Minimum and Recommended Machine Specifications

To effectively use SAInt, particularly for optimization models dealing with production cost and capacity expansion modeling, it’s crucial to have the appropriate hardware setup. Below, we detail both the required and recommended system specifications to ensure that you are equipped to solve complex and large-scale problems efficiently.

Minimum System Requirements

  • Processor: 4 Cores, 2 Threads per Core, clock speed of 2.0 GHz

  • Memory: 32 GB RAM

  • Storage: SSD with at least 500 GB of free space

  • Operating System: Windows 10 or higher

Recommended System Specifications

For optimal performance, especially when dealing with large and complex instances of optimization models, we recommend the following specifications:

  • Processor:

    • Number of Cores: 24 Cores (2 threads per core)

    • Clock Speed: Turbo speed of 4.8 GHz

  • Memory:

    • RAM: 256 GB or 512 GB

    • Configuration: Preferably more RAM broken into more cards for improved memory channel access (e.g., 16 x 32 GB rather than 8 x 64 GB)

  • Storage:

    • SSD with at least 1 TB of free space to accommodate large datasets and temporary files during optimization

  • Operating System:

    • Windows Server 2016 or higher for better resource management

Key Considerations

Number of Cores and Clock Speed

More cores can improve performance, especially for models requiring extensive parallel processing, such as those using branch and bound algorithms.

For problems that solve faster with linear programming (LP) or mixed-integer programming (MIP) near the root node, higher clock speeds are preferable.

Memory (RAM)

More RAM is beneficial for handling large and complex models, especially those needing extensive branch and bound tree exploration.

Split the RAM into more memory cards to leverage more memory channels, thus enhancing performance.

Processing Trade-offs

A machine with more cores and a slightly slower clock speed may outperform a machine with fewer cores but a faster clock speed, depending on the nature of the optimization tasks.

Benchmarking specific models is crucial to determine the ideal configuration.

Parallel Execution

If planning to run multiple instances in parallel, ensure sufficient cores and memory to support concurrent processing without resource contention.

Limit the number of threads per process if necessary to balance the computational load.

In conclusion, selecting the right hardware configuration for SAInt depends on the specific nature and complexity of the models you intend to solve. For the best results, consider conducting benchmarks with representative model instances to tailor your system configuration to your needs. If you need further assistance in determining the optimal setup, please reach out to us at support@encoord.com. We are here to help!