Xeon-D the new king for rendering (to be more precise: render farm use)

[sanakil]

Hey guys,

There was a topic on this forum about Render Pockets render farm build using Ikea Helmer case. At the end of the topic there was a question about Intel Xeon-D for rendering in such a cluster. I'm watching this CPU since beginning and finally got a small rack server from Supermicro to do some testing!

The server is build using this motherboard: http://www.supermicro.com/products/motherboard/xeon/d/x10sdv-f.cfm, 32GB of RAM installed with two DDR4 2133MHz Hynix memory modules and some Samsung SSD drives. This is the server I'm using for test: http://www.supermicro.com/products/system/1U/5018/SYS-5018D-FN4T.cfm

The last post is from March 2015 and conclusion from Juraj is that Intel Xeon-D is a slow CPU:

There is no magic on how to squeeze more performance with lower TDP under same architecture. So this is no miracle, it is exactly what it is, a slow CPU.

Well it's not. I'm blown away by the results. To add some context. My workstation is build on Intel Coore i7-4790K overclocked to 4.6GHz with Asus Maximus Hero VII motherboard and 32GB of DDR3 memory running at 2133MHz (Corsair Dominator Platinum). Everything is watercooled - after 24 hours on rendering CPU is at 62degC max. Now that is the result of rendering test scene with Corona 1.3 on my workstation:



With full load this workstation is pulling 340W from the wall socket with Titanium class power supply. Now prepare to be blown away! This is the same benchmark on Intel Xeon-D 1540 - 8 cores, 16 threads, 2.3GHz at all cores while rendering (potential is to go up to 2.6GHz single core).



4.4mln rays/sec! 10% more than my overclocked i7-4790K. And now the fun part - this whole server is pulling 95W from wall socket at full load with Gold class power supply. The CPU is only 35W TDP which means you can cool it with passive radiator only.

Why there is such difference? First of all i7-4790K is 22nm and Xeon-D is 14nm lithography which means that you can run it with smaller voltages and lower heat. Second thing is Xeon architecture - Xeon-D is designed for server with all the goodies like AVX2 which is lightning fast on this CPU.

Sorry Juraj - you were wrong ;) This is the new king for rendering if you consider performance per W and performance per $$$. I was hopping to get something cool from this CPU but newer expected to get so much performance!

[Juraj]

This is the new king for rendering if you consider performance per W ..

Yes, Broadwell Xeon is far more efficient than Haswell Xeon. That's exactly the very intended purpose of this 'side'-architecture. Never said anything else.

Also not blow away that  8x 2.3Ghz x 1.1 is 10perc. better than 4x 4.6Ghz.

and performance per $$$

Well of course...let's look...

Xeon D-1540 = 600-900  dollars (Including motherboard, in fact, I wasn't able to find many available, most came up as bundle in Supermicro board)
Xeon E3-1230 = 300 Dollars
i7 4790 = 300 dollars

2-3 times more expensive.

What is price efficient here ? Because you got some special deal ? D-1540 is very expensive (it's still Xeon, just one to offer more specialized package to E5-2630) single-socket CPU, because it's intended into network, storage, and partly, micro-servers with low wattage while keep good performance (to rival ARM). It's not performance (rendering) oriented CPU like i7/E3-5 Xeon family.
If you want to pay 2-3 times more so you can use passive cooler for rendering machine, ..OK. But it doesn't make it price efficient for rendering box.



I have no understanding of this 'magic' thread : /

[sanakil]

Well of course...let's look...

Xeon D-1540 = 600-900 dollars (OEM, Intel, Amazon )
Xeon E3-1230 = 300 Dollars
i7 4790 = 300 dollars

2-3 times more expensive. For single socket CPU with no additional performance benefit. Why ? Because it's contender for ARM architecture, not desktops.

But is perfect for render farms like the one in Helmer case from Ikea. Maybe I should state this loud and clear.

What is price efficient here ? Because you got some special deal ? D-1540 is very expensive single-socket CPU, because it's intended into network, storage, and partly, micro-servers with low wattage while keep good performance. It's not performance (rendering) oriented CPU.
If you want to pay 2-3 times more so you can use passive cooler for rendering machine, ..OK.

Why are you comparing CPU only with motherboard + cooler + cpu? Add some workstation class motherboard, some cooling and the price is almost identical. In Poland difference between I7-4790k with motherboard + cooler and Xeon-D is only 20$ and you will use 3-4 time less energy during months of rendering.

I have no understanding of this 'magic' thread....

