Render Test results

Spot|DSE wrote on 11/26/2005, 2:17 PM
If you're bored over the weekend and have a half an hour to kill, you might want to try a new rendertest for benchmarking. With the speed of new systems ripping the old benchmarks to shreds, we're curious to see what happens with the new systems, and have created a much more robust (and painful) render test.
As folks mail us with their results, we'll post them.

Get the new render test

Warning-if you have a slower, older computer, proceed at your own risk. Even on the fastest newer dual proc systems, this render test will take approximately 15 minutes to render. This test is geared heavily towards the HDV user.

Comments

Joe White wrote on 11/26/2005, 2:38 PM
Any one else having issues with the Veg loading in vegas?

I don't have the "soapbubble.bmp" file on this computer and I get an error message about aduio plugins could not be loaded.
Spot|DSE wrote on 11/26/2005, 2:40 PM
The audio plugs used are from Sony Vegas 5, and the bmp is a stock XP background found on both Media Center, home, and professional editions.
If others are having problems, please let us know, and we'll swap those files out for another standard windows graphic.
The two audio plugins used are Reverb and Simply Delay, which both come stock with Vegas 3, 4, 5, and 6.
Joe White wrote on 11/26/2005, 3:03 PM
the plugin details were:

The user preset for Plug-in 'Simple Delay' could not be loaded. The default settings have been restored.
The user preset for Plug-in 'Reverb' could not be loaded. The default settings have been restored.
johnmeyer wrote on 11/26/2005, 5:47 PM
It loaded up just fine in my system. I am rendering now and will report the results.

One suggestion for the instructions on your site:

You ask us to use the "HDV-1080 60i" template. There is also an "HD-1080 60i" template and, since that is listed above the HDV version, some people might pick the wrong template. You might want to make a note to emphasize "HDV" vs. "HD."

It is rendering now and looks like it may take over two hours on my 2.8 GHz single-CPU, single-core, non-hyperthreading CPU. I'll edit this post when it is done and post my actual times (and also email them to VASST, as requested).

Time to go watch my alma mater get creamed by Notre Dame (which is why the computer has time to crunch on this project).
PeterWright wrote on 11/26/2005, 6:30 PM
Also opened up fine here and I'm running it now.

Question - if I don't happen do be here when the render finishes, how do I know how long it took?
johnmeyer wrote on 11/26/2005, 6:33 PM
if I don't happen do be here when the render finishes, how do I know how long it took?

there is a preference you can set that leaves the render dialog box on the screen until you close it. It will have the total render time displayed.
Spot|DSE wrote on 11/26/2005, 6:34 PM
Never mind, John beat me to the post.
Yoyodyne wrote on 11/26/2005, 7:59 PM
"there is a preference you can set that leaves the render dialog box on the screen until you close it. It will have the total render time displayed."

and where does this preference live? I can't seem to find it anywhere...
Spot|DSE wrote on 11/26/2005, 8:03 PM
It's not a preference in the Prefs window, in the rendering dialog, just don't check the "Close this Window" checkbox, and it will stay open until you close it.
Yoyodyne wrote on 11/26/2005, 8:05 PM
Sweet! Much thanks!
PeterWright wrote on 11/26/2005, 8:06 PM
I spent ages looking too - it's a check box within the "Render As" dialog box. The reason I asked earlier was that I was using "Render to New Track", which for some reason doesn't have this option.

edit - too late!
Chienworks wrote on 11/26/2005, 8:07 PM
When Vegas finshes rendering it also displays the total time in the status line at the lower left corner of the window. It remains there until you click on anything else, even if you let the rendering dialog box disappear.
rmack350 wrote on 11/26/2005, 8:11 PM
You beat me to it. Dannng!

Rob Mack
Spot|DSE wrote on 11/26/2005, 8:19 PM
Holy cats, Kelly! I didn't know that!
rmack350 wrote on 11/26/2005, 8:53 PM
It's pretty grand. Vegas just keeps on giving.

I have a feeling when I compare my render results with the dual core results I'm going to want to get out my credit card. Still rendering now but Vegas predicts it'll take 1:15 minutes on my Ath64 3200.

Rob Mack
fldave wrote on 11/26/2005, 9:12 PM
Error here also on my Vegas 4 / Vegas 5 machine. Plugin error:

The user preset for Plug-in 'Simple Delay' could not be loaded. The default settings have been restored.
The user preset for Plug-in 'Reverb' could not be loaded. The default settings have been restored.

