Given the avalanche of requests, we have finally decided to update the article with the current content and the final table of recommended equipment. I hope it will be very useful for you.
If you have come this far, it is because you are an architect or architecture student, and the time has come to Best Laptops for Architects.
A few months ago, having coffee with some colleagues, one said that he wanted to buy a new computer and had no idea what features it had to have to use it with Revit and calculate structures—seeing the faces of the rest.
And it is supposed to be our main work tool, on which we are more or less productive and with which we materialize all our brilliant ideas. This made me think that perhaps it would be useful to make guide other architects in the same situation.
Do I buy a cheap one and go throwing? Is it worth paying a little more? Do I switch to Apple? Or maybe it’s not worth thinking about this much and buying whatever the seller recommends?
I have been asking myself this same thing (and a thousand other things) during the last few months.
I have searched and searched, read dozens of posts, received recommendations from experts, and made price comparisons until, finally, I have it clear. I already know how the ideal computer should be for an architect.
After 10 years of working on a fairly regular basis with computers and trying almost everything, I realized that saving a few euros on certain things is not worth it. But spend them on others either.
So, in this article, I will tell you what you have to pay attention to when you buy your next computer and how you have to do it so that it is as cheap as possible.
Let’s go there and know the Best Laptops for Architects.
Architecture is a multidisciplinary profession in which you need to work with very different software: design, calculation, estimates, BIM, modeling, and documents (one gets tired just reading it). So our new supermachine will have to be able to move all that with enough ease so that we don’t despair. There are no computers created especially for architects if anyone doesn’t know. We are not so important, but we can know, according to their characteristics, if they will be useful to us or not in our work.
What do I have to look for when buying the Best Laptops for Architects?
The processor
The CPU, processor, or whatever you want to call it, is one of the main components of a computer. It is made on a chip that contains millions of logic components where calculation operations are performed.
This chapter is easy, and there is little doubt about it. My recommendation is a processor of the highest possible power and preferably INTEL. The ideal right now would be the i7.
Why Intel? Because after many years of working with many computers, my conclusion is that they are less problematic and have better performance.
This does not mean that you rule out other brands, such as AMD; it is simply the one that I would choose based on my experience with different brands.
RAM
RAM is the component where both the data and the programs that the CPU is processing or will process at a given time are temporarily stored.
When we have a program open, it is temporarily stored in RAM.
The RAM will give you render stability. When you have a complex scene in terms of polygons and materials, the RAM will support this load of information. If the RAM collapses, it will cause the render to hang, and you will not be able to render (there are always tricks, but they are not infallible)
To clarify, this is the memory that allows us to perform several processes simultaneously in a fluid way. It is an important part of our team that will save us a lot of time, so the more you have, the better, but always look for a balance with its price.
From 8Gb, you can work well, although 16GB or more of RAM would be recommended in our equipment.
Graphics card
The graphics card for an architecture professional is important but not vital.
I explain. We are not going to play ultramodern games in which very powerful graphics cards are necessary; we are going to limit ourselves to modeling buildings in 3D, making use of BIM, and in specific cases rendering 3D images, The computer uses the processor more than the graphics card for all these cases. It is often a mistake to think that to model and render; we need the use of the graphics card: it is rendered with the processor, not with the graphics card.
The graphics card will give you fluidity at work; when you model, you can move fluidly and normally.
My first recommendation, of course, is the cards from Nvidia’s Quadro range, but they have the small problem that they cost an arm and a leg, so we would move on to the Nvidia Gforce cards, which, although they are not designed for the same functions, behave very well.
It would be nice to have at least 2 GB of dedicated GPU for smooth processing.
Screen
Any computer below a minimum resolution of 1920×1080 is of no interest to us.
If you work many hours, they must have a matte screen, that is, without reflections. This will prevent your eyes from getting so tired, and you will see the screen better with changes in light. It is not something that cannot solve with a specific matte film for the screen.
And finally, if your computer is going to be for work, I would choose a screen size of no less than 17″ unless you plan on having a separate support monitor. You are going to be an architect, and therefore you will need a screen as large as possible because you are going to have several programs open simultaneously and take data from one and the other.
Those with more experience will surely understand me perfectly.
HDD
You have to use an SSD drive. There is nothing more to say on this topic. If you don’t have it installed, you’re already late.
I would almost dare to say that of all the computer components, this is perhaps the one that gives the average user the most sense of speed.
Compared to HDDs, SSDs have no moving parts, are faster in reading and writing speed, consume less, fail less, make less noise, and emit less heat. In short, as you can see, all advantages.
They are a little more expensive than the traditional ones, but they are worth it.
If it exceeds your budget (high-capacity SSDs are still a bit expensive), we can install two disks:
1 SSD disk of about 120 GB for the operating system
1 HDD disk of 1TB to use as storage
Battery
You have to be aware that the manufacturer’s instructions in this regard are never usually met, so apply a more realistic correction coefficient to the autonomy time indicated by the machine.
On the other hand, you should analyze your needs in this regard since if you are almost always going to have it connected to the mains, the battery may not be so important.
Keyboard
A chiclet (or chocolate) type keyboard, those with the “rubber touch.” They are more pleasant to use and possibly faster.
USB ports and connections
I would consider a minimum of 3 USB connections, one for the mouse, yes or yes, and another two to connect a USB key and another accessory such as a mobile phone or similar if they can be better.
And what about the card reader? A slot for SD cards for photos or data is enough. If you occasionally need another input, you can always solve it with a temporary adapter.
Video Outputs
It must have at least one video output to connect to another monitor because if you have already worked on this, you will know that productivity increases enormously and is infinitely more comfortable with two screens. Anyway, almost every team now has one.
This is all very well, but I’m not a technology freak, and I want to buy a good computer to do my job.
I know, and if you’re thinking this, don’t feel bad about it. The weird one is me. You belong to the 80% of architects who do not pay much attention to these issues. Not everyone likes technology.
For this reason, I have done all the selection work for you so that you only have to choose the one you like the most. You will go to a static shot without errors or doubts. Any of these computers that we offer you fits perfectly in any average architecture studio.
The balance between price and performance has been valued, that is, that you have the best laptop for architect for the lowest possible price.
