Gaku: 3D Model
Blender GPU&CPU Benchmark: RTX4060 & E5-2667v3, Cycles vs EEVEE Rendering
Rendering in Blender is where hardware truly gets tested. Whether you’re producing a high-resolution still image or rendering a full animation sequence, choosing the right GPU or CPU setup can mean the difference between hours and minutes.
In this in-depth blog post, we explore the real-world performance of a server running Intel Xeon E5-2667 v3 CPU and NVIDIA RTX 4060 GPU using Blender's EEVEE and Cycles render engines. We also discuss scalability toward higher-end GPUs like the RTX 4090.
Rendering Benchmark Overview
Server Configs:
- CPU: Intel Xeon E5-2667 v3 (8 cores, 16 threads)
- GPU: NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060
- RAM: 64GB ECC DDR4
- OS: Windows 11(Free)
Blender Setup:
- Drivers: Download RTX4060 NVIDIA Studio Driver for Windows 11
- Optimize Settings: OptiX enabled (Edit > Preferences > System > OptiX)
- Cycles Rendering: scene > cycles > GPU compute selected
When Blender is idle with only the UI open:
- CPU Usage: 54%
- Memory Usage: 16%
- GPU Utilization: 0%
This shows that even without starting the render, Blender is still quite CPU intensive.
EEVEE Rendering Benchmark: Real-Time Powerhouse
EEVEE is Blender's real-time rasterization engine, optimized for fast previews and animations. It doesn't rely heavily on ray tracing and instead simulates it using screen-space approximations.
| Blender 3D Model | Gaku | House of Chores | Ember Forest |
|---|---|---|---|
| File Size(MB) | 32.2 | 227 | 70.8 |
| Renderer | EEVEE | EEVEE | EEVEE |
| Render Type | Image Rendering | Animation Rendering | Animation Rendering |
| Render Samples | 128 | 64 | 64 |
| Output Resolution: X, Y, % | 4000px, 2000px, 30% | 1920px, 1080px, 100% | 1920px, 1080px, 100% |
| Frame Rate | - | 24 | 30 |
| Frame Number | 1 | 250 | 350 |
| CPU | 61% | 77% | 68% |
| Memory | 13% | 16% | 13% |
| GPU vRAM | 22% | 52% | 35% |
| GPU(3D) Utilization | 50% | 12-83% | 28-39% |
| Render Duration(min) | 00:12.92 | 09:31.87 | 04:00.00 |
✅ Observations:
- EEVEE delivers extremely fast render times for animations.
- GPU usage varies by scene complexity (28–83%).
- Perfect for architectural fly-throughs, stylized 3D illustrations, and lightweight VFX.
🟨 Limitation:
- Not ideal for photorealism.
- Limited physically accurate lighting compared to Cycles.
Gaku: Rendering
Gaku: Render Completed
House of Chores: 09:31.87
Ember Forest: 04:00
Cycles Rendering Benchmark: Photorealism at a Cost
Cycles is Blender’s ray-tracing renderer. It provides physically accurate lighting and shading but demands heavy computation. When paired with GPU acceleration, especially using OptiX, performance improves significantly.
| Blender 3D Model | Lynxsdesign | The Junk Shop | White Lands |
|---|---|---|---|
| File Size(MB) | 276 | 393 | 61.4 |
| Renderer | Cycles>GPU Compute | Cycles>GPU Compute | Cycles>GPU Compute |
| Render Type | Image Rendering | Image Rendering | Image Rendering |
| Render Samples | 600 | 50 | 128 |
| Output Resolution: X, Y, % | 3840px, 2160px, 50% | 2000px, 1000px, 100% | 4268px, 2109px, 50% |
| Frame Rate | - | - | - |
| Frame Number | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| CPU | 62% | 66% | 62% |
| Memory | 57% | 23% | 13% |
| GPU vRAM | 88% | 14% | 32% |
| GPU(3D) Utilization | 100% | 53-90% | 100% |
| Render Duration(min) | 03:23.90 | 00:25.35 | 08:24.34 |
✅ Observations:
- GPU rendering (OptiX) provides excellent acceleration.
- The RTX 4060 can handle mid-size projects smoothly, but render times increase significantly with higher samples.
- GPU vRAM is a bottleneck in heavier scenes.
Lynxsdesign: 03:23.90
The Junk Shop: 00:25.35
White Lands: 08:24.34
CPU Rendering (E5-2667 v3): A Reality Check
Even though Blender can render on the CPU, it’s rarely ideal—especially with older architectures like the E5 series. During image and animation renders, CPU usage frequently hit 66–77%, but render times lagged significantly compared to GPU-based renders.
For instance:
- EEVEE scenes took 3–4× longer on CPU-only setups.
- Cycles CPU render (not shown here) would likely increase render time from minutes to hours for complex scenes.
When Is CPU Rendering Useful?
- When GPU memory is exceeded (e.g., for massive architectural renders).
- For headless, multi-core render farms.
- For diagnostic or fallback purposes.
Get Started with GPU Server for Rendering
Interested in optimizing your Blender rendering? Check out our cheap GPU server hosting services or explore alternative GPUs.
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Final Thoughts of Blender GPU&CPU Benchmark
- Blender rendering is GPU-first in 2025, with CPU rendering becoming niche.
- The RTX 4060 performs well in real-world scenes, but RTX 4090 is the clear performance leader.
- EEVEE is ideal for real-time, while Cycles rules photorealism.
- The sample count and output resolution have major effects on rendering time, sometimes more than file size.
- GPU benchmarks are not just helpful for buyers, but essential for artists and studios optimizing pipeline efficiency.
Final Thoughts:
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