5 tips to make your PC render faster

Waiting for your projects to render can be frustrating, but it is a necessary step for you to finish your projects. Unfortunately, there are many things that can slow down your rendering process, such as your software and computer speed, especially if you’re doing 3D rendering.

If you’re looking to optimize your PC for faster rendering, here are some tips that can help improve your PC’s rendering performance.

Image Credit: Academy of Animated Art

1. Close your other applications

Before starting a rendering task, close any unnecessary applications and processes running in the background. These programs consume system resources and can slow down rendering speeds.

After closing other programs that are using a lot of your computer’s processing power, especially your internet browsers, you can also restart and shut down your computer.

2. Upgrade your hardware

If your PC’s hardware is outdated, upgrading key components like the CPU, GPU, and RAM can significantly improve rendering speed. Consider investing in a faster processor, a graphics card designed for rendering, and ample RAM for handling large projects.

If your GPU is old or does not have enough capacity, you should consider upgrading it, just like what you would do if your RAM is full.

If your computer or laptop is constantly lagging, consider upgrading your RAM. The more RAM you have will increase memory space and thus allow larger programs to run without slowdowns.

While a GPU rendering program uses VRAM from graphics cards, several processes indirectly rely on your system RAM. Your computer’s Random Access Memory (RAM) temporarily stores the information that your animation software needs in the present and the future. Some GPU rendering software can make use of the CPU’s resources as well, such as V-Ray and Blender’s Cycles’ Hybrid Rendering features. Out-of-core offloading features in engines like Pro Render also allow elements like textures to be first stored in RAM and incrementally loaded into VRAM to avoid memory choking.

Generally, 16 GB may be enough for beginners doing basic 3D work. Professionals in the creative industry usually have 32GB of RAM or more.

3. Use a solid-state drive (SSD)

Image Credit: PCGamesN

SSDs are significantly faster than HDDs. They use flash memory to store data, allowing for almost instantaneous access and data transfer rates. On the other hand, HDDs have mechanical components and rely on spinning disks and read/write heads, which makes them slower in comparison. Replacing your traditional hard drive with an SSD can noticeably make your PC render faster.

They also may be more expensive than the Hard Disk Drive (HDD), but it is worth the upgrade if you want to have a faster PC rendering process.

4. Update your operating system and drivers

Regularly update your operating system and graphics drivers to ensure you have the latest bug fixes, performance improvements, and compatibility enhancements.

5. Customise your PC render settings

Each rendering software comes with its custom setting. If you explore your software’s settings’, you’re gonna find some settings consuming a lot of your GPU memory and time as well. Some settings consume VRAM or time but do not contribute to the GPU rendering process at all.

Simplify your scenes by reducing unnecessary details, optimizing textures and materials, and using efficient render settings. Avoid unnecessary geometry, excessive lighting, and high-resolution textures that can slow down rendering times.

Specifications that help your PC render faster

1. CPU

Ideally, you should look for a computer with an Intel Core i7 or i9 processor, or an AMD Ryzen processor. These processors have multiple cores and can handle complex calculations required for 3D modelling and rendering.

2. GPU

The graphics card is typically responsible for rendering the 3D models and producing the images that you see on your screen. A powerful graphics card can accelerate the rendering process and produce high-quality images. You should look for a computer with a high-end graphics card such as Nvidia GeForce RTX or AMD Radeon RX. These graphics cards have dedicated memory and can handle complex 3D models and large textures.

3. RAM

Memory or RAM is another crucial component of a computer for 3D modelling and rendering. It is where the software and data are stored temporarily when you work on a 3D project. A computer with more RAM allows you to work with larger and more complex 3D models without slowing down. Ideally, you should look for a computer with at least 16GB of RAM. However, if you work with very complex 3D models or use multiple applications simultaneously, you may need 32GB or more of RAM.

4. Storage (SSD)

You need enough space to store your 3D models, textures, and other files. Additionally, you should use a fast storage such as an SSD. An SSD can speed up the loading and saving of large 3D files, allowing your PC render more efficiently. Ideally, you should look for a computer with at least 512GB of SSD storage. Many users opt for a combination of both a SSD and HDD, using an SSD for their operating system and applications, while using an HDD for storing larger files and data backups.

Recommended specifications

Volta PC’s Model T includes:

• CPU: Intel i7-12700K (12 Core/20 Threads)
• RAM: 32GB DDR4
• SSD: 1TB PCIE 4.0 NVMe
• GPU: Nvidia RTX 3070 Ti 8GB