Best Laptop for Architects – Well, there you have it. That concludes our list of the best laptops for architecture students and professionals.
Remember every laptop has a different set of configurations catering to a different set of requirements, so go through the specifications thoroughly to see which one is the best fit for you.
OVERVIEW
Certain key factors should be considered when looking for the best laptop for your individual needs. Whether you are an architecture student, young architect or experienced practitioner, the following specs are worth investigating for each option
ROUND UP
If it weren’t for the fact that all the software which you use isn’t always compatible with the Max, choosing this one would be an absolute no-brainer. This is quite simply, one of the fastest and the most powerful laptops out there.
back to menu ↑1.HP ZBook
Features
- ▌Please Read Before Purchasing ▌This brand new laptop is upgraded from a base model. The manufacturer box is opened and resealed to install the parts to achieve the specifications as advertised. One-year warranty for upgraded RAM / SSD from Issaquah Highlands Tech. One-year original warranty for remaining components from HP. Intel Core i7-8850H (6 cores 12 threads, base clock speed 2.6GHz, max turbo to 4.3GHz, 9MB L3 Cache)
- 64GB DDR4-2400MHz RAM, 2 x 1TB PCIe NVMe M.2 SSD
- 15.6" FHD(1920x1080) Anti-glare Display, UHD 620 Graphics
- No Optical Drive, USB 3.1 Type-C Thunderbolt 3, 3 x USB 3.0, 1 x HDMI 2.0, 1 x RJ-45, 1 x Audio Combo Jack, 1 x Fingerprint reader, Backlit
- Windows 10 Professional 64-bit, Ideal for Student, Home, Professionals, Small Business, and School Education
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2.Lenovo ThinkPad
Features
- Processor Manufacturer: Intel
- Processor Type: Core i7
- Processor generation: 9th Gen
- Processor model: i7-9750h
- Processor speed: 2.60 GHz
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3.Dell Precision
Features
- Intel Core i9-8950HK, 6 Core 2.90GHz to 4.80GHz Turbo, 12MB 45W, w/Intel HD GFX
- 32GB DDR4 Memory,4X16GB,2666,Non-ECC,SoDIMM Upgrade
- 1TB PCIe NVMe Class 40 Solid State Drive Upgrade
- Graphics Card Nvidia Quadro P4200 w/8GB GDDR5
- 17.3" UltraSharp UHD IGZO 3840x2160 AG, w/Prem Panel Guar 100% color gamut LCD
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4.Acer Nitro
Features
- 10th Generation Intel Core i5-10300H Processor (Up to 4.5GHz)
- 15" Full HD Widescreen IPS LED-backlit 144Hz Refresh Display | NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 Ti Graphics with 4 GB of dedicated GDDR6 VRAM
- 8GB DDR4 2933MHz Memory | 256GB NVMe SSD (2 x PCIe M.2 Slots - 1 Slot Open for Easy Upgrades) & 1 - Available Hard Drive Bay
- LAN: Killer Ethernet E2600 10/100/1000 Gigabit Ethernet LAN | Wireless: Intel Wireless Wi-Fi 6 AX201 802.11ax
- Backlit Keyboard | Acer CoolBoost Technology with Twin Fans and Quad Exhaust Ports Design
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5.ASUS ROG
Features
- 14in Full HD Display with 1920 x 1080 Resolution with 120Hz refresh rate, Latest AMD Ryzen 9 4900HS(beat 10th Gen Intel Core i7-10750H), 8 Core processor up to 4.30GHz
- 1TB SSD, 16GB DDR4 RAM
- NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 Max-Q graphics Backed by 6GB GDDR6 dedicated video memory, Virtual Reality Ready
- Speakers with Smart AMP Technology and Dolby Atmos, Two 2.5W speakers produce incredible Dolby Atmos sound, Wireless/Wired connectivity (WiFi 6 - 802.11 ax)
- Chiclet keyboard with white backlight, Allows you to enjoy comfortable and accurate typing, even in dim lighting., Weighs 3.64 lbs. and measures 0.7" thin, Windows 10 Home
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6.Microsoft Surface
Features
- Most powerful Surface laptop yet, with quad-core powered, 10th Gen Intel Core processors. More than 50% faster than Surface Book 2 13.5”.
- Fastest graphics on Surface, powered by NVIDIA GTX GeForce GPU. 40% more graphics performance than Surface Book 2 13.5".
- Power when you need it. Up to 15.5 hours battery life[1] — plus improved standby that extends battery life when you’re away.
- Robust laptop, powerful tablet, and portable studio in one.
- The connections you need, including USB-A, USB-C, and full-size SD card slot.
