Whether you are an architecture major student or professional architect, you need a powerful workstation that can keep up with the latest designing tools. Architectural design and drafting are mostly done on computers, and that holds high power hardware. Best laptops for architects need such powerful components that can handle all the heavy tasks such as 3D modeling and rendering. You can, of course, work on any laptop, but low processing speed in cheap laptops will make your work lag and take time to get it done. Therefore, it is important to get the laptop made for architecture work.
Such laptops must meet specific requirements and criteria to be able to work smoothly. First, we have set up a buying guide to help you get the best laptops for architects. Next, you will see our top picks for architects, and these laptops are all from major companies and differ in the budget.
1. 2019 Apple MacBook Pro
Most Expensive
Processor:
Processor with Intel Core i7 architecture, generation 9, six cores.
Display:
Stunning Retina Display measuring 16 inches in size, equipped with True Tone, Touch Bar, and Touch ID.
Graphics:
Graphics processing provided by AMD Radeon Pro 5300M with GDDR6 RAM Ultrafast SSD
Intel UHD Graphics 630 System with six speakers and woofers that balance out unwanted bass force.
Ports:
Four Thunderbolt 3 (USB-C) ports.
Battery life:
Battery life of up to 11 hours at a time.
| Pros |
Cons |
- Larger 16-inch display with slimmer bezels.
- Magic Keyboard feels great.
- Best sound ever on a laptop.
- Serious power from 8-core Core i9 CPU.
- Epic battery life of nearly 11 hours.
|
- Display not 4K
- Heavier than the 15-inch MacBook Pro
- No full-size USB port or SD card
|
2. 2018 Dell XPS 9570 Laptop, 15.6"
Design
It has the same standard design as previous XPS models, and the only difference you see is the hardware items. The aluminum chassis stays robust and unbreakable through the years and passes the durability test with a large margin. You see a sleek and minimalistic design that looks classy in their way and stands out from other laptops. XPS 9570 weighs around 4 pounds, which makes it a lightweight laptop and easy to handle.
Display
The amazing display is another premium feature of Dell XPS 9570. It gives perfect performance from resolution to quality. XPS 9570 offers 4K resolution and an OLED display, which makes its price skyrocket. It features thinnest bezels that allow it to adjust a 15-inch widescreen. With 100 percent sRGB color gamut and 400 nits of brightness, the display is vivid, high in colors and brightness. Experience with such a high-quality display is enjoyable not only during work but for entertainment purposes also.
Keyboard & Touchpad
Like the recent XPS laptops, this also features a chiclet-style keyboard with shallow key travel. These keys are flat and evenly sized, which provides a quiet and efficient typing experience. The main feature is backlit, which has an automatic turn off sensor that remains idle for some time. Overall, keyboard ratings have been good and liked by users.
The laptop features an equally wide and spacious touchpad, which is center-aligned. Such a vast size has always been helpful as it keeps fast and efficient. As for the performance, it is entirely responsive to all gestures and works lag-free. Due to the large chassis, you get decent sized and comfortable palm rest.
Performance
When it comes to overall hardware performance, it works like a beast with the fastest components available in the market. It has the fastest processor, 8th Generation Intel Core i7-8750H process, along with massive 32GB DDR4-2666MHz RAM. Both combine give genuinely incredible experience, and professional architects will surely love this workstation.
As for the GPU, the laptop is equipped with NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050Ti with 4GB GDDR5. It works flawlessly and gives the best performance. Lastly, in the hardware section is a storage drive and which is 1TB PCIe Solid State Drive. Such a massive and fastest drive surely costs a lot, and you can see that this laptop is one of the most expensive.
Battery
It easily beats other premium laptops when it comes to power backup. The battery life lasts for around 11 hours straight, with no slowing down in performance. Even with the fastest components, it exceeds the expectation and goes above the average mark.
Ports and Connectivity
Dell keeps the ports section loaded with essentials and stays true to their principle on this laptop too. On one side, it has a USB-A Gen 1 3.1 port, an HDMI 2.0, Thunderbolt 3and 3.5mm headphone jack. While on the other hand, you get an SD card reader, another USB-A 3.1 port, and a LED battery indicator. The wireless connection supports Wi-Fi IEEE 802.11 ac/a/b/n and Bluetooth 4.2
| Pros |
Cons |
- Premium laptop.
- Lightweight.
