Re: [OT] graphics card

["Tim Leydecker" <BauerOink(at)gmx.de>]

Hi Kent,

thanks for providing that link, I may add that I wouldn´t
want to suggest that there´s a general hardware issue
when coupling huge amounts of Ram and a(ny) Mac.

Cheers

tim


----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Kent Bowling" <kentamanos(at)gmail.com>
To: <XSI(at)Softimage.COM>
Sent: Tuesday, November 14, 2006 7:32 AM
Subject: Re: [OT] graphics card


I'm probably not doing a very good job of explaining it, and I might be
adding more confusion than is necessary :). I just want to make sure that
people understand that a default installation of the 32-bit XP's really only
allow 2GB of memory to be used by "user applications" (non-kernel stuff).
There might indeed be some sort of issue related to Macs in general, but I
just wanted to make people aware that it might not be a hardware problem.

This MS page does a decent job of describing the issue and one way to allow
user applications to access 3GB for instance:

http://www.microsoft.com/whdc/system/platform/server/PAE/PAEmem.mspx

XP64 doesn't have this issue since address space is 64-bit (not a 32-bit
where one bit is typically reserved to indicate kernel addresses). I assume
the 64-bit version of Vista would be the same way. The article also goes
into PAE, which is an entirely different API for being able to use more than
4GB of memory (32-bit machines that run SQL server do this a lot).

On 11/13/06, Tim Leydecker <BauerOink(at)gmx.de> wrote:

