Can you explain your shot a little bit to us in regards to what you are meaning when you say "going through"?

Thanks!

..and btw, don't be affraid, or reluctant to use the hardware renderer.
It works better than most folks think, and because of its' hardware-dependant nature, it can be EXTREMELY fast at rendering.

Once, I had a 6000 particle 20 sec shot that Maya just banged right out in less than 10 minutes or so, WITH 3-pass rendering turned on.