Budget Laptop For 3d Modeling

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Buying a laptop for general productivity is easy, but when you're buying a laptop for CAD and 3D modeling, the process takes an entirely different turn. You have to weigh in which software you work with and what specs you'll need based on that. Some design programs need more RAM and CPU. Others need a powerful GPU for rendering.

Best Laptops for CAD and 3D Modeling Reviewed

Laptops have become considerably more powerful over the past years and are now a completely viable option for designers. In fact, workstation laptops are now one of the best solutions for engineers and architects.

We've reviewed what we consider the best laptops for CAD and 3D modeling available right now. Before we get to the reviews, be sure to make the following considerations when purchasing your product.

Things You Need to Consider Before Buying

Processor

While AMD has made a massive return to form in the desktop CPU department, Intel still dominates the laptop market with its 8^th Generation processors being ubiquitously available. Even though Intel is quite behind in desktop multithreading technology when compared to AMD, their omnipresence in the laptop niche means it's all the users have to choose from.

Many of the modern Core i7 processors in current laptops for CAD and 3D modeling have 6 core processors with multithreading capability. Thankfully, companies like AutoDesk, ANSYS, and others have been regularly upgrading their design software to take the best use of multi-core systems, particularly for rendering tasks.

For this reason, for any CAD designer, we highly recommend a multi-core CPU, ideally the 6-core 8^th Generation Intel Core i7 processors. You can get away with the industry standard 4-core processor as well if your CAD workflow is light to medium. For CPU intensive tasks like simulations on ANSYS, however, you'll best be served with as many cores and threads as possible.

Graphics Card

For CAD designing and 3D modeling, it's important to have a reasonably capable graphics card at hand that can handle the graphics workload. It's hard for a laptop to compete with a full-sized desktop PC in terms of overall performance, and that is even more true for the GPU components.

Nevertheless, GPU technology has become capable enough in modern laptops to render and aid in CAD and 3D modeling effectively. Furthermore, there are many workstation laptops designed specifically for CAD and 3D modeling that utilize workstation and rendering specific graphics cards such as the Nvidia Quadro series.

Modern gaming graphics cards, however, are powerful enough to smoothly run most CAD software like AutoCAD, Maya, CATIA, and Blender provided they aren't throttled by the accommodating CPU unit. We recommend going down the Quadro route if you're involved with complex graphics rendering in programs like SolidWorks and Lumion. For general CAD and 3D Modeling, even an Nvidia GTX 1060 6GB will suffice.

Memory

Memory is often overlooked when individuals buy a laptop for CAD modeling, but it's actually one of the most important components, especially if you deal with large datasets or work on multiple files at once. RAM dictates the concurrent number of datasets that you can have open at any one time, and while this is usually understood as using multiple programs at once, it can also mean how well complex models with multiple members and features load and work in a single program as well.

For 2D CAD modeling, 8GB of DDR4 RAM should suffice. However, if you're heavily involved in 3D modeling, we highly recommend 16GB or greater memory. Higher memory will not make your laptop faster, but it will give your programs more breathing space and allow your computer to handle more data at a given time.

Storage

Storage technology in computers has seen a lot of advancements in recent times, and it's translated into faster, more stable, and more reliable storage. The traditional option of a mechanical hard drive is still commonly found in beefy workstation laptops, as often some of the larger CAD files can take up your disk space surprisingly well.

However, SSDs – particularly NVMe SSDs – are the gold standard you should be aiming for. Many laptops pair a very beefy mechanical hard drive with several terabytes of storage space with a smaller solid state drive that is either a SATA III SSD or a PCIe NVMe m.2 SSD. We recommend going for this conversation if you work with large files and complex CAD designs.

If you work with smaller files though, we recommend going flash memory only. A 512GB NVMe PCIe SSD in a slim laptop will not only make the laptop more portable faster with loading times, but it will also be kinder on its battery, as mechanical drives take up plenty of juice to spin their discs.

Regardless of what you opt for, we recommend installing your OS and CAD software on the SSD for the fastest loading times.

