If I bought a CRAY super computer will CA be faster?

[portrait]

Another article shows Cray and Microsoft have had a combined solution since 2008.

http://www.zdnet.com/blog/microsoft/...rcomputer/1589

That's also what i have heard also. http://www.chieftalk.com/showpost.ph...4&postcount=15
I don't ask this for only Cray super computers, before i purchased my current workstation my computer advisor had told me that the best OS for this configuration was MS Server 2008. However i didn't want to use an OS which i was not familiar with, and wasn't sure if all the programs including Chief i had been been using were compatible with Server 2008. So i decided to use Windows 7.
This is why i wonder if anybody tried to install and use Chief under MS Server 2008...

[Max]

Ozgur,
Now that you mention it, I recall I have access to a free copy of MS server 2008 as a part of a development subscription. I may very well download it and test Chief on that platform.

[Larry Kumpost]

You might find this link useful:

http://www.videocardbenchmark.net/

It ranks video cards and shows current cost.

[dshall]

You might find this link useful:

http://www.videocardbenchmark.net/

It ranks video cards and shows current cost.

Thanks Larry, I had found that, it really shows how out of date my card is.

[portrait]

What i know is that the only Microsoft OS which can work with Cray computers is Microsoft Server 2008. Does anybody know if any versions of Chief Architect is compatible with MS Server 2008 (or 2003)?

[PhoenixConstruction]

Here's my "Mini-Cray"

And yes, the GeForce 590GTX is the fastest I've seen (for now ). Your 280 is pretty dated.

[PhoenixConstruction]

Sorry, I guess none of this answered your real question, as we all focused on the Cray computer. Difference in render for me with shadows off and shadows on - Off=2 seconds, On=5 seconds (3 second difference)

[sherpa_jones]

I've just learned to take a deep breath and relax while chief seems to do something too slow for my liking. I lean back on my chair and stretch, clear my mind, and do some deep breathing. It is a good opportunity to clear the stress of the day's work. And if I get really worked up about it, I just hit save, close, and I take 15 minutes and go for a walk. I don't think Chief will ever run as fast as I would like, or that I will ever own a machine that will make this possible. Regardless, Chief is a very powerful program compared to what was available 20-30 years ago. It is like people who are impatient at airports. You are flying across the country in a matter of a day! 300 years ago that trip took a lifetime, and you left home as a newlywed and arrived as a grandfather!

[sutcac]

Nice bit of wisdom there Rod.

[Karlo]

David is right. A "Super Computer" probably runs Unix os or a some super duper os of it's own kind. Not Windows! I see my GTX-570 ranks pretty high on that list. For another 200 skins I could have got the top of the list. I was having computer lockups during renderings with my El-Cheapo video card. Not any longer.

[portrait]

Max, thanks! That will be great! Please don't forget to inform us.

[Max]

Max, thanks! That will be great! Please don't forget to inform us.

Ozgur,
As I promised to do, I downloaded Windows Server 2008 and installed it today after burning the DVD. I am just now running it through it's paces after getting the graphics driver setup (nvidea GT 8800) which at first caused confusion until I realized server 2008 is Vista on Networking and Security Steroids and without much of the fluff enabled. I was able to convert the OS to perform as a Workstation easy enough.

It's pretty much Vista though. If you get it free that's one thing but I don't suggest paying much for it. I would go with Windows 7. For most it's cheaper anyway. I am not a huge Vista fan at all so will probably drop this pretty quick. Still up in the air for Windows 7 due to the many hardware and software issues I would have to spend a bundle on to be compatible. Just not inclined to go that road just yet.

One thing that I might suggest and I may try it out. The server disc I burned has all versions of the 2008 server so I can install the 64 bit version. That means I can go up to 16 gigs of memory with the standard version and even more with the others. Should be interesting to see how that plays out but I am not sure if Chief will even use it or not. Will get back on that one.

[Joe Carrick]

Scott,

Get the 580. My Laptop has a GTX 560M.

BTW, I concur with the "New Plan" for each job. You should consider organizing your Library and putting reusable stuff there rather than dragging all that extra stuff from Plan to Plan.

[David J. Potter]

Scott,

It seems to me that the "SLI" question came up when it was first introduced as an option and the answer I remember from Chief people (Doug, Dermot or the like) was that Chief is not written to take advantage of SLI architecture as some video games are.

DJP

PS: I am appreciative of being reminded of the save-as/reuse of older plan and layout files for future use. I have done this in the past and found it problematic empirically, any apparent time "saved" is lost due to the plan or layout's earlier associations to earlier plan files.

[dshall]

Thanks guys, sounds like the 580 is the way to go. Yes, I was a bit confused how sli played into the decision.

As far as tha SAM goes, I have found no problems, I have been using it for over 3 years.