How well can this laptop render?
Lotharen
Posts: 282
I'm thinking of picking this up. Currently I have a i5 3330 processor with a Nvidia GTX 960 graphics card and 8 GB of ram(Which is maxed for the MB). I'm thinking this laptop would outperform my desktop but would like some input from those more knowledgable than I. Here are the specs:
HP Pavilion 15-au010wm 15.6" Gaming Laptop:
Key Features and Benefits:
- 15.6" Display
HD (1366 x 768) SVA BrightView WLED-backlit Display
- Intel Core i7-6500U Dual-Core processor
2.5GHz (with Max Turbo Speed of 3.1GHz)
- 12GB system memory
Gives you the power to handle most power-hungry applications and tons of multimedia work
- 1TB hard drive
Store up to 666,000 photos, 285,000 songs, or 526 of HD video and more
- 7 hours of battery life
Long-lasting battery life gives you all day to access your photos, videos, music and documents
- NVIDIA GeForce 940MX Graphics
With 2GB of DDR3 dedicated graphics memory
- Weight: 4.27 lbs
Thin design you can easily take on the road
- SuperMulti DVD Burner
Watch movies and read and write CDs and DVDs in multiple formats
- 10/100 Fast Ethernet, 802.11ac Wireless LAN
Connect to a broadband modem with wired Ethernet or wirelessly connect to a WiFi signal or hotspot with the 802.11ac connection built into your PC
EDIT: Added i5 model number.
Post edited by Lotharen on
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Comments
The laptop is not better than your desktop. It would probably be a significant step backward, especially because you're coming from a 960.
agreed! upgrade your motherboard and get a better CPU with much more memory.
laptops do less for more
get a better desktop or at least upgrade it.
And sales blurb that screams about benefits is misleading - they are only benefits if you think they are.
Is this for Iray? Because that makes a big difference. If you use 3dl, the i7 processor is better than your desktop, and you have more ram. 3dl wont use your GPU, so the GPU makes little difference.
But for Iray, the laptop is a MASSIVE step backwards. VRAM is more important than normal ram for iray, and the laptop has half the VRAM your desktop does. The 940MX has a lot less CUDA cores, which are vital to Iray speed. To render with Iray, you want a GPU that has the most CUDA and VRAM you can afford. Your desktop 960 is ok.
So if you are using Iray, or even thinking about Iray, this laptop would be shooting yourself in the foot. Don't do it!
But if all you want is 3dl, then the laptop is ok.
I'd have to disagree that the i7 will be better in 3DL. This particular i7 is a hyperthreading dual core processor, and is from the low power lineup of processors (hence the U). If the i5 is anything modern, like a 6600, the i5 will be better, perhaps significantly. Even the laptop version 6300HQ, with its four physical cores, will be better. For mainstream desktop parts, it's typical to find quad-core i5s; the quad-core i7s distinguish themselves from i5s with hyperthreading. The same is true with the laptop lineup of processors, usually marked by HQ at the end of the model number. But the ultrabook lineup of processors (marked with the U) are dual core parts with hyperthreading, whether they're i5s or i7s.
I digress. Maybe, at best, the 6500U will be qual to your desktop i5. If you're looking for a laptop, other here and I can give recommendations if you have a specific budget in mind. But if you stumbled upon a deal on that particular laptop or something, I'd say pass it up.
A 2GB video card is not enough.
Is that Pavillion one of those ultra sleek and lite metal case jobbies? They don't vent well and run hot. My 6 year old 17" I-7 in a bulky, industrial plastic black case runs about 15 degrees cooler than my husband's 2 year old 15" 1-7 in a metal case. Once they start to get too hot the processor starts to run slower in an effort to keep the heat down. I see it says gaming laptop and they usually do OK on the venting, but something about the metal cases trap the heat inside. My advice would be to spend the money on upgrading your desktop and swap in the graphics card you already have.
I've bolded from this list what is important for rendering, and I'm presuming that is why you're asking.
... And they are pathetically inadequate for IRAY rendering, and for 3Delight useless too.
Sure you could use for it, but why would you want to buy something so poor?
I have to concur with the others. I have a 'monster laptop' I got around 3 years back (which is still probably 'better' than most desktops), configured and bought with the aim of being a render machine (besides being my usual work-horse). It's good but ... let's just say I am in the process of getting a new comp;uter and it's a desktop!
