VR in architecture

Scan 3XS GWP-ME A132R

11th Gen Intel Core workstations might have have the edge in CAD and BIMcentric workflows, but this Ryzen 9 5000 beast from Scan wins hands down when it comes to rendering and extreme multi-tasking, writes Greg Corke

Like many workstation manufacturers, it’s been a frustrating six months for Bolton-based Scan. AMD Ryzen 5000 CPUs have been in huge demand, but the global chip shortage has meant limited supply. This now appears to have eased and Scan workstations with ‘Zen 3’ AMD CPUs are now rolling off the company’s production line.

The delay has brought some benefits. Scan can now pair AMD’s impressive desktop CPU with a choice of three Nvidia ‘Ampere’ pro GPUs. The Nvidia RTX A4000 (16 GB), Nvidia RTX A5000 (24 GB) and Nvidia RTX A6000 (48 GB) are all available as options inside the new Scan 3XS GWP-ME A132R.

For our review machine, Scan has chosen the top-end AMD Ryzen 9 5950X CPU. With 16 cores, 32 threads, a base frequency of 3.4 GHz and a boost of 4.9 GHz, this processor is adept at handling all different types of workflows. You get excellent performance in single threaded CAD and BIM software, as well as multi-threaded power for simulation, point cloud processing, photogrammetry, generative design, CAM and, of course rendering.

As you’ll learn from our indepth article on page WS4, the 11th Gen Intel Core CPU still has the edge in many workflows. However, when it comes to rendering and extreme multitasking, the 80core Intel Core i9-11900 or Intel Core i9-11900K simply can’t compete with the 16-core AMD Ryzen 9 5950X.

To explore the machine’s multi-tasking potential, we pushed it to its limits, with a demanding AEC workflow, consisting of point cloud processing in Leica Cycone Register 360 and photogrammetry processing in Agisoft Metashape. Not only did it reduce processing time to 889 secs from 1,306 secs (the time it took if both jobs were run sequentially), but the machine was still responsive enough to model comfortably in Revit. See our indepth AMD vs Intel article on page WS4 to find out more.

The 2 TB Samsung 980 Pro NVMe PCIe 4.0 Solid State Drive (SSD) certainly helps here as it’s able to read and write data very quickly, so storage doesn’t become too much of a bottleneck.

Rather than supplementing the M.2 SSD with a 3.5-inch SATA Hard Disk Drive (HDD) for secondary storage, Scan has included a 4 TB Samsung 870 Evo SATA SSD instead. Costing less than 10p per GB, SSDs are quickly becoming the future of all workstation storage, and not just for OS, apps and select datasets. Coupled with the Nvidia RTX A5000 GPU, the workstation has an obvious bias towards graphics intensive workflows, suggested by the ‘ME’ (Media and Entertainment) abbreviation in the product name. The Nvidia RTX A5000 is a hugely powerful professional GPU for real-time viz and GPU rendering. At 4K resolution, we got in excess of 20 frames per second in most of our test applications. The exceptions were Unreal Engine 4 when realtime ray tracing was enabled and in Autodesk VRED Professional when anti-aliasing was set to ultra-high. However, these are extreme workloads. Most mainstream viz users should expect a smooth, reactive viewport when navigating models, and superfast results when GPU rendering. For those with less demanding graphics-centric workflows (or a tighter budget) a downgrade to the Nvidia RTX A4000 will shave close to £1,000 off the £4,167 (Ex VAT) price tag. See our in-depth review of both Nvidia GPUs on page WS28. The Asus Pro WS X570ACE motherboard is workstation-grade and has what Scan describes as an ‘over-engineered cooling and power delivery system’. It has four memory slots, populated in our test machine with 64 GB (2 x 32 GB) of Corsair Vengeance DDR4 3,200 MHz memory. For memory hungry workflows like point cloud processing, it’s easy to upgrade to 128 GB, as we did when testing with Leica Cyclone Register 360, though you’ll first need to clip off one of the CPU fans to get to the slots.

