You are not logged in.



#1 2010-04-15 16:13:13

border_all
New member
From: UK
Registered: 2010-04-03
Posts: 4
Website

Can Apano Pro use SLI Graphic Cards

Hi All

New to the posts i have searched but not been able to find the answer re SLI Graphic cards.

My question is my PC has 2 x 512mb Ge force 8600 GPU cards in SLI link is this better for APano or would one 1024mb card do a better job please.

Many thanks

Allan

Offline

 

#2 2010-04-15 17:43:13

[bo]
community overseer
From: Bulgaria
Registered: 2006-05-05
Posts: 1830

Re: Can Apano Pro use SLI Graphic Cards

What kind of projects do you intend to stitch??? Usually, a single 8600GT should be enough - no point in investing in GPU right now...


Some of my panoramas, posted in the Autopano Pro flickr group.

Offline

 

#3 2010-04-15 19:40:40

border_all
New member
From: UK
Registered: 2010-04-03
Posts: 4
Website

Re: Can Apano Pro use SLI Graphic Cards

Hi

Thank you for reply i guess that Apano does not support sli GPU perhaps

So far my biggest Pano was 64 panels 3 brackets per panel that 32 long 2 high over about 180 degee. My cpu is a q6600 and i have 6gb ram running on Win 7 64 bit. Taken with a Canon 7D and 24-105mm lens at about 100mm FL.

Looking at task manager it takes a fair bit of cpu and ram as Apano does its work.

I originally bought the SLI for Photoshop CS3 but after i did so i found out Adobe does not suport SLI.

Hence with CS5 comming out i was thinking about my GPU set up.

Many thanks

Allan

Offline

 

#4 2010-04-19 10:13:12

[bo]
community overseer
From: Bulgaria
Registered: 2006-05-05
Posts: 1830

Re: Can Apano Pro use SLI Graphic Cards

Hmmm, I don't think CS5 supports SLI either! Currently I'd go with a single, but better GPU, than two cheaper in a SLI.

Anyway, you don't need such processing power for a pano of this size - even with the brackets that's less than 200 images. What's more, it's been widely recommended that you tonemap the brackets first (in PhotoMatix or other software of your choice) and then stitch. Personally, I haven't had any problems with 60-80 images from Canon 5D, using a 9800GT GPU.

Have in mind that APP will use the GPU only in the Panorama Editor, not in the actual rendering itself. If you want to speed the rendering, get an SSD (if you're using Smartblend) or faster CPU/more RAM if you're using Multiband!


Some of my panoramas, posted in the Autopano Pro flickr group.

Offline

 

#5 2010-04-19 13:53:06

border_all
New member
From: UK
Registered: 2010-04-03
Posts: 4
Website

Re: Can Apano Pro use SLI Graphic Cards

Hi Bo

Many thanks for comming back i have sold the sli kit and bought a Asus gtx 260 so that part is sorted and thanks for the help if you read this can i ask where would you use the ssd for renering, on the temp disk or the program disk?

I am using Smart blend and just increased ram for 6 gb to 8gb,

I am using the Q6600 cpu

Thanks again

Allan

Offline

 

#6 2010-04-19 17:38:26

hankkarl
Member
From: Connecticut, USA
Registered: 2006-02-21
Posts: 1939
Website

Re: Can Apano Pro use SLI Graphic Cards

If you're running windows 7, open the task manager, then the resource manager.  Look at the disk activity and then start a render.

For my systm, the SSD should go on the APP temp disk.

Offline

 

#7 2010-04-19 17:43:39

border_all
New member
From: UK
Registered: 2010-04-03
Posts: 4
Website

Re: Can Apano Pro use SLI Graphic Cards

Hi Thanks for the Info

The resource is heavy with render and i normally set it at priority level.

I had read that SSD are sometimes poor at scratch work do you use one please?

Allan

Offline

 

#8 2010-04-25 23:47:26

spyboy
Member
Registered: 2007-11-16
Posts: 53
Website

Re: Can Apano Pro use SLI Graphic Cards

Any idea if that will change?  I'm running a Q6660 (quad core) 4 threads max.  I'm considering an i7 quad core (hyperthreaded) which is 8 threads max.  It would be nice to add a 9th thread on the GPU smile

[bo] wrote:

Have in mind that APP will use the GPU only in the Panorama Editor, not in the actual rendering itself. If you want to speed the rendering, get an SSD (if you're using Smartblend) or faster CPU/more RAM if you're using Multiband!

Offline

 

#9 2010-04-26 10:44:00

[bo]
community overseer
From: Bulgaria
Registered: 2006-05-05
Posts: 1830

Re: Can Apano Pro use SLI Graphic Cards

Personally I have no idea, but from extensive reading of Photoshop development blogs I know that there are plenty of processes that cannot be effectively split to separate cores/threads.

Of course, it would be great if APP could use the GPU during rendering and I'm hoping that will come some time in the future.


Some of my panoramas, posted in the Autopano Pro flickr group.

Offline

 

#10 2010-07-19 20:29:03

tived
Member
From: Dane in Western Australia
Registered: 2008-07-11
Posts: 713

Re: Can Apano Pro use SLI Graphic Cards

Thanks Bo,

for clearing some of this up, its really unfortunately that APP or APG does not use the GPU for rendering, that kind of defeats the purpose..oh well.

As for SSD and Scratch disk, a SSD disk will become too fragmented or deteriorate as a scratch disk, its better to use an arRAy of Inexpensive Disk :-) punt intended!! such as 4 or more HDDs in raid-0 for scratch disk, which can yield up to 3-400mb/sec in read/write depending on controller and disks (we can argue this till the cows comes home!) if you have the cash, by all means get several SSD disks and do the same and you will get even better performance, but it will deteriorate over a short period of time, at least the current crop of SSD's available.

Damn, I got one of those Q6660 extreeme CPU's too sitting and gathering dust in a box here, I am thinking bigger and better....2 or more CPU's!!!

Henrik

Offline

 

#11 2010-07-20 02:16:33

hankkarl
Member
From: Connecticut, USA
Registered: 2006-02-21
Posts: 1939
Website

Re: Can Apano Pro use SLI Graphic Cards

How about just getting a ton of RAM so you don't need to use the scratch disk so much?

Offline

 

#12 2010-07-20 09:27:01

[bo]
community overseer
From: Bulgaria
Registered: 2006-05-05
Posts: 1830

Re: Can Apano Pro use SLI Graphic Cards

Just to clarify. My last reply above is from April. The current state of things (2.5 closing on a final this summer) is a bit different: "[rendering engine] ready for GPU integration". So while it may not come in 2.5, the new engine will certainly support GPU-assisted rendering some time in the future. And I'd say even detection and optimization can benefit, but that's just an educated guess. At least detection was redone to be "fully multi-threaded".

And thanks for your latest "32GB" post, I'll reply there too.


Some of my panoramas, posted in the Autopano Pro flickr group.

Offline

 

Board footer

Powered by PunBB
© Copyright 2002–2005 Rickard Andersson