Render Speed Tests, Reviews and Comparisons

Arnold Render CPU & GPU Speed Benchmark

This is Arnold Render Benchmark is probably the most accurate CPU and GPU benchmark ever created. What makes this speed benchmark different from the others is the fact that the scene is build and optimized by a professional, with a precise goal in mind: stress every single core of the modern CPUs and GPUs. This benchmark will reflect your hardware performance realistically, not in a theoretical manner like the vast majority of benchmarks out of there. If you are interested to see how fast is your computer on 3D applications and rendering, just run the ultimate Arnold Render Benchmark for Maya and share your results!

NOTE: this benchmark has been created in cooperation with professional reviewers on famous websites like ExtremeTech.com and HWupgrade.it

reviewers

STEP 1: Download the Benchmark for Maya

To run the Arnold Benchmark for Maya you need to grab the archive from cgtrader.com, It is free, it takes just 1 minute to register and help me to save some bandwidth on my website. The benchmark archive is protected by a password: antoniobosi.com   

STEP 2: Extract the Archive in the correct Folder

Once you have download the Arnold Render CPU and GPU benchmark you have to extract it in << C:\ >>
The path will look like this << C:\ARNOLD_RENDER_BENCHMARK_for_MAYA\ >> 

You must extract the benchmark file in this folder because of the limitations of Arnold Render about relative file paths. If you don’t extract the archive in this folder the benchmark will not work properly. You can compare your renders with the output files that I put in the benchmark folder. The must look identical.

Arnold Render Speed Benchmark Maya files path

STEP 3: Run Maya and Open the right Benchmark File

After Maya is fully loaded go to the Arnold Render benchmark folder and chose what kind of benchmark you want to do. If you want to do the CPU benchmark chose the “CPU” file, otherwise open the “GPU” one to perform the GPU Arnold benchmark. 

Arnold Render Benchmark Maya chose CPU or GPU

STEP 4: check the Arnold Render version (5.3.3.2)

We need to use the same version of Arnold Render to obtain comparable results. The version to use is the 5.3.3.2 You can Download Arnold Render for Maya plugin here. To check what version of MtoA plugin is installed in your system just follow the steps shown below.
* you may see a different plugin version in the screenshots below, their use is just for indications.

Arnold Benchmark for Maya check version
Arnold Render Benchmark check mtoa version

STEP 5: Check Render settings (GPU BENCHMARK ONLY)

It is important to check what GPU is selected under Arnold Render Settings. I activated the manual selection for the first video card of your system: probably you won’t need to touch it, but if you see something different from the image below adjust it to make work just one GPU.

Arnold Render Benchmark Select GPU

STEP 6: Open Arnold Render View

Follow the steps shown below to open the Arnold RenderView inside Maya. We will launch the render benchmark from there.

Arnold Render Open render view Maya

STEP 7A: GPU Render Benchmark

Once the Arnold RenderView is open enable Progressive Refinement and click on Update Full Scene. Maya will take some time to preload the scene, but after a while you should see the image appear: now click the “reload” icon at the top right of the window and wait the render to finish!
Arnold Render GPU benchmark window Settings
Arnold Render GPU Benchmark Maya reload refresh

STEP 7B: CPU Render Benchmark

Once the Arnold RenderView is open disable Progressive Refinement and click on Update Full Scene. Maya will take some time to preload the scene, but after a while you should see some little portion of the image appear: click the “reload” icon at the top right of the window and wait the render to finish!

Arnold CPU benchmark Maya window settings
Arnold render benchmark CPU Maya refresh

STEP 8: Take a look at your Render Time

Congratulations you just tested the speed of your system on GPU and CPU rendering! You just need to look at the bottom left of the render view to see the render time: the lower the better.

Arnold Render Benchmark 2020 speed results

STEP 9: Share and Compare your results

Now you can share your results using the comment form at the end of the page (no registration required). I will post the results once I collect and compare some useful data. Thank you for your contribution!

ARNOLD CPU RENDERING SPEED

Below you can find the chart with some cpu speed render benchmark on rendering in Maya and Arnold. Right now the AMD threadripper 3990X is the king of rendering. We are eager to see how fast will be the new AMD Ryzen Zen3 series on rendering in Maya. 

Arnold Render CPU Speed Benchmark for Maya

Are you searching the old Arnold Render Benchmark and results? Click Here

ARNOLD GPU RENDERING SPEED

Arnold can make renders using the power of modern GPUs like Geforce RTX 3080, 3090 and 3070. You can run the my benchmark to test your gpu speed in gpu rendering using Arnold for Maya. Compare your results with the chart below. I tested only single card configurations.

Arnold Render Speed GPU Benchmark Maya

49 thoughts on “Arnold Render CPU & GPU Speed Benchmark

  1. Maya 2024.1, Arnold 5.3.1.1
    14700KF – 3m 28s stock
    RTX 4090 – 3m 00s stock Nvidia driver 551.52
    Ram 64 GB 3200MHz DDR4

  2. I just upgraded from a GTX 1080 Ti to a NVidia RTX 4070 Super:
    GPU Render Time: 2:29
    CPU i7 -8700 @ 3.20 GHz
    Ram: 32 GB
    Thank you for a great test!

