Are you planning to use Auto-CAD to create 3D models? AutoCAD is processor intensive. It also requires the best graphics available. In fact, a laptop that would be considered good for gaming will be a good option for 3D modeling with CAD. To be on the safe side, choose a laptop with Quadro graphic card from Nvidia or get Firepro from AMD. These two graphics cards are designed for CAD and 3D modeling.
You also need a good CPU. A good processor should be at least Intel Core i5, i7 or Xeon. A quad-core processor is better than a dual-core processor. You can work with a laptop with 8GB RAM but in the future, you should consider upgrading to at least 16GB for smooth running. Again, go for a laptop with a solid state drive, SSD, for faster data transfer and HDD for data storage.
To run CPU throttling software like Solidworks and AutoCAD, you’ll need processors such as Intel Xeon and AMD Radeon Pro.
But can’t you run AutoCAD or Solidworks on a normal intel i5 or i7 laptop? Yes, you can. They are the budget choice laptops aimed at students and buyers on a budget. Confused as to which laptop you should pick for CAD?
In today’s article, we’ll be discussing the best laptops for CAD in 2024. The laptops discussed today will have something for everyone. So let’s begin!
Acer Aspire 5
The Acer Aspire 5 is a brilliant laptop for CAD users. Not only is it powerful, it also comes at a reasonable price.
Let’s begin by discussing the performance unit. The Acer Aspire 5 has the 8th Generation Intel Core i7-8565u Processor. The processor can be overclocked up to 4.6GHz. It also has an NVIDIA GeForce MX250 with 2 GB of dedicated GDDR5 VRAM. Rest assured you won’t need to worry about underwhelming performance.
The next most important thing to discuss is the speed of this laptop. Though it isn’t as fast as some of the workstations, at the same time it’s faster than the majority of the laptops. The Acer Aspire 5 has a 512GB PCIe NVMe SSD. On top of that, the 8GB DDR4 Memory ensures a lag-free experience.
Finally, we have the display. We’ll be honest here, it isn’t as premium as some of the other laptops on this list but it’s good enough. The Acer Aspire 5 comes with 15.6″ Full HD widescreen IPS display with 1920 x 1080 max resolution. Finally, you’ll get up to 9 hours of battery life on a full charge. That’s enough to go through the day.
However, the webcam isn’t that great. And the overall build quality isn’t the best.
Overall, the Acer Aspire 5 is the best budget option laptop for CAD. It provides solid value for money.
Pros
- The 8th Generation Intel Core i7-8565u Processor is pretty fast for the price spent.
- The NVIDIA GeForce MX 250 2 GB GPU performs spectacularly while running graphics consuming software.
- The 512GB PCIe NVMe SSD has super-fast writing speed.
- An 8GB DDR4 RAM provides lag-free UI.
- The 15.6″ Full HD widescreen IPS display provides vibrant visuals.
- Decent 9.5 hour battery life.
Cons
- Build quality isn’t the best.
- Webcam needs improvement.
Lenovo ThinkPad P53s
From the best budget option, we’re now into the best Workstation. The Lenovo ThinkPad P53s comes with pretty ridiculous specs. Let us give you a hint of how ridiculous the specs can be. You can choose up to 2 TB storage and 40GB RAM.
As it’s a workstation, it’s bound to have super high specs. The Lenovo ThinkPad P53s comes with a quad-core 8th gen Intel Core i7-8565U Processor with 8MB smart cache. The base clock speed on this laptop is 1.8GHz and it can be overclocked up to 4.60 GHz.
Let’s get to the most interesting part now, shall we? The Lenovo ThinkPad P53s has a base RAM and storage of 16GB RAM and 256GB PCIe SSD respectively. However, there are a lot of versions to choose from and the highest version comes with 40GB RAM and 2TB PCIe SSD.
