[SOLVED] Which CPU for implicit FEM (Abaqus)?

[InNeedOfExperience]

Hello,

I want to build a system for FEM simlations with Abaqus/standard. Now I've read several posts, that claim a poor performance of Abaqus/standard (not explicit!) on multicore systems (because Abaqus seems to have trouble with core assignment).

What I've also read, is that for FEM, the memory is often the bottleneck. So I came up with the following conclusion: As many memory lanes as possible, as well as a very high memory clock.

In theory AMD's EPYC Rome CPUs with 8 memory lanes (a 3200 MHz) should be the right choice. It would also feature ECC, which is necessary for large models (so it doesn't abort near the end). But then again, with the known trouble (with Abaqus and Multicore systems) I am not so sure anymore.

What would you reccomend?

 

[drea.drechsler]

Hello,

I want to build a system for FEM simlations with Abaqus/standard. Now I've read several posts, that claim a poor performance of Abaqus/standard (not explicit!) on multicore systems (because Abaqus seems to have trouble with core assignment).

What I've also read, is that for FEM, the memory is often the bottleneck. So I came up with the following conclusion: As many memory lanes as possible, as well as a very high memory clock.

In theory AMD's EPYC Rome CPUs with 8 memory lanes (a 3200 MHz) should be the right choice. It would also feature ECC, which is necessary for large models (so it doesn't abort near the end). But then again, with the known trouble (with Abaqus and Multicore systems) I am not so sure anymore.

What would you reccomend?

Your needs are special do you know if Abaqus uses the Intel Math Kernel Library? or MKL...as does Matlab? if so, it may easily, and artificially, favor Intel CPU's unless you know, and can ferret out, a work-around like they have for Matlab.

But otherwise, and short of going to a Rome solution, I wonder if a Threadripper solution would be better. I believe they do come with motherboards that support ECC and as well up to 8 channels of memory. You'll still have to contend with how Abaqus handles high core-count systems, but there are usually creative ways of doing it among a community of determined users. I'd hook up with them, if possible.

 

[InNeedOfExperience]

Thank you, I will look for those communitys.

But maybe I am lucky enough, that someone here has any practical experience