Computing Recommendations

While we don’t recommend a specific manufacturer or model, the following items should be considered when selecting a computer to run FRED:

• FRED only runs on Windows OS and is compatible with Windows 11 and Windows 10.
• FRED Classic performs multi-threaded calculations on up to 17 threads while FRED Optimum and FREDmpc support up to 127 threads.  Any number of threads beyond the limit for your version of FRED are not used.
• Many components of FRED, such as BASIC scripting calculations and model updating, are not multi-threaded. Therefore, high-speed processors are advantageous.  In many scenarios, performance is better for a smaller number of fast CPUs compared to a larger number of slow CPUs (e.g., 16 cores at 3.2 GHz vs. 24 cores at 2.4 GHz).
• We recommend between as much RAM as you can afford to avoid buffer overflows that may occur when working with large raytraces. A good rule of thumb is 1-2GB per processor.
• Sometimes, buffering cannot be avoided (e.g., when you need to trace more rays than can be processed with the available RAM).  For this reason, it is beneficial to have a system with a high disk I/O. This stands for input/output, which is the speed of data transfer between the hard disk and the RAM. A solid state drive (SSD) is also recommended.

FRED Classic and FRED Optimum do not leverage GPUs for calculation purposes, but a quality discrete graphics board will allow for smooth operation of the 3D view.  Any board suitable for running a CAD package will be appropriate.

FREDmpc does leverage GPUs for raytracing and analyses. An NVIDIA GPU board with compute capability greater than 6.0 is required to use this functionality. Please refer to the FREDmpc page for more information about this product.