Though the display is great, it isn’t the best. The Lenovo P53s comes with a 15.6 inch diagonal Full HD display. Though it’s sufficient for CAD, at this price range no 4K is a bummer. However, the NVIDIA Quadro P520 2GB GDDR5 GPU does an exceptional job of rendering graphics. The battery life of 8 hours is alright too.
If you want to discuss issues, there are a few. It’s pretty overweight so that isn’t much of a portable option. The webcam is pretty average too.
Overall, The Lenovo ThinkPad P53s was designed for doing CAD. There isn’t a better workstation than this currently.
Pros
- The quad-core 8th gen Intel Core i7-8565U Processor is strong and fast.
- Up to 40GB RAM and 2TB PCIe SSD RAM and storage.
- Vibrant 15.6 inches diagonal Full HD display.
- NVIDIA Quadro P520 2GB GDDR5 GPU renders graphics flawlessly.
- The 8-hour battery life is sufficient for working through the day.
- Overclockable up to 4.60 GHz.
Cons
- Not a portable option.
- Webcam quality is average.
Acer Predator Helios 300
If you’re a gamer who’s looking for a suitable laptop for CAD then there isn’t a better choice than the Acer Predator Helios 300. For the best performance, we’ll be taking a look at the 16 GB RAM and 512GB storage version.
Let’s begin with the processor. The Helios 300 is equipped with a 9th Gen Hexacore Intel Core i7-9750H. The clock speed can be overclocked up to 4.5 GHz. Meanwhile, NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 Ti GPU perfectly renders any visuals on screen.
This laptop never lags. That statement should be enough to point out how fast it is. The Acer Helios 300 comes with a superfast 16 GB DDR4 2666MHz RAM and 512GB PCIe NVMe SSD storage.
Finally, we’ve got the display. And as it’s primarily a gaming laptop, the visuals are stunning. It comes with a 15.6″ Full HD Widescreen IPS display. However, battery life at 4.5 hours is mediocre. You’ll have to plug it in at least twice if you’re having a busy day.
Overall, the Acer Predator Helios 300 is the perfect laptop for a gamer who uses CAD. Though the battery life is minuscule, you can plug it in anytime you want.
Pros
- The 9th Gen Hexa-Core Intel Core i7-9750H Processor is more than capable of doing CAD and gaming.
- The affordable price range for a laptop that has dual usability.
- The 16 GB DDR4 2666MHz Memory ensures a lag-free user experience.
- Solid 512GB of PCIe NVMe SSD.
- 144 Hz fluid Display
- The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 Ti can not only handle the latest games but it’s also perfect for CAD.
Cons
- At 4.5 hours, battery life isn’t the best.
- Overweight.
Microsoft Surface Book 3
If you’re looking for a laptop that can run CAD and can also be used as a tablet, there isn’t a better one than the Microsoft Surface Book 3. According to Microsoft, it’s their most versatile and powerful surface laptop released to date.
As we’re choosing only the best laptops, we’ll be discussing the 15’’ variant. Its processor is a top tier one. The 10th Gen Intel Core i7-1035G7 quad-core processor is by far the strongest and fastest processor on this list. Pair that with the Nvidia GeForce GTX 1660 Ti with Max-Q GPU and you’ll be all set for the next couple of years.
In terms of speed, Surface Book 3 is really fast. It comes equipped with 32GB RAM and 512GB SSD so you need not worry about your laptop stuttering while handling CPU and GPU throttling work.
The display is aspiring and stunning. The 15-inch display has a max resolution of 3240 x 2160. The display also has a high PPI of 260. Finally, it has the pixel sense technology which enhances pixels for better visuals. The battery of this laptop will last an entire day as it has 17.5 hours of battery backup on a full charge.
The only complaint we have is that there aren’t any Thunderbolt 3 port support.
Overall, the Surface Book 3 is the latest laptop with the best specs. It doesn’t have any major flaws and you should go for it.
Pros
- Super strong 10th Gen Intel Core i7-1035G7 quad-core processor.
- The Nvidia GeForce GTX 1660 Ti with Max-Q GPU handles graphics-heavy tasks with ease.
