Since recently introducing AMD’s high-performance range of Ryzen CPUs to our ever-evolving line-up of Rack PCs, we have noticed a growing demand from our customers requiring Ryzen for rendering. Increasingly, we’re seeing a greater uptake of the processors for both 3D rendering and video encoding, now largely favoured over Intel’s own CPUs.
But why is Ryzen such an attractive option for rendering? What makes it the go-to CPU over and above its long-term rival? Here are 5 reasons why Ryzen is a great choice for rendering:
- It’s all about the cores
When it comes down to it, core and thread count is a highly important factor to take into consideration when rendering. In fact, the more cores, the better. And AMD CPUs simply have more cores than their Intel counterparts. This means far better performance, and greater speed when dealing with more intense workflows like rendering. Their Ryzen 7 2700X CPU has actually even proved to be faster in its stock form than when it’s overclocked, which just emphasises the Ryzen family’s impressive capabilities.
- Simultaneous Multi-Threading (SMT)
Ryzen chips also have the advantage of SMT. This feature enables each of their cores to handle two simultaneous threads. Various rendering tests have demonstrated that Ryzen 7 will generally take the lead in most multi-threaded workloads, however this does mean that it struggles somewhat with single thread tasks, where Intel’s CPUs still rule the roost. Once again, having more cores proves a huge advantage, resulting in vastly improved multi-threading.
- Future-proof sockets
Looking to the future, AMD has confirmed that their AM4 sockets will support any new processors through to 2020. This means that sockets will last a lot longer, so chips can be upgraded without the need for new hardware each time. Whether this will also apply to the TR4 Threadripper sockets is as yet unconfirmed.
- The Threadripper 1950X
This 16 core, 32 thread beast is a particularly great find for rendering. Boasting a base clock of 3.4GHz and boost of 4GHz, it has blown the competition out of the water in tests across 3d Max, LuxRender, and Blender. It gains a clear lead in many rendering programs, and more then holds its own in others. AMD is so confident in this CPU that they recently boldly suggested Intel users trade in their i7-8086k chips for a 1950X instead!
- More cores for less
The overwhelming response from the rendering community is that AMD’s Ryzen chips are far more reasonably priced than Intel’s. AMD’s price-competitive approach is therefore seeing that users are gaining the benefit of more cores at a much lower cost, putting them ahead of their rival.
There is definitely an argument to be made for Ryzen for rendering. It’s faster, high-performing, and its competitive core count is a significant draw to AV and digital professionals reliant on rendering software. Our own machines are primed for rendering; the 2U Nano is a powerful machine ideal for 3D or real-time rendering, in addition to running complex lighting and video production programs.
If you would like to learn more about how to best use Ryzen CPUs to optimise rendering, or else if you’re looking to build your own machine for rendering, get in touch with us.
