Beta 5 is out now:

https://github.com/POV-Ray/povray/releases/tag/v3.7.1-beta.5

We have simplified the Windows build process for non-XP-compatible
custom builds (the official binaries are generated using a more
complicated XP-compatible build process though), and eliminated a few bugs.

Most importantly however, we have again improved performance (Kudos to
Bill Pokorny) over the previous beta, this time on all platforms.
Compared to 3.7.0, on Unix systems we expect to be roughly back at the
same performance, while on modern Windows systems we expect a noticeable
gain.


Happy Testing!

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On 2017-03-25 15:30:02 +0000, clipka said:

Macintosh version at:
http://megapov.inetart.net/povrayunofficial_mac/alphapov.html

Yvo

> Beta 5 is out now:
> 
> https://github.com/POV-Ray/povray/releases/tag/v3.7.1-beta.5
> 
> We have simplified the Windows build process for non-XP-compatible
> custom builds (the official binaries are generated using a more
> complicated XP-compatible build process though), and eliminated a few bugs.
> 
> Most importantly however, we have again improved performance (Kudos to
> Bill Pokorny) over the previous beta, this time on all platforms.
> Compared to 3.7.0, on Unix systems we expect to be roughly back at the
> same performance, while on modern Windows systems we expect a noticeable
> gain.
> 
> 
> Happy Testing!


-- 
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


POV-Ray 3.7 unofficial: http://megapov.inetart.net/povrayunofficial_mac/
UberPOV Mac: http://megapov.inetart.net/uberpov_mac/index.html#Mac
MegaPOV: http://megapov.inetart.net
E-mail: yvo(DOT)s(AT)gmx.net

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On 3/25/2017 11:30 AM, clipka wrote:
while on modern Windows systems we expect a noticeable
> gain.


Compared to when? And by how much?


Mike

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Am 25.03.2017 um 19:14 schrieb Mike Horvath:
> On 3/25/2017 11:30 AM, clipka wrote:
> while on modern Windows systems we expect a noticeable
>> gain.
> 
> 
> Compared to when? And by how much?

To quote my full sentence:

"Compared to 3.7.0, on Unix systems we expect to be roughly back at the
same performance, while on modern Windows systems we expect a noticeable
gain."

So that's compared to 3.7.0.

The performance gain varies somewhat with CPU model and, to an even
greater extent, with the scene to be rendered, but I'm seeing just shy
of +30% more pixels per second on my Intel i7-5820K machine for the
benchmark scene.

On AMD CPUs(*), expect a significantly lower gain (my guess would be
about +10% instead). This is because 3.7.0 already contained
optimizations specifically for AVX/FMA4-capable CPUs (benefiting AMD
CPUs only), which 3.7.1-beta.3 complemented with optimizations
specifically for AVX2/FMA3-capable CPUs (benefiting Intel CPUs).

(*AMDs new Ryzen is an exception to this rule, as AMD seems to have
dropped FMA4 support on that CPU in favour of FMA3.)


The newest speed increase of 3.7.1-beta.5 over 3.7.1-beta.4 is from
amending code I had introduced earlier in 3.7.1 development as part of
the refactoring work, which turned out to be a bit of a performance hog;
so these changes don't give a performance improvement over 3.7.0, but
rather counteract performance losses, so that the performance
improvements already introduced in 3.7.1-beta.3 can now live up to their
full potential.

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Am 25.03.2017 um 18:54 schrieb E-mailyvo s gmx.net:
> On 2017-03-25 15:30:02 +0000, clipka said:
> 
> Macintosh version at:
> http://megapov.inetart.net/povrayunofficial_mac/alphapov.html

You know, that one beta you did /not/ immediately port to the Mac really
had me worried what might have happened to you ;)

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Am 25.03.2017 um 19:14 schrieb Mike Horvath:
> On 3/25/2017 11:30 AM, clipka wrote:
> while on modern Windows systems we expect a noticeable
>> gain.
> 
> 
> Compared to when? And by how much?

Hm, guess I misread that.

"Compared to when?" is the wrong question, since "modern" can't just be
defined in terms of some parameter as simple as the date of purchase.

The most important factor is the extended instruction sets your CPU
supports, but also how well those instruction sets are implemented:

Modern:

- AMD Ryzen machines (expect a lot of gain).
- Intel AVX2/FMA3-capable machines (expect a lot of gain).
- AMD AVX/FMA4-capable machines (expect a bit of gain).
- Other Intel AVX-capable machines (expect moderate gain).

Not modern:

- Other AMD AVX-capable machines (expect some loss*).
- Non-AVX-capable machines (all bets are off).

All of the above information pertains to Windows machines, comparing
3.7.1-beta.5 to 3.7.0 official release.

As for "by how much?" see my other post for ballpark figures.


(*) We haven't been able to perform tests of our own to confirm this
behaviour, so need to rely on 3rd party feedback. Judging from that, it
looks as if old AMD machines supporting AVX but not FMA4 exhibit poor
AVX performance, and actually suffer from enabling AVX-specific
optimizations; we'll have to see how we can address that problem. Maybe
we'll have to restrict the AVX-specific optimizations to genuine Intel
CPUs, and/or provide a setting to override the automatic choice of
optimized code.

Another performance-related ToDo item is making the alternative
codepaths available on Linux machines as well.

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On 3/25/2017 6:07 PM, clipka wrote:
> - AMD AVX/FMA4-capable machines (expect a bit of gain).

Yay, that's me!


Thanks!

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On 2017-03-25 21:35:07 +0000, clipka said:

> Am 25.03.2017 um 18:54 schrieb E-mailyvo s gmx.net:
>> On 2017-03-25 15:30:02 +0000, clipka said:
>> 
>> Macintosh version at:
>> http://megapov.inetart.net/povrayunofficial_mac/alphapov.html
> 
> You know, that one beta you did /not/ immediately port to the Mac really
> had me worried what might have happened to you ;)

Even though I trust you blindly, I must keep in mind that you are a 
member of the Windows side!
Therefore, every now and then I do a thorough check to make sure that 
you did not secretly wrote malicious code to damage those beautiful 
Apple computers. :-) :-)

--
Yvo

-- 
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


POV-Ray 3.7 unofficial: http://megapov.inetart.net/povrayunofficial_mac/
UberPOV Mac: http://megapov.inetart.net/uberpov_mac/index.html#Mac
MegaPOV: http://megapov.inetart.net
E-mail: yvo(DOT)s(AT)gmx.net

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I was unable to install the beta on Windows 7. I've attached a 
screenshot of an error.

I _was_ able to install it on Windows Server 2012 R2 successfully.


Mike

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On 3/27/2017 7:09 PM, Mike Horvath wrote:
> I was unable to install the beta on Windows 7. I've attached a
> screenshot of an error.
>
> I _was_ able to install it on Windows Server 2012 R2 successfully.
>
>
> Mike

I was unable to fully uninstall 3.7.0 as well.


Mike

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