New CAD/CFD build

Forum Homebuilt Systems : New System Build - New CAD/CFD build

Tom's Hardware: Over 1.4 million members in 6 different countries available to answer all your high-tech questions. Sign up now! Its free!
Word :    Username :           
 

Hello all, just wanted to see what people thought about this build.
The PC will be built by (but he will pay for it, I'm just not charging for the build time) me to a neighbor because he is helping me out with some CAD work (See my Custom Waterblock thread). This will be replacing a 2P Intel Xeon 7040 build.

 

The build will be used for pro level CAD/CFD, mostly CFD. The CAD models will be imported from a different PC. The CFD software will be: FlowWorks(SolidWorks), CFDesign (Inventor) and Thermal Desktop (Inventor). Because it will be mainly CPU intensive and the actual models won't be created on this PC, there is no real need for a workstation GPU.

 

The budget for this build is $5000-6500, excluding S&H,etc. Everything will be bought from Newegg, unless there is a huge difference in price for the same product elsewhere (but the site HAS to be reputable like Newegg).

 

This is what I'm thinking:

 

RAM: SUPER TALENT 6GB (3 x 2GB) ECC Registered DDR3 1333
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6820609458
$180

 

MOTHERBOARD: SUPERMICRO MBD-X8DTL-i-O Dual LGA 1366 Intel 5500
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6813182189
$330. Any one have better recommendation for a 2P Nehalem board?

 

CPU: 2x Intel Xeon E5504 Nehalem 2.0GHz LGA 1366 80W Quad-Core Server Processor
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6819117187
$229 (each); $455 total

 

HDD(DATA): 4x Western Digital Caviar Green WD10EADS 1TB SATA2
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6822136317
$79 each; $315 total.
These HDDs are going to be in RAID5 for a total of 3GB. The reason For 3TB is the simulations will be saved ~ every 50-100 iterations. Typical simulation will run for ~ 60000 iterations. Each saved iteration point is ~20MB so a full simulation is ~ 25GB. After the sim most of the saved will be compiled in to one result file (~1-2GB).

 

HDD (OS): VelociRaptor 150GB
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6822136296
$180
Only the OS and programs here.

 

PSU: PC Power & Cooling 910
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6817703022
$185
Only because I need atleast 2 8 pin CPU. Any one know where to buy Molex to 8 pin CPU? I can make it myself, but that's a bit of work.

 

Case: Antec 902
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6811129058
$130

 

Graphics: ATI 4670
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6814121274
$70
Mainly because, I doubt the onboard GPU can handle 3D well with out lag.

 


Already have: LCD, DVD RW, OS (Server 2008 or XP x64)
Total: $1868, still below my budget.

  

What I need:
1. A good RAID card with RAID 5.

 

2. A lower priced (and good quality) PSU with a 2x 8 pin CPU connectors.

 

3. Is everything compatible?

 

4. Any recommendations on a good (possibly silent) HSF for a 2P system?

  


Message edited by Shadow703793 on 06-18-2009 at 10:03:55 PM
------------------------------ http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2617/3815217176_0a5be7955d_o.gif
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3553/3818083596_1a772f7162_o.gif
Sponsored Links
Register or log in to remove.

With that budget, I'd be tempted to bump the CPUs up a bit to something more like this: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6819117183

 

Also note that the Nehalem Xeons don't come with heatsinks, so you'll need a pair of those as well.


Message edited by cjl on 06-18-2009 at 10:06:19 PM
------------------------------ Asus P6T deluxe
i7 965 @ 4.2GHz (200*21), 1.384V
12GB Corsair Dominator DDR3-1600 CAS 7
Reply to cjl

^Yeah, I know, any recommendations? The reason I didn't get the E5540 is that the extra 530Mhz wasn't worth the extra money. For what this will be used it would only make it about 10 minutes faster. As the simulations are usually run over night, there is no reason for the extra cost.

I was also thinking, would a 4P (Core 2) make sense than a 2P Nehalem for this kind of work? Either way, this is a huge step up from the 2P he was using earlier.

------------------------------ http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2617/3815217176_0a5be7955d_o.gif
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3553/3818083596_1a772f7162_o.gif
Reply to Shadow703793

It's a significant clockspeed bump (it should give a 20%+ speedup in processor limited tasks). I don't see how that equates to only 10 minutes, unless the overall task is only 50 minutes or so (in which case why run it overnight?). As for a 4p core 2, no, that isn't the way to go. It would use quite a bit more power, and not give significant gains in performance over a 2P nehalem.

------------------------------ Asus P6T deluxe
i7 965 @ 4.2GHz (200*21), 1.384V
12GB Corsair Dominator DDR3-1600 CAS 7
Reply to cjl

Quote :

It's a significant clockspeed bump (it should give a 20%+ speedup in processor limited tasks). I don't see how that equates to only 10 minutes, unless the overall task is only 50 minutes or so (in which case why run it overnight?).


The sim software (mainly Thermal Desktop), for some reason don't benefit from speed increase (not sure about the core # increase) after a certain point (in the designs sims he run). The benefit, for example in a Q6600 @ 3Ghz is almost the same as that of a Q6600 @3.6Ghz. Only a few minutes difference on the results for some reason. I think this has more to do with the Auto optimization of the cells,etc at certain clock speeds. For the Q6600 @ 3.6Ghz, the result (time step=~.00000001s) was smaller, meaning higher detail than the Q6600 @3Ghz (time step = ~ .00001s). After a certain point, the accuracy/precision is insignificant for the real world application that are being simulated.

------------------------------ http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2617/3815217176_0a5be7955d_o.gif
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3553/3818083596_1a772f7162_o.gif
Reply to Shadow703793

A work station should be really quiet IMO

 

how about water cooling system since theres no chance two large air coolers will fit on the same mb , and since its for cfd it does seem appropriate


Message edited by Outlander_04 on 06-19-2009 at 02:41:18 AM
Reply to Outlander_04

^I was thinking about that.

A D5 + 2*GTZ + 2x320 rad should work.

------------------------------ http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2617/3815217176_0a5be7955d_o.gif
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3553/3818083596_1a772f7162_o.gif
Reply to Shadow703793
Tom's Hardware > Forum > Homebuilt Systems > New System Build > New CAD/CFD build
Go to:

There are 1353 identified and unidentified users. To see the list of identified users, Click here.

Please mind

You are about to answer a thread that has been inactive for more than 6 months.
If you still wish to proceed, please ensure that your posting is original and does not duplicate or overlap any prior responses to this thread.

Add a reply Cancel
Sponsored links
  • Ask the community now
  • Publish
Ad
They won a badge
Join us in greeting them