I am planning to purchase a workstation for my work, which involves running simulations with Grasshopper and another CFD software, as well as performing parametric optimization. I would greatly appreciate your guidance on the key specifications I should consider before making my purchase.
Specifically, I would like to know:
What are the recommended processor and core specifications for handling complex simulations and parametric optimization efficiently?
How much RAM would be sufficient for running urban simulations and keeping multiple software applications open simultaneously?
What graphics card specifications should I prioritize for smooth visualization and real-time rendering within Grasshopper and the CFD software?
Are there any specific storage requirements I should consider for handling the large datasets associated with simulations and optimization?
Lastly, are there any other important considerations or hardware features that I should be aware of for optimal performance?
Thank you for your response!
I want to buy a workstation, and my research primarily involves performing bioclimatic simulations and geometric shape optimizations in a reduced amount of time.
What specifications do you recommend for me with the NVIDIA graphics card?
Hi @Survivor
Beware that many (most?) operations in Grasshopper and Rhino are single threaded (and always will be due to the linear nature of their calculations), so when selecting your CPU it’s sometimes better to go for higher (single) CPU clock speed rather than number of cores. Check the specific components you use in GH (and maybe also your CFD software) to see if there’s multi-threading support.
Also, from my experience, it’s mostly a question of budget. Get the fastest, newest, best equipment you can afford! In your case it sounds as if you might want to make sure that you have enough RAM and a fast SSD for big data sets. I currently have 96GB RAM and I’ve NEVER ran out, even with large, fully furnished architecture models, but YMMV - I don’t know much about CFD and parametric optimizations. Hopefully some of the Grasshopper people will chime in.
HTH, Jakob
HI @Normand
Thank you for your response. Indeed, my budget is very limited, and I would like to know the minimum specifications for a workstation that would allow me to perform the simulation and optimization in a reduced time. This is in favor of my research because I want to find the best possible way for architects to generate urban geometries while saving time and money, without requiring expensive hardware.
Additionally, the optimization results will be saved on the cloud, so two software programs will work together in real-time while being connected. That’s why I am cautious and would like to hear your opinions before making the purchase
