By Robin Owens 22 days ago, Hardware
The best laptops for architecture from famous brands.
Since students commonly relocate between studios, construction sites, universities, and back home, the best laptop for architecture is compact as well as performant. Naturally, students also care about the cost of the device in relation to its capabilities.
Drafting, planning, modeling, and various complicated calculations need to be done effectively on the new device but its competitive price remains the main deciding factor.
Since there is much request for the models suitable for architecting tasks, it made sense to compile a separate list that contains a selection of 10 models for students and professionals to pick from.
Whether this is your first purchase for the new profession or you are on the point of replacing an old device, the models below are fitting for studying, drafting, and even visualizations.
CPU: Intel Core i7-9750H | GPU: NVIDIA RTX 2070 With Max-Q 8 GB | RAM: 16GB | Storage: 512GB | Display: 15-inch | Weight: 5.25 pound
⊕ Great 1080p 60fps visuals
⊕ Outwardly stylish
⊕ Comfortable keys
⊖ Far from affordable
⊖ Second screen of questionable use
⊖ Aggravating trackpad position
This is the best laptop for architecture among the new double-screen models. It is generally targeted at gamers, so the hardware is decently optimized except for the battery that struggles to power both screens for long. The very fact that there are two of them in a laptop makes many users avert from this model but some specialists and gamers find it handy.
The OS simply treats the additional monitor as a proper second environment, so you can literally place anything on it, from a toolbox of your software to your mailbox or even YouTube. For those, who plan to combine work with entertainment on the same computer, there are also in-game variants of how to accommodate yourself more comfortably between these two monitors. There are other models that provide larger secondary screens but for an architect, this is nicely optimized.
CPU: Intel Core i7-10750H 6-Core | GPU: NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 | RAM: 16GB | Storage: 512GB | Display: 15.6-inch | Weight: 8.8 pound
⊕ Stylish design
⊕ Convenient controls
⊕ 300Hz refresh rate
⊖ Cooling system doesn’t cope well
Another pricey laptop for architecture that makes the expense easy to justify. Among the cheaper competitors that equal in graphics performance, you won’t find any that also match the assembly quality and charge duration. The model was designed for gaming as the brand itself specializes in it entirely. For an architect, this means sufficient power for running programs simultaneously and drafting large projects. The model is very hard to match if you need something impressive on the outwards as well as inwards.
This model comes with a really nice display and you will be satisfied with the quality of visuals. Some claim that the brightness is insufficient but for people with more sensitive eyes it could even be desirable. The matte coating is also very appreciated by many because it’s impossible to catch glares on it. The 1080p quality is also quite satisfactory for such needs.
CPU: Intel Core i7-10750H | GPU: GeForce RTX 2070 Super Max-Q | RAM: 16GB | Storage: 512GB | Display: 17.3-inch | Weight: 5.5 pound
⊕ Thin design combined with high power
⊕ Impressively quiet cooling
⊕ Bright and clear screen
⊕ Charge lasts long
⊖ Inconvenient webcam position
⊖ Key switches not mechanical
If you’re searching for a larger laptop for construction projects, you would probably like this model. The display, apart from being sufficiently large, also has 4K quality. There are many praiseworthy features apart from that. For instance, being an Intel, it can benefit from Thunderbolt 3 and other specific perks, not to mention the power of the video card itself. Together with a prime processor, the hardware provides great computational capabilities that will carry you through the hardest tasks with grace.
Naturally, no device is perfect and there are some flaws in this computer as well. For instance, the manufacturers had an unlucky idea to place the webcam under the monitor instead of its regular position. The speakers are not too great either, which you still expect from a laptop. Those little nuisances are quite overshadowed by the durable battery offering long hours of autonomous working.
CPU: Intel Core i7-9750H | GPU: NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 | RAM: 16GB | Storage: 1TB | Display: 15.6-inch | Weight: 4.39 pound
⊕ Great for combining work and entertainment
⊕ Robust but thin body
⊕ Comfortable key mechanism plus backlighting
⊕ Immense 1TB SSD
⊖ Prone to heating
⊖ Lacks a webcam
The entire series was aimed at producing performant and ultra-portable laptops. This particular model is amazing in terms of power and can handle any architecting tasks well. If you intend to use this device for entertainment as well as work, you won’t be disappointed. The hardware can run the triple-A titles and, naturally, the same performance can be expected in drafting and modeling software for professionals.
The device can be praised for the assembly, for its impressively thin chassis, for the convenient keyboard, and more. The price is high but well-justified and you can hardly match the performance in a more affordable way. You can have very productive working hours and then enjoy some games in the evening, all with equal comfort on a stylish laptop.
CPU: Intel Core i7-10750H | GPU: NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 | RAM: 16GB | Storage: 512GB | Display: 15.6-inch | Weight: 9.78 pound
⊕ Well-equipped for its price
⊕ 144Hz display
⊕ Keys individually illuminated
⊕ GeForce RTX 2070 GPU
⊖ Barely sufficient 512GB storage
⊖ Awkward port placement
This is a reasonably good laptop for architecture students. It is slightly more affordable than the earlier entries but still manages to carry out resource-heavy tasks. This is the latest release in a series and you can see some welcome improvements over the last year’s predecessor. It has a really great 720p HD webcam which isn’t strictly necessary in the trade but can be quite helpful these days. What really matters is the performance and with the inclusion of the RTX 2070 GPU, you can swiftly design and draft projects all day long.
