Render Server (Opteron vs Xeon)

[Myflag]

Hello Community Member,

I have a several questions for anybody here that would kindly lend their assistance, opinions, and (hopefully) some factual evidence toward solving my dilemmas.

I am currently in need of a dedicated render server to free up my work station for further work. My work station is current am Intel 2600k at 3.4GHz with 16GB of RAM. While this computer has and continues to work well it is limited for rendering more... intensive scenes and animations. It is not uncommon for a single frame render to take thirteen hours (advanced lighting, complex transparencies, ETC...) and animations taking thirty minutes or more per-frame even without GI. Needless to say, I am in need of an extensively more powerful and dedicated rendering machine.

From Newegg, I am currently considering building myself either a dual Xeon or dual Opteron server for rendering. Now, the only problem I am having is decided on which platform to invest in for a dedicated render server. I am currently debating between the following:

1. 2x Opteron 6272 2.1GHz 16-Core

2. 2x Xeon E5645 2.4GHz 6-Core

Now, my primary question to the kind people on these forums. Which setup would you recommend for the greatest rendering performance with Cinema 4D? If you can not in good conscious recommend either of the above platforms, than what would you recommend that is comparatively priced?

Any and all assistance will be greatly appreciated.

Thank you,
Myflag

 

[Phynaz]

http://www.anandtech.com/show/5058/amds-opteron-interlagos-6200

Better off with the Intel system.

 

[gmaster456]

I think more cores the better in this case. I would go with 2x 16 core opterons. Even with the power, heat and IPC advantage that the Xeon would bring, in the workloads your describing, the Opteron would mop with floor.

 

[Myflag]

Double Post

 

[Myflag]

I have already attempted to ask the individuals at the Maxon forums without luck as of yet. Hence my reason for also asking the same question at these forums as well. One of my issues is the only review I have managed to find of these CPU's is the one on this website. Now if there are more performance reviews of the Opteron 6200 series or suggestion from individuals such as yourself, that would be greatly appreciated. Any additional insight into the matter will be able to assist me in my decision making process.

Let me ask a more open-ended question. Do you know if either CPU is noticeably more powerful then the other?

Thank you
Myflag

Edit: I post far to slowly.... this comment was to a post no longer in this thread.

 

[Myflag]

I think more cores the better in this case. I would go with 2x 16 core opterons. Even with the power, heat and IPC advantage that the Xeon would bring, in the workloads your describing, the Opteron would mop with floor.

If that is the case, than the Opterons would be by far the superior choice.

Thank you for your rapid response to my question.

 

[Vesku]

Someone posts a comparison here (bring your own grain of salt):

http://www.tomshardware.com/forum/325102-28-upgrading-dual-operton-6128-6272-worth

I don't have any experience with Cinema 4D, but all indications are it is very threadable. Can't see 12 Xeon cores beating 32 Opteron cores even given 300MHz and better IPC.

 

[gmaster456]

If that is the case, than the Opterons would be by far the superior choice.

Thank you for your rapid response to my question.

Anytime. I would wait until more responses come in before you make a final decision however. Just so you can hear some more opinions.

 

[Myflag]

http://www.anandtech.com/show/5058/amds-opteron-interlagos-6200

Better off with the Intel system.

Some of my confusion with this article is that is states that a dual Opteron system is a sensible option in the last paragraph.

Link: http://www.anandtech.com/show/5058/amds-opteron-interlagos-6200/10


The x5650 in the test chart is significantly slower than the next above Opteron. Would that not mean the E5645 would be even slower...?

The above comments are much of my confusion in relation to this matter.

Any further assistance will be greatly appreciated.

Thank you

 

[gmaster456]

Some of my confusion with this article is that is states that a dual Opteron system is a sensible option in the last paragraph.

Link: http://www.anandtech.com/show/5058/amds-opteron-interlagos-6200/10


The x5650 in the test chart is significantly slower than the next above Opteron. Would that not mean the E5645 would be even slower...?

The above comments are much of my confusion in relation to this matter.

Any further assistance will be greatly appreciated.

Thank you

Yes you are correct. It would make the E5645 slower.

 

[Myflag]

I believe that Cinema 4D is limited to 64 threads...

Thank you for the link. It will be useful in making the correct decision for my needs.

 

[Myflag]

I think more cores the better in this case. I would go with 2x 16 core opterons. Even with the power, heat and IPC advantage that the Xeon would bring, in the workloads your describing, the Opteron would mop with floor.

Does this recommendation still hold if I were to purchase higher-end server CPU's? I would be willing to spend an additional thousand on the CPU's if the performance increase was substantial enough to warrant the extra cost.