Portability

If you work on a desk, you can afford to get a beefy laptop with a very large screen and just use that. However, portability is one of the core reasons for investing in a laptop in the first place. Thankfully, there are some great options available for users seeking a balance between portability and power out there.

Generally, portable laptops will come without a hard drive and a smaller battery to make them easier to maneuver. Higher portability also comes with an increased cost, because manufacturers often have to take creative and expensive measures to cram in so much computing power in a lightweight and portable solution.

Best Overall

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Best Overall

MSI WE63

The MSI WE63 is a powerful laptop for CAD designers and 3D modelers that comes with a 6-core 8^th Generation Intel Core i7 and an Nvidia Quadro P2000 4GB workstation graphics card.

From both the specs sheet and design perspective, the MSI WE63 is our favorite laptop for CAD and 3D modeling. It has a slim design for just how much it packs, and it is a powerhouse with various customization options for those looking for even faster storage.

CPU: Intel Core i7-8750H
Display: 6" 1920×1080
Memory: 16GB DDR4
Storage: 1TB HDD + 256GB NVMe SSD
GPU: Nvidia Quadro P2000 4GB
OS: Windows 10 Pro
Weight: 05lbs

The W series of MSI's impressive lineup of high-end laptops is dedicated to bring the best mobile workstations out there. We're huge fans of the work MSI has done in the laptop department in the past few years, and the WE63 is a great indicator of just how good the company is working with top of the line components.

The WE63 features the powerful Intel Core i7-8750H with six cores for great multicore performance in advanced CAD software that make the best use of it. The processor is clocked at 2.2GHz base speed, but certain cores can boost all the way up to 4.1GHz when required. 3D modeling of even the most complex designs shouldn't be a problem thanks to the 16GB of RAM. You can also choose to buy the MSI WE63 in a 32GB version if you feel like your work will require more physical memory.

One of the greater aspects of the MSI WE63 is that it features the Nvidia Quadro P2000. This definitely isn't the most powerful mobile workstation graphics card, but for the price you have to pay for this laptop, it's a fantastic offering that should have your back in all but the most graphic-intensive tasks. You shouldn't expect to game on this laptop, however.

From a design point, there really isn't much to say about this laptop. It has the distinct MSI look to it, but it succeeds in being surprisingly slim despite packing so much firepower. The 15.6" full HD display has a 94% wide-view NTSC color, and the display has a matte finish to reduce glare. We do wish it would have a glossier finish for better color replication, which is important for designers who work extensively with colors and textures. For most engineers and architects though, this shouldn't be a worry.

When it comes to ports, the MSI WE63 features two USB 3.1 Gen 1 ports, a single USB 3.1 Gen 2 Type-A port, and a single USB 3.1 Gen 2 Type-C port. For display connectivity, you have an HDMI port that supports the 4K resolution at 60Hz, as well as a mini DisplayPort. This laptop also features a Gigabit Ethernet port and separate ports for mic-in and audio out. Finally, there's also an SD card reader to make use of.

There's very little wrong with the MSI WE63, both in terms of performs and specs. The battery of this laptop is a little disappointing, but that's to be expected given how powerful it is and how slim its design is. We highly recommend it for anyone looking for a reliable workstation laptop for CAD designer who isn't concerned too much about battery life.

Runner Up:

HP ZBook 15v G5

CPU: Intel Core i7-8750H
Display: 6" 1920×1080
Memory: 16GB DDR4
Storage: 256GB NVMe SSD
GPU: Nvidia Quadro P600 4GB
OS: Windows 10 Pro
Weight: 72lbs

The HP ZBook 15v G5 is a great and cheaper alternative to the MSI WE63. It does however have a bulkier design and doesn't quite offer the same graphical prowess or generous number of ports, which is why it comes as a close second.

Amazon / $1349 Buy

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Best Value for Money

ThinkPad X1 Extreme Gen 2 Laptop

Lenovo has been the first preference of people in the business sector for far too long. With safety encryptions that come with the processing power of a 9th Generation Intel CPU, this laptop is a smart choice for a workstation.

The Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Xtreme Gen 2 laptops are one of the best workstations, of which the lowest variant of the laptop has an NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 Max-Q 4GB, a 9th Generation Intel Core i5 CPU, long and strong battery life of 12+ hours and a 4k OLED display. All of that at an affordable price tag!

