What improves Rendering Speed? Processor,Graphics Card,RAM?[HELP]

[danaos1996]

Hello people

I would like to know what will improve my rendering speed,I have a composition at 1024p with many layers and effects in it,It says it will take 33 Hours to render, I think that;s too much,so what to buy to improve my Rendering speed? A new Processor? A new Graphics Card? A new RAM? Please reply as soon as possible.

PS:I have Windows XP 32 bit and I use CS3

My System Info:

Operating System: Windows XP Professional (5.1, Build 2600) Service Pack 2 (2600.xpsp_sp2_gdr.100216-1441)
Intel(R) Core(TM)2 Duo CPU     E6550  @ 2.33GHz (2 CPUs)
Memory: 2048MB RAM
Card name: NVIDIA GeForce 8600 GT

Thanks for your interest

[Todd_Kopriva]

The graphics card isn't very important for rendering to final output.

A faster processor and more RAM can help, but After Effects CS3 isn't as able to take advantage of the extra RAM and multiple cores as is After Effects CS5. After Effects CS4 is somewhat better than After Effects CS3 in this regard.

This page includes many tips for improving performance with After Effects CS3:

"Improve performance"

Depending on the length and complexity of your composition, the frame size, and the source footage, 33 hours might not be an unreasonable amount of time. It is common for people doing professional visual effects and compositing work to leave a movie for an entire weekend to render.

[danaos1996]

Thank you Mr. Todd

I will check CS4,maybe you can insist me a good and fast Processor?

Edit:Can CS4 import project files from CS3?

[bogiesan-gyyClL]

danaos1996 wrote:

I would like to know what will improve my rendering speed,I have a composition at 1024p with many layers and effects in it,It says it will take 33 Hours to render, I think that;s too much,so what to buy to improve my Rendering speed? A new Processor? A new Graphics Card? A new RAM? Please reply as soon as possible.

We see this post often around here. For some reason, newbies tend to think AE is a near-realtime applciaiton or can be turned into such by throwing money at it. As Todd suggests, you must spend several hours reading through and following the suggestions in his link to improve performance. After Effects doesn't look at the entire project and estimate rendering time. Maybe your supremely intense effects are removed after a few seconds and the rendering could drop to near instantaneous.

You have not described the length of your project or the types of effects you are trying to apply or your motion blur settings or you output codec so 30 hours might be an optimistic prediction; your project might actually take days.

However, the math is incontrovertible and inescapable. Unless you are carefully precomposing and prerendering, you are processing millions of individual pixels over and over again, shuttling entire frames in and out of RAM, storing dozens of frames in RAM only to force them to be re-rendered each time they are called from a previous or following frame's effects routines.

I've been using AE since it was CoSA and rendering ten seconds of one effect on one layer used to take a weekend. I learned to prepare my comps very carefully and I have employed those time saving tools and project management skills on ever major project since then.

bogiesan

[danaos1996]

OK,I will follow your advice and spend some time reading the guide and How to improve performance.So I don't have to buy a new RAM or Processor for better perfomance,just to follow the guide and wait as many hours as it takes,I though a better RAM or Processor would make rendering speed faster,so if this is true please suggest me a new and fast one.Something last,You Suggest me to use CS3 or CS4?I used CS3 and it took 33 Hours...Now in CS4 when i click render is freezes...Oh well,if someone can help me in any of these I would appreciate it..

[Dave_LaRonde]

danaos1996 wrote:

I though a better RAM or Processor would make rendering speed faster,so if this is true please suggest me a new and fast one.

If you're really going to use multiple layers of HD video in AE, a new processor or more RAM won't help much.  You need an entirely new machine, capable of running a 64-bit operating system, about 24GB RAM and AE CS5. 

If that's impossible, put as much RAM into your current machine as you can, stick with AE CS3, and listen to Bogesian's wise advice.  You'll have to face the fact that you won't be able to work quickly in AE.

[danaos1996]

Thank you all for your wise advices,The solution is a new Machine for me...ill to to buy a new of with as many RAM as I can,of you could insist me a fast processor for you the new PC I would really appreciate it,Thank you all again!

[Dave_LaRonde]

Stop and think for a moment: will you use this machine ONLY for After Effects?  Or do you want to do other things with it?  Will you need to edit HD video?  You need different hardware.  Will you do audio work?  You need good speakers.  Will you create a lot of Windows Media files or need to run Sony Vegas?  You need a Windows machine.  Do you need to run Final Cut Pro?  You need a Mac.

We can't tell you ONE SINGLE THING about a new machine yet, because you haven't even thought about the things you need in a new machine.

First, write down a list of the things you want to accomplish with this new machine.  Only then are you ready to talk about hardware and software.

[danaos1996]

True I didn't think of that,

Well my main use for the PC will be Video Editing,Using Adobe After Effects the most...

It would be good to be able to play the new games (Call of Duty,BattleField)

But if its impossible then just the use of After Effects is ok,I don't know if its a PC or a MAC better for AAE work...

[Dave_LaRonde]

danaos1996 wrote:

...my main use for the PC will be Video Editing,Using Adobe After Effects the most...

