• Adobe After Effects

  Optimal RAM Setting for 4GB Multiprocessing under WinXP32

  Posted by Sney Noorani on November 10, 2008 at 8:02 am

  hey there folks,

  searching through the forum I can see there’s already lots of discussion for optimal settings for multiprocessing for AE. However I couldn’t see one that addresses my scenario.

  my system:

  Intel Quad Core 2.4Ghz (Q6600)
  4GB DDR2 RAM
  P5Q-E Mobo
  Consumer Nvidia Graphics board (however I’ve disabled OpenGL rendering as this conflicts with AE multiprocessing according to what I’ve read)
  if you really have to know it’s a eVGA 9500 GT 512MB

  I’m broke, it was the best my ailing credit card could handle…

  My memory usage settings are set to 120% (Max Usage) and 60% (RAM Cache)

  OS Windows XP professional with the /3GB Switch turned on. AE sees 3GB as it boots, Windows itself reports 3.25GB if you click on it’s properties (My Computer > Properties tab)

  I’ve yet to manage to get a multiprocessor preview to actually run/playback, I get a ‘ping’ error sound, the preview starts to churn slowly (though I’m testing this on a heavy duty hd comp).

  Soon I begin to think this sucks so I hit the RAM Preview button again to just watch it play back, it keeps preview rendering and I see the info box report that it’s initialising background processes.

  Yes.

  After the preview has started rendering, not before.

  Once it finally comes to a halt, I get the unable to render multiple frames simultaneously message in the info box, and my RAM preview doesn’t play.

  I’ve tried changing the RAM cache (as low as 30%, and as high as 80%) to try and either restrict the number of cores it’s trying to use, or to make more RAM available to the cores. (it will only use either 1 more core, or 2 max).

  I get identical results every time.

  Firstly has anyone got a suggestion for an optimal configuration? I could turn off MP but really what’s the point of the multicore cpu if I can’t kick some ass?

  Secondly, in my thirst for wanton power on a budget, I bought a quad core, would I have been better off with a faster GHz dual core CPU if 32bit Windows XP can’t make enough RAM available to the cores due to it’s 32bit architecture and 4GB physical address limit?

  I wish I could afford a Mac.

  any help greatly appreciated, I shall bear your children and carve your effigy into mountains etc.

  Sney Noorani replied 17 years, 6 months ago 1 Member · 0 Replies
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