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14/01/2011 14:46:01

toonaramaMuvizu mogulExperimental user
toonarama
Posts: 661
Hello there

I'm busy saving up for a new PC and I was wondering - as I try to spec it - which of the following upgrades would be more beneficial from a Muvizu perspective.

I3 Dual core processer upgrade to a I5 Quad core processer OR
(for example) upgrade from GTS450 or Radeon 5770 upgrade to GTX460 Graphics card


Also there are 768MB and 1GB versions of the GTX460. How crucial would that difference be.

Hoping someone can help

Many thanks

Mick
edited by toonarama on 14/01/2011
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14/01/2011 15:24:51

glasgowjim
glasgowjim
Posts: 698
Hi Mick,

It depends what you want to do - if you will be using other programmes (such as After Effects) at the same time as Muvizu then you would probably get better results with the Quad Core Processor.

If you will be using Muvizu by itself, without things like Maya, Sketchup and After Effects then the better graphics card would make a huge difference.

Also, not all i5 processors are Quad Core - despite a lot of people (myself included, until recently) thinking that they are. You would need to double-check that the i5 you fancy is definitely Quad Core.

As for the 1GB/756MB - more is obviously better, but at the moment it won't make a huge amount of difference. However, the devs are looking at adding Anti-Aliasing (smoothing) which benefits a lot from more graphics memory, so it will make a big difference in the future.

Take care,
-Jim.
edited by glasgowjim on 14/01/2011
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14/01/2011 15:37:39

toonaramaMuvizu mogulExperimental user
toonarama
Posts: 661
Thanks very much Jim
Spot on advice as usual.

With a school age son I'm hoping to get the Adobe Suite which includes After effects so I guess I really need the Quad Core and I appreciate the importance of the GC - maybe I'll just have to sell more quicly on ebay!
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14/01/2011 15:51:25

glasgowjim
glasgowjim
Posts: 698
No worries Mick, I am happy to help out.

You can still use After Effects and Muvizu with the Dual Core machine, it's just that you wouldn't want them running at the same time.

A lot of people who use effects with their Muvizu clips do have both programmes running at the same time, so that if they need to make a minor tweak to their Muvizu clip they can just change the window and make the change rather than having to boot Muvizu up each time you want to make a little change to an animation or camera cut.

The rendering with After Effects benefits a lot from the extra processing power offered by the Quad Core i5s (which can also be Overclocked to a ridiculous degree if you are feeling adventurous).

Take it easy,
-Jim.
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15/01/2011 13:53:00

FurryCakes
FurryCakes
Posts: 7
glasgowjim wrote:
... the devs are looking at adding Anti-Aliasing (smoothing) which benefits a lot from more graphics memory, so it will make a big difference in the future.


Ooh, yes please. The thing I miss after moving over from Xtranormal are nice smooth edges in the final output. They just make the final result look more better.

One question though: Some users have problems with slow performance due to lack of memory. If Anti-Aliasing adds to the memory requirements it could slow down performance. Will it be made an option when creating the final output?
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15/01/2011 15:16:04

glasgowjim
glasgowjim
Posts: 698
Hi FurryCakes,

AA can be toggled on and off in most Unreal 3 games - so hopefully it should be the same for Muvizu. The engine upgrade needs to be finished before it can be implemented, so the devs are still deciding what to do.

Take care,
-Jim.
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16/01/2011 07:17:01

ukBertyMuvizu mogulExperimental user
ukBerty
Posts: 975
Toonrama,

I now have my new machine:-

Intel Core i7 Processor 870
12GB RAM
2x1.5TB HDD - Raid 0 (I have only just noticed this - I thought it would be raid 1, but it's fine)
1GB GTX 460
Windows 7 64 bit

Basically I can run everything I want at the moment - Muvizu, Sketchup, Outlook and Avid at the same time without any impact on Muvizu performance. Character control has become a lot better as there is no lag between moving the mouse and the character moving. The machine doesn't "scream" when I load some of my most complex sets - it's great.

Remember you need to overspec the machine. I have machines out there running XP with 512MB RAM - these were perfectly fine when installed, but now with office 2007, anti virus updates and Microsoft service packs they run like dogs. This will happen to my new PC as well over time with improvements in Muvizu, service pack 1 coming for windows 7 and a move to Adobe CS5.

Berty
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16/01/2011 17:58:28

toonaramaMuvizu mogulExperimental user
toonarama
Posts: 661
Berty
Thanks for letting me know. Sounds like an excellent machine and I hope I can get one similar.
Really looking forward to your next creation
all the best
Mick
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