 

[Phynaz]

Some of my confusion with this article is that is states that a dual Opteron system is a sensible option in the last paragraph.

Link: http://www.anandtech.com/show/5058/amds-opteron-interlagos-6200/10


The x5650 in the test chart is significantly slower than the next above Opteron. Would that not mean the E5645 would be even slower...?

The above comments are much of my confusion in relation to this matter.

Any further assistance will be greatly appreciated.

Thank you

Yes, but the benched Opteron is also faster than the one you are looking at. Take a couple of hundred Mhz off the Intel, and a couple of hundred off the Opteron, and the Intel will still be faster.

 

[Phynaz]

I think more cores the better in this case. I would go with 2x 16 core opterons. Even with the power, heat and IPC advantage that the Xeon would bring, in the workloads your describing, the Opteron would mop with floor.

I posted benches to back up what I said. Please post benches of an Opteron "mopping the floor" with a Xeon.

 

[Vesku]

The Opteron he listed is 200MHz less than the one on anandtech bench chart and the xeon he listed is 260Mhz less, so positioning shouldn't change drastically.

 

[Myflag]

From my understanding of the benchmark in the link from Anandtech showed that the less expensive Opteron was actually faster than the less expensive Xeon. Now if I have misunderstood something with the scoring of the benchmark I ask to be enlightened. I know that I am not purchasing the exact same CPU's as what are listed in that test. Though the ones I am looking as would follow Vesku's assessment... would they not? Unless the performance hit from the 200MHz slower clock speed of the Opteron is multiplied due to having nearly three times the cores...

Thank you for all of ya'lls assistance... it is greatly appreciated. Any further information will be useful.

Thank you,
Myflag

 

[tweakboy]

XEON DUAL SOCKET MOBO for 8 core 16 threads on both CPUs for a total of 16 core 32 threads.

The thing will be soo fast, it renders a 2 hour video in premiere in about 10 seconds

Yup renders are a mere couple seconds LOL


If Im dreamin, someone dont wake me up Alan.. lol

 

[tynopik]

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813151219

 

[Myflag]

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813151219

That motherboard only supports the old 6100 series Opterons. Now if ya'll think those would be acceptable, I will certainly consider choosing that as an option. Install two CPU's now and two more in several months.... though the cost for doing that is significantly higher.

 

[Myflag]

I have decided to go with the Xeon CPU's.

Thank you,
Myflag

 

[tynopik]

socket 2011 xeons should be here soon and provide a credible boost

on the other hand you may not be able to wait that long

E5-1650 is supposed to be $583 for 6 cores at 3.2ghz

edit: nevermind, would need the E5-2600 series which isn't as attractive

 

[dinker99]

C4D supports network rendering, wouldn`t it be cheaper to add another 2600K on a cheap motherboard - then just keep adding more boards as money becomes available.

 

[Abwx]

I posted benches to back up what I said. Please post benches of an Opteron "mopping the floor" with a Xeon.

It would , but Cinebench is intel optimised primarly , wich explain
intel s good score.

Once Maxon update their software to make full use of the opteron Fpus , it will be a no contest.

According to the link your posted :

We did not expect that the latest Opteron would outperform the previous one by a large margin. Cinebench is limited by SSE processing power. The ICC 11.0 compiler was the fastest compiler of its time for SSE/FP intensive software, even for the Opterons (up to 24% faster than the competing compilers), but it has no knowledge of newer architectures. And of course, the intel compiler does favor the Xeons.

 

[Phynaz]

It would , but Cinebench is intel optimised primarly , wich explain
intel s good score.

Once Maxon update their software to make full use of the opteron Fpus , it will be a no contest.

According to the link your posted :

Coulda, woulda, shoulda.

The fact is 6 Xeon cores are faster than 16 Derpdozer cores. Period.

 

[AtenRa]

Coulda, woulda, shoulda.

The fact is 6 Xeon cores are faster than 16 Derpdozer cores. Period.

Intel Xeon 5670 = $1440
AMD Opteron 6276 = $788
Intel Xeon 5650= $996

Intel Xeon 5645 = $551
AMD Opteron 6272 = $523

AMD Opteron 6276 is faster and cheaper than Intel XEON 5650.

Intel Xeon 5670 cost almost double the Opteron 6276. That means, at the same price he could have 32 Opteron Threads vs 12 Xeon Threads

I would get a Quad socket G34 motherboard with dual Opteron 6272 and upgrade to another two later on.

edit: benchmark link http://www.anandtech.com/show/5058/amds-opteron-interlagos-6200/10