- Many useful features.
|
|
3. MSI P65 Creator-1084 15.6" 4K UHD Display
Design
MSI P65 has an attractive design with aluminum shell and silver finish and looks pretty rugged. However, the deck is made from plastic, and the surfaces flex if you put extra pressure. The overall design is a pretty sleek and precise cut that pleases on the first look but not lightweight due to hosting high-processing components.
Display
The laptop offers you a 4K resolution display on a 15-inch diagonal screen. It shows pretty sharp, bright, and high contrasting color quality images, and everything stands out of the screen. The matte finish on the screen prevents the light reflection and soreness of the eyes and makes it ideal for working anywhere and anywhere. Not to mention the huge screen which works well in favor of architects who want to design wider space.
Keyboard & Touchpad
Keyboard and touchpad both are well designed and perform up to their mark. Keys have block font, decent travel, and spacing, which all collectively give an efficient experience. Also, it has a backlight with three zones and extra function keys for the user’s ease. It is comfortable and has somewhat clicky feedback. The touchpad is large in terms of width but is shorter in lengthwise and has an embedded fingerprint reader in the corner. Smooth surface lets you glide your finger and tap smoothly, but right-clicking in an awkward press.
Performance
In the hardware section, the laptop has an Intel core i7-9750h 2.6 – 4.5GHz processor, massive 32 GB RAM, GeForce RTX 2060 GPU, and 1 TB SSD as you can judge by the specifications that every task on this laptop runs like a smooth breeze with no bumps on the way. It is the best gaming laptop for architects due to such high specifications and the ability to stay cool under overload, thanks to big vents on each side.
Battery
With high-quality display and powerful components, it is expected that battery life will be short. MSI only offers 4-5 hours of power backup. Despite the high price, they fail to load a larger battery, so you should always have a power cable with you if you do not want your laptop to die mid-work.
Ports and Connectivity
The laptop provides connectivity options in the form of an Ethernet port, three USB-A 3.1 ports, separate audio and mic jack, an HDMI, mini DisplayPort outputs, a Thunderbolt 3 port, and a connector for AC adapter. It covers all the essentials ports except for USB-C, but you get the much better Thunderbolt 3, so there is no loss.
| Pros |
Cons |
- Solid performance.
- Attractive and portable design.
- Great display.
|
|
4. Lenovo ThinkPad P50 20EN0013US 15.6" Laptop
ThinkPad P50, Intel Core i7-6700HQ (2.60GHz, 6MB), 15.6 1920x1080, Windows 7 professional 64 preloaded with downgrade rights in Windows 10 Pro, 8.0GB, 1x500GB SATA III, NVIDIA M1000M, Intel 8260, 720P HD camera, 6 cell li-polymer battery, backlit keyboard, a three-year warranty from the depot.
| Pros |
Cons |
- Great computer keyboard.
- Colorful and vibrant.
- Battery life is long.
|
|
5. ASUS VivoBook L203MA Ultra-Thin Laptop
Cheapest
In terms of cost, that is the one that comes out on top. The ASUS L203MA is our recommendation for the best Minecraft laptop under $300. However, it does not appear to be a high-end smartphone based on the specifications. Don't worry; there's not much down there that isn't required. Similarly, it can run the standard edition of Minecraft with the bare minimum of system requirements.
Because the processor combines Intel Celeron N4000 and Intel UHD 600 graphics, these devices can run Microsoft Office, Chrome, and other standard programmes. It also comes with 4 GB of RAM and 64 GB of SSD storage to provide a smooth performance.
Wi-Fi 5 is also featured, as well as a conventional webcam for communicating with others. This one may not be as beautiful as the first in terms of weight and cost, but it wins the race. To summarise, this laptop is best suited for students and individuals who aren't enthusiastic about using computers.
| Pros |
Cons |
- Hand-sized. It is better for long-term use.
|
- No long-lasting battery.
- Less more memory.
|
6. HP Elitebook 8470p Laptop
This HP Elitebook is an excellent pick for Minecraft if you don't care about the appearance of your computer and don't mind spending money on upgrades. This system is a strong contender for high-end gaming and operating apps like Adobe Photoshop.
This laptop's Intel Core i5 processor and Intel HD 4000 graphics make it suitable for Minecraft and other high-end games like PUBG. It's arguably one of the best-equipped desktops on our list, with 8GB of RAM and 128GB of SSD storage.
