[sfluck]

Hi there

I would love to hear your thoughts about a setup I have in mind. I intend to run basic openFoam 3D cases with max. 3mio cells, use it for pre- and post processing, CAD design (Fusion 360, with the included Simulation tools), but also for more normal stuff like photo and video editing, pre-processing/slicing big models for 3d printing and some gaming. I have a budget of max 2300$ and unfortunately I can't buy a dedicated CFD machine, I need one for everything, so I have to compromise.


Setup 1:
i7-8700k 8th Gen
2x 8GB DDR4-2666MHz RAM DIM288
ASUS Prime Z370-P Mainboard
ASUS Strix GTX 1060 06G gaming 6GB GPU
250GB Samsung 960 Evo SSD, 2TB HDD


Or 2:
AMD Ryzen 7 1700X
2x 8GB DDR4-2400MHz DIM288 RAM
ASUS Prime X370-Pro Mainboard
ASUS STRIX GTX 1070 O8G GAMING 8GB GPU
500GB Samsung 960 Evo SSD, 2TB HDD


For both I would probably mount more RAM and a large SSD with Linux on it for dualboot option.

Which one would you choose, or what would you change?

Thanks
Stefan

[flotus1]

With 2300$ I would opt for option 3: a platform with quad-channel memory and 8 cores

Fractal Design Define S: 70$
BeQuiet Dark power Pro P11 550W: 130$
ASRock X299 Extreme 4: 200$
Core I7-7820X: 500$
4x8GB DDR4-3200: 350$
Samsung 960 Evo 250GB: 110$
WD red 4TB: 110$
Alphacool Eisbaer 360: 130$
GTX 1060 6GB: 350$

This should be around 2000$, so you can still upgrade the graphics card if you are more into gaming.
From the two options you posted, I would definitely choose number 1, but with faster memory. Unless you can delay the purchase a few more months until the Ryzen refresh becomes available.

Correction: I personally would build a dual-socket 2011 workstation with 2300$, but I understand that not everybody is comfortable with partially used hardware. Dual E5-2680 V2 workstation advice

[sfluck]

Hi!

Thank you for your thoughts! That's really helpful.

When I look at these suggested components I am looking at 2500$ buying everything in Switzerland (already compromising to 2TB of HDD instead of 4TB), where unfortunately everything is a bit more expensive… Buying from abroad is in general no good idea for us due to crazy fees etc. But, the Option 1 PC with new 4x 8GB DDR4-3200 RAM comes in at exactly the same price.

What would be the areas to save money easily without compromising performance too much? Will a setup like your proposed one be noticeably quicker running CFD than the off the shelf option 1 (with faster RAM) and would it be worth the trouble to self-assemble everything? I assembled a PC about 12 years ago in a summer course in school, so I don't have much experience.

Thank you!
Stefan

[flotus1]

Grüezi You are right, hardware is even more expensive in Switzerland.
Unfortunately, I don't see much room to drop the price of my configuration even further. A SATA SSD could save ~20€$, but that's about it.
There is a performance comparison specifically for OpenFOAM: OpenFOAM benchmarks on various hardware
Both I7-8700k and I7-7940x can be found there, the latter will perform equal to an I7-7820X. The benefit of having 4 memory channels shows here.
You could drop to an I7-7800x, it would still be faster than an I7-8700k for parallel CFD. But of course slower for lightly-threaded workloads, just like the I7-7820x. Decisions...

If you choose one of the smaller mainstream platforms, get 2x16GB of RAM. This causes less issues than fully populating all DIMM slots especially with overclocked memory. And you still have an upgrade path to more RAM.

and would it be worth the trouble to self-assemble everything?

It depends. There are retailers in Germany that offer assembly and testing of components you buy from them for ~100€. Definitely worth it if you are not quite confident that you can do it yourself. I don't know if you have the same in your country.
Going to a small local retailer nearby might not even be the worst idea in such cases...

[sfluck]

Guten Tag Alex

Sorry for the delay, I couldn't answer sooner.
Thanks again for your information. I think I will wait a bit to (1) let my budget grow a bit more and (2) to await what the Ryzen refresh will bring. Regarding assembly, I have asked a friend who is quite knowledgeable when it comes to assembling computer, so I can count on him when it comes to it, so I can invest the price for an assembly service in hardware.

So I'll probably pick up from here again at a later time. But thank you for your insight!

Stefan