With a second PCIe Gen 4 slot, you can add a second Nvidia RTX A5000 GPU at a later date although you may need a bigger PSU than the 750W Corsair RMX, which is 80PLUS Gold rated. Scan technicians can advise here.

Everything is housed in a new custom Scan 3XS workstation case, which is available with both solid and tempered glass side panels. It’s a nice sturdy chassis with a 3XS branded vented front that helps ensure cool air runs freely from front to back.

A substantial dual radiator, dual fan Noctua NH-D15 air cooler helps keep the processor running cool. We observed a peak frequency of 4.91 GHz in single threaded workflows, going down to 3.74 GHz with all 16 cores running flat out for extended periods. Scan says the Noctua is generally quieter than an equivalently rated hydrocooler, and it’s hard to argue with that. The entire system was incredibly quiet, even under heavy loads.

Product spec ■ AMD Ryzen 9 5950X processor (3.4 GHz, 4.9 GHz boost) (16 cores, 32 threads) ■ Nvidia RTX A5000

GPU (24 GB) ■ 64 GB (2 x 32 GB)

Corsair Vengeance

DDR4 3,200 MHz ■ 2 TB Samsung 980

Pro NVMe PCIe 4.0 SSD + 4 TB Samsung 870 Evo SATA SSD ■ 3XS workstation case with tempered glass window ■ Microsoft Windows 10 Professional 64-bit ■ 3 Years warranty – 1st Year Onsite, 2nd and 3rd Year RTB (Parts and Labour) ■ £4,167 (Ex VAT) scan.co.uk/3xs The verdict This is another excellent machine from specialist workstation manufacturer Scan. With the AMD Ryzen 9 5950X CPU, the 3XS GWP-ME A132R is equally adept at handling single threaded or multi-threaded workflows. Whether that’s for rendering stills and animations, or for demanding multi-tasking reality modelling workflows, it doesn’t really matter. And with an Nvidia RTX A5000 GPU backing it all up with substantial graphics horsepower, it can handle pretty much anything you throw at it. And it does all this while giving out little more than a gentle hum.

Workstation Specialists WS-184

The 11th Gen Intel Core processor might be a step back in some departments, but in single threaded workflows like CAD and BIM it remains king. Furthermore, coupled wth the right components — as it is in this new tower from Derby-based Workstation Specialists — it can also provide a solid foundation for more demanding workflows. By Greg Corke

When Intel launched its ‘Rocket Lake’ processor family earlier this year it came under a lot of flak for having fewer CPU cores than the previous generation. 10th Gen Intel Core maxed out at ten, but the new 11th Gen Core CPUs were limited to eight.

The reality is, this is only an issue if you use software that can take full advantage of that many cores. And for most architects, engineers and product designers, that’s typically only ray trace rendering.

For those that rely solely on CAD or BIM software, it continues to be all about frequency and Instructions Per Clock (IPC). And here, Intel delivers in spades.

The Intel Core i9-11900 CPU, at the heart of this Workstation Specialists desktop tower might have a base clock of 2.50 GHz, but in many of our single threaded CAD tests it hit 5.15 GHz on a single core, just a touch slower than the stated maximum of 5.20 GHz. And this isn’t even Intel’s fastest 11th Intel Core CPU. If you can get hold of one, the Intel Core i9-11900K can go all the way up to 5.3 GHz.

Despite ‘only’ having eight cores, the Core i9-11900 performed very well in some multi-threaded workflows like point cloud processing and reality modelling. Applications like Leica Cyclone Register 360 and Agisoft MetaShape might be multi-threaded but there appears to be little additional benefit (or none at all) to having more than eight cores. It’s only when you get into highly-threaded applications like rendering and geometry optimisation that CPUs with more cores, such as the AMD Ryzen 9 5950X, have an advantage. You can learn more about this in our AMD vs Intel article on page WS4.

Our test machine came with 64 GB (2 x 32 GB) of 3,200 MHz dual channel Corsair Vengance RGB Pro DDR4 memory. This is a good amount for an allround BIM-centric workstation.

