Hi guys,

I'm getting back into my Carrara phase again (good to be back). I decided about six years ago to get off of desktop machines and become mostly a laptop user. What I learned about myself is that I'm actually quite Carrara productive when I'm sitting in front of the TV with some good snacks. Watching TV isn't very interesting all by itself but watching TV and modeling/rendering is much better for me.

So, since I'm that kind of person (and since I like to be able to throw my laptop in a backpack and go to my inlaws and render why they do whatever they do, etc.), I'm strictly a laptop dude. And to emphasize the point even more, I'm living in Japan now, space is limited and mobility has become triple important.

As some of you know, I like to render with all the settings jacked up pretty high. For example, that crazy pen image in my gallery took several days to render (given all the incarnations of it that I tried). And on top of that, I like to use raytraced depth of field and GI and I almost always have some stupid transparent object in the scene and all that means LOTS of render time.

I have a little money to burn and I'm thinking I need a four headed laptop. I looked on the Dell site and when you probe for those four headed beasties (with a 17" screen and number pad requirement), Dell pops up an alienware gaming laptop.

It's cool, it's fast, it's got graphics, CPU, and RAM power. I'm thinking that it's all good for rendering psychosis (although its a little geeky looking but I don't really care actually).

It's expensive (DANG!). So, before I go jump off a cliff and drop a bunch of cash, I thought I'd ask here and get some ideas from fellow rendering madmen like myself.

One other question, if I get this critter and then I go off and setup a render node on my current two headed machine, can I use all 6 cores (the four new cores and the old two cores)?

Let me know what you think.

I havent purchased any new equipment recently  to give you an informed response.

However I can say that recent studies have shown that you can actually do better with a bit of distraction, so doing a bit of multitasking.  It works for me as well.

IMVHO laptops are not worth the money in re: 3d rendering, other than preview mode.
much less bang for yer buck.
not only that, but ya get radiation damage to yer 'nads, and skin burns, if ya put 'em on yer lap.
but  maybe alot of these users are not breeders, so who knows? :roflmao:

Quote - not only that, but ya get radiation damage to yer 'nads, and skin burns, if ya put 'em on yer lap.
but  maybe alot of these users are not breeders, so who knows? :roflmao:

Best advice ever posted! LOL!

If you pay in the $3000 range, you MIGHT beat a desktop.

But you're right about the TV laptop thing. I build on the laptop and jump drive to my DT to render or animate.

One of these days, I may actually buy a suitcase handle and mount it to the top of my desktop case with some bolts and washers to make it a semi-portable in-between computer. (Kind of how boom-boxes are considered portable radios, but tend to be left setup in one spot more often than not.) Now if only somebody would make a desktop case with a flat-screen mount built in the side and a built in handle, that would even be better.

Anyhow, most laptops are alright if you don't actually use them on your lap for longer than a half hour. But a simple solution for that is flat pieces of wooden fiberboard with some slats separating them, all glued together and sanded somewhat smooth and rounded on the corners. Use that as a laptop tray, and it provides insulation from the heat that laptop computers generate.

Watching TV and computing is more common than you think. I actually have a TV off to the side and behind my computer too, and I used to watch it. But now it's just a big paperweight since Comcast doesn't work anymore without the expensive digital tuner box. (The two main TVs have them, but not the bedroom ones.) Internet is plenty good though, so I may retire the set.

I went with the ASUS 4 headed machine.  I'm on a business trip at the moment so I won't know how it does for a week or so.  The task manager says the machine has 8 heads but it's just the multithreading.  We'll see how it goes.

Konichiwa Kixum San.

So desu ka? Nihon-go ni hanashimashoo-ka?

So hanase-ba, ii desu.

Kixum san, Nihon-go wakarimasu ka?

I only wish that I was conversant in Japanese but alas, I am not.  I've been taking lessons for a year now and I'm still just getting onto my feet.

My brain works on a more geometrical and logical structure rather than the memorization option.  Languages have a very heave component for memorization.

So, it's a big struggle for me.  I'm doing the best I can though.

Gambarimase.

yo dat.

If you want to go insane, try learning Guoyu (Chinese).

I thought this topic was about an alienware notebook computer that turned into a 4 headed monster on you. rotflmao.

Those Intel Core i7 processors give you 4 or 8 way processing, since they have hyperthreading, like the old Pentium 4 HT, except think of 4 P4 HTs on one chip. That will cut your render times down a bunch. My next build is a Core i7.