ScreaminBubba: My laptop runs 64-bit edition Windows XP, so I guess the 64-bit edition of Max8, if and when it is released, would take advantage of that?
I seriously thought I was using the 64 bit version this entire time... :( It's the 32 bit. I guess I will re-try to render with the 64 bit tomorrow. Thanks!
Besides checking to make sure you're running a 64-bit version of Windows, and a 64-bit version of photoshop, here are my settings that I use and some notes on them.