Phoenix FD System Requirements

Engineered for Chaos Phoenix (formerly Phoenix FD). Built for Fluid Dynamics, Fire, Smoke & FX.

Phoenix FD will run on mid-tier systems—but for fast simulation caching, smooth previews, and reliable performance during complex fluid, smoke, and fire FX, you need a workstation purpose-built for simulation. If Phoenix is part of your VFX pipeline, your system should support creativity, not slow it down.

At Signa, we’ve benchmarked Phoenix FD inside real-world production pipelines using 3ds Max, Maya, V-Ray, and more. Whether you're simulating ocean waves, explosions, smoke, or foam, our systems help you sim faster, render sooner, and iterate without frustration.

⚙️ Processor (CPU) – Multithreaded Simulation Power

Phoenix FD is highly CPU-dependent for simulating fluid dynamics. More cores = faster simulations, especially when working with high voxel resolutions or long sequences.

Recommended CPUs for Phoenix FD:

• AMD Ryzen 9 7950X / 9950X (high core count + strong GHz)

• Intel Core Ultra 9 285K (great mix of speed and threads)

These CPUs offer excellent multithreaded performance for fluid simulations and still deliver the single-core speed needed for viewport interaction and general responsiveness.

💡 If you’re running extremely large-scale sims or using Phoenix with V-Ray CPU rendering, we can recommend workstation-class CPUs (Threadripper/Intel Xeon) with even more cores.

Graphics Card (GPU) – Real-Time Previews & GPU Rendering

Phoenix FD itself is CPU-based for simulating, but the GPU is used for real-time previews, GPU rendering (with V-Ray GPU), and smooth viewport playback in your 3D software.

Recommended GPUs:

• NVIDIA RTX 5090 (for extreme VFX workloads and GPU rendering)

• NVIDIA RTX 5080 / 5070 (great for high-res previews and GPU-accelerated rendering)

• RTX 5000 Ada Professional Series (for certified drivers and studio stability)

Why NVIDIA?
GPU previews and GPU rendering benefit from CUDA cores and large VRAM. Phoenix also integrates tightly with V-Ray GPU—making NVIDIA the clear choice for GPU reliability and speed.

Memory (RAM) – Feed Your Sim Cache

Simulating fluids, smoke, fire, foam, and interacting objects takes up a lot of RAM—especially with high-res voxel grids, long time ranges, or large domains.

Recommended RAM:

• Minimum: 64GB

• Ideal for most FX artists: 128GB

• Heavy sims or large studio workflows: 256GB+

More RAM helps with caching large simulation frames, previewing long timelines, and reducing the need for disk paging during active work.

Storage (Drives) – Critical for Sim Cache Speed

Phoenix FD simulations generate massive cache files—often gigabytes per frame. Fast read/write performance is essential for previewing and rendering without stutters.

Recommended setup:

• Primary Drive: 1TB–2TB NVMe SSD for OS, host software, and small projects

• Secondary NVMe SSD: Dedicated for sim caches and active FX projects

• Archive: Large-capacity HDD or NAS for completed caches and renders

Why NVMe?
NVMe SSDs write and stream cache files much faster than SATA SSDs, reducing delays between simulation passes and improving playback inside 3ds Max or Maya.

Why Choose a Signa Workstation for Phoenix FD?

✅ Purpose-built for simulation-heavy workflows in VFX pipelines
✅ Optimized CPU, RAM, and SSD combinations for caching performance
✅ Local, expert support in Toronto
✅ GPU options tailored for GPU rendering with V-Ray and other tools
✅ Custom builds for freelancers, studios, and pipeline integration

📞 Ready to Sim Faster with Phoenix FD?
Whether you’re creating cinematic fire FX or large-scale water simulations, we build systems that help you simulate, cache, and render—without holding back your creativity.

🔗 Book your free consultation today
📍 Visit us: 3457 Yonge Street, Toronto
📞 Call us: (416) 488-9208