Vega. What you need are Nvidia's offerings. GTX or RTX cards. Ideally you want the 1070, 1070ti, 1080, 1080ti, 2070, 2080 or 2080ti. those are the cards that are the best for Daz iRay rendering that are available right now. IMO the best price to performance option available right now, if you can find one, is the 1080ti. The problem is it isn't in production and stocks are nearly, if not completely, exhausted. If you cannot get one I think the next best option is the 2070. If $500+ is too rich for you then you can look into the 1070ti or 1070 or go on eBay and look for a used card (you might get lucky and find a good price on a 1080ti). If at all possible I'd stay at the 1070 level or higher. Those and higher cards all have 8gb of VRAM or more which is a pretty comfortable amount for most renders plus they have enough processing power to do those renders in a reasonable time.

 

Paintbox

@kenshaw011267 , is the new generation of 20xx Nvidia compatible now with DAZ Studio's iRay? I read some bits and pieces of the forums with problems concerning the cards.

Richard Haseltine

Paintbox said:

@kenshaw011267 , is the new generation of 20xx Nvidia compatible now with DAZ Studio's iRay? I read some bits and pieces of the forums with problems concerning the cards.

Yes, if you use the 4.11 Public Beta.

switt1313_7709dc8a65

Thank you Paintbox & kenshaw

Yes, that's kind of the info I was hoping for. I already noticed, that my current system could not handle the iRay renders, but I was a bit at a loss as to what to buy to solve the problem.

As I said I am willing to invest - also a bit more than when I bought new PCs in the past - but I wanted to make sure I knew what to look for. I don't mind paying the money if I know it works after, but it is a shame to spend a lot of money if in the end it doesn't do the job.

The info you provided coupled with some advice I found on the internet gives me a chance to start looking what I can find at local stores or what might be ordered.

If anyone else has more advice, I won't buy right away, so feel free to add more suggestions.

Thanks for your help,

Sascha

kenshaw011267

If I was you I'd aim to buy or at least shop the Monday after Thanksgiving if you live in the US. Many components will be on sale at very good prices. that assumes you intend to build yourself, and you should. Prebuilt systems either suck or cost way more than DIY.

nate_c399e9f1

I know I'm a bit late to the discussion, but a lot has happened since last year. AMD just came out with their new Ryzen third generation processors. If money is no option, I'd heavily recommend purchasing the 3900x. Can't go wrong with 12 cores! Nvidia also released the Super variants of their RTX series, so might not be a bad idea to check those out too.