The World's First 64-Core Desktop Processor

Mark your calendars because on Feb. 7th AMD is going to disrupt the high performance computing industry by making the technology which was only used by studios affordable to the average consumer. With 64 cores and 128 threads at only $4000, the AMD 3990x is a game changer. Preliminary tests revealed at CES last week shows the VRAY render performance beating rival Intel’s dual Xeon 56 core setup. This could be a very impressive CPU!

The 2.9 Ghz base frequency and 4.3 Ghz boost frequency make it an extremely versatile piece of technology. With the boost frequency being as high as it is, it’s a good indicator that the 2.9Ghz base is extremely efficient and will keep a consistent temperature.

It's built around a 280 watt TDP power envelope and drops right into the motherboards that are in market today. This makes it a great solution for someone who needs the absolute highest core count for rendering, video editing, and all the other really high core count tasks.

The beauty with the 3000 series thread Ripper products is that they now have a different architecture. All of the PCI lanes are connected to that central I/O die with each of the eight chips around it being the core complexes. That gives each core complex equal access to all the i/o on the platform making it a very symmetrical product.

This product is going to give you that combination of single thread and multi thread frequency making it very flexible for whatever you might need to do. Having that type of power at your desk as an artist gives you the ability to iterate extremely complex projects many times in order to get it just right before sending it off to a render farm.

This is an extremely exciting time for creative power users and we can’t wait to begin testing and creating our own top of the line AMD build. Stay tuned!

NAB 2019 - The All New Avid Media Composer

The new Avid MC (Media Composer) made a splash at this year’s NAB Show. The specs for this new software include 32 bit floating color and support for 16k resolution. The Avid MC has been retooled to provide maximum efficiency for your projects. With a new user interface, rebuilt engine, built-in audio, color grading and delivery features, this system presents itself as major competition to similar applications.

The new Media Composer will be able to handle distributed rending. This means that you will now be able to leverage render nodes or other idle Avid systems to help crank out your projects. We know this will definitely be utilized when working in 32 bit float workflows. We will be putting the MC through some rigorous testing in the coming weeks to see which hardware configuration will offer the most performance boost.

The updated MC also includes direct IMF (Interoperable Master Format) export package for OTT and other production companies. Avid is working on more standards with some of the major streaming distribution platforms such as Netflix and in fact, Avid is one of the members of the Neflix Post Tech Alliance.

TV shows and films served as inspiration for the upgrades made to the Avid MC. Production is becoming more and more complex, and there needed to be a system that could deal with more elements. We can’t forget the new paneled user interface and task-based workspaces. These features make room for a more organized workspace, meaning large production companies can now customize the interface for various roles in their organization.

The new engine can deliver faster playback for video and audio streams, live timeline and background rendering which is sure to shorten turnaround times. Worried about security? The AvidMC offers maximum security for content, lowering the chance for unauthorized leaks.

It will be very interesting to see how much GPU / CPU this new version will take advantage of. We will be posting our test results very soon!

VFX, the Big Game and Grammy Awards

This month, we talk with VFX CEO Sarote Tabcum Jr. about the company's participation in this year’s Super Bowl and Grammy Awards.

What were your client’s needs?

For the Super Bowl, there were two main types of requests. One was for systems to handle heavy post production and VFX type work. These were for clients that range from ad agencies to boutique studios. They all needed to scale up quickly to get TV spots done, web spots and TV graphic packages that all were going to go live / aired during the Super Bowl.

The next group are companies that were working on site during the Super Bowl. These systems were used to help provide real time graphics and editing that drive the content being broadcasted by CBS. These system requirements aren't too different from the first group though the applications may be different.

For the Grammy Awards, in addition to providing high performance Mac and PCs we also had to develop custom scripting to automate a custom encoding workflow. The project had a very short turnaround and was quite a challenge.

How did you meet those needs?

We have a large inventory of high-performance systems and components allowing us to respond quickly as well as offering outside the box creative solutions with software developers. Having techs and equipment also allowed us to test the workflow before the event. Often times we are the only provider of such unique high-performance solutions.

Did you exceed your client’s expectations?

We had a couple of different clients on the ground at ATL that were using our latest and greatest workstations and their responses were spectacular. They really loved how fast and reliable our systems were.

What made your client choose VFX?

Many of our new clients find us online and choose to go with us after we spend time devising the ideal solutions for their needs. It also helps when they see the impressive roster of past clients we’ve served.

How were you able to convince the client of your products capabilities?

We take time to understand our clients' project and challenges first. Then we put our heads together and devise the best solution. This process is what helps our clients start to trust our knowledge and thought process. They also begin to understand how we operate and once they know we think beyond the potential obvious solutions; they give us their trust.

What makes your company reliable?

We take great pride in providing the best in class solutions. This means we test everything and ensure all our clients successfully complete their projects. Everyone here at VFX takes it personal when it comes to making sure our client’s projects all end up successful. This translates into having a solid reputation of reliability.

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