High Performance Computer for GH

Hi all

I'm an architect working profesionally with parametric design since many years, and I'm about to renovate my workstation Laptop: 24GB/RAM - Intel core i7 2720 - 2.20 Ghz /Nvidia GeforceGTX 460M. I allready read David Rutten post talking about the topic.

http://www.grasshopper3d.com/forum/topics/hardware-requirements-and...

but I would like to ask recomendations to the grasshopper community because I was thinking on investing around 6000€. For this price I would like to know what do you think I could fit in a new computer (not laptop) and where should I invest the most? Processor, Ram, Graphic card?

Any recomendations would be wellcome.

Carlos B.M.

Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by David Rutten on July 6, 2015 at 2:33pm

It's because everything runs on the same thread; the calculations, the interface, mouse and key handling events. So when a solution is running, the interface and the mouse and the keyboard are being shut out.

Permalink Reply by Kim hauer on July 6, 2015 at 4:09pm

Thanks for your reply DR

Clearly I think a 64 bit program can and should do better, such a my favorite rendering program. (see attachment) It has never given me a white screen, I can do any multitasking I want while CPU rendering is proceeding, I can even turn off selected cores. Its the size of the imported geometry that will ultimately increase the Ram to 95%, that's the only time one might think of buying more ram.

Permalink Reply by Matt McDonnell on July 6, 2015 at 5:43pm

As David stated earlier not until GH1 will we see multi-threaded CPU support. I'd hazard to guess the implementation of multi-threading into a rendering process which is more prone to 'splitting up the work load' by either render pass and/or in combination of image buckets would be more streamline than the adapting a true parametric modelling interface.

Even removing the argument around UI and manipulating geometry while calculations are being performed - looking purely at the computational component they are different beasts and the comparison is not really of merit.

Tones of RAM, CPUs, Huge video cards and ultra fast hard drives are nice but software has always been ahead of the hardware. On a more philosophical ending some of the most creative outcomes are born out of exploring limitations (and breaking them) rather than an open canvas with true unbounded possibilities. ;)

To the OP, I'm running a Dell Precision M4600 mobile workstation (I need to be portable) i7 2820 3.0gHz, 32GB 1600Mhz RAM, Quadro 2000M. It's a bit old now, maybe it's time for an upgrade??? but the direction towards the new Titan GeForce cards and as much RAM as possible makes a lot of sense. Good luck.

Permalink Reply by Kim hauer on July 7, 2015 at 3:41pm

Sorry Mat I disagree ....what drives hardware is the Gaming Industry. The Cadd market is very very small in comparison, it hardly registers in sales. I remember reading in Cadd Zines expousing the need for me to buy a $3000.00 Matrox video card. I remember buying an 8800 math co-processor from Intel for $800.00, its purpose was to make AutoBad run faster, many many years ago. Now that chip is incorporated into a piece of Computer Hardware Art I made, and serves as a reminder to me, of frivolous past computer expenditures.

peace!

Permalink Reply by Nik Willmore on July 6, 2015 at 4:13pm