Utilize a Raspberry Pi as an affordable rendering farm.
Utilize a Raspberry Pi as an affordable rendering farm.
The issue here revolves around data transfer between machines. For a cluster to handle a full render, shared memory is essential. If the network speed isn't fast enough, it can't keep up with the GPUs. It's usually wiser to invest in one older workstation or server with multiple PCI slots and ample RAM instead.
You can purchase motherboards featuring PCI-E ports, processors, RAM, and even CPUs for a low price, around $30 to $40. For instance... six units available at $20 each: https://www.ebay.com/itm/235551302487 ASUS P5QPL-AM LGA775 Intel E5300 2.60GHz Motherboard 4GB RAM and CPU cooler... Adding an SSD or hard drive lets multiple systems share an ATX power supply, forming a cluster.