How to optimise your workstation for KeyShot 2024

Impact on small, medium, and complex projects

Memory (RAM) plays a vital role in the performance of KeyShot 2024, a popular rendering program used for creating photorealistic images. When choosing between DDR4 and DDR5 RAM, there are several factors to consider that affect performance on different project sizes. Here's an overview of the differences between DDR4 and DDR5 memory and how they affect small, medium, and complex projects in KeyShot 2024.

DDR4 vs. DDR5: Technical differences

DDR4 (Double Data Rate 4):

• Speed: DDR4 offers a data transfer rate of 1600 to 3200 MT/s (megatransfers per second).
• Capacity: Available in sizes from 4 GB to 32 GB per module.
• Latency: Higher latency compared to DDR5.
• Power Consumption: Requires 1.2V, resulting in moderate power consumption.
• Availability and Cost: Wide availability and typically less expensive than DDR5.

DDR5 (Double Data Rate 5):
• Speed: DDR5 starts at 4800 MT/s and can reach over 8400 MT/s, which is significantly faster than DDR4.
• Capacity: Supports larger memory modules, with capacities up to 64GB per module and more.
• Latency: Improved latency due to higher clock speeds.
• Power Consumption: Uses 1.1V, resulting in lower power consumption despite higher performance.
• Availability and Cost: Newer technology with higher price and more limited availability compared to DDR4.

Small KeyShot Projects

Impact on Project Sizes in KeyShot 2024:

For simple scenes with few objects, low resolution, and minimal post-processing:
• DDR4: Adequate for small projects, especially on systems with 16GB or more. Performance is stable and the difference with DDR5 is minor.
• DDR5: Offers slightly faster processing, but less noticeable for smaller projects. The main benefit could be future use by other programs.
Recommendation: DDR4 is often sufficient and cost-effective for small projects. DDR5 could be chosen considering longer usage and future needs.

Medium KeyShot projects

For projects with multiple objects, moderate resolution and slightly more complex textures and materials:
• DDR4: Good, but performance may be affected if memory usage exceeds capacity.
• DDR5: Offers noticeable performance gains through higher bandwidths and lower latency, resulting in faster rendering and smoother editing.
Recommendation: DDR5 offers advantages, especially when it comes to editing and rendering medium projects. Investing in DDR5 can increase efficiency and save time.

Complex KeyShot projects

For large scenes with many objects, high resolution, complex textures, and advanced lighting and effects:
• DDR4: Can quickly reach its limits, especially on systems with less than 32 GB of RAM. Larger projects can cause longer rendering times and potentially bottlenecks in memory usage.
• DDR5: Offers significant performance gains through higher bandwidth and larger memory capacities. Complex projects benefit from faster calculations and better handling of large amounts of data.
Recommendation: DDR5 is the best choice for complex projects. The faster processing speed and higher capacity enable more efficient work and can speed up project delivery.

Our conclusion

The choice between DDR4 and DDR5 RAM depends largely on the size and complexity of the projects in KeyShot 2024. DDR4 offers a cost-effective solution for small and medium projects, while DDR5 shines with its higher speed and capacity, especially for complex projects. In the long term, DDR5 offers a future-proof investment that can keep up with the development of software and the increasing complexity of projects. For KeyShot 2024 users who want to meet current requirements while also being prepared for future developments, DDR5 is the optimal choice.

KeyShot 2024 is a powerful rendering and animation software that places high demands on the GPU, especially for real-time rendering and animation. Choosing the right Nvidia graphics card depends a lot on the complexity of the projects. Here are recommendations for the best Nvidia graphics cards for small, medium and complex projects in KeyShot 2024.

Small KeyShot Projects

For small projects, such as rendering simple objects and scenes with few light sources and materials, a mid-range GPU is sufficient.

Recommended GPU: Nvidia GeForce RTX 4060Ti Founder Edition
• CUDA cores: 3,072
• Memory: 8 GB GDDR6
• Ray tracing cores: 24
• Special features: Real-time ray tracing, DLSS (Deep Learning Super Sampling)

The GeForce RTX 4060TI offers solid performance for simple scenes and is well suited for users who want to do basic rendering tasks in KeyShot 2024 without incurring high costs.

Medium KeyShot projects

Medium projects involve more complex scenes, more materials and light sources, and detailed animations. A more powerful GPU can significantly reduce rendering times here.

Recommended GPU: Nvidia GeForce RTX 4070 Super Founders Edition
• CUDA cores: 7,680
• Memory: 12 GB GDDR6X
• Ray tracing cores: 60
• Special features: Advanced ray tracing, improved DLSS technology, higher memory throughput

The RTX 4070 Super offers a significant increase in rendering performance, making it ideal for users who regularly work on more complex scenes and are looking for a balance between cost and performance.