Those who simply work with average sized models in Revit or other BIM tools should get away with 32 GB. Conversely, those who deal with huge point cloud datasets, would likely be better served with 128 GB — the maximum the Asus PRIME Z590-P motherboard can take in its four memory slots.

The motherboard fits snuggly inside the Fractal Design Define 7 Compact chassis. At 427 x 210 x 474 mm this is a shrunkdown version of the popular workstation case used by many of the UK’s custom workstation manufacturers.

For easy access, there are two USB 3.2 Gen 1 ports up front, but no USB 3.2 Gen 2x2 Type-C. If you have devices that need the more modern USB standard, you’ll probably want to buy a hub to plug into the single USB Type C port at the rear.

The machine has three fans that move air from front to back and, together with the ‘Be Quiet’ CPU air cooler, keep the machine running pretty quietly.

For a machine of this type, it offers the perfect combination of size and expandability. In the bottom section of the case, nestled alongside the 750W ATX 80-Plus Platinum Certified Power Supply Unit (PSU), there are two 3.5-inch drive bays.

For most CAD-centric workstations, we’d usually expect one of these bays to be fitted with a Hard Disk Drive (HDD) to give a costeffective mass storage partner to the onboard NVMe SSD. For example, in a budget workstation, a combination of 512 GB Solid State Drive (SSD) and 2 TB HDD is typical. However, for this machine, Workstation Specialists has gone for SSDs throughout.

For the main system drive there’s the high-performance 2 TB Samsung 980 PRO M.2 PCIe 4.0 NVMe SSD, which offers up to 7,000 MBps read and 5,100MBps write. But this has been partnered with an 8 TB Samsung 870 QVO 2.5-inch SATA III SSD.

With 560MBps read, and 530MBps write, the 870 QVO offers significantly lower sequential read/write performance than its PCIe 4.0 counterpart, but with a whopping 8 TB to play with, it’s a great alternative to an HDD in I/O intensive workflows like point cloud processing, where collosal datasets are frequently read from / written to disk.

For graphics, there’s the new Nvidia RTX A4000 which comes with a substantial 16 GB of memory. As you see from our review on page WS28, this is an impressive all-round GPU for workflows that include GPU rendering, real-time 3D, realtime ray tracing and VR.

For an additional £767 you can upgrade to the Nvidia RTX A5000 (24 GB). But if you’re very much focused on CAD/ BIM and other less demanding 3D applications, you could easily drop down to the Nvidia Quadro P2200, even though this 5 GB pro GPU is now getting a bit long in the tooth.

Product spec ■ Intel Core i9-11900 processor (2.5 GHz, 5.3 GHz Turbo) (8 cores, 16 threads) ■ 64 GB (2 x 32 GB) 3,200 MHz dual channel Corsair

Vengance RGB Pro

DDR4 memory ■ 2 TB Samsung 980 Pro NVMe

PCIe 4.0 SSD ■Asus Prime Z590-P motherboard ■ Fractal Design

Define 7 Compact desktop chassis (427 x 210 x 474 mm) ■ Microsoft Windows 10 Professional 64-bit ■ 36 Months premium RTB hardware warranty The verdict with remote engineer diagnostics The Workstation Specialists by next business day WS-184 is an excellent choice ■ £2,414 (Ex VAT) for CAD- and BIM-centric workflows. In applications like ■ Upgrades Revit it delivers where it counts, 128 GB memory - add £315 but also has enough cores

Nvidia RTX A5000 to support more processor- add £767 intensive workflows like 8 TB Samsung 870 point cloud processing and

QVO - add £696 photogrammetry. workstation For those with a focus on specialists.com rendering, the fact that the Workstation Specialists WS184 would struggle against an AMD Ryzen 9 5950X-based workstation could be a moot point if your software is tuned for GPU. The Nvidia RTX A4000 GPU (or RTX A5000) is more than capable of doing the heavy lifting here. Conversely, strip out the high-end GPU, drop down to 32 GB of RAM, and pare back on the storage and you should have a very affordable, but fast workstation for bread and butter CAD and BIM work.