Boosting CAE Performance: Workstations or Clusters?

In modern computer-aided engineering, simulation has become indispensable for refining designs, reducing physical prototypes, and accelerating time to market. Ansys solutions are central to this progress. Yet many engineering teams continue to rely on standalone workstations that constrain the full value of simulation workflows. 

High-performance computing (HPC) clusters present a far more capable option, designed to maximize engineering efficiency, expand simulation scale, and improve collaboration. 

Why HPC Matters in CAE

Traditionally, HPC systems were seen as costly, complex tools available only to large corporations or research institutions. That perception has shifted, and for good reason. Today’s cost-effective entry-level clusters bring advanced computing power within reach for organizations of all sizes.

As simulation models grow in detail, applications in fields like fluid dynamics (e.g. Ansys Fluent ®) or crash and nonlinear structural dynamics (e.g., Ansys LS-DYNA ®) demand far more memory, speed, and scalable storage. Workstations, though suitable for CAD or modest simulations, often become limiting. Engineers must reduce model size, accept slower results, or compromise iteration cycles—delaying progress and impacting final product quality.

Replacing isolated workstations with an HPC cluster overcomes these limitations, unlocking greater performance and efficiency. 

CAE cluster adopters report significant gains compared to workstations:

• Unmatched scalability and speed: Clusters offer features such as multicore CPUs with high cache per core and high-capacity memory, along with low-latency networking and high performance storage, to deliver throughput well beyond even the highest-end workstation. This accelerates design cycles and decision-making.

• Support for massive, detailed models: Complex FEA and CFD simulations with millions—or even hundreds of millions—of elements can overwhelm workstation resources. Clusters eliminate these restrictions, enabling accurate system-level studies and confident engineering decisions.

• Lower prototyping expenses: By enabling more virtual testing early in the design process, HPC clusters reduce the reliance on expensive prototypes. This has strong cost saving and time to market impact, especially in industries like automotive, aerospace, and defense.

• More iterations, better products: Faster runtimes let teams perform more design explorations and DOEs to identify flaws, optimize performance, and improve reliability.

• Shared infrastructure and smarter licensing: Clusters centralize computing resources and can be accessed across departments, with powerful remote visualization and virtualization capabilities. Tools like Ansys Elastic Licensing, along with HPC schedulers such as PBS Pro, allow resources to be allocated dynamically, improving efficiency and minimizing idle time.

CAE-Tailored Cluster Options 

Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HPE) and Ansys have partnered to deliver validated HPC clusters built for CAE workloads. With AMD EPYC processors, HPE Cray and ProLiant systems set new performance benchmarks for Ansys applications. These configurations are tested for key Ansys solvers such as Fluent, Mechanical, LS-DYNA, and Ansys HFSS for electromagnetic simulation.

Typical configurations combine AMD EPYC CPUs with scalable memory and networking choices (e.g. 100GbE or InfiniBand). Deployments can start with just two nodes and scale as requirements grow. Clusters fit standard racks and integrate with existing networks, while HPE services support training, onboarding, and ongoing operations.

Enabling Remote Access and Collaboration

Remote visualization and VDI remove the need to transfer massive datasets across the network. Instead, engineers can log in to the cluster and process results interactively from any device. This speeds workflows and makes collaboration simpler.

HPE includes NICE DCV with its offerings, allowing secure access to Ansys applications without moving sensitive files. This protects intellectual property while enabling global productivity.

Raising the Bar for Every Engineer

HPC clusters are no longer exclusive to specialized groups—they’re becoming a mainstream tool for engineers using Ansys. By moving from workstations to clusters, teams unlock larger simulations, reduce design timelines, and enhance product quality. With validated, scalable, and supported solutions from HPE and Ansys, now is the ideal time to modernize legacy environments and adopt future-ready engineering infrastructure.

Want to see the difference? Download “Workstations vs. Clusters for Ansys Applications: The Right Solution for Engineering Productivity” and explore how HPE and Ansys can help bring HPC into your design process.

Live webinar: Join us on November 6 at 11:00 am ET to learn how clusters outperform workstations in engineering simulations, featuring performance data and migration options for better productivity.