When it comes to workstations, you can never go wrong with Lenovo. The ThinkPad series has been a huge success as a workstation with people who need to carry work with them home. The lowest variant of the ThinkPad X1 Xtreme Gen 2 laptop has a 4-core 9th Generation i5, with 2.4 GHz clock speed and a boosted clock of 4.1 GHz. With the multicore count, you can multitask and even perform your CAD operations smoothly.

Having the graphics support of an NVIDIA Geforce GTX 1650 Max-Q 4GB, your 3-D rendering will go smoothly without any hitches. The GTX 1650 Max-Q easily overpowers the GTX 1050 Ti and is one of the best laptop GPU for a work station. Meaning not only does it support 3-D modeling better than most laptops out there, but it also makes this workstation ideal for high-resolution video rendering and editing.

While it has a medium tier graphics card, it also sports a 4k OLED display. This enables you to have the best graphical experience and actually is a great choice for utilizing the potential of the graphics card. It has a 256 GB PCIe SSD, which means that loading time is much shorter than normal. It also enables this laptop to write data at incredible speeds.

The laptop has 2 Thunderbolt 3 ports, which support up to 40 GBPS transfer speed. It also has ThinkPad Thunderbolt 3 dock support making data transfer extremely fast while simultaneously charging your devices. Having 40 GBPS transfer speeds to transfer those large CAD, 3-D modeling and video rendering files was never easier. Everyone gets tired of how long it takes these files to transfer since they have such a huge GB count. But with the dock support, you are set to transfer files without the hassle of waiting too long, making the ThinkPad Thunderbolt 3 dock a really good investment as well.

All in all this laptop is a great choice and has amazing functionality since it has a long battery life of up to 12 to 14 hours, you are not bound by a cord when working with this workstation. If you plan on getting the 4k IPS display, the battery still easily runs for up to 6 to 7 hours. The laptop sports a carbon fiber texture which gives it a pretty sporty look for a workstation. ThinkPad laptops have always been great when it comes to the workstations, but the X1 Xtreme Gen 2 laptop, it definitely gives you the value for what it's worth.

Runner Up:

Lenovo ThinkPad P1 Gen 2

While both these laptops do not have much difference other than the graphics card, the Lenovo ThinkPad P1 Gen 2 is a good alternative for the ThinkPad X1 Xtreme Gen 2. Both these have almost the same specs and price tag, just the only difference between them is while the X1 Gen 2 has an NVIDIA GTX 1650 Max-q 4GB card, the P1 has an NVIDIA Quadro T1000 or T2000 depending on the variant you choose. The Quadro series of graphics card is not a great card for the gaming experience, however, it performs flawlessly for work-related tasks that require some graphical power.

Amazon / $1,899.99 Buy

Best Portable Solution

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Best Portable Solution

Microsoft Surface Book 2

The Microsoft Surface Book 2 features incredible battery life, a powerful combination of central and graphics processing, and a gorgeous 3:2 display. It is one of the most portable power-house laptops, and its convertible laptop-tablet hybrid design makes it useful for most 2D and 3D designers.

The Microsoft Surface Book 2 is one of the most powerful ultra-portable laptops in the market right now. Add to that the great optional purchase of the Surface Pen and you have a complete designer's laptop in your hands.

CPU: Intel Core i7-8650U
Display: 15" 3240×2160
Memory: 16GB
Storage: 256GB/512GB/1TB NVMe SSD
GPU: Nvidia GeForce GTX 1060 6GB
OS: Windows 10 Pro
Weight: 20lbs

Microsoft's Surface Book 2 is often considered a luxury laptop, but it's perhaps the best laptop for any designer who is on the road often. This laptop is loaded specs-wise, but it's the form factor and the incredible battery life that make it such an appealing purchasing.

The hybrid design means you can use this laptop as a standalone, fully functional tablet with Windows 10 Pro like Microsoft's own Surface tablets. However, because of the full form factor, you can seamlessly go back to using it as a regular laptop with touch function capability.

