AC 12: Can a laptop still work in place of a 8 core machine?

[Chazz]

Decisions, desisions. I'm debating between an MacBook Pro 2.6ghz 17" and a new Mac Pro 8 core.

Maybe some of the beta testers can speak to this: Is the speed improvement in AC 12 on an 8 core beast really 4x better than on a laptop with just a single 2 core processor? I really love the portability of my current MacBook Pro but I spend a heck of a lot of time waiting for Atlantis and Archicad. Any input appreciated.

[Dwight]

"Nehalem"

They are using biblical names now?

[Karl Ottenstein]

Chazz wrote:
Thanks Karl (I'm a follower of mac rumors but had not heard this one).

Well, I may be reading too much between the lines. But, MacRumors had linked to this article:
http://www.electronista.com/articles/07/10/15/intel.4.core.mobile.demo/
a while back ... and I think I heard rumblings about this 4 core chip elsewhere too. Another article talked about the new mobile Penryn chips but did not specify core-count....

Cheers,
Karl

[Thomas Holm]

Dwight wrote:
"Nehalem"

They are using biblical names now?

Yep.

http://www.digitimes.com/systems/a20080612VL201.html

http://arstechnica.com/articles/paedia/cpu/what-you-need-to-know-about-nehalem.ars

[__archiben]

ok... i ran some tests. not quite 8-core, but there's at least an idea here of what's going on:

i have AC11 and an AC12 release candidate installed on my mac book pro and mac pro. the specs are as follows:

mac book pro (dual): 2.16GHz Core Duo, 2GB RAM, 256MB ATI X1600 graphics. OSX 10.5.3.
mac pro (quad): 2x2.66GHz Dual Core Xeon, 5GB RAM, 512MB ATI X1900 graphics. OSX 10.4.11

so it's not quite apples to apples, and as a benchmark test is slightly rough around the edges, but it paints a picture.

i ran through the following tests in order for each version in turn. the file is of a small(ish) house: 350 sq. m. single-storey, flat site. the model is well developed and in reasonable detail...

[edit]file size is 65.4MB - the 'file open' test involved launching archicad from quit and a library load across the network. after the initial opening of model generated viewpoints and the data being written to cache, any subsequent rebuild is pretty much instantaneous. there is little or no time delay penalty for working in 'continuous rebuild' model viewpoints.[/edit]

FILE OPEN
MBP (DUAL) AC11... 5m 19s
MBP (DUAL) AC12... 2m 24s

MP (QUAD) AC11... 3m 31s
MP (QUAD) AC12... 2m 11s

OPEN AUTO-REBUILD SECTION - Long Section Y, Vectorial Hatching, No Transp., No Shadows
MBP (DUAL) AC11... 1m 52s
MBP (DUAL) AC12... 31s

MP (QUAD) AC11... 1m 18s
MP (QUAD) AC12... 17s

OPEN AUTO-REBUILD ELEVATION - Main North Elev, Vectorial Hatching, No Transp., No Shadows
MBP (DUAL) AC11... 1m 14s
MBP (DUAL) AC12... 16s

MP (QUAD) AC11... 52s
MP (QUAD) AC12... 11s

3D WINDOW GENERATION - Full Model, OpenGL
MBP (DUAL) AC11... 1m 25s
MBP (DUAL) AC12... 24s

MP (QUAD) AC11... 51s
MP (QUAD) AC12... 17s

as you can see - archicad 12 on the mac book pro (dual) is easily outperforming archicad 11 on the higher spec'd mac pro (quad).

speed wise, it feels good!

but remember that your results may vary: this is some very rough testing - my archicads are loaded for bear (add-ons-R-us) and as such take a performance hit on open/model generation, etc....

cheers
~/archiben

[Rick Thompson]

Hummm.. this is a fairly developed model, and my times are almost too fast to measure generating an auto build section/elevation w/vector hatching.

AC11 = 5 sec
AC12 = 3 sec (maybe) Opening again is instant.

[Chazz]

~/archiben wrote:
ok... i ran some tests......

Ben, that pretty much lays it out right there. Thank you Sooooooo much for taking the time. I'm sure others will likewise find this very helpful.

I have to say that your info pushes me more into the laptop camp. Despite the doubling of processors and the generally faster specs on the Quad, nowhere was AC 12 twice as fast on the desktop Vs the laptop. It's more like 1.5x to almost 2x. I think I could live with that if it means a system that could fit in my backpack for a bike ride to work. It would be fascinating to see what an 8 core machine would do.

And I have to say that I'm really not interested in maintaining two systems anymore. I used to do it and use ChronoSync (a great tool) but it was a real chore to keep them in sync. One laptop per child (or in my case, child-like multi-office peripatetic vagabond) is what I'm after.

[Chazz]

Rick wrote:
Hummm.. this is a fairly developed model, and my times are almost too fast to measure generating an auto build section/elevation w/vector hatching.
AC11 = 5 sec
AC12 = 3 sec (maybe) Opening again is instant.

Thanks Rick, that seems pretty quick to me. I suspect you have done a really good job of layer management and only have the min stuff turned on to get the view (which is pretty, by the way).

[__archiben]

Chazz wrote:
Ben, that pretty much lays it out right there.

no problem. as rick says, any subsequent opening of those same sections and elevations is pretty much instantaneous. also - FYI, the 'file open' test included archicad launching from quit and loading libraries across a network...

I have to say that your info pushes me more into the laptop camp. Despite the doubling of processors and the generally faster specs on the Quad, nowhere was AC 12 twice as fast on the desktop Vs the laptop. It's more like 1.5x to almost 2x.

sure, but what is it they say? once you've had a taste . . .

'tis very hard to work on the lappie after the quad now. and you would have to hold a gun to my head to make me use archicad 11 on it!

cheers
~/archiben

[Chazz]

So the key is, I must never taste of those fruits of octi-core goodness and must not drink from the challis of desktop splendor. I'm a laptop man now and I ain't looking back.

I just ordered a 2.6 Ghz 17" MPB with the hi rez screen (non, glossy I would have preferred it but the wait time was longer) and 512 MB of Vram and 4 GB of system RAM and the 200 MB 7200 RPM drive. No, I haven't mentioned it to my wife.......

Thanks again for everyones help.

[Chazz]

I'll just follow up here and say that I as happy as I was with my last MBP 15" (1st gen Core Duo, 2.0 Ghz), I absolutely love this 17". The screen is fantastic (they ended up shipping me a glossy, LED backlit unit), and the machine is faster and more responsive in every way. Highly recomended.