Are you looking for a laptop for AutoCAD? If you’re finding a laptop to run CAD programs, then surely you are prepared with the budget you have to spend on a high-end machine. All professional architects use software like AutoCAD, 3D Max, Revit, and Solidworks. To run such types of heavy applications, you need a high-end configuration laptop that suits your needs.
In this buying guide, we have created a list of best laptops for AutoCAD and 3D modeling with a powerful processor, RAM, high storage and full HD display. So now let’s proceed to the buying guide to finding the best AutoCAD laptops of 2018.
Important things to consider before buying a good laptop for AutoCAD work
As you’re going to spend your hard earned money to buy these high-end laptops, it is important to check a few things in laptop for CAD works. Apart from graphics and processor, you also need to check its RAM, storage, battery, and overall performance so that you’ll get the better user experience for CAD, 2D or 3D modeling work. So, let read them in details…
- Processor – To run AutoCAD, it is necessary to have a fast processor which can run AutoCAD and other related heavy software seamlessly. We recommend you the latest 8th generation Intel Core i7 or i5 processor because they are faster than its predecessors. However, 7the gen Intel’s Core i7 processor is also reliable if you’re on a limited budget.
- Graphics – For AutoCAD, you don’t need a gaming graphics card but a decent graphics card that delivers the smooth workflow while running these applications software. If you’re working with the complex 3D models, a laptop with AMD or Nvidia Quadro GPU series would be wise to spend your money.
- RAM – To run the intensive software, we’d not recommend you to buy anything below 8GB. If you can spend more, try to 16GB or higher RAM, if you are a heavy multitasker and working on 3D modeling and rendering.
- Storage – For AutoCAD, an SSD is highly recommended to make your machine faster and a lot more responsive. You can choose the amount of storage based on your budget and requirements. And, if you don’t have enough money for a high storage SSD, you can buy a laptop with an extra empty slot for it.
- Display – The display is another important factor to consider for AutoCAD laptops. You can not use a laptop with 11″ or 13″ for AutoCAD or 3Ds Modelling. We’d recommend you to go with 15″ or 17″ laptop with 1080p or higher resolution.
Now, you know the important things to check before buying the laptop for yourself. Let’s proceed to the list of the best laptops to run AutoCAD. We’ve listed laptops from $600 to $3000 budget laptops so that you can choose any of them based on your budget.
Top 8 Best Laptops for AutoCAD
1. Acer Aspire E 15 E5-575G-57D4
Acer Aspire E15 is one of the high-end laptops from Acer which is available at an affordable price rate. The laptop features a 15.6-inch full HD display with a resolution of 1920×1080 pixels. With IPS technology, it delivers bright images from a wide viewing angle. The laptop is powered by 8th gen Intel Core i5 processor paired with 8GB of RAM making it good for multitasking.
As far as the storage is concerned, this laptop offers 256GB of solid state drive which is faster than a conventional HDD. The graphics on this laptop is handled by 2GB of NVIDIA GeForce MX150 dedicated graphics which improves the overall performance. The laptop also got a long battery life of 15-hours which makes it capable to most of the demanding task. Overall, the Acer Aspire E 15 is the best budget laptop for CAD and 2D modeling.
Hardware Specifications of Acer Aspire E 15 E5-575G-57D4
Processor 8th Generation Intel Core i5-8250U Processor (Up to 3.4GHz)
RAM 8GB DDR4
Storage 256GB SSD
Display 15.6” Full HD (1920 x 1080) widescreen LED-lit IPS Display
Graphics NVIDIA GeForce MX150 with 2 GB of dedicated GDDR5
Operating System Windows 10
Battery Life Up to 15-hours
Weight 5.27 lbs
Check Price On Amazon2. Apple MacBook Pro (2018 Model)
If you’re a Mac lover and looking for buying the best MacBook for CAD works, we recommend you to check this New MacBook Pro with touch bar. This MacBook Pro comes with all the essential features so that you can use this laptop for AutoCAD, 3Ds Max, Video/Photo editing work etc. It comes with full HD retina display along with the resolution of 2880×1800 pixels. It is powered by the latest 8th gen Intel Core i7 hexacore processor paired with 16GB of RAM to handle multitasking work smoothly.
As far as the graphics on this notebook is concerned, it comes with 4GB of dedicated AMD Radeon Pro 560X graphics which gives you more power, no matter whether you’re doing your AutoCAD work, playing games or watching movies. The laptop weighs only 4 pounds and offers you up to 10 hours of battery backup for continuous usage. Overall, this 15-inch MacBook Pro is ideal for AutoCAD and other CAD works.
