Sketchup 2017 + Vray 3.6 on 2018 iMac Pro?

Hi everybody,

I am thinking about buying latest Apple iMac Pro to work with Sketchup 2017 + Vray 3.6 .
I don’t have to much experience with hardware and it is also hard to find some benchmark on the internet for this configuration so can anyone please tell me something about it ?

I am currently using SU + Vray on windows 7 with this spec :
i7 4770K
GTX 760 2GB
32GB RAM DDRAM3

I bought this computer 3 years ago and from this time I do more high res renders and this is not enough for me anymore. Sometimes I must wait for around 40 hours to make a scene. Also I don’t like Windows operating system and love to go on for macOS. I know that iMac pro is expensive but interior design is my full time job and I can afford it. Can someone tell me what are the most important hardware components for my job ? Does SU + Vray use singel core or multicore technology ? Maybe the GPU is more important than CPU ? Maybe someone can tell me theoretically how much faster is iMac Pro between my current desktop PC ?

Thank you,
Simon

Get a CUDA supported PC if you want to render. Much cheaper than the MAC alternative and upgradable. I would never buy an iMac again for 3D and CAD work and i’ve been though most models including all of the Pro towers (not used the iMac Pro).

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Thank you, but I don’t want to stay on Windows anymore. I know that iMac Pro is not upgradable (besides RAM) but I am also looking for setup for next 2-3 years so this is also no problem in my case.

Yeah well it’s pretty good but you are going to struggle with real GPU rendering using an iMAC given it’s not a CUDA supported card so wont work with all render software.

I am using only Vray 3.4 for Sketchup 2017, I am sure that this will not change in the future so I am interested especially in it.

Well if you use a MAC you will not be able to take full advantage of the GPU CUDA render option in Vray so still stuck in the slow lane unfortunately. You can still use Open GL via AMD but it’s not as quick, at least in my experience.

Even if you look at the iMac Pro website and they have the list of software and benchmarks, they don’t list a single 3D app, just video, audio and design software.

Maybe go on a site like Ars Technica and look at the benchmark performance of the GPU in iMac Pro compared to something else in the same price range?

thank you very much for your advise

I have a Mac that I use for models (until they get very big) and then I switch over to my PC for rendering. I would like a Mac render machine but for my requirements they simply don’t exist. My GTX 980ti 6GB only cost me £600 and it renders a full 4k frame in 10-60 mins. For illustration I render out at 10k and that will take maybe 11 hours for a full frame but that is mighty fast and better than anything I am going to get on a MAC.

here You can compare different specs V-Ray Benchmark – test your CPU/GPU rendering power | Chaos

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Don’t you already need to own the hardware to run that test?

Edit: nvm found it.

thank you, but can’t find GPU or CPU from latest iMac Pro there

I think thats the point!

Edit (clarity): that most people are using CUDA based machines for rendering in VRAY not open GL.

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I found benchmark of iMac Pro with 8 core CPU there V-Ray Benchmark | Chaos Group

I also made benchmark of my computer and CPU score is 3:22
iMac Pro 8 core Xeon CPU score is 1:00

So it is “just” 3 times faster than my current computer ?

Is that 3 hours 22 mins or 3 mins 22 seconds?

I wonder why the CPU score is less than the GPU, maybe @robertjuch knows more ( I don’t have Vray).

This is 3 minutes 22 seconds, I am also wondering about it

Is the benchmark actively testing GPU rendering capability or just regular render time? I have Thea Render on my PC. Non-GPU rendering can take days while GPU rendering is only hours.

http://www.gpurendering.com/technology/CudaVsOpencl.html

Good article Mike

So basically Nvidia for CUDA and AMD for Open GL however if you can get a newer GTX card it will do both.

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Perhaps VRay will support openCL some day in near future.
In the meantime:

I wonder how the Vive runs on the iMac Pro.

Edit: wow £5k for the base model