Thread: New Build

I am interested in building a cluster for CFD and Heat Transfer work (computationally intensive and iterative). I have been researching Intel and AMD units but haven't really found a source that would indicate which one would be better for this type of work. What type of specifications should I be looking for? I was looking into the i7 processor but didn't know if intel was the right choice for the job at hand. I was hoping i could get some advice on this. I was hoping to make a 4 node cluster and add on as I got more money... or as i need more power. I was also looking at NVIDIA and their GPU's which do amazing GFLOPs in single precision but lack the GFLOPS in double precision. Any help on this topic would be nice! Thanks

At this stage - any CPU would work fine... Most importantly is the code you intend to run and if it has been optimized for any particular CPU.

You should focus on the software stack like compilers, MPI tools, debuggers, profilers to help you learn...

a 4 node cluster is very basic.. maybe you may want to get one of those deskside clusters to have an easy start.

Laurence

Sorry for the delay... School started and I am already swamped with work!! I have been collecting PC's in the mean time!! I have a total of 5-6 PC's I hope to work with initially to get this project rolling!! The CPU's are all intel but their frequencies aren't... I don't think this will be a big problem... they are pretty close. At this point what should I be thinking about? I plan on using mainly 3 programs: OpenFOAM, SALOME-MECA and MATLAB (maybe COMSOL) for my analysis.

I am truly unsure about what goes into the software side of this!
I know I will be using a LINUX os but I don't know if I need to install it only on the head node or do I need to install it on all the nodes. Do each of the nodes need to be running the same OS? What other software is needed?

Thanks for the insite!

MT