I'll try it on my Vegas 5 / Vegas 6 machine tomorrow. I would think this error would skew the results.
johnmeyer wrote on 11/26/2005, 9:20 PM
I'm giving up on my render. Over 3.5 hours and seems to be hung at frame 735. I don't know whether it is truly hung, or just amazingly slow.

I've been toying with getting an HDV camera, but one of the things that has kept me from doing it is that even with the newest computer hardware, my throughput is going to be a lot less. What worries me is that we are way past the point where computer performance improvements are as rapid as they used to be (with the exception of hard disk capacities), so it may take many, many years before I can render HD as fast as I can render SD today (on my current computer). I realize there are many positive reasons to use HD as a capture vehicle for SD production. I also realize that this was advertised as a torture test, but wow, this is S-L-O-W.

Wait ... I just got to frame 736, so I'm rendering about one frame every two minutes at this point. The project is about 900 frames long, so at this rate it will take another four hours, for a total of about seven or eight hours. I've got a 2.8 GHz P4, with 1 GB of memory, obviously not up to the task at all.

Spot|DSE wrote on 11/26/2005, 9:23 PM
John, the 4th segment of the test has a supersample and motion blur set to 12 frames blur, and sample of 4. Then it hits the credit roll. Those last frames are killers. I had one guy on chat all excited because he thought it was gonna render in 10 mins. Then it hit that area.
fldave wrote on 11/26/2005, 9:28 PM
Update to the "plug in error":

I went to render anyway, and noticed that I didn't have any HDV presets. Then I checked my version in the About box and saw that it was ver 5b! I don't know when I went from 5d on this machine to 5b, but I use to edit HDV on this machine.

Anyway, installed 5d and the plugin error went away, and I now have HDV presets.

We will see how it goes on my lowly dual 1Ghz machine. See you all in the morning.
Yoyodyne wrote on 11/26/2005, 10:21 PM
Wow - talk about coincidence. I just get Vegas installed on my new build;

Asus a8n-sli premium
AMD x2 4800
2 gigs of corcair ram
and 2 Sata Raptor raids (it's an experiement...)

and there is a new render test to see how this thing goes - very cool. I almost think DSE is spying on me...and I don't seem to mind...is that wrong...:)

Anyway I've got it crunching away and will report back on how it does. Had no problems with missing media and I'm using Vegas 6c and DVD architect 3c.
dhill wrote on 11/26/2005, 10:53 PM
OK, about half way through the render it stopped and said an error occurred and that the system was running low on memory and the task could not be completed or something like that.

I know I have seen others have this problem, but I can't find the posts about it when I do a search. Anyone recall what I need to do to fix this? Thanks! DH

System:
XP Pro SP2 (with all updates)
Asus A8N-SLI MB
Athlon 64 4400+ Dual Core
Zalman CNPS700BLED CPU COOLER
2GB 400mhz PC3200 DDR
GEFORCE 7800 GT
WD 250GB SATA (SYSTEM DRIVE)
MAXTOR DIAMONDMAX 10 300GB SATA (16MBC)
DUAL DVD DRIVES
LOGITECH DINOVO MEDIA DESKTOP (Bluetooth KB/MOUSE)
SIIG FW 800 CARD
2 DELL 24" DISPLAYS
Yoyodyne wrote on 11/26/2005, 10:56 PM
Just had the exact same error message - I had my ram preview set to 800, wonder if that did it...anyway I hit default all, set it back to 64, and am starting again...

crud, just got the same error again. Had about 8 minutes to go after crunching along for about 19 minutes. Anybody got any ideas - that is one good torture test...
JohnnyRoy wrote on 11/26/2005, 11:53 PM
I had my RAM preview set at 64MB too and got the exact same error (and I have 2GB). I can’t complete the test either. :(

~jr
Yoyodyne wrote on 11/27/2005, 12:11 AM
Well I increased my page file a bit but of course that did nothing...still got the low memory error at the exact same spot.

I've tried it three times and it craps out at exactly the same spot according to the three files I have - 68,083 KB.

Poo...the system has been rock solid, I've even done a short project on it with the only problem being DVD architect can't see my pioneer 110. I'm sure Sony is working on a fix cause these ASUS A8N mobo's sure seem popular. Mine sure has been fast...