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7.MSI P65
Features
- Display 15 6" Uhd (3840X2160) anti-glare wide view angle 4K
- Processor intel core i7-9750h 2.6 - 4.5ghz
- Graphics NVidia GeForce RTX 2060 6g gddr6 studio driver
- Memory 32gb (16 gram x 2) ddr4 2400mhz 2 sockets max memory 32gb
- Storage 1tb Teton glacier
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8.LG Gram
Features
- 17” WQXGA (2560 x 1600) IPS LCD Screen
- Windows 10 Home (64 bit)
- Intel 10th Generation i7-1065G7 CPU To Iris Plus graphics
- 16 GB DDR4 RAM and 1 TB M 2 NMVe SSD (512 GB x2)
- 80WH Lithium Battery (up to 17 hours)
- 6 Surge-protected outlets supply complete, 2-line AC protection
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9.Acer Aspire
Features
- AMD Ryzen 3 3200U Dual Core Processor (Up to 3.5GHz); 4GB DDR4 Memory; 128GB PCIe NVMe SSD
- 15.6 inches full HD (1920 x 1080) widescreen LED backlit IPS display; AMD Radeon Vega 3 Mobile Graphics
- 1 USB 3.1 Gen 1 port, 2 USB 2.0 ports & 1 HDMI port with HDCP support
- 802.11ac Wi-Fi; Backlit Keyboard; Up to 7.5 hours battery life
- Windows 10 in S mode. Maximum power supply wattage: 65 Watts
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10.Samsung Notebook
Features
- Brilliant Full HD 15” 1080p TOUCHSCREEN for hands-on control with 360-degree flip-and-fold ROTATING display
- Latest 8th Gen Intel Core i7-8550U Processor 1.8GHz base up to 4.00 GHz with TURBO BOOST
- 16GB DDR4 memory; 256GB SSD; AMD Radeon 540 graphics card with 2GB dedicated memory
- Built-in S Pen; HD Webcam; 1x USB Type-C; 2x USB 3.0; HDMI; MicroSD, TPM security
- Backlit Keyboard; 802.11ac (2x2) B, A, G, and N supported, Bluetooth v4.1
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Best Laptop for Architects – BUYER’S GUIDE
CPU (Central Processing Unit): Any architecture student or professional architect will be running powerful CAD and modeling software. It is wise to get at least Inteli5 or above to avoid any hassle.
GPU (Graphics Processing Unit): You may be using hardcore graphic software like Rhino, 3ds Max, ArchiCAD, Revit or Vectorworks, all of which require a formidable graphics card. Thus, the ideal laptop for architect will have at least a 4GB vRAM GPU for smooth processing.
RAM: Architectural software will account for a big chunk of your RAM, particularly when multitasking and producing high quality renderings. Therefore, a computer with at least 16GB of RAM is preferable, though 8GB is sufficient for the majority of purposes.
HDD vs. SSD vs. Hybrid Drive: Architectural design files often require significant space, so the higher the storage, the better off you are. SSD (Solid State Drive) is faster and more reliable than a mechanical hard drive but comes with a higher price tag. To enjoy the pros of both SSD and HDD, we recommend getting a hybrid drive. You can install the OS and architecture software in SSD and all other files in HDD for optimum performance.
Mac vs. Windows: In terms of hardware and operating system, it all comes down to your personal preference. High-end Apple and PC laptops are well geared to handle the challenges offered by the job. Windows 10 is arguably more user friendly as it supports a wide array of software but is exposed to more viruses than Mac. The Macbook Pro in particular is well perceived by professionals as being great for graphic applications but is considered by many to be overpriced.
Gaming laptops: An increasingly popular choice among architects and designers, laptops primarily aimed at gamers can also be ideal for creatives that use programs with high demands on graphics and processing power. While their aesthetics might not be to everyone’s taste, the cost-to-performance ratio of many gaming laptops can be hard to argue with.
Screen Size and Resolution: Considering the level of mobility yet without ignoring the necessary attention to detail, a laptop with a screen size between 15 and 17 inches is the best size for architectural rendering. FHD (full high definition) resolution should be enough for the work involved; however, higher resolutions such as UHD (ultra high definition), 4K or 5K prepare you for the upcoming future trends.
Ports: Consider how many USB ports, ethernet ports and other specialist ports you might need; this will vary depending on your preference for wired or wireless peripheral such as computer mice, touch pads and external hard drives.
back to menu ↑Frequently Asked Questions
Laptop vs. Desktop: Which one to buy?
You may have noticed something interesting. With all that computer power needed , external hard drive, a huge exernal monitor and a USB Mouse: why not just buy the best desktop for architecture ?
You are right you are better off with a desktop. As a matter of fact a laptop won’t get you much work done as compared to a desktop and you’ll actually start to feel its limits as you work on bigger projects and move away from undergraduate level stuff.
Rendering will always be much easier,faster and of higher quality with a desktop.
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These are very resource intensive pieces of software and require a powerful laptop with the right configuration. Thus, companies are now coming up with mobile ‘workstations’ which in theory are basically super-powerful laptops which can handle whatever you throw at them.
After all, there’s no point in sitting around waiting 30 minutes for a project to get rendered, because a more advanced laptop can wrap it up in 5 minutes
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