While in tablet mode, the gains with this laptop are simply tremendous. The Surface Book 2 is arguably the best laptop in the world when it comes to battery life. Rated at a jaw-dropping 17 hours of battery life, you can expect to get real-world battery times close to 15 hours, which is significantly more than any other laptop can offer.

The Microsoft Surface Book 2 is loaded with the Nvidia GeForce GTX 1060 6GB graphics card. Which is one of the best laptop GPU for a workstation. This makes it a viable machine for gaming, but more importantly plays a significant role in 3D modeling and CAD design software. Not only that, but the powerful GPU also makes it the best laptop for designers as well.

Of course, it's still not going to be as powerful as some of the beefier workstation laptops on this list when it comes to CAD and 3D modeling, primarily because of the quad-core Core i7-8659U. The U series of Intel CPUs is designed for Ultrabooks, with lower clock speeds that ensure the laptop can be designed slim and portable without thermal issues.

If you can purchase the Surface Pen with this laptop, the experience is enhanced even further. Surface Pen has a lot of application in 2D and 3D modeling as well as presentations, and we love how it easily sticks to the side of the laptop. Combine that with the sensational 3:2 high-resolution screen and you get one of the best stylus and touchscreen combinations in existence right now.

Runner Up

Razer Blade 15

CPU: Intel Core i7-8750H
Display: 6" 1920×1080 @ 144Hz
Memory: 16GB DDR4
Storage: 256GB/512GB NVMe SSD
GPU: Nvidia RTX 2060 6GB / RTX 2070 / RTX 2080
OS: Windows 10 Pro
Weight: 63lbs

The Razer Blade 15 Advanced with Nvidia RTX graphics is a phenomenal power house and the world's thinnest gaming laptop. It doubles exceptionally as a designer's laptop due to its sheer power. However, it doesn't quite have the same screen, the versatility, or the battery life (6 hours vs 17 hours) as the Surface Book 2 despite costing more.

Amazon / $2200 Buy

Best MacBook for CAD

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Best MacBook for CAD

Apple MacBook Pro 15 Touch Bar

The Apple MacBook Pro 15 can come equipped with an extremely powerful Core i9 and spec'ed out beyond comprehension. It's the most powerful portable offering within Apple's ecosystem to date and ideal for those who prefer to do their designing on Mac OS.

The Apple MacBook Pro 15 with Core i9 offers extreme power with an operating system adored for how well it is streamlined.

CPU: Intel Core i9 @ 2.9GHz
Display: 4" 2880×1800
Memory: 16GB
Storage: 256GB/512GB/1TB NVMe SSD
GPU: Radeon Pro 560X / Vega 16 / Vega 20 4GB
OS: macOS
Weight: 02lbs

Before we start talking about the Apple MacBook Pro 15, let's address the elephant in the room first. It's no secret that when it comes to CAD and 3D modeling, Windows PC is simply more capable. Software such as AutoCAD, Revit, CATIA, SolidWorks, and others are more streamlined for Windows systems. Many of these programs are available for macOS, but they don't quite operate on the same level or offer the same advanced functionality.

That said, many still prefer the streamlined macOS and opt to run highly specific programs that are compatible with the operating system. If you fall in that category, there isn't much that can top the Apple MacBook Pro 15. The design is as Apple-esque as ever, with a great balance between portability and performance, and a sensational battery life that can keep it running for up to 9-10 hours.

The laptop isn't without its flaws though. It's expensive, it has thermal throttling and heating issues, and it doesn't quite have the best keyboard. However, on paper and in performance it is an absolute powerhouse. It's also one of the very few laptops in existence to feature an Intel Core i9 processor. The MacBook Pro 15 is generally notorious for throttling with the Core i9 underperforming severely in specific tasks, it is perfectly capable in less intensive CAD design software and 3D modeling.

The laptop also pairs its power with an incredible display, backed with powerful GPU options if you choose to avail them. The higher clock speeds of the Core i9 add a significant bonus to rendering, especially when combined with the Vega GPUs.

There isn't much competition for the Apple MacBook Pro 15 within its own lineup. One could argue that the smaller 13-inch version offers better value and portability, and while that's true, you can't beat the 15-inch version in-terms of raw power.