Certain constraints apply when using GPU (Graphics Processing Unit) technology within Autodesk Moldflow software.
- Multiple GPUs
- Some graphics cards have multiple GPUs. At present, Autodesk Simulation Moldflow software does not support multiple GPUs. If your card has multiple GPUs, the analysis will select the fastest GPU among the available GPUs with adequate memory to perform the analysis.
- Maximum model size
- The analysis you run is restricted by the size of the available memory on the GPU. For example, if your GPU card memory size is not large enough to run the full model, then the analysis will use the GPU for smaller time steps when the model is partially filled.
The analysis size is determined by the number of elements a model has. The more elements there are, the bigger the model size. Approximately one tetrahedral element equates to 1 KB of memory, so a model with 1 million elements will require 1 GB of device memory on the GPU card to run the model completely on the GPU.
- Computer stops responding
- When running computation-intensive tasks on a GPU card, the card will be diverted from other tasks such as redrawing the Windows desktop or refreshing other applications. This can be especially noticeable when running multiple jobs simultaneously or when running a very large analysis.
Caution: In extreme circumstances, Microsoft Windows may determine that the card has reached a locked-up state and trigger a reset of the graphics drivers. If this happens, it is possible that the system will stop responding. Details on this behavior are available from Microsoft
here.
- Windows Remote Desktop
- Windows Remote Desktop does not support direct access to GPU resources. If an analysis which is set to use GPU resources is launched through a Remote Desktop command line (for example, using the runstudy command), it will not be able to utilize the GPU card on the remote machine.
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Launching and running a job in Windows 7, or later
- There is a limitation for users of Windows 7, or later, when using GPU technology. There must be at least one user logged into the server for a GPU card to be accessed. If you launch a job locally on a Windows 7, or later, machine, or if you remotely launch a job through Job Manager where the remote server is a Windows 7, or later, machine, ensure that someone is logged into the server for the duration of the analysis. Logging out will cause the analysis to fail.
- GPU card drivers
- Ensure that you are using the latest driver for any installed card. You may need to download and install the latest driver manually.
Note: The automatic Windows Update function may not install the most recent version of the driver.