Without going into hard numbers, a dual-core (4 threaded) CPU is a touch minimal (sad to say!), and 12GB RAM is bordering being a shade light - but a lot of that will depend: on how serious you are and 3D work and what your usual scene size will be - and bear in mind, with more RAM, etc., available you WILL start building more complex scenes!!!! If you throw Iray into the mix, well - IF the scene fits in that 2GB VRAM expect to be able to fry eggs on the case! (and IIRC from another thread if you get WIn 10 you won't even have 2GB VRAM available). Back to the CPU, it may turbo-boost to 3.1GHZ, but running a render will tend to drive the CPUs at 100% and that will very likely cause the boost to drop out to keep temperature down, and may even cause them to run under-clocked a little
A desktop is more upgradeable than a laptop - assuming compatible components are easily available. You might be able to get the latest and greatest CPU, gfx card, etc., but they may not fit/work in/with your motherborad or, in case of gfx card work, but in a slower PIC lane than optimal.
In the end, if you are happy with the results (including render time) then the machine is a good 'un! You can always get better, it's what you are content with that matters.
Thank you all for your input. I will wait until I can purchase a desktop with more kick than this little thing. I have this machine maxed as far as upgrades go really. The only other thing I could do would be to get a 10 series Nvidia card. I think Ill wait until I can upgrade the entire package.
Thanks again all!
I have been waffling on this all year. I have an iMac, and do not intend to give it up. (2014 iMac, the last with an NVidia graphics card, 4G). Since Apple shows no signs of creating a machine suitable for this sort of rendering, I am considering getting a Windows machine just for rendering. On one hand, an overengineered 'gaming' laptop can be purchased at enormous expense (and won't be upgradable in general), but won't take up desk space when I don't want it to, and can be used to demo DazStudio (which I do sometimes); on the other hand, clearly a desktop workstation of some sort is preferable, but would require another monitor, keyboard, etc., and would take permanent residence in my remaining desk space.
The iMac has a Thunderbolt port and _theoretically_ might be used in target display mode by a suitable desktop system, but I do not think this is actually practical.
Maybe I will wait for my next iMac (with Thunderbolt 3) and hope that by then external graphics boxes for rendering will be a reasonable add-on.
Mac's in general are 'to me' very expensive. I can get 2-3 full desktops that could run iray like a dream for the price of one high end Mac.
This.
Howdy,
Your question has been answered multiple times, but I wanted to add a little more FYI stuff for you. The way Intel names thier CPUs can be very confusing, particularly when you compare desktop to laptop models. On a laptop, an i5 is ALWAYS a dual core with or without Hyperthreading (depends on the model). On a laptop an i7 can be either a dual core, or a quad core with Hyperthreading (4 to 8 threads). On the desktop side, i5s tend to be dual or quad cores WITHOUT Hyperthreaading, which means that your exisiting system has a quad core processor, to compare with the dual core laptop. In situations where you are pressing the CPU alone, chances are your desktop will outpeform the that laptop (such as in 3D rendering) due to clock speed and number of threads. The i7 has two real cores, and two virutal cores, your four real cores are more effecient. Your GPU is in the same class as the laptop, but of a highe model. The GPU in the laptop is the mobile variety 940MX, vices your desktop 960 GTX. Again your desktop will be more performant. This is not to say that laptops cannot perform the same as a desktop (they most certainly can), but in your exmple, it would be a downgrade across the board. The money for the laptop should be set aside until you can save up enough to either upgrade your system, or you can spec out a higher-end laptop. Make sure to either match or exceed the number of real cores when you are looking to upgrade, going to a higher part number, but lower number of cores will degrade your renderign performance.
Rich S.
Rumor has it that Apple has recently made some sort of agreement with NVidia about something. Rumor also has it that new hardware, including new iMacs, will be announced next spring. It may be worth waiting to see if these rumors are related.
I have a work-issued Mac. I like it, but not enough to warrant the outrageous prices, by a long shot. I'd be hard-pressed to believe that even a significant agreement with NVIDIA would equalize the price/performance gap between Macs and PCs. They've always been expensive. Some people live by them and are willing to pay for that. I've never seen the appeal. Even with PCs, remember that laptops in general are more expensive than desktops (though you can get deals if you're patient.) And laptops aren't generally upgradable, except for memory or hard drive upgrades. Also, mobile GPUs will always be significantly slower than the equivalent desktop versions, no matter what.
If you need to be mobile because you can only afford one PC and you need it to be a laptop, you'll pretty much have to live with the fact that it'll be slower. If not, then my advice is to build your own desktop from the ground up. Invest in a good motherboard, processor, and power supply -- and a roomy case. You can buy the rest at "entry level" and upgrade when you find a deal or can afford it. I ordered the parts for my current i7 desktop on Newegg over the course of maybe 4 months, following the daily deals. Since it was originally built, I upgraded to a solid state boot drive, added additional internal hard drives, added a second GPU, upgraded the heatsink, and added an ESATA port to a slot in the back of the case. It's almost 3 years old and it's still very fast. I have no need to replace it in the foreseeable future.
Just my two cents!