Ubuntu 12.10 64bit: To compile or not?

CrazyFatDude · January 13, 2013, 20:45

Hi everyone,
I have put together a new computer with intel core i7 3930K, 32GB Ram, 1TB hdd, nvidia GTX 570. I'll install Ubuntu 12.10 and I would like to install OpenFoam for everything CFD, my questions are:

1. Are there any gains in compiling OpenFoam from source vs. installing from the binary file?
2. If compiling from source is the way to go, which compiler should I go for, will ICC be the obvious choice? Or does the latest version of GCC have the edge?
3. Do I need code vectorization, or use of pragmas to achieve better performance? I'm no expert on these terms but I have seen them mentioned in threads discussing GCC vs ICC.

Thanks.

wyldckat · January 14, 2013, 04:10

Greetings CrazyFatDude,

In quick reply:

Yes. One reported here on the forum indicated an increase of performance of 50%, at least a couple of years ago.
You'll have to try it for yourself. It may depend from case to case. Some reports say that ICC is best and others say that GCC 4.5 and above can be around 5% faster.
Some hints on this can be found here: http://www.cfd-online.com/Forums/blo...-amd-cpus.html - don't mind the crazy ranting post, but there is good information there, mainly in the comments.
Yes, AFAIK, it's good to use everything your CPU has to offer.
Not asked, but even if your CPU has Hyper-Threading, it's useless to use the threads with OpenFOAM: http://code.google.com/p/bluecfd-sin...SE_12.1_x86_64

Best regards,
Bruno

CrazyFatDude · January 14, 2013, 04:18

Thanks a lot Bruno, sorry if I posted in the wrong forum. I'll keep coming to this thread and report my findings & further questions.

Thanks again.

January 13, 2013, 20:45	Ubuntu 12.10 64bit: To compile or not?	#1
CrazyFatDude New Member The solar system Join Date: Dec 2012 Posts: 7 Rep Power: 13	Hi everyone, I have put together a new computer with intel core i7 3930K, 32GB Ram, 1TB hdd, nvidia GTX 570. I'll install Ubuntu 12.10 and I would like to install OpenFoam for everything CFD, my questions are: 1. Are there any gains in compiling OpenFoam from source vs. installing from the binary file? 2. If compiling from source is the way to go, which compiler should I go for, will ICC be the obvious choice? Or does the latest version of GCC have the edge? 3. Do I need code vectorization, or use of pragmas to achieve better performance? I'm no expert on these terms but I have seen them mentioned in threads discussing GCC vs ICC. Thanks.

January 14, 2013, 04:10		#2
wyldckat Retired Super Moderator Bruno Santos Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Lisbon, Portugal Posts: 10,975 Blog Entries: 45 Rep Power: 128	Greetings CrazyFatDude, In quick reply: Yes. One reported here on the forum indicated an increase of performance of 50%, at least a couple of years ago. You'll have to try it for yourself. It may depend from case to case. Some reports say that ICC is best and others say that GCC 4.5 and above can be around 5% faster. Some hints on this can be found here: http://www.cfd-online.com/Forums/blo...-amd-cpus.html - don't mind the crazy ranting post, but there is good information there, mainly in the comments. Yes, AFAIK, it's good to use everything your CPU has to offer. Not asked, but even if your CPU has Hyper-Threading, it's useless to use the threads with OpenFOAM: http://code.google.com/p/bluecfd-sin...SE_12.1_x86_64 Best regards, Bruno __________________ OpenFOAM: FAQ \| Getting started Forum: How to get help, to post code/output and forum guide Read this before sending me PM

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January 14, 2013, 04:18		#3
CrazyFatDude New Member The solar system Join Date: Dec 2012 Posts: 7 Rep Power: 13	Thanks a lot Bruno, sorry if I posted in the wrong forum. I'll keep coming to this thread and report my findings & further questions. Thanks again.