> Hi Kent,
>
> I looked the bits up, according to german c´T, issue 22,
> page 160/161, the limitation exist(ed) for Mac Pro,
> Dual Xeon 5150, 4x1GB Dimm, firmware 1.0,
> running XP Pro (not 64bit). MacOS used all 4GB,
> XP less than half, again, may well be adressed
> in a later firmware version or obsolete when running xp64.
>
> Hope this helps somewhat,
>
> Cheers
>
> tim
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Kent Bowling" <kentamanos(at)gmail.com>
> To: <XSI(at)Softimage.COM>
> Sent: Monday, November 13, 2006 5:36 PM
> Subject: Re: [OT] graphics card
>
>
> > As far as the 2GB limitation:
> >
> > If you're talking about standard XP (not the 64-bit version), it's a
> > limitation of the OS (2000/XP both have it if I recall correctly). The
> > highest bit in memory addresses is reserved for kernel virtual memory
> > addresses. So of your 4GB potential space (2^32) your applications can
> only
> > use 2GB (2^31).
> >
> > Now if it happens on XP64 (or Vista 64) as well, there definitely might
> be
> > some sort of BIOS issue...
> >
> > -Kent
> >
> > On 11/13/06, Tim Leydecker <BauerOink(at)gmx.de> wrote:
> >>
> >> A minor update, prices for Vista can be looked up
> >> via amazon.com or amazon.de, bascially ranging from
> >> 259 Euros for Vista Basic to 549 Euros for Vista Ultimate.
> >>
> >> Not quite a tempting pricing system, especially since the
> >> current XP/XP64pro versions cost around 129 Euros.
> >>
> >> Regarding the new Macs, there seems to be some limitation
> >> in the BIOS settings, resulting in winXP only "seing" 2GB Ram max.
> >> Could be this is getting adressed soon but still worth being mentioned.
> >>
> >> Cheers
> >>
> >> tim
> >>
> >> ----- Original Message -----
> >> From: "Gene Crucean" <emailgeneonthelist(at)gmail.com>
> >> To: <XSI(at)Softimage.COM>
> >> Sent: Friday, November 10, 2006 5:59 PM
> >> Subject: Re: [OT] graphics card
> >>
> >>
> >> > Yup, VRay first please! :)
> >> >
> >> > I agree with the new Mac's. They are just so tempting because you can
> >> triple
> >> > boot them. And yes the graphics card/apple situation ticks me off. If
> I
> >> > could configure a 8800GTX in one I would drop cash on one as soon as
> the
> >> > dualQuad's come out. Which I hear is very soon.
> >> >
> >> >
> >> >
> >> > On 11/10/06, Stuart Hall <hally(at)passion-pictures.com> wrote:
> >> >>
> >> >> Great idea. So what are you waiting for? Get coding, Al! ;)
> >> >>
> >> >> (I'll have VRay first please).
> >> >>
> >> >> -----Original Message-----
> >> >> From: owner-xsi(at)Softimage.COM [mailto:owner-xsi(at)Softimage.COM] On
> >> Behalf
> >> >> Of Alan Jones
> >> >> Sent: 10 November 2006 16:02
> >> >> To: XSI(at)Softimage.COM
> >> >> Subject: Re: [OT] graphics card
> >> >>
> >> >> I think you'll find more of this sits with mental ray than
> Softimage.
> >> >>
> >> >> What would probably help with leverage to get better deals is to get
> >> >> really good support for additional render engines into XSI. A little
> >> >> competition could make them more competitive.
> >> >>
> >> >> Cheers,
> >> >>
> >> >> Alan.
> >> >>
> >> >> On 11/10/06, Joe Laffey <joe(at)laffey.tv> wrote:
> >> >> > On Fri, 10 Nov 2006, Stefan Andersson wrote:
> >> >> >
> >> >> > > damn you Joe.... you just couldn't stop yourself could you...
> >> >> > >
> >> >> > > *mumble* *mumble* *mumble*
> >> >> >
> >> >> >
> >> >> >
> >> >> > Heh. Well that certainly wouldn't be the intention. That would
> also
> >> be
> >> >> a
> >> >> > terrible marketing decision given other packages giving away free
> >> >> render
> >> >> > nodes.
> >> >> >
> >> >> > My feeling is that SoftImage needs to take a closer look at the
> small
> >> >> > studio market. Not the amatuer market, but the small studios who
> NEED
> >> >> > renderfarms, but cannot afford the current pricing for very many
> >> >> nodes. In
> >> >> > smaller studios the renderfarm is made up of last year's
> >> workstations.
> >> >> > With the current node pricing this is not practical. You must
> >> purchase
> >> >> new
> >> >> > fast hardware instead. This leads to less money for SoftImage, and
> >> bad
> >> >> > sentiment from users, which in tern leads to fewer recommends for
> >> XSI,
> >> >> and
> >> >> > fewer customers.
> >> >> >
> >> >> > >
> >> >> > > On 11/10/06, Eric Lampi <ericlampi(at)yahoo.com> wrote:
> >> >> > >> Cue licensing on a per core basis in 3...2...1...
> >> >> > >>
> >> >> > >> E
> >> >> > >>
> >> >> > >> Freelance 3-D Animator, F/X Artist
> >> >> > >>
> >> >> > >>
> >> >> > >> ----- Original Message ----
> >> >> > >> From: Joe Laffey <joe(at)laffey.tv>
> >> >> > >> To: XSI(at)Softimage.COM
> >> >> > >> Sent: Friday, November 10, 2006 8:24:29 AM
> >> >> > >> Subject: Re: [OT] graphics card
> >> >> > >>
> >> >> > >>
> >> >> > >> On Fri, 10 Nov 2006, Morten Bartholdy wrote:
> >> >> > >>
> >> >> > >> > Regarding the Quad Core Xeons - I just tested a box fresh in
> >> from
> >> >> my
> >> >> > >> hardware
> >> >> > >> > pusher - it was 4,8 times faster at pure raytracing than my
> dual
> >> >> Xeon 3,4
> >> >> > >> GHz
> >> >> > >> > i bought a year ago!
> >> >> > >> >
> >> >> > >> > I am waiting for the pricetag, but it makes sense to get one
> of
> >> >> those to
> >> >> > >> > replace yor renderboxes instead of forking out for more MR
> >> >> licenses.
> >> >> > >>
> >> >> > >> Yet another reason the render node pricing is ridiculous.
> People
> >> >> end up
> >> >> > >> buying more hardware, and not giving any more money to
> SoftImage.
> >> >> Price
> >> >> > >> render nodes reasonably and it might be the other way around.
> >> >> > >>
> >> >> > >>
> >> >> > >> --
> >> >> > >> Joe Laffey                |       Visual Effects for Film and
> >> Video
> >> >> > >> LAFFEY Computer Imaging   |
> >> >> -------------------------------------
> >> >> > >> St. Louis, MO             |       Show Reel
> >> >> http://LAFFEY.tv/?e03478
> >> >> > >> USA                       |
> >> >> -------------------------------------
> >> >> > >> .                         |        -*- Digital Fusion Plugins
> -*-
> >> >> > >>
> >> >>
> >>
> ------------------------------------------------------------------------
> >> >> --
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> >> >> > > --
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> >> >> > Joe Laffey                |       Visual Effects for Film and
> Video
> >> >> > LAFFEY Computer Imaging   |
> -------------------------------------
> >> >> > St. Louis, MO             |       Show Reel
> http://LAFFEY.tv/?e03479
> >> >> > USA                       |
> -------------------------------------
> >> >> > .                         |        -*- Digital Fusion Plugins -*-
> >> >> >
> >> >>
> >>
> ------------------------------------------------------------------------
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