Do you know why 64 cores really matters?

In a recent test, Supermicro workstations and servers powered by 3rd gen AMD Ryzen Threadripper PRO processors ran engineering simulations nearly as fast as a dual-processor system, but needed only two-thirds as much power.

  • April 19, 2023 | Author: Peter Krass
Learn More about this topic

Article Key

More cores per CPU sounds good, but what does it actually mean for your customers?

In the case of certain Supermicro workstations and servers powered by 3rd gen AMD Ryzen Threadripper PRO processors, it means running engineering simulations with dual-processor performance from a single-socket system. And with further cost savings due to two-thirds lower power consumption.

That’s according to tests recently conducted by MVConcept, a consulting firm that provides hardware and software optimizations. The firm tested two Supermicro systems, the AS-5014A-TT SuperWorkstation and AS-2114GT-DPNR server.

A solution brief based on MVConcept’s testing is now available from Supermicro.

Test setup

For these tests, the Supermicro server and workstation were both tested in two AMD configurations:

  • One with the AMD Ryzen Threadripper PRO 5995WX processor
  • The other with an older, 2nd gen AMD Ryzen Threadripper PRO 3995WX processor

In the tests, both AMD processors were used to run 32-core as well as 64-core operations.

The Supermicro systems were tested running Ansys Fluent, fluid simulation software from Ansys Inc. Fluent models fluid flow, heat, mass transfer and chemical reactions. Benchmarks for the testing included aircraft wing, oil rig and pump.

The results

Among the results: The Supermicro systems delivered nearly dual-CPU performance with a single processor, while also consuming less electricity.

What’s more, the 3rd generation AMD 5995WX CPU delivered significantly better performance than the 2nd generation AMD 3995WX.

Systems with larger cache saw performance improved the most. So a system with L3 cache of 256MB outperformed one with just 128MB.

BIOS settings proved to be especially important for realizing the optimal performance from the AMD Ryzen Threadripper PRO when running the tested applications. Specifically, Supermicro recommends using NPS=4 and SMT=OFF when running Ansys Fluent with AMD Ryzen Threadripper PRO. (NPS = non-uniform memory access (NUMA) per socket; and SMT = symmetric multithreading.)

Another cool factor involves taking advantage of the Supermicro AS-2114GT-DPNR server’s two hot-pluggable nodes. First, one node can be used to pre-process the data. Then the other node can be used to run Ansys Fluid.

Put it all together, and you get a powerful takeaway for your customers: These AMD-powered Supermicro systems offer data-center power on both the desktop and server rack, making them ideal for SMBs and enterprises alike.

Do more:

 

Related Content