SC31 — 44-Core CFD HPC Node for Fast Solves on Smaller Cases

The SC31 node carries the highest core count in our entire lineup — 44 cores and 88 threads from a pair of Broadwell-generation Xeons — paired with a lean 16 GB of RAM. It is built to solve smaller CFD cases as fast as possible in ANSYS Fluent. When your case fits in 16 GB and you want maximum parallel power behind it, SC31 is the leanest route to the fastest solves.

It is the speed-first, compact tier: the most cores we offer, focused on quick turnaround for small-to-moderate cases.

Specifications

The headline is unmatched parallel throughput: 44 physical cores — more than any other node in the range — on a Broadwell architecture with a large 55 MB cache per CPU, on a lean, cost-effective 16 GB memory budget.

What's included with SC31

Every SC31 rental comes with extras to help you get the most from it:

• A comprehensive CFD course, free — a full training course to sharpen your simulation skills, included at no extra cost.

• One month of Claude AI Premium — AI assistance to support your engineering, scripting, and problem-solving.

• One hour of free CFD consultation — direct time with our CFD engineers to help set up, troubleshoot, or optimize your case.

These come standard with the node — practical support alongside the compute.

What this node is built for

SC31 is the maximum-throughput, small-case tier. The 44 cores deliver the strongest parallel performance in the lineup, while 16 GB keeps it lean. It suits:

• Small-to-moderate meshes solved fast — cases that fill a good share of the 16 GB give all 44 cores enough work to deliver a strong speed-up.

• 2D and early-stage 3D simulations — light on memory, quick to run, ideal for rapid iteration.

• Parameter sweeps on small cases — the most cores in the range means the most variants processed per hour.

• Training and learning at top speed — fast results on the highest-core hardware we offer.

• Compute-bound small cases — where the bottleneck is solve time, not memory.

With 44 cores (up to 3.6 GHz turbo) and a large cache, Fluent partitions the mesh across all of them and exchanges boundary data each iteration via MPI — so a well-sized case finishes fast.

Cores first, memory lean — and a note on sizing

SC31's headline is cores, not capacity. In CFD, cores determine how fast a case solves, while memory sets the largest mesh you can run — roughly 1 GB of RAM per million cells for a typical steady, single-phase case. With 16 GB, SC31 is matched to smaller meshes solved at high speed.

One honest note: 44 cores is a lot of parallelism for a small mesh. Fluent scales best when each core has enough cells to stay busy, so SC31 shines most on cases that use a good portion of the 16 GB — there, all 44 cores contribute. For very small cases, the benefit of so many cores tapers, and a lower-core node may be just as fast for less. We will help you pick the right fit.

When your meshes grow, step up the same 44-core platform — SC32 (32 GB) and SC33 (64 GB) — or move to our higher-memory nodes (up to 128 GB) and the 1 TB high-memory node for large, memory-bound work.

Fast SSD storage

The two 500 GB SATA SSDs provide responsive read/write for loading case files, writing data, and handling autosaves — keeping a quick solve from stalling on slow disk I/O.

How parallel solving works on this node

When you run Fluent in parallel, the solver partitions your mesh across all 44 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 — so a well-sized case is solved quickly across the cores.

Why rent instead of buy

For fast turnaround on smaller CFD cases, SC31 gives you the most cores in the range — plus a free course, a month of Claude AI Premium, and a consultation hour — with an easy path to higher-memory nodes when your meshes grow.

How it works — you're in full control

SC31 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 SC31 node.

2. Set up your simulation — load your geometry and case, configure your solver settings, and run ANSYS Fluent with all 44 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

What makes SC31 fast? It has the highest core count in the lineup — 44 cores / 88 threads — on a Broadwell architecture with a large 55 MB cache per CPU. For small-to-moderate cases that fit in 16 GB, that delivers very fast solves.

Will all 44 cores help on a small case? Up to a point. Fluent scales well as long as each core has enough cells to stay busy. SC31 is at its best on cases that use much of the 16 GB; for very small meshes, the benefit of so many cores tapers. We will help you size the run so you get the speed-up.

How large a mesh can it handle? With 16 GB of RAM, plan for smaller meshes — roughly up to the low tens 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? Step up the same 44-core platform to SC32 (32 GB) or SC33 (64 GB), or our higher-memory nodes up to 128 GB and the 1 TB high-memory node. We will recommend the right tier so your case fits — and still solves fast.

Is my data kept confidential? Yes. Your geometry, case files, and results stay private to you, treated as strictly confidential — and because you run everything yourself over remote desktop, your work stays under your control throughout.

Get started with SC31

If you run smaller CFD cases and want them solved as fast as possible — with a free CFD course, a month of Claude AI Premium, and a consultation hour included — SC31's 44 cores are built for exactly that.

Contact MR CFD for remote-desktop access to SC31 — and we'll help you confirm it's the right tier for your simulation.