- Superfast user experience with the 32GB RAM and 512GB SSD.
- The 15-inch display with pixel sense technology provides lifelike visuals.
- Futureproof laptop.
- With 17.5 hours of backup on a full charge, the battery lasts an entire day easily.
Cons
- Very Expensive.
- Lacks Thunderbolt 3 port support.
MacBook Pro
If you aren’t fond of Windows laptops, you can always opt for the Macbooks! Though there is a new model of MacBook in 2024, we still believe that the MacBook Pro has better specs and offers better value.
So as always, let’s start with the processor. The MacBook Pro comes with a Ninth-generation Hexa Core Intel Core i7 Processor. Combine that with the AMD Radeon Pro 5300M GPU and you have the best CPU and GPU combination on the market.
Next, we’ve got the storage and RAM. You can pick from either 512GB or 1TB SSD options. There’s also an 8 GB GDDR6 VRAM that goes along with the processor to ensure a fast and smooth user experience. As for the display, it’s a diagonal 16.0-inch Retina display with IPS technology. There’s nothing more to say here as MacBook always has the best visuals.
The RAM and Storage are upgradeable too. You can upgrade them to 64GB RAM and 8TB SSD storage. This is the most amount of storage and RAM by any laptop currently. This laptop is suitable for workaholics as well. You will get up to 12 hours of backup if charged fully.
Overall, there aren’t many laptops that can handle CAD tasks as easily as the MacBook Pro. We recommend it.
Pros
- The Ninth-generation Hexa Core Intel Core i7 Processor provides a really good service of being fast and strong.
- The AMD Radeon Pro 5300M GPU renders graphics well.
- Has future upgradability as RAM can be upgraded to 64GB and storage up to 8TB.
- Premium design.
- Superfast.
- 16-inch vibrant Retina Display.
Cons
- A bit expensive
MSI GL72
MSI designs laptops for gaming and for design. MSI is ISV certified making it one of the popular brands in engineering work. The GL62 6QF sports an Intel Core i7 processor, 12GB RAM, and 120GB SSD. This makes it a powerful laptop for CAD and other AutoDesk apps. This is made even better by Nvidia GTX 960M which enhances great graphics.
Pros
- The GL62 6QF gives you value for money.
- Its large 15.6-inch display allows you to design the minute details of your models.
- The display features a 1920 x 1080 pixels resolution which makes it easy to accommodate different 3D modeling software.
- It comes with the 1TB hard drive to accommodate all your models.
- Other laptops at this price have way less features. The laptop performs excellently even when you are multitasking making it a great choice for different apps.
Cons
- The laptop lacks USB 3.1 C limiting the number of external displays. However, you can still connect it to three monitors via DisplayPort and HDMI.
- While it sports a matte finish display, it is relatively dim and has low contrast.
- Its battery life, is, however, the biggest issue with this laptop – it does not last for more than three hours.
Razor Blade
The Razor Blade is a popular gaming laptop. It is considered as one of the best gaming laptops that one can buy. This is not its only strong suit as this laptop comes as a great desktop replacement when you need to design 3D models. It’s hardware and other components make it a powerful computer.
It is powered by Intel Core i7 with 2.8GHz. This is made even better by Nvidia GeForce GTX 1060 and 16GB RAM. With such a combination of features, this laptop exudes so much power to run any design application smoothly.
Pros
- With a 14-Inch screen, the laptop offers enough size for designers but remains light for on-the-go use.
- Its screen sports a 1920 x 1080 pixels resolution for heavy applications.
- For storage, you get 256 PCIe SSD.
- It offers a long battery life, and with its 4K display option, you get great clarity.
Cons
- The laptop is relatively pricey. Again, its trackpad buttons are not necessary.
MSI WT72 6QL-400US
This is another CAD laptop from MSI. Similar to the GL62 6QF, this is loaded with great features to run heavy AutoCAD programs smoothly. For starters, it runs on Intel Xeon E3-1505M with 2.8GHz. This is boosted by 32GB RAM and 126GB SSD for superfast performance and fast data transfer.
