The Affordable Houdini Simulation Beast Alternative (2024)

This video is for 3D artists or VFX artists that use sidefx Houdini software.
In this video I'm showing my build that I use primarily for sidefx houdini software. I specialize in flip fluids and large scale ocean tools for cinema quality effects.
This video explains and compares the latest Houdini beast hardware build options currently on the market to my affordable alternative which uses dual Xeon cpu's.
Smash that like button if you're like to support this channel and see more!
Instagram: Pierrejames_murphy

[@pierresdesk]

If you want to see more Houdini and 3D content related stuff Smash that like button and hit subscribe!

[@bgtubber]

2:06 Hyper-Threading doesn't double cores. It's still 20 cores, not 40. :) What Hyper-Treading does is making core utilization more efficient. Sorry for the nitpick, haha.

[@pierresdesk]

hahah yes that's correct. Hyperthreading does not duplicate the cores. It utilizes the architecture of the CPU in a way that it creates the effect as if it does duplicate the cores. We can measure it in vfx /3d software as well as various system monitor softwares like MooO for windows.

[@anulearntech]

@@pierresdesk i think what hyperthreading does is duplicate the instruction sets, which the os uses to check for cores. The cpu then efficiently uses underlying cpu units to execute those instructions switching back and forth between commands from the instruction set calls.

[@aceaquascapes]

Thanks man.. u explain better than a teacher! Now u can go for a tr pro for a diy

[@jimjimjim5995]

Thanks, I wish you upload some vids about your flip workflow as you said here

[@elliotfrahs5997]

Thank you for this fantastic video. I have a similar bang-for-your-buck mentality in Sep 2022... can you offer up-to-date thoughts? AMD's new Threadrippers are available for DIY now, but they're so very expensive.

[@TreasonsBeta]

How do you factor in which components to spend more on? I do a little bit of this and that for work. Some software utilize multi-cores, some single-core speeds, and others utilize the GPU. For my first built workstation, I'm thinking a ryzen 5950x CPU and a 3090 evga 3090 rtx GPU and as much RAM as I can with the money left over. I'm doing graphic design, 4k video editing, motion graphics, 3D modeling/animations, and whatever else is thrown at me. As much as I'd love to try out sims, I got scared away from them in college after dealing with Realflow and sitting for hours hoping a sim worked.

[@abdelali2390]

Thank you for this wonderful information, and I send you my greetings from Algeria. Because for a long time I have been reluctant to buy expensive AMD processors and it is not easy to acquire them in a reality with limited capabilities. But it can be compensated with ideas like this...

[@tryptaminetheory4962]

Thank you for the informations altought it was little disappointing to realise wich hardwere i will need for my simulations 😅

[@pierresdesk]

You’re welcome. You can start with smaller simulations at lower resolution (high particle scale like .8 or 1.3 instead of .03). Then as you get closer to what you want you can adjust your simulation size larger or smaller while still maintaining computing power.

[@tryptaminetheory4962]

@@pierresdesk Thank you for the motivating answer! Since you were so kind to give me a great answer - even though I didn't even ask - I'm still a complete newbie when it comes to Houdini and I'm already having problems rendering single frames. Would be awesome if you have any render related ideas to speed the rendering process without loosing too much quality?

[@tgorman82]

I got the Same MB with 44cores. Now, How do I utilize them with Houdini? Any plans to show how to do distributed simulations?

[@duqdl94]

cpu L3 cache memory size affect simulation speed?

[@iland4129]

So what's the best workstation specs for houdini and vfx, budget doesn't matter , but need the details of the workflow with how it is work with the severs too. This is something I have been searching for years and found you give lil more information about the foundation of the processes of simulations. like to see some tutorials how to use the workstation and server for huge simulations

[@pierresdesk]

Hey i land. Yah deep houdini info on hardware is hard to come by. It's mostly because it really depends on what you want to do. Some guys have 1 chip with low count of cores but high clock speed in the range of 4 Ghz and up. Others like myself go for high core count and in my case inexpensive alternatives. If you're looking to do big sims with fluids/ ocean scenes like I do my next upgrade would be threadripper 3995 pro for sure. The pro version can use mobos that accept over 1TB of memory ram and the more ram memory you have the better depending on operating system. If you're on windows you need big ram memory (128gb +)... My system has been round the clock rendering with a single RTX3090 because I've been working on 3d printing. My next vid this week will be about preparing any kind of geometry model (even non cad models like from general 3d softwares) for 3D printing. Soon I will round back to this again and I'll do a new update video on my build along with a new sim scene. Hope that helps

[@iland4129]

@@pierresdesk I will be glade if you can show or explain how can it can make 2tb memory in your new video. I searched a lot but could not find any stick that can make 2tb memory with 3995 pro. Mean while only difference in my expectation and yours is the graphics card. I am gonna have Radeon™ PRO W6800 Graphics x 2 instead of 3090. Yeah. If I can simulate huge Sims like the movie battleship without any worries within few times. That's all. 👍

[@iland4129]

@@pierresdesk Counting on you

[@Helios.vfx.]

Treadripper pro, 8 memory channel, ram up to 2tb

[@abhijiths.m4389]

Where are you working, I mean Which Studio?

[@MapleJokerRofl]

I’m doing a Houdini class and my fkijg PC is struggling taking 10 hours to render 😢. Previously I bought a 3090 because I used to render with octane etc. Now it’s not used. Probably need to learn how to use diff render engine but my class doesn’t teach us anything else other than mantra

[@MapleJokerRofl]

@@pierresdesk this week we moved to pyro and file caching the explosion took 2 hours and my pc froze so I restarted it and bugged everything lol had to reinstall Houdini. I’m trying to find ways to see what I could upgrade to in a budget. Currently have a 5900x and I have a motherboard that I don’t use that can support a threadripper gen 2 idk if I should go get a 2990wx, what do you recommend ?

