CPU vs. GPU: What is the best solution for cloud rendering?

Discover how cloud computing can transform your rendering capabilities, providing scalability, accessibility, cost-effectiveness, and security benefits.

5 min read

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Mar 10, 2023, 3:25 PM

Professionals often need help identifying the optimal cloud rendering solution for their unique needs. CPU versus GPU is a prominent topic of discussion among those contemplating cloud computing resources. To make an informed decision, users must understand how each type of processing power performs and what performance advantages they offer. This blog post will discuss the primary distinctions between CPUs and GPUs for cloud rendering applications so you can make a better-informed decision based on your project.

Let’s take a closer look at CPU and GPU render engines.

What Are CPU and GPU Render Engines?

A CPU or central processing unit is the brain of your computer. It handles all the calculations and tasks required to make your computer work, including rendering images.

On the other hand, a GPU or graphics processing unit is specifically designed to render images. It offloads some tasks from the CPU, allowing faster processing speeds. In addition to rendering, a GPU can handle mathematical calculations for other tasks.

What’s the Difference Between CPU vs. GPU Rendering?

The main difference between CPU and GPU render engines is how they handle tasks. GPUs have considerably greater parallelism than CPUs. In general, GPU rendering is about 50 to 100 times faster than CPU rendering.

Advantages of CPU Rendering

• Handles Complex Tasks: CPUs excel at handling complex tasks. They are well-suited for processing 3D scenes that require different tasks to be executed simultaneously.
• Large Memory: A CPU-based solution has a much larger memory than a graphics card. This is especially useful for graphic designers processing larger visual assets (textures, models, etc).
• Easy to Add Nodes: A CPU-based renderer makes it easy to add more computers as render nodes due to the market availability of GPUs and the affordability of CPU-only machines..

Advantages of GPU Rendering

• Faster Rendering: GPU-based solutions are much faster than CPU-based solutions. They can render in minutes what would take hours with a CPU.
• All-In Features: GPU renderers offer greater energy efficiency; i.e. although GPUs individually draw more power, the jobs require fewer units running for a shorter time, and so the overall consumption is lower..
• Flexibility: Upgrading your system with a GPU-based solution is easier and cheaper than upgrading your CPU.

The Benefits of Cloud Computing for CPU and GPU Rendering

• Scalability: Cloud computing allows you to scale up or down depending on your needs. This is especially useful for large projects requiring much rendering power.
• Accessibility: With cloud computing, you can access your projects from anywhere in the world. This is especially useful for remote teams that need to collaborate on projects.
• Cost-Effective: Cloud computing can be more cost-effective than investing in expensive hardware. You only pay for what you need and don’t have to worry about maintenance costs.
• Security: Cloud computing providers offer top-notch security features to protect your data. This is especially important for businesses that deal with sensitive information and may not have the resources to invest in adequate on-premise security infrastructure.

The choice between CPU and GPU rendering depends on your specific needs. CPUs are better for handling complex and detailed scenes as well as visual assets, while GPUs are faster and more cost-effective. Cloud computing is a game-changer for rendering, offering scalability, accessibility, cost-effectiveness, and security benefits.

So, whether you choose CPU or GPU rendering, consider CUDO Compute as an option to take your rendering to the next level.

About CUDO Compute

CUDO Compute is a fairer cloud computing platform for everyone. It provides access to distributed resources by leveraging underutilised computing globally on idle data centre hardware. It allows users to deploy virtual machines on the world’s first democratised cloud platform, finding the optimal resources in the ideal location at the best price.

CUDO Compute aims to democratise the public cloud by delivering a more sustainable economic, environmental, and societal model for computing by empowering businesses and individuals to monetise unused resources.

Our platform allows organisations and developers to deploy, run and scale based on demands without the constraints of centralised cloud environments. As a result, we realise significant availability, proximity and cost benefits for customers by simplifying their access to a broader pool of high-powered computing and distributed resources at the edge.

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