3D Modeling & Design

3D modeling and design tasks are lightly threaded, meaning that they typically make use of just a few cores. A processor with a higher frequency can have a significant impact on performance and productivity if this is the primary task in your workflow. Another consideration is the amount of memory your workstation can address when dealing with large datasets. If you wish to accommodate secondary multi-threaded tasks in your workflow, like rendering or reality capture, find the best balance of high core count and high clock speed.

Rendering

Many architects and engineers rely on CPU based rendering engines to generate ultra-photorealistic renderings in order to win project bids and convey design intent to potential clients. If your primary workflow task involves frequent CPU rendering, you should procure a workstation with the most CPU cores that your budget allows. If you wish to accommodate lightly threaded tasks in your workflow, like 3D modeling and design, you’ll want the best balance of high core count and high clock speed.

Point Clouds

Laser scanners are an excellent tool to capture the existing condition of a building or site which can be used as a starting point for a BIM project. Manipulating and registering billions of data points across dozens of scans is a computationally intensive multithreaded process that can be accelerated on workstations with many CPU cores. If you wish to accommodate single-threaded tasks in your workflow, like 3D modeling and design, you’ll want the best balance of high core count and high clock speed.

Virtual Reality 

Virtual reality is very similar to high-end video games in terms of the CPU requirements for a seamless experience. Higher single threaded CPU performance and IPC can contribute to higher VR frame rates. AMD Ryzen™ Threadripper™ PRO 5000-WX Series processors offer boost frequencies up to 4.5GHz across the entire stack1. If you need to accommodate additional multithreaded CPU tasks in your workflow like rendering, consider a model with more cores.

Simulation 

Finite Element Analysis and Computational Fluid Dynamics simulation solvers are multithreaded and take advantage of multiple CPU cores. In general, users can reduce solve times by opting for processors with higher core counts. In some cases, software licensing costs are a major consideration. When constrained by the amount of usable cores by your software license, users should seek a processor that maximizes individual core performance (frequency) within the allotted pool of CPU cores.

3D Modeling & Design

Traditional 3D modeling and design tasks are lightly threaded, meaning that they typically make use of just a few cores. A processor with a higher frequency can have a greater impact on performance and productivity if this is the primary task in your workflow. Generative design is a new method which leverages AI to build optimized designs based on specific constraints. This process is multithreaded and can benefit from workstations with many CPU cores.

Manufacturing Optimization

Engineers can take advantage of computer aided manufacturing techniques to optimize their manufacturing process. Generating toolpaths is a multithreaded task that can be accelerated by applying more CPU cores. Similarly, slicer software used for 3D printing is also a multithreaded task which can take advantage of workstations with many CPU cores.

Rendering

Engineering teams often rely on CPU based rendering engines to generate ultra-photorealistic product imagery in order to convey design intent to clients and assist with the creation of marketing materials. If your primary workflow task involves frequent CPU rendering, you should procure a workstation with the most CPU cores that your budget allows. If you wish to accommodate lightly threaded tasks in your workflow, like 3D modeling and design, you’ll want the best balance of high core count and high clock speed.