Noob question... How to optimize Daz Studio workflow with two different GPUs?

N00b4Ever

Good day humans,

As I'm still learning how to use Daz I'd like to optimise my workflow. I'll cut to the chase. I'm fortunate enough to own the following:

• GPU 1: nVIdia GTX 970
• GPU 2 : nVidia RTX 3090
• Monitor 1: Samsung 4k 28in
• Monitor 2: Samsung 4k 32in

Other components:

• CPU: Intel i7 4790k
• RAM: 32 GB

I'm not overclocking anything

I'm currently using only the best of each so, RTX 3090 and the 4k 32 inches.

I've read across multiple searches I can combined the GPUs to maximize my workflow but still quite don't get it.

I have few questions:

1. What would be the best configuration for those four? for workflow I mean. (I don't think I can combine both GPUs for rendering, but I bought Manfrday's render batch plugin so I can just set it up before bed and let it do its magic.)
2. Does working at 4k affects software navigation/interface? Does it affects iray preview?
3. Should/can I connect each monitor to a different GPU?
4. Can/should I use the 32in for workflow and the 28in for iray preview?
5. Can I assign the 970 to iray preview while keeping the 3090 for everything else?

I'll have more questions depending on you responses.

Thanks in advance.

Cheers.

 

thenoobducky

I wouldn't bother with pairing 970 with 3090. 970 got 4GB VRAM, Iray will chew up 2.5GB so you only have about 1GB for scene content. While you can use 970 for display output to save some VRAM on 3090, 3090 got so much VRAM that it hardly matter. Plus, with 32GB system RAM, don't think you can even use all of 3090 VRAM in rendering. 

N00b4Ever

thenoobducky said:

I wouldn't bother with pairing 970 with 3090. 970 got 4GB VRAM, Iray will chew up 2.5GB so you only have about 1GB for scene content. While you can use 970 for display output to save some VRAM on 3090, 3090 got so much VRAM that it hardly matter. Plus, with 32GB system RAM, don't think you can even use all of 3090 VRAM in
rendering. 

Thanks for your reply. I had forgotten the 4GB limitation on the 970 (or 3.5GB for the purists XD). So you reckon not even for the second monitor and the aux view in iray? I kept mentioning the iray preview in the orignal post but what I really meant was using the 970 just for the Aux View (if that's even possible).

Cheers.

UHF

I currently have a GTX 1660 TI, and an RTX 3070 TI.  I only use my 3070 for rendering, and there's no display hooked up to it.

I'd set up your 970 for your display, and set up the 3090 as a render only GPU.      This only hurts if you play games... like I do.

To give you an idea, you're only looking at like 12% extra performance if you go through hoops to use the 970.  So why bother?  You can use the Octane benchmarks to get a rough idea of computation capabilities.

https://render.otoy.com/octanebench/results.php

 

If you are really concerned about performance, I'd check out your motherboard.  Some slots are faster than others, and the lazy bloated memory hog of Iray, loves to totally reload a scene with every render.  For me... the only slot the 3070 fits in is also my slowest.  (I miss Octane....  fast, sleak, efficient, no GPU memory limits.)

N00b4Ever

UHF said:

I currently have a GTX 1660 TI, and an RTX 3070 TI.  I only use my 3070 for rendering, and there's no display hooked up to it.

I'd set up your 970 for your display, and set up the 3090 as a render only GPU.      This only hurts if you play games... like I do.

To give you an idea, you're only looking at like 12% extra performance if you go through hoops to use the 970.  So why bother?  You can use the Octane benchmarks to get a rough idea of computation capabilities.

https://render.otoy.com/octanebench/results.php

 

If you are really concerned about performance, I'd check out your motherboard.  Some slots are faster than others, and the lazy bloated memory hog of Iray, loves to totally reload a scene with every render.  For me... the only slot the 3070 fits in is also my slowest.  (I miss Octane....  fast, sleak, efficient, no GPU memory limits.)

Thanks for your input. Yeah I'm a gamer as well (though not good at it XD), and I've read that's a sacrifice I would have to do, that's why I don't want to use the 970 for all dsiplay and was hoping that I could use it only for Aux display window. I think I manage to fit the beast 3090 in the 16x slot but I guess the 970 will only fit in the x4 can't remember how many i have accesible. 

Cheers.