Engineering simulation needs all the computer power it can get – and more. FEA and CFD users have complex problems with millions of elements, and generative design—built on simulation—will run simulations many times for each of the thousand solutions it generates.

Most engineers are still trying to do all this on aging workstations.

What should you look for in a new workstation? We examine processors, CPUs and GPUs, memory and the latest storage technology. But will even the fastest workstation be enough?

Many users find high performance computing (HPC) to be the next logical step after exhausting the capabilities of workstations. HPC provides surprisingly quick solutions, allowing users to do more simulation iterations as well as more complex simulations. This report discusses introductory level HPCs and what you can expect. We also researched getting HPC as a service, which allows users to draw from an almost limitless amount of compute power that is not only affordable by consultants and small firms, but is also as easy to access as signing up for an account.

In this report, we examine the options available for engineering hardware for simulation:

• The state of the art in engineering workstations
• When do you need to jump to HPCs?
• How much faster is HPC over workstations?
• What to look for in HPC hardware
• Affordability of HPC
• Is it better to rent HPC when you need it?

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