It's undoubtedly a good pick for a daily phone conversation or Skype session, with a 14.1-inch high-definition display and camera. Furthermore, the build of this gadget is more durable than the others we've tested so far, making it an ideal alternative for heavy use. To summarise, given the price, this one is a terrific bargain for the ordinary shopper.
| Pros |
Cons |
- Best substance, most durable.
- Restless usage.
- Smoothly runs applications.
|
- Not valid for gaming, but for other uses
|
7. Dell Inspiron 15 5000 Series 15.6 Inch Laptop
Processor:
8 GB DDR3L SDRAM. One terabyte (TB) storage space on a hard disk drive (HDD); tray-loading DVD writer/reader. Dual-Core Intel Core i5 5200U Processor at 2.2 GHz.
Display:
15.6-inch WXGA (1366x768) Truelife Touchscreen with LED backlighting.
Operating system:
Aluminum Silver Case, Windows 10 Operating System.
| Pros |
Cons |
- Solid performance.
- Affordable.
|
- Poor display.
- Bland design.
- Paltry battery life.
|
8. Dell G5 15 Gaming Laptop
Top Rated
Design:
Make a bold statement with a design that will have people swooning.
Dual fan:
A dual-fan cooling system with an innovative thermal design was devised to keep your system cool.
Display:
LED backlight display with anti-glare and IPS technology in Full HD (1920 x 1080).
Graphic:
Nvidia GTX 1650 GDDR5 graphics with 4GB of DDR5.
Generation:
9th Generation Intel Core i7-9750H (12MB Cache, up to 4. 5 GHz, 6 Cores).
Storage:
The DDR4 2666MHz RAM is 16 GB.
| Pros |
Cons |
- Craftsmanship. High-end gaming hardware
- 4GB discrete GPU.
|
- Battery life underperforms.
- Heavy Dell G5 15
|
9. Microsoft Surface Book Silver
Design
Microsoft surface book is one robust and firm laptop that can survive a fall. It is made of all chic white aluminum from top to bottom, with no trace of plastic, and it gives the laptop its durability property. The laptop has the minimalistic and aesthetic look that writers will love along with its performance. Though the body is sleek and lightweight with 3.4 pounds when you close the lid, it has a noticeable gap due to hinge style, which may not look attractive.
The surface book features a dynamic fulcrum hinge that holds the screen in place, and it can be detached to use as a tablet. The thing about the hinge is that instead of flatly folding when closing the lid, it coils itself and results in a gap between the screen and keyboard. On the bright side, it extends the support base for the screen, and you get a firm and stable screen while working.
Microsoft presents the unrivaled 13.5-inch touch screen laptop with a stunning 3000×2000 resolution and pixel sense display. It has a stunning 4k display with bright and colorful visuals. The bigger screen allows more room for content vertically and saves the hassle of too much scrolling, and you experience less thick black bars on sides when watching movies.
Moreover, the screen is surface pen supported, and even one comes with it. It allows you to take notes freely; with just a click on the pen, the laptop launches a notepad, and you can write instantly. It is an excellent tool for making a sketch and drawing directly on the screen and gives you the impression of actually drawing on paper.
Next comes the keyboard, which is an essential feature for writers because they work long hours typing, and it must be comfortable and have the required features. The surface book features all-white widely spaced keys with a deep click, except arrow keys, which are way small. It is comfortable to type on due to tactile feedback and a decent size. Moreover, you can place it on the lap while working, and due to a rigid body, it won’t wobble and will give you a comfortable work experience.
As for the touchpad, it is large and made of glass, which makes it easy to slide your fingers and work. It is responsive and supports all multi-gestures and rarely lacks in any way.
Performance
In terms of performance, the laptop comes packed with 2.4GHz dual-core Intel Core i5-6300U with up to 3GHz with Turbo Boost processor paired with 8GB RAM, Intel HD graphics 520 and Nvidia GeForce graphics with 1GB GDDR5 high-speed memory. Laptop smoothly works while you are working with multiple tabs, word, editing apps open all the same time.
The storage section has a fast SSD with 256GB space and adequate for storing all your work and entertainment stuff. It is not only huge but also fast when transferring and saving files, thus saving time and increasing productivity.
Battery
The battery life is pretty impressive, with 7 hours straight with no interruption. It can easily last through your day of work with no hassle of charging repeatedly.
Lastly, for the ports, the laptop has two USB 3.0, a mini DisplayPort, an SD card reader, and mini headphone/mic combo jack. For wireless connectivity, it supports 802.11ac 2×2 MIMO Wi-Fi and Bluetooth 4.0 LE.
| Pros |
Cons |
- Modern and attractive design.