Hardware Specifications of Apple 15″ MacBook Pro
Processor 8th Generation Intel 6 Core i7 Processor 2.6GHz (Turbo up to 4.3GHz)
RAM 16GB RAM
Storage 512GB SSD
Display 15.4″ FHD Retina (2880×1800) Display
Graphics AMD Radeon Pro 560X Graphics with 4GB of GDDR5
Operating System Mac OS X – High Sierra
Battery Life Up to 10-hours
Weight 4 lbs
Check Price On Amazon3. DELL PRECISION M5510
Here’s another high-budget laptop for AutoCAD and Solidworks. It’s difficult to beat this high-end laptop in terms of performance, design, and portability. It comes with a very slim design and brushed metal finish which makes it a premium machine. The laptop packs with Intel Xeon E3 1505M v5 quad-core processor, 32GB of RAM and 512GB of fast SSD storage.
To provide a better experience, this laptop offers 2GB of NVIDIA Quadro M1000M dedicated graphics card. The laptop comes with a 15.6-inch full HD display with a resolution of 1920×1080 pixels which is an ideal option for AutoCAD as well as graphics designing. It offers battery backup of 11-hours of normal usage and weighs just 4.4 pounds. If budget is not an issue for you, then Dell Precision M5510 is the best workstation laptop you can buy right now.
Hardware Specifications of DELL PRECISION M5510 Laptop for CAD and SolidWorks
Processor Intel Xeon E3 1505M v5 2.8GHz Processor (Up to 3.4GHz)
RAM 32GB 2133MHz DDR4
Storage 512GB SSD
Display 15.6” FHD IPS 1920×1080 Wide LED Display
Graphics NVIDIA Quadro M1000M 2GB GDDR5
Operating System Windows 10 Professional
Battery Life Up to 11-hours
Weight 4.4 lbs
Check Price On AmazonAlso Read: Best Laptops For Engineering Students
4. HP ZBook Studio x360
The HP ZBook Studio x360 is the best 2-in-1 mobile workstation laptop which is packed with powerful configurations. It is the latest release from HP which keeps the power for doing extensive CAD works on the go. It comes with a 15-inch full HD touchscreen display with Ambient Light Sensor which adjusts brightness automatically depending on the light level.
The laptop is powered by Intel Core i7 8th generation processor paired with 32GB of RAM and massive 1TB of solid state drive. The graphics on this laptop is handled by Nvidia Quadro P1000 with 4GB of dedicated memory. Apart from that, the laptop offers 16-hours of long battery life which makes HP ZBook one of the best laptops for AutoCAD.
Hardware Specifications of HP ZBook Studio x360
Processor 8th Generation Intel Core i7-8750H 6-Core Processor (Up to 4.1 GHz)
RAM 32GB DDR4
Storage 1TB SSD
Display 15.6″ diagonal FHD LED UWVA Touchscreen Ambient Light Sensor (1920×1080) Display
Graphics NVIDIA Quadro P1000 (4 GB GDDR5 dedicated) Graphics
Operating System Windows 10 Professional
Battery Life Up to 16-hours
Weight 4.99 lbs
Check Price On Amazon5. Lenovo ThinkPad P71
Lenovo ThinkPad P71 is one of the best 17-inch workstation laptops you can buy right now. It is a highly recommended laptop for professionals as well as businesspeople who work on highly intensive software like AutoCAD and 3D modeling. The laptop packs with Intel Xeon E3-1505M processor coupled with 32GB of RAM and 512GB of SSD storage.
It also includes Nvidia Quadro P3000 graphics which is highly recommended and specially designed for CAD works only. With 17-inch UHD display, this laptop offers clear and accurate colors with wide-viewing angles. This laptop is also great in terms of battery life which run up to 14.5-hours for continuous usage. However, the laptop weighs 7.3 pounds, which might not be a good choice for you if you’re looking for a portable workstation laptop to run AutoCAD.
Hardware Specifications of Lenovo ThinkPad P71 Laptop CAD, 3D Modeling & Rendering
Processor Intel Xeon E3-1505M 3.0 GHz Quad Core Processor (Turbo up to 4.0 GHz)
RAM 32GB DDR4
Storage 512GB SSD
Display 17.3″ 4K UHD (3840×2160) LED Backlight Display
Graphics NVIDIA Quadro P3000 Graphics with 6GB GDDR5
Operating System Windows 10 Professional
Battery Life Up to 14.25-hours
Weight 7.3 lbs
Check Price On AmazonRelated: Top 10 Best 17 Inch Laptops
6. MSI WE63 Mobile Workstation Laptop
MSI is one of the popular brands in the laptop industry. Whether it’s a gaming laptop or a laptop for Solidworks, MSI remains in top priority of professionals. This MSI WE63 is a high-configuration Workstation laptop powered by Intel 8th gen Core i7 processor paired with 32GB of RAM and 512GB of SSD which helps in faster boot-up times and data access without creating noise.