Pros
- The laptop comes preinstalled with Windows 10 to allow you to get started immediately.
- It sports a large 17.3-inch full HD display which is bright and clear.
- The laptop’s graphics are backed by Nvidia Quadro M4000M graphics card.
- Additionally, it features an optical drive and a Thunderbolt port.
- Its full-color backlit keyboard makes it easy to use during the day and at night.
- For storage, you are covered thanks to the 1TB HDD rotating at 7200 RPM.
- It features a strong battery that lasts for more than 8 hours when charged.
Cons
- The laptop weighs 8.9 pounds which is double what others in this category would weigh.
HP Omen Pro L9U78AA#ABA
This is one of the various powerful laptops from HP. It comes stocked with Intel Core i7 processor and 16GB RAM. These two great features alone will make it install and run CAD smoothly. It is made better by a 2GB Nvidia Quadro K1100M GPU. While it does not come with an optical drive, it has all the great features needed for CAD.
Pros
- The laptop is offered with 512GB SSD with Windows 7 Pro pre-installed.
- It comes with a 15.6-inch display that’s both bright and clear.
- The laptop weighs 4.7 pounds making it easy to carry around.
- It performs exemplary when you are multitasking.
- Its battery lasts long, and the laptop sports quality build for durability.
Cons
- The laptop features no optical drive.
- The graphic card is outdated.
MSI WE62 7RJ-1833US
If you need to play games on your laptop beside design 3D models on CAD, this is a great laptop for that. It comes packed with Intel Core i7 processor whose work is made better by the available 32GB RAM and 512GB SSD. The SSD storage enhances booting and also facilitates file transfer and processing. It sports Nvidia Quadro M2200 with a dedicated memory of 4GB.
Pros
- Out of the box, the laptop runs on Windows 10.
- Its 15.6-inch full HD display makes it easy for you to design even the smallest details.
- With TPM technology, the laptop performs even better.
- It comes with DVD R/W and a backlit keyboard.
- You can carry it around thanks to its 5.3-pound weight.
- Being fitted with the latest GPU and a large RAM makes this unit better for CAD.
Con
- The laptop is relatively expensive.
HP OMEN 17t Gaming Laptop
This HP OMEN 17t gaming laptop is an excellent pick as a CAD laptop as it can handle most if not all, CAD-related software, including those that have simulation and when rendering intensive tasks.
Pros
- For immense power and fast processing speed, the machine comes with the 8th Generation Intel Core i7
- It can handle almost any software for CAD including those that require intensive tasks
- Boasts of the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 Graphics Card which also makes it an excellent choice for CAD, gaming and graphic design
- The 17.3-inch screen is Full HD, anti-glare and the display has the NVIDIA G-SYNC technology
- Has a backlit and numeric keypad enabling you to continue working in the dark
- Has Bluetooth and WLAN connectivity
- Has a 16GB RAM, 1TB HDD and 128GB SSD which helps you operate your programs with ease
- Comes already installed with Windows 10
- The wide vision camera is High Definition for when you need to hop onto a video call as well as a dual array microphone that is digital
- Comes with a one-year manufacturer warranty
- Has a sturdy build which means you can use this laptop for years to come as it is durable
Cons
- Doesn’t come with a CD or DVD drive
- It’s quite expensive
Final Thoughts
The primary requirement of a laptop for CAD is for it to have a strong CPU and GPU combination. The laptops we’ve discussed on this list have these.
Each laptop mentioned on this list is great for one other thing besides doing CAD. Choose the one that appeals to you the most and go with it!
There are many more laptops you can choose from. If you are on a budget, choose a computer with inferior features but can still run CAD and other 3D modeling applications, then upgrade later. If you choose to upgrade, only get original parts from the laptop manufacturer. This way, you will not have compatibility problems.