[Simbelmynë]

Hey,


Let's do some theorycrafting. What is the most cost-efficient compute node for CFD that you can build?



Rules:


1. 8 GB of memory per memory slot.


2. Sufficient hardware to run on its own.


---------------


So here is what I think is a quite cost-efficient compute node


https://pcpartpicker.com/list/GkGkQZ


316 $ for a dual 3200 MHz setup (the 4 Zen cores are probably a bit too slow to fully utilize it, but they are probably close to maxing out the memory). No need for a case, a custom rack mount can be built. And if many nodes are used, then cheap Ebay infiniband can be the solution.


Will 8 of these this be better than a dual EPYC setup, given some good interconnect? It will be much cheaper I think. Going through the hassle of configuring a small cluster is just fun, right?

[wkernkamp]

I just bought a Dell R710 for US $76.00 + US $58.84 shipping:
2x Xeon E5649 2.53ghz 12-Cores / 48gb

I also bought processor upgrade US $47.95 + US $3.95 shipping:
2x Xeon E5675 3.07ghz 12-cores total

Four 600GB 10K SAS 2.5" SAS HARD DRIVE FITS DELL SERVER R610 R620 R630 R710 R720 R730 -- $100.00

ZOTAC GeForce GT 710 1GB -- $43.79

The total is $330.53

The cpubenchmark performance comparison is:
......................................Ryzen 3 ..Xeon ....2xXeon
Single Thread Rating...1834....1393.......2786
CPU Mark .....................7313.....8184.....16368
Cpu Power ....................65W......95W......190W

The X5690 could be used to boost performance but also raises electricity cost and is more expensive to purchase.


The Xeon per Chip Memory bandwith for two xeons is 64GB/s and the Ryzen has 39.74GB/s

Memory Specifications Xeon X5675

• Max Memory Size (dependent on memory type) 288 GB
• Memory Types DDR3 800/1066/1333
• Max # of Memory Channels 3
• Max Memory Bandwidth 32 GB/s
• Physical Address Extensions 40-bit
• ECC Memory Supported ‡ Yes

AMD Ryzen 3

Integrated Memory Controller
Max Type: DDR4-2666
Supports ECC: Yes
Max Mem: 64 GiB
Controllers: 2
Channels: 2
Max Bandwidth: 39.74 GiB/s
Bandwidth:
Single 19.87 GiB/s
Double 39.74 GiB/s

[Simbelmynë]

Nice,


That dual Westmere system should most likely be more cost-efficient. It would be great if you could run the OpenFOAM benchmark.


Did you purchase from Ebay?

[wkernkamp]

https://pcpartpicker.com/list/h7JnD2


AMD Ryzen 7 2700X

[wkernkamp]

Originally Posted by Simbelmynë

Nice,


That dual Westmere system should most likely be more cost-efficient. It would be great if you could run the OpenFOAM benchmark.


Did you purchase from Ebay?

Yes, I got a steal on the R710 Machine on Ebay yes. I will run the OpenFOAM benchmark tomorrow.

[Simbelmynë]

Originally Posted by wkernkamp

https://pcpartpicker.com/list/h7JnD2


AMD Ryzen 7 2700X

That will likely not beat the 2200g in terms of price performance 😎

[wkernkamp]

Just got the R710 and the eight disk raid initialization is taking long -> promised benchmar for openfoam will be tomorrow.

[wkernkamp]

Originally Posted by Simbelmynë

Nice,


That dual Westmere system should most likely be more cost-efficient. It would be great if you could run the OpenFOAM benchmark.


Did you purchase from Ebay?

The system I ran is:
Dell Poweredge R710 2x Xeon E5649 2.53ghz 12-Cores / 48gb
memory runs at 1066 MHz.


(After switching parts it will be:
Dell Poweredge R710 2x Xeon X5675 3.07ghz 12-Cores / 48gb
memory runs at 1333 MHz.)


Performance with 2x E5649 is:
1 1486.54
2 880.04
4 422.03
6 342.61
8 317.83
12 307.18



Not bad!