[@tjseries3057]

@@MapleJokerRofl get the threadripper 3970x or 3990x there is also the 5995wx

[@syntheticperson]

Very informative. Thanks

[@pierresdesk]

Glad it was helpful!

[@jostimantatarigan7657]

do you use ultrawide monitor on the back for houdini? any advantage on using ultrawide in Houdini?

[@MapleJokerRofl]

I just took down my G9 Odyssey as I'm focusing mainly on houdini for school right now and is not usable with that monitor. Back to my 32" 4k BenQ .

[@jostimantatarigan7657]

@@MapleJokerRofl I suppose that because you need a 16:9 for recording right? But is there any advantage using (super) ultrawide for Houdini? Planning to replace my 16:9 to ultrawide or even super ultrawide.

[@Helios.vfx.]

You've got space to work with twi windows or split the houdini in 3 parts and keep working, it'sj ust about what works and make it works

[@bartez8018]

64gb enough, or better get 128gb ram for houdini simulations?

[@Helios.vfx.]

128 if you can get it. 3200mhz enough. There's no difference about ram mhz for houdini from 2133 to 3600. But 3200 are more stable than 3600 mhz

[@eclairesrhapsodos5496]

How much I can do in Houdini with 48 Gb RAM and I5-9400f + 2nd machine with 16 Gb RAM and I7-3770k? By the way do you be ever thinking about using OpenCL on GPU for simulations? Should be pretty fast on new RTX GPUs.

[@pierresdesk]

It depends what you want to do. If you're making a simple commercial with liquid spilling in a cup then yah you can do that but if you're looking ot build out an entire ocean and mountain and cave and destroy the earth then you need more power. Way more ram memory

[@eclairesrhapsodos5496]

@@pierresdesk How about waterfall / clouds?

[@Helios.vfx.]

@@eclairesrhapsodos5496 same, get as much ram as you can. easy.

[@eclairesrhapsodos5496]

@@Helios.vfx. is it worth to upgrade from MSI b360a-pro to ASRock Z390 Taichi Ultimate?

[@Helios.vfx.]

@@eclairesrhapsodos5496 Not sure mcuh about such mobos but depends of the processor you're using. In my case I have an amd 3950x with a mobo that's the x570, being this the top chipset in the family. Why did I pick this one? Cause if PCIe4gen, more USB ports, a solid structure for this processor. So, if we take this analogy in your case, it might come in handy that you have a better mobo. But having a better mobo won't make your PC goes faster or does the sim faster. It's just like having a realiable mobo that you can count on.

[@Omkar3324]

Is ryzen 7 1700 a good CPU? For Houdini?

[@pierresdesk]

No exactly sure. I don’t use that but generally the more cores the better and the higher the clock count the better as well

[@FINIKvideographer]

What role does the processor play in simulation, and why do we need so many processor cores? How do you render the scene? On your workstation using a processor or video card?

[@toppointtraders8099]

calculation ..... simulation mostly works after many computer calculation

[@Helios.vfx.]

The more cores you have, the better for heavy tasks such as simulation. The workload is spread amongst them to be processed. The less cores the longer this will take.

[@Omkar3324]

Should I not focus on GPU for houdini?

[@pierresdesk]

Depends why you’re looking to do. There is no one size fits all. If you’re looking to do big complex simulations you’ll have to invest in a big cpu with lots of memory ram. Even with big GPU’s on the market now like the RTX 3090 we still can’t escape the need for powerful CPU’s because the GPU does not compute simulations. It also does not compute the ‘cooking’ that Houdini does. So you’ll need a formidable CPU if you’re using Houdini no matter which GPU you use

[@CGImagine]

Are you using Linux? You will use half of RAM in most cases. If you are serious with large simulations you should consider migrating.

[@pierresdesk]

Yes ofcourse. Dual boot actually. Windows and Linux with multiple Linux operating systems. Linux is great for simulations for that and speed

[@jcnwillemsen]

Really, i start with 150m voxels and then scale to particles, lol And adding an extra socket doesnt scale in speed, linearly. Also a gpu can help allot. And you can cache to disk instead of a silly amount of ram. You should get married with your pc, you love it

[@romulocastilho6506]

Aqui no Brasil tá impossível comprar um Pc barato tenho vergonha do Brasil

[@pierresdesk]

PC's and all the parts have gone way up in North America as well. Keep you eyes peeled and be patient. You'll find something, brother! :)

[@cassiosculpts]

@@pierresdesk but in brazil it's like 10-15x more expensive than america actually, because the Real inflation and absourd fees that we pay to government and importation.. a top notch pc it's like the price of an expansive house in my town..

[@cassiosculpts]

@@pierresdesk our minimum salary avarage in Brazil it's $2.200 dollars per year, so if a guy who works a lot in a simple work try to get this pc config that you get, he needs at least 6 years working and suffering lot, surviving and storing everything he gets because if it cost 6k in us it would be the at least the double in brazil more inflation and more great taxes.. the unic way to live well in brazil and buy a good pc it's working out of brazil or making freelance charging the real value of the work..

[@Poolena90]

rebelway student?

[@pierresdesk]

No not rebelway but I've always been impressed by their course trailers

[@manum5998]

wow UR VIDEOS ARE HIDDEN BY TOOB ALGORITHM

[@pierresdesk]

My videos are hidden? That's very interesting