Complex KeyShot projects

Complex projects require a GPU that can handle large amounts of data, many light sources, complex materials and extensive animations. A high-end GPU is essential here to ensure smooth workflows and short rendering times.

Recommended GPU: Nvidia RTX 4090, Founders Edition
• CUDA cores: 16,384
• Memory: 24 GB GDDR6X
• Ray tracing cores: 128
• Special features: Maximum ray tracing performance, large memory bandwidth, optimal support for AI-assisted rendering (DLSS 3.0)
The Nvidia RTX 4090 is the top of the line for GPU performance, offering excellent processing power for extremely complex projects. This GPU is ideal for professionals working on highly detailed scenes and complex animations with KeyShot 2024.

KeyShot 2024 benefits from GPUs with more VRAM, as larger textures and complex materials require more memory. While 8 GB may be enough for small projects, 12 GB or more is advisable for medium and complex projects.

DLSS and Ray Tracing

DLSS can significantly increase performance by upscaling lower resolutions in real time, resulting in faster render times. Ray tracing significantly improves the quality of lighting and shadows, which is particularly beneficial in complex scenes.

Choosing the right hard drive configuration for KeyShot 2024 depends heavily on the complexity of your projects. Samsung M.2 NVMe SSDs offer outstanding performance and reliability that can be scaled to meet different requirements. From the 250GB 970 EVO Plus for smaller projects to the 1TB 980 PRO for complex work, the right SSD configuration ensures you get the most out of KeyShot.

Small KeyShot projects: Samsung 970 Evo Plus

• Capacity: 250 GB - 2 TB
  

• Speed: Read speed up to 3,500 MB/s, write speed up to 3,000 MB/s
  

• Special features: Good all-rounder SSD for beginners, excellent price-performance ratio

The Samsung 970 Evo Plus is ideal for smaller projects that require fast loading times and reliable performance. It offers enough storage space and speed to quickly edit and render smaller Keyshot scenes. For users who work with moderate file sizes, the Samsung 980 is a cost-effective solution.

Medium-sized KeyShot projects: Samsung 980 Pro

• Capacity: 500 GB - 2 TB
  

• Speed: Read speed up to 7,000 MB/s, write speed up to 5,100 MB/s
  

• Special features: PCIe 4.0 support, excellent performance for more complex tasks

The Samsung 980 Pro offers significant performance improvements compared to the Samsung 980 and is ideal for medium-sized projects in Keyshot 2024. With its support for PCIe 4.0, it maximizes the speed of loading and rendering scenes of medium complexity. This makes it the ideal choice for users who regularly work with more demanding Keyshot projects and want high efficiency.

Complex KeyShot projects: Samsung 990 Pro

• Capacity: 1 TB - 4 TB
  

• Speed: Read speed up to 7,450 MB/s, write speed up to 6,900 MB/s
  

• Special features: Maximum performance for extremely complex projects, outstanding durability and energy efficiency

For users who work with very large and complex keyshot projects, the Samsung 990 Pro is the best choice. It delivers unprecedented read and write speeds and is optimized for intensive use. Thanks to its high capacity and outstanding performance, the Samsung 990 Pro is perfect for large renderings and data-intensive tasks that place the highest demands on storage technology.

Pay attention to the correct settings in KeyShot 2024

Render times are strongly influenced by the settings in KeyShot. An example: Change the mode in the settings of your render options from Standard to Background to reduce the render times by about 30%.

KeyShot 2024 - Increase rendering speed

• Make sure that KeyShot uses all available CPU cores. In the ribbon menu you will find a dropdown menu CPU usage. Select All cores.

• For larger models, set the border (disable) to Auto. Go to the settings under the Interface menu item and click Save Changes. From now on, the orange outlines around larger models will be switched off.

• In Power Mode, certain scene lighting settings, such as Ground Shadow or Global Lighting, are disabled to improve the real-time Resup/Frame Rate. You can use Alt+P to turn Performance Mode on and off.

• Decrease the resolution of your real-time view. You can set the real-time resolution using the Image tab in the Project window.

• Disable the import of NURBS data when importing your CAD data. Click Import, navigate to your model and open it. In the Import window, go to Geometry and disable Import NURBS Data.

• Use the basic setting for real-time illumination. Starting with KeyShot 6, you will find the setting under the Lighting menu item. This preset allows for simple, direct shadow lighting and is ideal for simple scenes. Use the basic illumination when you want to render simple models illuminated by the environment.

• Reduce your output resolution. You can change your output resolution in the Render Output menu.