The laptop has got a 15-inch full HD anti-glare display with 1920×1080 pixels of resolution which gives sharp and beautiful colors. As far as graphics on this laptop are concerned, it comes with 4GB of powerful Nvidia Quadro P2000 dedicated graphics. However, the laptop is a bit heavy with the weight of 8.2 pounds but that doesn’t let its performance down. With 14-hours of long life battery, it’s a great laptop for AutoCAD and 3D modeling work.
Hardware Specifications of MSI WE63 Mobile Workstation Laptop
Processor Intel 8th Gen Core i7-8750H Hexa Core 6-Core Processor (Turbo up to 4.1 GHz)
RAM 32GB DDR4 2400MHz
Storage 512GB SSD
Display 15.6″ Full HD (1920×1080) wide view Anti-glare Display
Graphics NVIDIA Quadro P2000 4GB DDR5 Graphics
Operating System Windows 10 Pro
Battery Life Up to 14-hours
Weight 8.2 lbs
Check Price On AmazonAlso Read: Top 10 Best Gaming Laptops Under $1000
7. Lenovo ThinkPad P51
This is another great laptop from Lenovo ThinkPad series which is slightly cheaper than the previously mentioned Lenovo ThinkPad P71 in this buying guide. This laptop comes with a 15-inch full HD display with a resolution of 1920×1080 pixels making it a reliable laptop for AutoCAD. The laptop is powered by Intel 7th Gen Core i7 Xeon processor that makes it more convenient and efficient for 2D and 3D modeling.
It is also equipped with 32GB of RAM and 512GB of solid state drive which is great for running multiple applications at the same time without any lagging issue. As far as graphics are concerned, it is packed with Nvidia Quadro M1200M graphics with 4GB of dedicated VRAM. The ThinkPad P51 has an ergonomic keyboard with a full array of keys which gives it an excellent feel. All in all, this is the best choice if you are looking for a powerful and budget-friendly laptop for AutoCAD or 3Ds Max work, then Lenovo ThinkPad P51 is an ideal choice for you.
Hardware Specifications of Lenovo ThinkPad P51 Laptop
Processor 7th Gen Intel Quad-Core i7-7700HQ Processor 2.80GHz (Turbo up to 3.80GHz)
RAM 32GB DDR4
Storage 512GB SSD
Display 15.6” Full HD (1920×1080) IPS Display
Graphics NVIDIA Quadro M1200M 4GB
Operating System Windows 10 Professional
Battery Life Up to 13.2 hours
Weight 5.9 lbs
Check Price On AmazonAlso Read: Top 10 Best Gaming Laptops Under $2000
8. MSI WE72 Workstation Laptop
This is another great 17-inch workstation laptop in our list which is packed with Intel 7th generation Core i7 processor with clock speed boost up to 3.8GHz. It also features 32GB of RAM and Nvidia Quadro M2200 graphics makes it a powerful machine for CAD works. For storage, this laptop offers 512GB of massive solid state drive storage which boots your laptop fast and stores your all the data and files.
Apart from this, it comes with a 17-inch full HD anti-glare display which gives you a better and flawless visual experience in a large display. The laptop also offers an RGB color backlit keyboard which allows you to play games with customizable keys. Moreover, this laptop offers a long lasting battery backup of 14-hours which lets you stay productive for a long time without worrying about its charging. Overall, MSI WE72 is a great laptop to run all CAD softwares including Adobe Creative Suite, Rhino, AutoCAD, Revit, etc.
Hardware Specifications of MSI WE72 Mobile Workstation Laptop For Auto CAD & 3D Modeling
Processor Intel 7th Gen Core i7-7700HQ Processor (Turbo up to 3.8 GHz)
RAM 32GB DDR4 2400MHz
Storage 512GB SSD
Display 17.3″ Full HD (1920×1080) Anti-glare IPS Display
Graphics NVIDIA Quadro M2200 4GB DDR5 Graphics
Operating System Windows 10 Pro
Battery Life Up to 14-hours
Weight 5.95 lbs
Check Price On AmazonPicking the one ‘best laptop for CAD’ would be unviable. It all depends on your own experience and usage whether a machine is best fit for you or not. With a premium display, high-end graphics, fast processor, it perfectly sums up what best laptops for AutoCAD should offer.
We think our short review of the best workstation laptops will help you to find the best machine. If you still need any suggestions or guidance related to the laptops, feel free to ask and leave a comment below.