Compared to the competitors in the price range, this device contains much better hardware and is capable of carrying more processing load. If you’re a heavy gamer, the latest issues will only need some lowering of the settings to let you enjoy them fully. The higher-frequency display definitely makes things look more impressive.
CPU: Intel Core i9-9980HK | GPU: NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 | RAM: 32GB | Storage: 1TB | Display: 15.6-inch | Weight: 5.5 pound
⊕ Mesmerizing OLED display
⊕ Innovative ScreenPad feature
⊕ First-rate hardware
⊕ Impeccable build
⊖ Overpriced
⊖ Hefty
If you want a dual-monitor device but the first model did not satisfy you, here is another great offer on the market. Since the concept is so innovative, all available models come with some flaws and you just have to tolerate those. However, this secondary sensor screen is a handy addition and you might feel more comfortable working in your CAD software or doing other modeling. The abundance of workspace allows you to use the entire main screen as the most important window with any toolkits or quick-access buttons set aside on the ScreenPad below.
This device is quite large and you won’t feel comfortable if your work requires frequent relocation. It is also quite heavy, reaching 2.5 kg separately from any accessories. Naturally, the second screen ramps up the price quite a lot and this is no longer a student-friendly version unless you’re a lucky tyke with a large budget. But for a professional, this is a great purchase; it’s stylish and impressive, performant, and convenient to use.
CPU: 10th Gen Intel Core i7-1065G7 | GPU: Iris Plus Graphics | RAM: 16GB | Storage: 512GB | Display: 13.5-inch | Weight: 2.65 pound
⊕ Robust body
⊕ High processing power
⊕ Praiseworthy battery duration
⊕ Pleasant to use keys
⊖ Low-nit and dull display
⊖ Chunky frame
Those, who are looking for convertible laptops for architects, will appreciate this option. It sports a tall 3:2 monitor with 2K resolution powered by the Iris Plus graphics card. In addition to that, you have the latest Core i7 processor supported by an impressive 16GB of RAM. With a battery that gives you a reasonable amount of autonomy, there is hardly anything else you could wish for. However, the device has a few more perks.
For instance, the pack includes a stylus and with the Wacom technology, you can extend your capabilities and make work more comfortable. Students will appreciate the possibility to take quick notes and sketch while professionals can simplify the process of making presentations. The two Thunderbolt 3 ports and Alexa support won’t hurt either. Its only major flaw is the rather unattractive, dim display which should not be considered a deal-breaker in this price range.
| Image | Name | Features | |
|---|---|---|---|
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OMEN X
Touchscreen Display |
CHECK PRICE → | |
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Razer Blade
Sleek Design |
CHECK PRICE → | |
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Gigabyte AERO
Por Choice |
CHECK PRICE → |
The most optimal choice is a 15” Full HD screen. Naturally, you could work more comfortably on a 17” but unless you live a sedentary life, dragging that thing around would devastate your back. 4K quality is now becoming more advisable as well.
Those, who are only learning the trade, hardly need more than the meager 256GB SSD. Professionals could opt for 1TB HDD for Arc software. Of course, if you can get a 2 PCIe, it would be ideal.
This is possibly even more important than the previous factors because you will rely on your charge a lot. Normally, a student moves between college classrooms and labs, campus premises, and other sites before being able to come back to the room. It will hardly be possible to obtain access to sockets every time it’s needed. For that reason, try to target yourself at 7 hours of charge or longer. The more multitasking you’re doing, the faster the battery will drain, so a voluminous reserve is indispensable.
This important issue is easy to solve. Take every professionally- requisite program and investigate whether it has a version for the OS you’re considering. Mostly, you have to choose between Mac and Windows but some Chromebooks can get in the mix as well, and then compatibility could become more of an issue.
To get the best laptop for architecture, prepare to pay special attention to the CPU capacity. Things like CAD are very taxing and if you’re in the middle of creating a complicated model, the underpowered hardware can manifest itself in lagging and freezing. The lower bar should be a quad-core but ideally, look for the highest core count and clock speed in your range. If you take image rendering, what one core can do in a minute, two will take a half to accomplish and four will take 15 seconds to finish.
The deeper you dive into the actual work, the more space it will be consuming on the computer. To make sure you preserve everything that’s important, supply yourself with a 1TB storage disc. Naturally, what isn’t currently upon the anvil can be stored separately on an external hard drive. Be mindful of hard drives, though. These things are not too robust and can get damaged if your computer receives a harder knock, making it impossible to extract the information. What’s actually inside the computer isn’t the safest storage space, especially since cloud storage appeared.
Your main guideline is the professionally indispensable programs that naturally narrow the selection. List down all those programs and then the requirements they put for optimized performance. Expect to find somewhat high demands for the hardware because the processes behind architectural tasks are resource-heavy. In general, you would be better off with a desktop computer that is both cheaper to assemble and easier to modernize. Certain specialists, who prioritize working on the go and accept the inevitable compromises, should be accommodated with the selection above. Performant and portable, certain models (for instance, the best Razer laptops) can even compete with desktops these days.
A powerful RTX model is quite sufficient for such a job. You will find many laptops with a 2060 or its 70 and 80 Max-Q siblings. Considering that you are looking into portable devices, there is no way of getting better hardware yet.
An average laptop designed for a gamer will typically sport a powerful graphics card. This makes it a sensible option for either occupation, gaming included.
Those who prefer creating projects in ArchiCAD or Vectorworks will find MacBooks quite agile and reliable at work. They come with another benefit of retaining their performance quality over time so a powerful model will serve you truthfully.
