[JTB]

First image... each box is a mesh, they all have the same emitter material
Second image... All boxes are one mesh, the emitter material is the same.

The difference is obvious, Maxwell divides the power of the lighting to nnn faces for each mesh... So, the first image we have 150w X 16 cubes and the second image shows only 150w...

What I didn't expect is the fact that the darker image is so much cleaner than the other... Is there a particular reason for this, since the number of the emitting faces is the same? I guess I miss something here. Both images are 5 min renderings.

[Bubbaloo]

Interesting test. Now let me ask you this: Do the cubes have faces on the bottom and are they co-planer with the floor surface?

[JTB]

Interesting test. Now let me ask you this: Do the cubes have faces on the bottom and are they co-planer with the floor surface?

Yes, and Yes...

[Tora_2097]

Actually I do not think that the darker image has less noise.
If you boost the darker ones levels in PS you'll see that the noise was only blending better with the rest of the image because of the weak light intensity.

BB

[Tok_Tok]

Actually I do not think that the darker image has less noise.
If you boost the darker ones levels in PS you'll see that the noise was only blending better with the rest of the image because of the weak light intensity.

BB

Isn't it usually that the more light there is in the scene, the less noise you see. So the darker(less light), the more noise. At least that's my experience.
Just as in real life.

[kami]

you could easily multiply the wattage on the second image by 16 to see if it got the same amount of noise?