GPU rendering - All you need to know

3D rendering involves generating a photorealistic 2D image from 3D models. Depending on the type of computer processor used, rendering can be categorized into CPU-based and GPU-based. This article focuses on GPU rendering, while details about CPU rendering can be seen here.

Graphics processing units (GPUs) are specialized computer processors designed to enhance the performance of 3D graphic rendering. GPU rendering leverages the GPU’s power, its memory (VRAM), and partial support from the CPU. Thanks to its capability for high-speed, multi-core parallel processing, GPU rendering has become widely used in fields like 3D animation previews, video games, virtual reality (VR), and other interactive media.

🎯 Speed: While GPU cores are less powerful individually compared to CPU cores, their large number enables rapid mathematical calculations. A GPU can dedicate all its cores to a single task, unlike a CPU that handles multiple tasks simultaneously. This parallel processing using thousands of small, energy-efficient cores allows GPUs to render quickly and consume less power.

🎯 Real-Time Rendering: GPUs excel in real-time rendering, making them ideal for tasks where rapid iteration and fast results are essential, such as game development and 3D animation previews. With this fast preview, artists can seamlessly adjust scenes, lighting, and graphical elements for smoother workflows.

🎯 Scalability: GPUs are easier to scale in a rendering setup than CPUs. Adding multiple GPUs boosts performance significantly, making them a flexible choice for demanding tasks.

🎯 Rendering Techniques and Features: GPU rendering supports advanced techniques like ray tracing, global illumination, ambient occlusion, depth of field, and motion blur. Moreover, many modern GPUs are optimized for ray tracing, a technique that produces realistic lighting effects. In addition, frequent driver updates for GPUs also introduce new features and fix bugs more quickly than their CPU counterparts.

⚙️ Render Precision: GPUs are less adept than CPUs at managing intricate instructions and complex logical operations. Additionally, their memory limitations can hinder performance when rendering highly detailed scenes. As a result, artists often need to rely on scene optimizations and creative workarounds to achieve high-quality renders.

⚙️ Memory: GPU memory (VRAM) typically ranges from 4GB to 12GB, with high-end consumer models offering up to 24GB. Consequently, this limited memory can pose a significant challenge when handling large scenes, potentially causing crashes if the GPU is overloaded.

⚙️ CPU Dependency: In GPU rendering, the GPU cannot function independently without the CPU. The process requires the CPU to provide pixel data for the GPU to perform complex calculations. If the CPU’s performance is significantly slower than the GPU, a bottleneck can occur, causing some GPU cores to remain idle while waiting for data. This inefficiency will slow down the GPU rendering performance.

🔹 GPU Architecture: The design of a GPU significantly influences its efficiency and performance. Different architectures, such as those from NVIDIA and AMD, vary in power efficiency and processing capabilities.

🔹 Clock Speed: This measures how quickly a GPU can process data. Higher clock speeds generally translate to better performance.

🔹 Core Count: The primary advantage of a GPU is its ability to perform parallel calculations across a large number of cores, enabling faster rendering. Therefore, the higher the core count, the faster the rendering could be.

🔹 Memory (VRAM): GPU uses its memory (VRAM) to store data about pixels, such as color and position while rendering. The type and amount of VRAM affect how much data a GPU can process simultaneously. More VRAM improves performance with high-resolution textures and complex scenes. 

🔹 Memory Bandwidth: This refers to how quickly data can be read from or written to VRAM. Higher memory bandwidth improves performance, particularly for memory-intensive applications.

🔹 Cooling Solutions: Effective cooling systems, such as air or liquid cooling, prevent thermal throttling, where the GPU reduces performance to avoid overheating, ensuring consistent performance.

🔹 Drivers and Software: Regular driver updates optimize performance and address bugs. Software settings and optimizations can also impact how effectively a GPU performs in games and applications.

🔹 Resolution and Settings: GPU performance is influenced by the resolution and graphical settings, such as texture quality and anti-aliasing, selected by the user. Higher resolutions and advanced settings demand more from the GPU.

🔹 CPU Power: A powerful GPU requires a strong CPU to keep up with its data processing needs. If the CPU lags, it can create a bottleneck, limiting the GPU’s performance.

