Houdini is a 3D modeling and VFX program from SideFX, similar to Nuke and After Effects, and is often used as a plug-in with programs like Unreal Engine, Unity, Maya, and 3DS Max. It is commonly used for animating characters and also has powerful simulation tools, making it ideal for effects like fire, smoke, and fluids. Its procedural, node-based pipeline has great integration with the viewport and allows artists to easily adjust and create multiple iterations of a scene with different effects so they can quickly hone in on an exact solution.
Like most software developers, SideFX has published a list of system requirements – but it is focused on the minimum specs required to run Houdini, rather than what will give users a smooth experience while they are working. Instead of depending on a minimum viable product, we have partnered with Rebelway, an online VFX training organization, to provide recommended systems for professional artists as well as those just getting started with modeling, animation, and simulation. Their hands-on experience, combined with the knowledge of our consulting team, is the foundation for the advice below.
What type of CPU is best for Houdini?
The best CPU for Houdini depends on what you will be using it for. The majority of modeling and animation tasks are limited to a single core, making a high clock speed processor from AMD’s Ryzen 9 or Intel’s Core i9 families ideal. Those CPUs also have a moderate number of cores, which comes into play when working on simulations, but they are limited on how much system memory they can support.
For heavy simulation workloads, especially running multiple simulations simultaneously, 512GB or even more memory may be needed. To accommodate that much RAM, a more advanced workstation CPU platform like AMD’s Threadripper PRO is necessary. Those processors are also available with higher core counts, and some types of simulation (especially fluid dynamics) can harness more cores to improve performance.
CPU-based rendering can also use a lot of cores effectively, but for all but the largest scenes you will get faster rendering with a GPU (video card) based rendering engine instead. See the next section for more info about that.
ProX PC recommended workstations specially tailored for running Houdini and related applications.
