Workstations Explanation (Updated)
I realize it's been a while since I wrote the original article on workstation methodology, and a lot has changed since then. Here it is again, reflecting the changes and new additions.
Many Options
A typical workstation configuration article contains several options, which can get a bit confusing, so what you want to consider are your budget and your needs. If you're buying for a firm, go over your staff and their tasks to determine the most computationally demanding tasks each team member works on. A typical firm will want a mix of these configurations - perhaps your bookkeeper, assistants and interns will have Intern systems, your marketer will need a Photoshopper, anybody doing mostly CAD will get a Budget while 3D and BIM users get a Midrange box and your heaviest 3D users and animators will need a High End or Maxer. A Render Node or two can be added if needed, but if you really want to farm animations, try Boxx or outsource.
Here are some of the system types that are typically included
For Light Use:
The Intern: This is the low-end system an architecture firm can buy for an employee who is not expected to do 3D work or work in Revit or with very large Photoshop files. It's great for CAD, Microsoft Office and light SketchUp work but should not be used for running a complex BIM package or 3DSMax. The price point will be as low as possible without resorting to sub-standard parts.
For Marketing, Photography and Other Adobe Type Use:
The Photoshopper: This is the system for users with heavy graphics needs that don't involve 3D and BIM. Adobe type use doesn't rely rendering or 3D display, it requires running operations with one or two threads on very large files. The Photoshopper is optimized for that type of work.
For BIM and 3D Use:
The Budget: This will be the least expensive system using commonly available parts that can handle the common tasks in architectural visualization work, including modeling and rendering, and work with substantial, multi layered Photoshop files and large desktop publishing documents. Price should come in around $1000.
The Midrange: This is the system that most professionals working full time in 3D modeling, Photoshop, CAD and BIM should consider. It should be powerful enough for all common 3D modeling tasks, for rendering still images and for running sequences of stills or basic animations overnight. Price should come in under $2000.
The High End: For users with larger budgets requiring the most power (within reason), this configuration will use high-end parts such as dual CPUs, workstation class video cards and solid-state disks. It should be up to the most demanding complex modeling and animation tasks, and because it has dual CPUs should render approximately twice as quickly as the midrange system. The price point can float, but expect it to be above $3000.
The Maxer: Several months ago I brought down the cost of the high end system by making it single CPU. Using the new (at the time) 6-core i7 made it cheaper and faster - but some CGArchitect readers were actually disappointed. It seems I'd been underestimating the market for $8,000 workstations. So this is the configuration for that class of high-end, one might say "Texas-size," user. This is why there's more than one reason it's called The Maxer. No, it's not the most expensive thing you can buy - I'm not trying to get you to throw your money away on needlessly expensive parts like SLI'ed Quadro cards. At the high end of the price/performance curve you double the price to add 1% to the performance; this system falls that 1% short of the top.
For Rendering Only:
The Render Node: This is for when you want an extra box or two to farm your renders to. Don't try to make a proper "farm" out of these - they take up too much space - for that, try Boxx or outsource.And don't try to make a workstation out of this sort of hardware, it's not good enough at single threaded operations to justify its use in anything but a render node or a server (and architecture firms don't usually need this sort of processing in a server).
A number of render nodes can be put together to make a render farm. I'll provide some information on how to do so, and to give you a baseline for comparison, but when you get to this level of complexity it often turns out that you're better off buying from a specialty company like Boxx. (See the link on the right, and tell them we sent you.)
Many Options
A typical workstation configuration article contains several options, which can get a bit confusing, so what you want to consider are your budget and your needs. If you're buying for a firm, go over your staff and their tasks to determine the most computationally demanding tasks each team member works on. A typical firm will want a mix of these configurations - perhaps your bookkeeper, assistants and interns will have Intern systems, your marketer will need a Photoshopper, anybody doing mostly CAD will get a Budget while 3D and BIM users get a Midrange box and your heaviest 3D users and animators will need a High End or Maxer. A Render Node or two can be added if needed, but if you really want to farm animations, try Boxx or outsource.
Here are some of the system types that are typically included
For Light Use:
The Intern: This is the low-end system an architecture firm can buy for an employee who is not expected to do 3D work or work in Revit or with very large Photoshop files. It's great for CAD, Microsoft Office and light SketchUp work but should not be used for running a complex BIM package or 3DSMax. The price point will be as low as possible without resorting to sub-standard parts.
For Marketing, Photography and Other Adobe Type Use:
The Photoshopper: This is the system for users with heavy graphics needs that don't involve 3D and BIM. Adobe type use doesn't rely rendering or 3D display, it requires running operations with one or two threads on very large files. The Photoshopper is optimized for that type of work.
For BIM and 3D Use:
The Budget: This will be the least expensive system using commonly available parts that can handle the common tasks in architectural visualization work, including modeling and rendering, and work with substantial, multi layered Photoshop files and large desktop publishing documents. Price should come in around $1000.
The Midrange: This is the system that most professionals working full time in 3D modeling, Photoshop, CAD and BIM should consider. It should be powerful enough for all common 3D modeling tasks, for rendering still images and for running sequences of stills or basic animations overnight. Price should come in under $2000.
The High End: For users with larger budgets requiring the most power (within reason), this configuration will use high-end parts such as dual CPUs, workstation class video cards and solid-state disks. It should be up to the most demanding complex modeling and animation tasks, and because it has dual CPUs should render approximately twice as quickly as the midrange system. The price point can float, but expect it to be above $3000.
The Maxer: Several months ago I brought down the cost of the high end system by making it single CPU. Using the new (at the time) 6-core i7 made it cheaper and faster - but some CGArchitect readers were actually disappointed. It seems I'd been underestimating the market for $8,000 workstations. So this is the configuration for that class of high-end, one might say "Texas-size," user. This is why there's more than one reason it's called The Maxer. No, it's not the most expensive thing you can buy - I'm not trying to get you to throw your money away on needlessly expensive parts like SLI'ed Quadro cards. At the high end of the price/performance curve you double the price to add 1% to the performance; this system falls that 1% short of the top.
For Rendering Only:
The Render Node: This is for when you want an extra box or two to farm your renders to. Don't try to make a proper "farm" out of these - they take up too much space - for that, try Boxx or outsource.And don't try to make a workstation out of this sort of hardware, it's not good enough at single threaded operations to justify its use in anything but a render node or a server (and architecture firms don't usually need this sort of processing in a server).
A number of render nodes can be put together to make a render farm. I'll provide some information on how to do so, and to give you a baseline for comparison, but when you get to this level of complexity it often turns out that you're better off buying from a specialty company like Boxx. (See the link on the right, and tell them we sent you.)
posted by Andy Lynn at 7:46 AM
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