SC108 — 32-Core CFD HPC Node with 144 MB Cache and 8-Channel Memory for ANSYS Fluent

The SC108 node is a maximum-throughput tier on Intel's server platform. It runs a single Intel Xeon 6737P — 32 cores and 64 threads at a 4.0 GHz all-core turbo — with 144 MB of L3 cache and eight DDR5-6400 memory channels behind it. Paired with 128 GB of RAM and 2 × 1.88 TB NVMe SSD, it's the node to choose when your case scales well and you want the widest parallel spread available on a single Intel socket.

Where our 8- and 16-core tiers win on per-core clock speed, SC108 wins on breadth: 32 ranks to split a mesh across, a large shared cache, and the memory bandwidth to keep those ranks working rather than waiting.

Specifications

Two details matter beyond the core count. First, the 4.0 GHz turbo is an all-core figure — the clock the node holds with every rank loaded, not a single-core peak that collapses under a full parallel job. Second, this chip carries 2 MB of dedicated L2 per core on top of the 144 MB shared L3, so each partition has a substantial private working area as well as access to the shared pool.

What this node is built for

SC108 is a maximum-throughput tier: wide parallel spread with the cache and bandwidth to support it. It suits:

• Cases that scale well across many cores — 32 MPI ranks split a mesh finer than any 16- or 24-core node, and with enough cells per core to stay efficient, that translates directly into shorter wall-clock time.

• Bandwidth-sensitive solves — coupled solvers, large steady cases, and anything where cores would otherwise sit waiting on memory.

• Large parameter sweeps and design studies — more cores means more work done per hour, so you get through more design iterations per day.

• Long sustained runs — an all-core clock held under full load matters more across a multi-day transient than a peak that only appears on one core.

• Vectorized solver kernels — full-width AVX-512 execution on every core.

• Transient, LES, and DES runs writing heavy data — NVMe storage keeps large data files and frequent autosaves from slowing down the solve.

Core count vs. clock speed: choosing SC108

SC108 takes the opposite approach from our high-clock tiers. Its all-core 4.0 GHz is well below the 5.2–5.7 GHz boost of the 8- and 16-core desktop-platform nodes, but it has four times the cores and four times the memory channels to use them. Choose SC108 when:

• Your case scales efficiently past 24 cores — enough cells per partition that each rank stays busy relative to the boundary data it exchanges, and

• Your solve is limited by throughput or bandwidth rather than by single-thread speed.

The caveat is scaling. Thirty-two ranks is a fine partition count, and a case that doesn't have the cell count to fill them will spend more time on inter-rank communication than on solving. If your case doesn't scale past a handful of cores, or is gated by serial sections and UDF execution, a high-clock 8-core tier will finish it sooner despite having a quarter the cores. If your case is heavily bandwidth-bound, our 12-channel server nodes go wider still on memory throughput at similar core counts. And if capacity is the constraint, our high-memory nodes are the right tool. As a rough guide, Fluent needs about 1 GB of RAM per million cells for a typical steady, single-phase case, so with 128 GB, SC108 handles meshes well beyond what a 32 GB node can hold — and at 32 cores, a mesh in that range gives each rank plenty to work on.

Tell us your cell count, physics, and how your case scales with core count, and we'll point you to the right tier.

Fast NVMe storage

The two 1.88 TB NVMe SSDs give substantially higher read/write throughput than SATA SSDs, plus nearly 3.76 TB of combined capacity — which matters most on a high-throughput node, where a fast solve shouldn't be held up waiting on disk. That means faster loading of large case and data files, quicker autosaves, and room to keep a full DOE sweep's output on disk without constantly clearing space.

How parallel solving works on this node

When you run Fluent in parallel, the solver partitions your mesh across all 32 cores (using algorithms such as METIS), each core solving its share of cells and exchanging boundary data each iteration via MPI. On a single node, that communication runs through fast on-board channels rather than a network, keeping parallel overhead low. Between exchanges, each core pulls cell data from memory — and this is where a 32-core node either delivers or doesn't. Eight channels of DDR5-6400, 2 MB of private L2 per core, and 144 MB of shared L3 keep the cores supplied rather than queuing for access as the partition count rises.

Why rent instead of buy

For engineers whose cases scale well and whose bottleneck is throughput rather than single-thread speed, SC108 delivers the cores and the bandwidth — and you can still drop to a high-clock tier when a case calls for it instead.

How it works — you're in full control

SC108 is yours to drive directly. You connect to the node over a secure remote desktop connection and run everything yourself, exactly as you would on a local workstation:

1. Connect via remote desktop — you get full remote access to the SC108 node.

2. Set up your simulation — load your geometry and case, configure your solver settings, and run ANSYS Fluent with all 32 cores at your command.

3. Run and monitor in real time — start, pause, adjust, and watch the solution as it progresses, with complete control throughout.

4. Keep your results — post-process on the node or download your solution and data files whenever you're ready.

You have full authority over the node for the duration of your rental: we provide the hardware and the support, and you run the simulations your way.

Frequently asked questions

How is SC108 different from our 24-core nodes? A third more cores on the same 8-channel platform, with the same 144 MB cache. If your case scales efficiently past 24 ranks, SC108 finishes it sooner; if it doesn't, the extra cores mostly sit idle and a 24-core tier is the better value.

Will 32 cores always be faster than 16 or 24? No. Fluent scales well only as long as each core has enough cells to stay busy relative to the data it exchanges with its neighbors. On a small or moderate case, splitting it 32 ways can leave cores spending more time communicating than computing — and a faster, lower-core node would finish first. This is the tier where right-sizing matters most, and we'll help you check it before you book.

Is 4.0 GHz slow compared to a 5.7 GHz node? On a single thread, yes. But 5.7 GHz figures are single-core peaks that come down under a full parallel load. SC108's 4.0 GHz is the all-core number, held with all 32 cores working — which is what a real parallel solve sees.

How large a mesh can it handle? With 128 GB of RAM, plan for meshes well into the tens to low hundreds of millions of cells for simpler steady single-phase cases, fewer for transient or multiphase physics (about 1 GB of RAM per million cells is a good starting estimate). Send us your case for a precise answer.

What if my case needs more memory than cores? For large, memory-bound simulations we offer higher-memory nodes — we'll recommend the right tier so you get the capacity, or the throughput, your case actually needs.

Is my data kept confidential? Yes.

Get started with SC108

If your cases scale well across many cores and you want the widest parallel spread available on a single Intel socket, SC108 is built for exactly that.

Contact MR CFD to run your ANSYS Fluent case on SC108 — and we'll help you choose between throughput and clock speed for your simulation.sc108