New JPR e-book: ‘GPUs for CAE: New Platforms’

Workstations, HPC, and the cloud bring CAE efficiency

In 2022, Jon Peddie Research released a report highlighting the significant impact of GPUs on the advancement of computer-aided engineering (CAE). The e-book, titled “Accelerating and Advancing CAE Workflows,” examined GPU-accelerated applications by Altair, Ansys, Dassault Systèmes, and Hexagon, all of which ventured into adapting GPUs for legacy CPU-based products. As outlined in the e-book, GPUs offer inherent benefits for simulations:

GPUs can deliver over 5 times the throughput at a similar cost to CPUs.

They offer improved cost-efficiency and lower power consumption while maintaining the same throughput as CPUs.

The new e-book, “GPUs for CAE: New Platforms,” points out that while users previously employed legacy CPU-based software and systems for CAE simulations, they are now recognizing the potential benefits of GPU utilization. However, this shift involves more than just a transition. In the realm of CAE, changing methods and tools can necessitate costly investments in new software and hardware. These changes may also reshape where and by whom the work is performed.

CAE applications can now run on a variety of platforms, including workstations, on-site or off-premises HPC, the cloud, and hybrid combinations, creating a distributed and collaborative network. Unlike in the past, when simulation specialists handled data creation and input for CAE programs, distributed computing, user-friendly CAE interfaces, training, and hands-on experience have empowered design engineers to conduct more initial simulations.

In some instances, these initial simulations may be less detailed but can be executed rapidly on desktop machines, allowing for more iterations and enhanced design efficiency, thanks to GPU acceleration. The more intricate and multidisciplinary CAE studies may still require specialized analysts, but their capabilities are also expanding.

About Jon Peddie Research

Jon Peddie Research has been active in the graphics and multimedia fields for more than 30 years. JPR is a technically oriented multimedia and graphics research and consulting firm. Based in Tiburon, California, JPR provides consulting, research, and other specialized services to technology companies in a variety of fields including, graphics development, multimedia for professional applications and consumer electronics, high-end computing, and Internet-access product development. JPR’s Market Watch is a quarterly report focused on PC graphics controllers’ market activity for notebook and desktop computing.