AMD vs Intel for FEA: Build a Computer

[KyleGranger]

TL;DR Summary

I'm building a computer that I'll be using for FEA

I'm building a computer that I'll be using primarily for FEA. No games. I'm leaning towards the Ryzen 9 5950x. I have a budget up to $1000-ish +200 maybe for the CPU. That will hurt seeing how I'm considering a $750 CPU (5950x), but I'd be willing to if need be and the gain is significant. Unless someone has other suggestions? The threadripper in that range that I've found is the 2970WX. Any suggestions are greatly appreciated.

 

[jedishrfu]

Can your graphics card add more power to your design ie can FEA be run on a graphics card?

 

[phinds]

Intel and AMD are very similar general purpose CPUs so it shouldn't make any difference. What's likely to be more important is processor speed.

As @jedishrfu suggested, a GPU will give you more power if it can be made to fit your algorithms.

 

[KyleGranger]

Can your graphics card add more power to your design ie can FEA be run on a graphics card?

The software shows comparisons of how the GPU can speed up simulation so yes. I think I'll save up for a better graphics card to get more bang for my buck.

 

[f95toli]

Just be aware that many "professional" software packages won't be able to take advantage of consumer GPUs. They are often designed so that you need something like an NVIdia Quadro for it to work, Note that it is not necessarily about the HW (consumer GPUs are often very fast), but about the drivers.

Note also, that some packages (e,g, COMSOL) will be able to use the GPU when editing etc (which is nice, especilly when working with 3D graphics); but they won;t necessarily be able to use the GPU to actually speed up the calculation,. Hence, you need to read the fine print to understand what "acceleration" actually means for the package you are using.