What kind of computer do I need to run ProteusDS?

  • A 64-bit Windows PC
  • We recommend a dedicated graphics card for 3D visualization, but the built-in graphics processing of many modern PCs are able to handle the requirements of our OpenGL based post-processing tools
  • A minimum of 8 GB of RAM
  • A mouse with a scroll wheel

Can ProteusDS run on a basic laptop?

Yes, ProteusDS can run well on a laptop, but you are usually restricted to running a few simulations at a time.

Is Internet access required?

Yes, Internet access is required to authenticate your subscription. Single User – Standard and Team licenses support the concept of ‘offline’ licenses which do not require Internet access, but they must be specifically requested.

Can I bring my ProteusDS computer with me in the field or offshore?

Yes, it is feasible to install ProteusDS on a laptop and take it with you offshore or in the field, and complete mooring designs or other analyses on-the-go. However, if you lack Internet access, you may need a subscription activation that supports offline access.

Will ProteusDS run on a mac?

No, the software only supports Windows PCs.

What brand of processor is required?

We have good experience with modern Intel and AMD processors. If you are unsure if your computer will work for some reason, we recommend trying the demo software on your target machine.

How many cores do I need?

A single ProteusDS simulation will not take advantage of multiple cores on a machine to run faster. Simulations run faster with increased CPU clock speed and, if your simulation is intensive, hard drive write speed.

ProteusDS comes with a batch processing tool called the ProteusDS Queueing Manger that assists users in running multiple simulations at the same time. When doing so, we recommend at least one CPU core per simulation. The number of concurrent simulations you may need to run depends heavily on your use case. We find that Fish Farm toolset users see the most benefit from a higher number of cores to run their load cases in parallel.

What computer specifications will give me the best performance?

When you want to run your simulations on a powerful machine there are a few considerations to maximize run time:

  • High CPU clock speed helps to complete required physics calculations faster, and will typically increase simulation speed. We see strong performance on modern Intel and AMD chips.
  • The simulation speed can become restricted by file writing speed, so we recommend fast solid-state hard drives (e.g. M.2 PCIe/NVMe)
  • Simulations will run in parallel on multiple CPU cores. Running more simulations than physical cores degrades simulation execution speed.

How much RAM do I need?

ProteusDS doesn’t require huge amounts of RAM to perform. If you are running on a 16 core desktop machine, 32 GB of RAM is sufficient. A laptop with 8 GB to 16 GB will work well.

Any special considerations for running on a dedicated computer?

No special considerations other than ensuring you have a good hard drive that can handle the data output rate of many ProteusDS simulations that may be running in parallel.