  3. Render Time GPU: 19:44
    nVidia GTX 1070 Ti
    Render Time CPU: 10:33
    Intel 5950x, OC to 4.3 GHZ all cores

    I really did not expect these results. Didn’t change any of the render settings. The only thing I can think of is that it’s a never version of the MtoA plugin (4.1.1).

  4. I am loosing my hair in searching for gpu render. Redshift is expensive. Arnold and V-Ray gpu versions are very simillar in using lots of Vram for geometry (bad optimization), and both have strange hang when render starts. I think that i will just buy 5950x and be happy when Arnold now have cpu denoiser (have single 3060 Ti for now). Cheers.

      1. It’s not only that. Gpu rendering is a gimmick with Arnold and Vray (my opinion). Only Redshift, Octane and Fstorm are useful in gpu rendering. But Octane is weird as Zbrush, and Fstorm is just for 3DSMax. Redshift is similar to Arnold which is great. I will buy it some day…

        1. They are not directly comparable since Arnold use different samples settings moving from cpu to gpu. I think 3080 is way faster. Anyway you gave me a good suggestion to make a comparable benchamrk between cpus and gpus!

    1. You will be very lucky to find a 5990X.
      I have waiting over a year & they are still not available.

      1. Go to gputracker website. There is plenty of 5950x, at least in Europe. I will wait probably Zen 3 architecture.

    1. I work with 1 RTX 3080 and it goes very good. 2x rtx 3070 ti would be faster so you can think about that but they can have heat problems when work togheter. I think 3090 is the worst choice: a lot of money for a small performance boost over the 3080.

  5. 3970X: 2:10
    Quadro RTX A5000 on a EK 3090 full-nickel waterblock and active backplate: 3:54
    Seems something causes a cap on GPUs, I wonder if its the memory clock on the GPU’s?

  6. Cpu render time: 14:22 Intel Core i7 8700T with pro cooling
    Gpu render time: 3:35 RTX 3080 Ti Gygabyte OC edition
    Gpu render time: 5:40 RTX 3070 Ti FE
    32GB Ram @2600

  7. Hey, circling back to this. I went from an 2700x to a 3950x back in Feb but forgot to update my benchmarks. Everything else stayed the same in those tests (mobo, gpu, ram, etc). And the timing for the 3950x was down to 4:23 in my best run (my worst was only 4:25, so very consistent). So it comes in a bit lower than the chart has it but part of the cpu upgrade was adding in an AIO cooler; so I’m probably just getting boosts thanks to that setup.

    Since that test in Feb, I did manage to snag a 3090 Hybrid (has an AIO cooler already installed) and I got exactly the same score as the 3090 did in the chart: 3:53.

    It’s a bit of a bummer that the Hybrid 3090 didn’t beat the stock, given the price differential and hassle with setup. But ~4min presumably isn’t enough to saturate the AIO loop. Still, it would be a good indication for other buyers to just stick with the air-cooled gpus as the price is better (I only wound up with this due to nothing else being available).

    1. Hi Swade, I think the main advantage of the AIO cooled GPU is the reliability. I’ve done some overclocking tests in the past and I saw almost no difference when rising frequencies on a same model. Anyway I think a liquid cooled GPU will last longer! EDIT: just tested my 3950x and it scores 4:35 (mtoa 4.2.2)

      1. I noticed that you posted the 3990X, but you didn’t post my 3995WX, which rendered the scene in 1:08. Did you need confirmation?

  8. I’ve overclocked 3080Ti Gigabyte Gaming OC to 2040Mhz using MSI Afterburner
    GPU time = 03:14

    1. Hi mate, thank you for submitting. It seems very fast. What version of Arnold did you use? We can compare results just if you have installed Arnold 4.0.4.

  9. CPU Time 12:03
    Intel® Xeon® W-1290P Processor CPU @ 3.70 GHz
    32 GB RAM

    Thanks for this test!

  10. CPU Rendertime: 10:00 (exactly!)
    AMD 2700X @ 3.925GHz (PBO on, held stable at frequency all cores at 74 C, stock wraith prism cooler)
    32 GB RAM
    About to pop in a different CPU in the exact same setup, will post results.

  11. GPU Render Time: 3:53 – RTX 3090 FE – 68 degrees celcius
    CPU Render Time 3:28 – Ryzen 5950X – 72 degrees celcius
    128GB Ram 3200
    I am not sure why the CPU render time came down from 4:48 to 3:28 after I replaced the GTX960 to RTX3090! Tested twice!

    1. This is very strange because Arnold Render don’t allow to use simultaneously GPU and CPU. I really can’t explain it… maybe you accidentally changed some setting?

  12. I went with dual 3070’s to get the performance of a 3090 without the price tag and case limitations. Running fine on a 750w power supply
    Dual 3070’s, 3:26
    PNY XLR8 Epic-X RGB 3070 – 6:49
    Zotac Twin Edge 3070 (non-OC) – 6:44

    1. Hi Robert, thank you for your contribution. I also prefer to get 2 cheaper cards instead of one very expensive.. they usually behave better and have less problems with heat!

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