[rupak504]

Hello,

I am working as an academic research fellow and planning to purchase a workstation for my computational needs. Below I have described the requirements in detail.

Budget: 3000$
Solver: Fluent/InterFoam
Mesh : 3D, 1 crore
Assembly: preassembled
Physics: Multiphase flow
License constraints: No
Used parts: No

Any suggestions will be highly appreciated

[flotus1]

Don't know which retailers you have available and what they have in stock, but I would recommend something along those lines:

CPU: AMD Epyc 7313P (16 cores) or 7443P (24 cores), depending on how much budget is left at the end
RAM: 8x8GB DDR4-3200 reg ECC
GPU: something cheap with at least 4GB of VRAM. E.g. GTX 1050TI or RX 570
OS drive: Some basic SSD with at least 500GB
Storage: ??? you know best hat you need. If in doubt, throw in a hard drive with at least 4TB for good measure

Here is a retailer I would use i such a situation: https://www.deltacomputer.com/d10z-uln-zr.html
I don't think they ship worldwide, so you will have to find something similar in your region.

[rupak504]

Originally Posted by flotus1

Don't know which retailers you have available and what they have in stock, but I would recommend something along those lines:

CPU: AMD Epyc 7313P (16 cores) or 7443P (24 cores), depending on how much budget is left at the end
RAM: 8x8GB DDR4-3200 reg ECC
GPU: something cheap with at least 4GB of VRAM. E.g. GTX 1050TI or RX 570
OS drive: Some basic SSD with at least 500GB
Storage: ??? you know best hat you need. If in doubt, throw in a hard drive with at least 4TB for good measure

Here is a retailer I would use i such a situation: https://www.deltacomputer.com/d10z-uln-zr.html
I don't think they ship worldwide, so you will have to find something similar in your region.

I tried to find EPYC based workstation in my region, but after few days it turned out, its not available. So i looked more on internet and came across Lenovo 620 version workstation which runs on AMD WX pro processors and it supports ECC. Some youtubers have also called it "WEPYC" processor i.e. EPYC for workstations.


CPU: Processors.PNG
Memory: memory.PNG
GPU: GPU.PNG
SSD: SSD.PNG
HDD: HDD.PNG

These are the available options. what do you think would be the best combination for my requirements?

[flotus1]

I am not a big fan of AMDs Threadripper Pro series. Without going on a lengthy tangent about all of the problems I see with it, these are the issues from a technical and financial standpoint:
1) Only 32-core variants and up benefit from the 8-channel memory interface. Lower core count SKUs only have two dies enabled, leaving them with a memory interface equivalent to quad-channel. I know, I know, they are still advertised as 8-channel, which is technically correct. But the bandwidth between the compute dies and the I/O die becomes the limiting factor. So unless you want to shell out the money for the 32-core 3975WX, a regular Threadripper CPU would be the better choice. Or a similar CPU from Intel.
2) They have become obsolete the second Epyc Milan CPUs were launched. That might not be relevant to you, because you can't find a retailer for a workstation with Epyc Milan CPUs. But it is still worth noting.
3) At the price of a Lenovo P620 with a 3975WX (around 6000€ and up according to Lenovos website), there would be way better options for your use-case.

Staying around the 3000$ mark for now, before dropping down to a regular Threadripper CPU, the better option would likely be an Intel CPU. Xeon Gold 6208U, 6210U or 6226R to name a few.
You will probably have an easier time finding workstations with those CPUs.

[rupak504]

Originally Posted by flotus1

I am not a big fan of AMDs Threadripper Pro series. Without going on a lengthy tangent about all of the problems I see with it, these are the issues from a technical and financial standpoint:
1) Only 32-core variants and up benefit from the 8-channel memory interface. Lower core count SKUs only have two dies enabled, leaving them with a memory interface equivalent to quad-channel. I know, I know, they are still advertised as 8-channel, which is technically correct. But the bandwidth between the compute dies and the I/O die becomes the limiting factor. So unless you want to shell out the money for the 32-core 3975WX, a regular Threadripper CPU would be the better choice. Or a similar CPU from Intel.
2) They have become obsolete the second Epyc Milan CPUs were launched. That might not be relevant to you, because you can't find a retailer for a workstation with Epyc Milan CPUs. But it is still worth noting.
3) At the price of a Lenovo P620 with a 3975WX (around 6000€ and up according to Lenovos website), there would be way better options for your use-case.

