The discussion centers on building a computer setup for computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulations within a budget of $1,000 to $2,000. Participants recommend purchasing refurbished machines, such as those with Intel i5-4570 CPUs at 3.2GHz, and upgrading RAM to approximately 16GB per core, ideally reaching 64GB for optimal performance. The use of SSDs for operating systems and traditional HDDs for data storage is advised due to SSD lifespan concerns. OpenFOAM is highlighted as a preferred CFD platform, particularly on Ubuntu.
PREREQUISITESThis discussion is beneficial for computational fluid dynamics engineers, computer hardware enthusiasts, and anyone looking to optimize their CFD simulation setups within a specified budget.
Thanks for the response. Is there a reason to get 2 cpus if I'm only running Linux? Also, is there a reason to purchase the gpu?Dr Transport said:you can get a refurbished machine for less than $500, add as much memory as you can and add a gpu and get into the $1-2K range. you should be able to run cfd calculations on a machine that size.
I bought two intel i5-4570 @ 3.2GHz with 8 GG of ram for ~$300 each. One I use as a Linux box, the other as a Windows box.
The answer depends on your level of sophistication. Do you want a familiar OS? Do you want to use publicly available libraries? High level languages?joshmccraney said:Is it better to buy used CPUs, etc?
A familiar OS? The CFD platform I use (OpenFOAM) is native with Ubuntu, so I think I should stick to that. Public libraries: I use open-source software that run on C++, but I don't do much programming. Just edit some of the directories mildly and then let the program do it's thing. I run simulations in parallel, currently 4 cores.anorlunda said:Do you want a familiar OS? Do you want to use publicly available libraries? High level languages?
Hahahaha not at all, no machine learning or a soldering gun (only done this in a lab, and wouldn't trust myself on an expensive machine).anorlunda said:Or are you handy with a soldering gun and bit level machine programming?
No, I mentioned that because I have two separate machines. I'd get one, add memory then possibly add a gpu. I have interacted with cfd groups for years, one stopped using the HPC's they had access to to convert ttheir codes to high end workstations with gobs of memory and multiple gpu's. If your wondering why, my former employer, although they wanted us to use the hpc for large runs, they also severely limited our access, i.e., we had to request time on a machine a year in advance and they told us what block of time we had to use it and if you missed your run-times, oh well, put in a request for next year and wait and see.joshmccraney said:Thanks for the response. Is there a reason to get 2 cpus if I'm only running Linux? Also, is there a reason to purchase the gpu?
Thanks for the response! So your recommendation is to not build one from scratch, but purchase a refurb, upgrade RAM, SSD? I was told approximately 16 GB ram/ core. Does that sound right to you?Dr Transport said:No, I mentioned that because I have two separate machines. I'd get one, add memory then possibly add a gpu. I have interacted with cfd groups for years, one stopped using the HPC's they had access to to convert ttheir codes to high end workstations with gobs of memory and multiple gpu's. If your wondering why, my former employer, although they wanted us to use the hpc for large runs, they also severely limited our access, i.e., we had to request time on a machine a year in advance and they told us what block of time we had to use it and if you missed your run-times, oh well, put in a request for next year and wait and see.
joshmccraney said:Thanks for the response! So your recommendation is to not build one from scratch, but purchase a refurb, upgrade RAM, SSD? I was told approximately 16 GB ram/ core. Does that sound right to you?
Yea, I'm not a CFD guy, but some people at my school are, and they go through the same issue of requesting time on the clusters. Seems like a real pain.