When building PCs for 3D rendering, all the factors mentioned above are important to consider. To save time and money, you might opt for a render farm like iRender, which offers high-performance machines tailored for rendering tasks.

▶️ Developer: Autodesk

▶️ Popular fields: Film and animation

▶️ Integrations: Maya, 3ds Max, Houdini, and Cinema 4D

▶️ Minimum system requirements: Windows 10, x86-64 CPUs need to support the SSE4.1 instruction set

▶️ License: $35/month

▶️ Developer: Maxon

▶️ Popular fields: 3D animation and visual effects (VFX)

▶️ Integrations: Cinema 4D (seamlessly), Maya, Houdini, Katana and Blender 

▶️ Minimum system requirements: 64-bit Windows 10, 16 GB of RAM, NVIDIA GPU with CUDA compute capability 5.0 and 8 GB VRAM, or AMD RDNA 2 with 8 GB VRAM

▶️ License: 

• Commercial price: €22.85 – €47.97/month 
• Educational price: €6.15/month (manually paid) for a bundle of software

▶️ Developer: OTOY

▶️ Popular fields: 3D animation and visual effects (VFX)

▶️ Integrations: 3Ds Max, Archicad, Autocad, Blender, Cinema  4D, Houdini, Maya and more

▶️ Minimum system requirements: CUDA-compatible NVIDIA GPU, 8 GB RAM

▶️ License: €19.99 – 23.95/month

▶️ Developer: Chaos

▶️ Popular field: Architecture

▶️ Integrations:  3ds Max, Cinema 4D, Houdini, Maya, Nuke, Revit, Rhino, SketchUp, and Unreal

▶️ Minimum system requirements: Intel 64 or AMD 64, 8GB RAM, Windows 10 or Windows 11

▶️ License: 

• Commercial price: €74.9-€109.9/month
• Educational price: €11.17/month

▶️ Developer: Next Limit Technologies

▶️ Popular fields: Film, animation, VFX, Architecture

▶️ Integrations: Rhinoceros, Sketchup, 3Ds Max, Cinema 4D, Archicad, Form Z, Maya, Multilight

▶️ Minimum system requirements: Windows 7, 2 GHz Intel® Core2 processor, AMD Athlon 64, 1 GB RAM, CUDA-compatible NVIDIA GPU 

▶️ License: €195-495/month

▶️ Developer: Blender Foundation

▶️ Popular fields: Animated films, visual effects, art, 3D printed models, motion graphics, virtual reality, and games

▶️ Integrations: Maya, 3ds Max, Unity, Unreal Engine (through file export options)

▶️ Minimum system requirements: Windows 8.1 (64-bit), CPU 4 cores with SSE4.2 support, RAM 8GB

▶️ License: Free

iRender provides high-configuration machines with upmarket specifications: high-end GPUs including 1/2/4/6/8 x RTX4090 or RTX3090 with strong CPUs such as AMD Ryzen™ Threadripper™ PRO 3955WX @ 3.9 – 4.2GHz or AMD Ryzen™ Threadripper™ PRO 5975WX @ 3.6 – 4.5GHz, RAM 256GB, and Storage NVMe SSD 2TB, which can dramatically enhance the speed of GPU rendering.  Most importantly, we always update to the latest GPU technology.

Why can iRender be a great render farm for you?

In addition to high-configuration servers, iRender provides many other utilities to provide the best user experience.

• Dedicated server for individuals: You have full control and access to the server you rent. The working environment (installed apps, files) will be stored for the next use.
• Easy and free file transfer between your computer and iRender’s server: The transferring task can be done via iRender GPU application for Windows and the iRender Drive application for MacOS.
• 24/7 assistance: iRender’s attentive agents are always ready to support all your queries.
• All software compatibility: iRender’s PCs are built to meet the configuration needs of all 3D software and rendering tools at a variety of cost levels for users to choose from.

Let’s see how fast it renders on our servers!

Currently, we have a promotion for new users. You will receive a 100% bonus for the first transaction within 24 hours of your registration. REGISTER NOW to get the free trial today—don’t miss out!

If you have any questions, please contact me at d[email protected] or our 24/7 support team for a quick response.

Thank you for reading & Happy New Year!

Source: Maxwellrender, Nextlimitsupport, Blender, Chaos, OTOY, Maxon, Autodesk, Intel, Linkedin, The pixel lab