X-bit labs

NVIDIA, Boxx Push Quadro FX GPUs into Renderfarms.

Category: Video

by Anton Shilov

[ 08/11/2004 | 04:39 PM ]

NVIDIA, the world’s largest supplier of graphics processors, and Boxx Technologies, a well-known maker of workstations, unveiled this week server-based solution for GPU-accelerated final-frame rendering with NVIDIA’s Gelato graphics rendering software.

The solution from Boxx and NVIDIA based on 2-way Intel Xeon processors and Quadro FX graphic card is the first server system to run Gelato graphics rendering software in a renderfarm, making the most of the software renderer’s advanced feature set for accelerating the final-frame rendering process.

The Gelato-ready Boxx server system fits seamlessly into any existing film production pipeline, according to NVIDIA. Once a part of that pipeline, the Gelato-ready BOXX server system will help reduce render times by offloading the rendering process from the workstation to the render farm.

“Gelato graphics rendering software is already the fastest final-frame film renderer on the market and in a renderfarm of networked Gelato-ready BOXX server systems, production speed is poised to increase dramatically,” NVIDIA said in the statement.

The systems are available in both AGP and PCI Express configurations. The read-back capability of PCI Express and the network parallel rendering feature of the soon-to-be-released Gelato 1.1 graphics rendering software significantly accelerate the rendering process, validating NVIDIA’s strategy that Gelato graphics rendering software will become increasingly faster with advances in hardware technology.

Demonstrated at Siggraph 2004 in NVIDIA’s booth, the Gelato-ready Boxx server system is available now, with PCI Express pricing starting at $3, 00. NVIDIA Quadro FX graphics cards and Gelato graphics rendering software are available for additional fees.