It would be good to be able to play the new games (Call of Duty,BattleField)

But if its impossible then just the use of After Effects is ok,I don't know if its a PC or a MAC better for AAE work...

That's a fast reply for such an important decision.  Take some time.  Think about it.  Think about the specific software for editing, effects work, artwork and anything else you'd like to have.  Think about anything new you might want to be able to do with this machine in after three years.

When you have your list, write back.

[danaos1996]

Hello once more,I really gave it a though and I decided:

The OS will be Windows XP x64 bit so I can use CS5 / Or Mac...

MAIN USES:

-After Effects:It's already 3 years that I use Adobe After Effects and I really want to go to Pro with it.

I want to be able to add HD FX in HD Videos with many layers,and maybe to long movies.

-Photoshop:I am still a beginner with it,But sure in the future I want to learn some hard things.

-Of course Be able to surf on the internet.

SECONDARY USES:

-Playing the New Games:Like Call of Duty

Thats the thing I am doing with my current PC and I am pretty sure ill be doing with the new one...

AAE and PS are the programs I use the most.

So that's my list,if you think you get what I want,please write back

And again,Thanks for everything.

~Danaos

[Todd_Kopriva]

> The OS will be Windows XP x64 bit so I can use CS5 / Or Mac..

After Effects CS5 won't install or run on Windows XP. It will install and run on 64-bit Windows 7, WIndows Vista, and Mac OS. See the system requirements:

http://www.adobe.com/products/aftereffects/systemreqs/

[danaos1996]

I see...then I need to buy a Mac that can do this jobs:

MAIN USES:

-After Effects:It's already 3 years that I use Adobe After Effects and I really want to go to Pro with it.

I want to be able to add HD FX in HD Videos with many layers,and maybe to long movies.

-Photoshop:I am still a beginner with it,But sure in the future I want to learn some hard things.

-Of course Be able to surf on the internet.

Tell me what parts to buy,or what machine and it's cost,I can spend for that Mac/PC around 2.700$...

[danaos1996]

Anyone guys to tell me about this subject?

Hello once more,I really gave it a though and I decided:

The OS will be Windows XP x64 bit so I can use CS5 / Or Mac...

MAIN USES:

-After Effects:It's already 3 years that I use Adobe After Effects and I really want to go to Pro with it.

I want to be able to add HD FX in HD Videos with many layers,and maybe to long movies.

-Photoshop:I am still a beginner with it,But sure in the future I want to learn some hard things.

-Of course Be able to surf on the internet.

SECONDARY USES:

-Playing the New Games:Like Call of Duty

Thats the thing I am doing with my current PC and I am pretty sure ill be doing with the new one...

AAE and PS are the programs I use the most.

So that's my list,if you think you get what I want,please write back

And again,Thanks for everything.

~Danaos

What Machine to buy so it can do the above things?I can afford around 2700$ / 2000 Euros

[Andrew Yoole]

danaos1996 wrote:

Anyone guys to tell me about this subject?

Hello once more,I really gave it a though and I decided:

The OS will be Windows XP x64 bit so I can use CS5 / Or Mac...

MAIN USES:

-After Effects:It's already 3 years that I use Adobe After Effects and I really want to go to Pro with it.

I want to be able to add HD FX in HD Videos with many layers,and maybe to long movies.

-Photoshop:I am still a beginner with it,But sure in the future I want to learn some hard things.

-Of course Be able to surf on the internet.

SECONDARY USES:

-Playing the New Games:Like Call of Duty

Thats the thing I am doing with my current PC and I am pretty sure ill be doing with the new one...

AAE and PS are the programs I use the most.

So that's my list,if you think you get what I want,please write back

And again,Thanks for everything.

~Danaos

What Machine to buy so it can do the above things?I can afford around 2700$ / 2000 Euros

2000 Euros won't buy you a Mac Pro, although you could buy a 27" iMac.

You can buy a pretty decent Windows machine for that price.  There are so many variables it's impossible to give you specifics, but here's a basic guide:

Buy the best CPU you can afford.  Faster CPUs give you better overall performance.  Multiple CPU cores make rendering and previewing faster.

You need 2GB of RAM for each CPU core, and a bit extra.  So, if you buy a dual Quad core machine, giving you 8 cores, you would be wise to have 16-24GB of RAM. If you buy a single Quad core machine, with 4 cores, you need 8-16GB of RAM.

You need lots of fast hard drive space to work with HD video, so buy as much as you can afford.  Avoid "green" drives and other 5400RPM drives, which can slow down your workflow.  If you can afford it, buy two drives - one for your system files, and one for media storage.

The display card is not so important in After Effects - any midrange card will do the job nicely - but because you want to play "new games", you may want a display card with a bit more power.

[danaos1996]

Hmm, I am not really good to this,Maybe you would be kind and tell me the excact types of Processor,Hard drives and the other stuff

And that should cost less than 2000 euros...

Thanks a lot

[Andrew Yoole]

danaos1996 wrote:

I see...then I need to buy a Mac that can do this jobs:

No, as Todd said, you need a modern version of Windows, like Windows 7.  A Mac is an option if you want one, but it'll cost you more upfront.