It's not magic. Its just numbers. Maybe I should call it "New king for render farms" to not confuse with workstation use.

[Juraj]

Why are you comparing CPU only with motherboard + cooler + cpu? Add some workstation class motherboard, some cooling and the price is almost identical. In Poland difference between I7-4790k with motherboard + cooler and Xeon-D is only 20$ and you will use 3-4 time less energy during months of rendering.

4790K - 357 euros ( http://www.amazon.de/Intel-i7-4790K-Prozessor-Sockel-88Watt/dp/B00KPRWAX8/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1454109228&sr=8-1&keywords=4970K )
(you can actually save 100 euros and go with 4670, they overclock almost identically)
Asus z97-a - 150 euros (  http://www.amazon.de/Asus-Z97--Mainboard-Sockel-Intel/dp/B00K80MMJ4/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1454109469&sr=8-1&keywords=asus+z97-a )
Almost any tower cooler can get these up to 4.8+ Ghz - 50 euros

With 4790K= 550 euro total, with 4670K- 450 euro total

And I chose very high-end board to sustain some effiency under clocking.


Unless you can some great deal on very hard to get CPU, it's still twice cheaper. While you can get 4670K in 5 minutes from any local shop.

[Juraj]

But ok, for the price premium, it will get more silent, less heat generating Helmer Box. For those whole like this amazing solution I guess it's OK.

And for all the saved electricity, they can go buy another legal bunch of licences (starting with Windows) ;- )

[sanakil]

(...)

4790K - 357 euros ( http://www.amazon.de/Intel-i7-4790K-Prozessor-Sockel-88Watt/dp/B00KPRWAX8/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1454109228&sr=8-1&keywords=4970K )
(you can actually save 100 euros and go with 4670, they overclock almost identically)
Asus z97-a - 150 euros (  http://www.amazon.de/Asus-Z97--Mainboard-Sockel-Intel/dp/B00K80MMJ4/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1454109469&sr=8-1&keywords=asus+z97-a )
Almost any tower cooler can get these up to 4.8+ Ghz - 50 euros

With 4790K= 550 euro total, with 4670K- 450 euro total

And I chose very high-end board to sustain some effiency under clocking.


Unless you can some great deal on very hard to get CPU, it's still twice cheaper. While you can get 4670K in 5 minutes from any local shop.

So you have 50E difference between this and Xeon-D (900E version is with 10Gbit Ethernet ports) . I have $20 in Poland. 4.8GHz? on 4790K? With voltage around 1.3 - 1.35 possible but you will fry your CPU in few months (did it to one of my render nodes already). You shouldn't get above 1.25V if you consider long time rendering and with 1.25 you have to be very lucky with chip or it won't be stable.

And good luck with cooling this with radiator for 50E. My other node build on 4770k with Noctua NH-14D (around 90E here) in open space without case running at 4.4Ghz is getting up to 70degC after 4-5 hours of rendering (22 ambient). I know 4770K is hotter than 4790K but still.

And then you have to consider long term use cost like electricity, noise, and chance that overclocked CPU will crash in the middle of the important job. Don't get me wrong - I'm big fan of tinkering and building my own hardware and for now my favorite configuration was exactly Asus z97 with i7-4790K but now if I can choose passive cooled, rock solid CPU with 3-4 time less energy use instead of overclocked, consumer grade hardware, I can pay this additional $20 or 50E.

You can get Xeon-D in 7 work days and for Asus z97 and 4790K it's 4-5 days.

Btw - getting my electricity bills from 150-220 Euro a month to 50-70 is quite a saving. It's one Xeon-D every 7 months.

Well, after whole day of testing I just got too excited about this SoC - probably should add some long term calculations to this post (which is very important because this hardware will work over next months / years).

[sanakil]

And for all the saved electricity, they can go buy another legal bunch of licences (starting with Windows) ;- )

Microsoft software it's not a problem these days and you can get free lifetime license for every pieces of software produced by Microsoft.

[Juraj]

Well, after whole day of testing I just got too excited about this SoC

OK, be excited as you want :- ) Your CPU.

But please don't build up threads calling me out ...

[sanakil]

Well, after whole day of testing I just got too excited about this SoC

OK, be excited as you want :- ) Your CPU.

But please don't build up threads calling me out ...

Sorry if this upset you in any way. The goal was to poke you in a nerdy way as looking at other posts / threads you are hardware guy too.

[Juraj]

Might be the seasonal depression, drives me incredibly agitated : /