Computers have become an essential part of todayâs architectural practice. We rely on computers to design, draft and communicate our projects. In other words, we use computers to take the extraordinary ideas in our heads and bring them to life. Let’s be honest, though; laptop hunting is a fun and exciting moment whether you are looking for a starter laptop for your collegiate education or looking to upgrade! We are back with more recommendations in 2021 that will satiate all your technical desires and needs!
Unfortunately, computers are also an expensive investment for an architecture student. However, you are in luck! BestBuy has great sales in July that you can consider for your next purchase! It’s important to recognize that there are many options at different costs based on an individual’s budget and priority. Our team recommends these laptops based on hardware specs and their suitability running graphically intensive programs used in the architecture industry. However, before we go into the laptops, we have some general tips that you should keep in mind when hunting!
General Tips
- You should install your programs on your computer, but ideally, all your files can go on an external hard drive or SSD (Solid-State Drive). That way, you can keep your computer’s storage from filling up and can access the files anytime on any computer!
- “Laptop” does not always mean portable! Try to stay away from 17″ devices. Although larger screens might be better, it will be a hassle to move around unless you want a workout getting from one place to another. Typically, students offset small screens by connecting their laptops to larger external monitors helping boost productivity and lowering hassle. I’ll be honest here, I got a 17″ laptop when I first entered college, which I loved, but I worked up a sweat getting around with it.
- At a minimum, any laptop you choose should have 16 GB ram! Higher ram allows your computer to process and handle multitasking on various programs quickly.
- Last but not least, our MacBook Pro recommendation will require you to look at software compatibility with macOS. Some software that is not compatible may also be downgraded or lack plugin support.
Specs to Consider!
CPU is the most important part of a laptop. The better the CPU, the faster your computer is at handling 3D modeling and Adobe programs. At a minimum, you will need a 4-core processor with at least a 2.4 GHz clock speed. We recommend at least a 6-core processor to handle multi-threaded architecture tasks.
A dedicated graphics card is a must for architecture. Many architecture programs such as Rhino and Revit use GPU hardware acceleration to obtain the best performance results. We recommend an Nvidia or AMD Radeon card with at least 4 GB of VRAM.
Random Access Memory (RAM) is used for storing temporary files to be accessed by the CPU. Itâs a critical component as it dictates how many programs your laptop can run at one time. Adobe programs, Rhino, and V-Ray all use a lot of ram, so we recommend at least 16 GB on your laptop.
HDD vs. SSD
- An SSD is much faster and more expensive than an HDD. We recommend purchasing a laptop with enough SSD space for the OS and your architecture programs and then purchase an external HDD to store your files.
Size
- The size of the drive should also be on your mind. Architecture requires a lot of space to store stuff like 3D models and Photoshop files. You could either opt for a 1TB drive, or you can go with the minimum and purchase an external drive to store your projects.
Beyond the internal components, you should also be wary of the ports on a laptop. For example, having another screen to multitask can help boost productivity. Look for HDMI, DisplayPort, or Thunderbolt 3 ports if you plan on connecting your laptop to a secondary monitor. And if you take a lot of pictures, an SD card slot is something to consider.
These days, almost all screens use an IPS panel known for its dynamic color and contrast. That will give you adequate color accuracy for your fancy drawings and renderings. If you have extra money lying around, a 4K screen will look the best and have the best color accuracy. An opposing sentiment disregarding 4k screens on laptops can be that screens are too small to appreciate the details, and they take up a lot of graphic resources. Keep your budget and priorities in line with you!
Surprisingly, not many people consider the battery life when choosing a laptop. But to be fair, most of the time, it will be plugged in while you are working at home or at the studio. We donât recommend working on battery power, as it will limit the power input and thus lower the laptop’s performance.
Laptops
For those who desire the aesthetic quality of a MacBook but want a Windows device, the Razer Blade is your answer. It is probably one of the best laptops you can buy right now with its matte black CNC aluminum body available with the new 11th Gen Intel Core H Series processor and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 30 Series GPUs for the most powerful gaming laptop graphics ever. Another thing to note is that Razer calibrates their displays before shipping to get good color accuracy.
Alienwareâs most thin and powerful 15-inch gaming laptop ever. Now with the option for up to 10th Gen Intel CPU & NVIDIA GeForce RTX 30-series graphics. Weighing in as low as 4.65 lbs., under 20.5mm thin, 360.3mm wide, and 276.2mm long, the Alienware m15 is lean and powerful. Designed from the ground up, the m15 features premium magnesium alloy materials that deliver weight savings while reducing the thickness and delivering a stiffer, sturdy chassis – all within a sleek aesthetic.
Dynamic and ready to travel, the pioneering ROG Zephyrus G14 is the world’s most powerful 14-inch Windows 10 Pro gaming laptop. There is no doubt that the Asus G14 is the best value laptop on the market. It boasts an 8-core AMD Ryzen 9 4900HS CPU and potent GeForce RTX 2060 GPU that speeds through everyday multitasking and gaming. Customize your fit with a 120Hz gaming display or high-resolution WQHD panel; both Pantone is validated for superb color accuracy.
Itâs your powerful and elegant next-level companion for on-the-go productivity and creativity, featuring an amazing 4K OLED HDR touchscreen. It also includes the ASUS ScreenPad Plus secondary 4K display with a brand-new tilting design that offers effortless ergonomics and seamless workflows. Powered by up to an Intel Core i9 eight-core processor and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 GPU, ZenBook Pro Duo 15 OLED brings you all the benefits of tomorrowâs technology, today.
GE76 Raider has a unique oblique angled design; it’s not only a sturdy and durable design but also represents a spacecraft soaring swiftly across the universe. The iconic mystic lighting compliments and completes your setup. Equipped with the latest 11th Gen. Intel Core i9 processor, with 8-core and up to 5.0GHz dual-core turbo frequency, the GE76 Raider maximizes efficiency in gameplay, multi-task work, and productivity.
The Legion line-up for Lenovo has been loved by performance seekers for years now. With the all-new AMD Ryzen 5000 H-Series Mobile Processors, you can enjoy the best competitive performance on a thin and light notebook with amazing battery life.
The consensus in the field is to opt for Windows PC, but this is probably the best choice for you if you have to get an Apple product. For working on graphics-intensive projects like 3D rendering or high-end game development, you can supercharge your MacBook Pro with the optional Radeon Pro 5600M. With its 40 compute units and 8GB of High Bandwidth Memory, this powerhouse GPU brings a new level of desktop-class graphics power to MacBook Pro.
You may be tempted to purchase a laptop with the best specifications to âfuture-proof.â However, laptops will only become faster and cheaper at the rate technology is progressing. In a few years, you will probably find your computer not performing up to the same standard as it used to and looking at a replacement. So plan for upgrade and even consider building a desktop PC that can swap out components to really future-proof your workstation. Let us know in the comments if you’d like to see another article about desktop setup.
Well, thatâs all we have for you today, and if youâve made it this far, you deserve a cookie. I hope you found this article interesting and took something from it! Sharing is caring! We hope to provide you with valuable insights and share them with someone who might find this useful. Make sure to follow our Youtube and Instagram for more content!
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