- Gorgeous display.
- Excellent components and battery.
|
|
10. Acer Aspire 5 Slim Laptop
The HP laptop came in second, but it's a newer design with a more polished look and feels. With a sleek look and high-end configuration, this laptop is ideal for gaming and serious work. Your criteria are met by the Acer Aspire 5.
On the other hand, this laptop comes with a 15.6-inch IPS LED display with superb gaming resolution. This computer's performance is boosted by AMD's Ryzen 3 CPU and AMD Vega 3 graphics. Even if you use a lot of programmes at once, the 4GB of RAM and 128GB of SSD memory ensure that everything runs smoothly.
This laptop also has Windows 10 in s mode, making it run more smoothly and quickly. A USB 3.1 port, USB 2.0 port, and an HDMI port will be included. On the other hand, the battery provides a long-term backup. This laptop is, for the most part, an excellent match for everyone.
| Pros |
Cons |
- Professional setup.
- Lightweight.
- Strong, long-lasting construction.
|
- You may obtain 3GB of RAM as the system needs 1GB.
|
Buying guide
When buying the best laptop for architects, there are specific specs you should look for to get the best one out of the sea of laptops. Lucky for you, below, we have explained the requirements for such a laptop and made things easy for you and saved you the hassle of hours-long research.
PROCESSOR AND RAM
Processors and RAM are crucial parts when buying a laptop for architects. You will be running heavy Softwares like CAD and Blender to develop designs, and such software needs a lot of power to run smoothly. If you have a certain budget limit, then the i5 processor is the choice to pick, and if money is not the problem, then i7 is the best decision. The processors with quad-core or higher clock speed show no limit when it comes to heavy tasking because they work like a beast.
As for the RAM, 8 GB is sufficient for all-purpose tasks and also comes under budget. Whereas, for professionals, 16 GB or more is the ideal choice. Because if you have slow RAM, then you will lag in your work and decrease productivity.
GRAPHICS CARD
The software, architects, use are hardcore graphics that needs an equally powerful graphics card to run smoothly. In this field, software like Rhino, 3Ds Max, ArchiCAD, etc. are used, so your laptop needs to have a good graphics card with at least 2 GB RAM. Nvidia and Radeon are the top of their game and make the best graphics cards. For students, 1050/1050Ti is a suitable option, and 1060GTX comes useful for pro architects. Moreover, if you are working with special plugins, then go for Quadro/FirePro.
STORAGE
Architects need a lot of space due to the large and countless files they make daily. The higher and faster you have a storage drive in your laptop, the better it is for you. First, you have a faster and reliable SSD, which is a much better option than a mechanical HDD. However, it is costly, and therefore some opt for HDD, which you can get in a high capacity at a low cost. Then there is a hybrid drive that possesses both qualities of fast SSD and mechanical parts of HDD. It is a matter of budget and needs as what works best for you, but our recommendation is to go for SSD.
DISPLAY
The screen size is important too, as you will be designing, and a large screen saves time of scrolling and going sideways when creating large fields. The recommended size is either 15 or 17 inches because the wider display is much better. Therefore, Chromebooks and Macbooks with small screen sizes are out of the question and not recommended. Also, a massive screen means compromising on portability, so you should look at your comfort too.
As for the resolution, FHD is reasonable enough for your work. But you can also choose the better such as UHD or 4K as per your work requirement.
BATTERY
Battery life is non-compromisable as designing a structure takes long hours of work, and you do not want your laptop to die in midway and halt your work. Most of the laptops will offer 8 hours of power backup on average, which is ideal for every working person. However, if you have an open budget, you can get a premium laptop that offers up to 10-12 hours of battery life.
OPERATING SYSTEM
Operating systems are a matter of personal preference as both Windows and Mac have their benefits. Windows is widely compatible with software an architect needs and has many useful features but is more prone to viruses. Whereas professionals well perceive Mac due to being great for graphics applications, and the only drawback is the price.
While taking into account the requirements for such a laptop, we have compiled the best laptops for architects from significant laptop brands. These laptops host powerful components needed for completing a task and have a different budget range so you can pick as per your preference.
Conclusion
Here we conclude our best laptops for architects articles. We hope that the buying guide at the start and our top picks next will help you choose the best laptop for yourself and enjoy working and designing. All these laptops are from lead brand companies, and each has the best specs and beat other laptops to make it into the list. Each has something different to offer, and the selection is just a matter of preference.
