Topic: CPU speed importance in Lumion

[Mando]

I recently tried working with Lumion, and i really like the program, but unfortunately it was too slow for my pc, with very low performance

(my RAM is above the recommended, while my Graphics card is below the recommended, almost close to the minimum)

So i was thinking that I should upgrade my Graphics card for a much better one in order to fully utilize the software with optimal performance, however i was a little concerned at the fact that there was no minimum or recommended requirements in terms of CPU power needed, is it not that important for Lumion's Performance? and if it still is, by how much??


To be more specific, I currently have a Intel® Core™2 Quad Processor Q8300
(4M Cache, 2.50 GHz, 1333 MHz FSB)

and my Graphics Card is an ATI Radeon HD 5450 1 gb


I'm thinking of Upgrading into an ATI Radeon HD 6970 2gb GDDR5, and i was wondering, is it necessary to get a processor upgrade as well? or would my current processor combined with the new card give a good enough performance without any problems?

thanks in advance !

[Morten]

Hi Mando, you're right, the ATI Radeon HD 5450 is unfortunately unsuitable for use with Lumion:
http://www.videocardbenchmark.net/gpu.php?gpu=Radeon+HD+5450

As you already know, the graphics card is the most important factor in determining the overall performance and the render speed in Lumion. The CPU processor is mainly used for compressing images and MP4s while rendering but that accounts for very little of the overall render time.

My advice would be to upgrade your graphics card first. Chances are you will be satisfied with the performance if you invest in the 6970:
http://www.videocardbenchmark.net/gpu.php?gpu=Radeon+HD+6970

And lastly, the amount of system memory is also a factor if you have very complex scenes. The 64-bit version of Windows is able to use all the available system memory, whereas the 32-bit version can only use 3.5gb per application.

[Mando]

Thank you Morten ! That's quite helpful

I'm currently using 6 gb of DDR3 RAM

and using the 64 bit version of windows & Lumion (utilizing all my RAM) , so I'm guessing a Graphics card upgrade would be sufficient !

Thanks again for the speedy response and clarification, you're all doing a great job here

[Morten]

Yes, I'd also keep the 6gb ram for now.

You can always upgrade later if you're going to work on huge projects with very complex models.

[Aramso]

how about the perfomance of GeForce GTX 9500 1gb ddr2? this is the best i culd get around here..

[Morten]

how about the perfomance of GeForce GTX 9500 1gb ddr2? this is the best i culd get around here..

Hmm, I can only find the GT version of the GeForce 9500. It's pretty much the bottom of the barrel though, so the performance and render times in Lumion won't exactly be ideal:
http://www.videocardbenchmark.net/gpu.php?gpu=GeForce+9500+GT

That being said, the only way to find out for sure is to try Lumion Free

[Aramso]

i can seem to find the specific graphics card.. i came across geforce 8400 and nvidia 9300... how do they compare with the minimun reqrd by the system... and how do i use the benchmark to know how the graphic card compares with others.. quick response will be highly appreciated... and how do you download the free version of the lumion... i seem to be doing it wrong

[Morten]

Hi Aramso, I'm afraid none of the cards you have mentioned would work well with Lumion:
http://www.videocardbenchmark.net/gpu.php?gpu=GeForce+8400
http://www.videocardbenchmark.net/gpu.php?gpu=GeForce+9300+GE

For comparison, Ferry used an Nvidia GTX 260 (1,742 points on the following benchmark list) for developing Lumion, but it's not well suited for complex scenes:
http://www.videocardbenchmark.net/high_end_gpus.html

I've personally got an ATI Radeon HD 5850 (2,517 points) which works quite well. It cost me £100 here in the UK.

If you are going to work on very complex scenes you will need a card with even more points on the benchmark list.

[Morten]

To download Lumion Free, make sure you've logged into the forum.

Then click on "Customer Area" above this thread.

At the bottom of that screen, there should be a download link.

[Aramso]

thanks, i was able to download the free lumion.. but i still have the same problem. just after clicking on the scene, my pc just shows a blue screen with some stuff written then restarts..
my pc is hp 500b
intel 3.0 duo, 4gb ram, 64bit w7

i av really searched for any of the graphics card in vain now i think the only option remaining is to buy a  new pc with the said graphics

could you please give me a link which i might order a new powerful pc that can safely open and work with complex projects in lumion. i am in kenya.
or maybe u can just check for me how i can get a new geforce tgx 580

[Morten]

The HP 500b uses a socalled integrated graphics card, ie, the Intel GMA X4500 which unfortunately is way below the minimum requirement for Lumion.

Also, the power supply for the HP 500b is only 300W, and the Nvidia 580 GTX cards (and the systems they're typically delivered with) require 800W+.

So if you want that kind of card, you will need a new PC.

For comparison, here's a list of graphics card benchmarks and their prices:
http://www.videocardbenchmark.net/high_end_gpus.html

[Aramso]

can u please suggest for me the pc that i can buy to use with the geforce 580, and where can i buy it... i am having sleepless nights. thanks in advance

[Gga_Mars]

here my config as an exemple:
Asus sabertooth P67
Intel i7 2600k
8 Go Ram PC12800 Corsair Vengence 1600Mhz (CMZ8GX3M2A 1600 C9)
Phantom 580 3Go
OCZ vertex 2 120 Go

Where to buy your comp depend on your living place ....

[jaargg88]

Hmm, I can only find the GT version of the GeForce 9500. It's pretty much the bottom of the barrel though, so the performance and render times in Lumion won't exactly be ideal:
http://www.videocardbenchmark.net/gpu.php?gpu=GeForce+9500+GT

That being said, the only way to find out for sure is to try Lumion Free

Hello, how about the perfomance of Radeon HD 6250 1gb ? this is the best i culd get around here, Can you please inform me if with this video card i will be able to run Lumion.

[Gaieus]

According to the benchmark site, it is not the best solution:

http://www.videocardbenchmark.net/gpu.php?gpu=Radeon+HD+6250

But as Morten says; try the free version of Lumion and if that works, the other versions should also work.