Staying around the 3000$ mark for now, before dropping down to a regular Threadripper CPU, the better option would likely be an Intel CPU. Xeon Gold 6208U, 6210U or 6226R to name a few.
You will probably have an easier time finding workstations with those CPUs.

After looking for many days, finally I was able to find a seller who can provide an EPYC based tower. Below I have added the configuration.

CPU: AMD EPYC 7302 3.0 GHz (16 cores)
Motherboard: MBD-H11SSL-i
RAM: 8GB DDR4-3200 reg ECC
GPU: 1050ti 4GB
SSD: Intel 512GB Nvme Enterprise
Body: Fractal Design Define 7 Black Solid
Power: 750 watts
Cooler

Presently I am thinking of going with single processor due to budget constraint, later on I will add one more. What do you think about this configuration?

[flotus1]

Supermicros H11SSL-i is a single-socket motherboard. You can't just add a second CPU later.
If you want to go with a single-socket setup, Epyc CPUs with a "P" suffix are usually the better choice. They cost a little bit less than their "non-P" counterparts, but can not be used in dual-socket configurations.
8GB of RAM are an absolute no-go for this kind of setup. To begin with, it's just not enough memory for your requirements. Equally important: using an Epyc Rome CPU in single-channel mode will severely affect performance. For CFD workloads, the performance hit is particularly drastic. Don't settle for less than 8x8GB, otherwise the setup is just a waste of money, and will be outperformed by much cheaper PCs with a sensible memory configuration.

[rupak504]

Originally Posted by flotus1

Supermicros H11SSL-i is a single-socket motherboard. You can't just add a second CPU later.
If you want to go with a single-socket setup, Epyc CPUs with a "P" suffix are usually the better choice. They cost a little bit less than their "non-P" counterparts, but can not be used in dual-socket configurations.
8GB of RAM are an absolute no-go for this kind of setup. To begin with, it's just not enough memory for your requirements. Equally important: using an Epyc Rome CPU in single-channel mode will severely affect performance. For CFD workloads, the performance hit is particularly drastic. Don't settle for less than 8x8GB, otherwise the setup is just a waste of money, and will be outperformed by much cheaper PCs with a sensible memory configuration.

This is the final configuration:

CPU: AMD EPYC 7302 3.0 GHz (16 cores) - 01

Motherboard: MBD-H11DSI - 01

RAM: 8GB DDR4-3200 reg ECC - 08

GPU: 1050ti 4GB - 01

SSD: Intel 512GB NVME Enterprise - 01

Case: Fractal Design Define 7 Black Solid - 01

Power: 750 watts, Cooler Master -01

Cooler : Supermicro -01

I have some questions regarding few products. Starting with GPU, should I get the above mentioned or PNY Quadro P400. Secondly, the power supply of 750 W is sufficient for dual CPU, since I have planned to add one more CPU in future, and lastly, the cooler, any recommendation other than the above mentioned for this CPU. What is your opinion about this configuration, considering Milan is already launched? Is this configuration future proof (At least 10 years)?

[flotus1]

Starting with GPU, should I get the above mentioned or PNY Quadro P400.

As far as I am concerned, a 1050TI is the better GPU.

Secondly, the power supply of 750 W is sufficient for dual CPU, since I have planned to add one more CPU in future

750W is perfectly fine for your plans. Cooler master has quite a few 750W PSUs. Make sure to pick one that has a second 8-pin EPS connector.

and lastly, the cooler, any recommendation other than the above mentioned for this CPU.

Supermicro probably has more than one CPU cooler for this socket. Their 4U variant would still be too loud for my taste, but I guess that depends on personal preference. I used Noctua NH-U14s TR4/SP3 for my initial setup.

What is your opinion about this configuration, considering Milan is already launched? Is this configuration future proof (At least 10 years)?

Future proofing is a difficult subject. The setup is fine given the boundary conditions of budget and availability.
If we define future proofing as having an upgrade path: Supermicros H11DSi motherboards might not ever get support for Epyc Milan. By the way, make sure to get board revision 2.0 for Rome support. Revision 1.x only supports Epyc Naples. And the SP3 socket is at the end of its life cycle. The next generation after Milan will use a different socket, and DDR5.
So let's rather not do that. You will get a decent workstation, with the option to double CPU performance by dropping in a second CPU and more RAM. Compared to most upgrade paths these days, that's insanely good.