AutoCAD is a powerful and demanding software that requires a high-performance laptop to run smoothly. There are many laptops available in the market, but not all of them are suitable for AutoCAD. Here are some of the key features that you should look for when choosing the best laptop for AutoCAD:
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Processor: The processor is one of the most important components in a laptop for AutoCAD. It should be powerful enough to handle the demands of the software. A laptop with an Intel Core i7 or i9 processor, or a high-end AMD Ryzen processor, will provide the best performance.
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RAM: AutoCAD requires a large amount of RAM, so you should look for a laptop with at least 16GB of RAM. More RAM is better, and you can opt for a laptop with 32GB or more if you plan to work with large CAD files or run multiple applications simultaneously.
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Graphics: AutoCAD requires a dedicated graphics card, so you should look for a laptop with a dedicated NVIDIA or AMD graphics card. The graphics card should be powerful enough to handle the demands of the software, so look for a laptop with a mid-range or high-end graphics card.
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Storage: AutoCAD files can be large, so you should look for a laptop with a large hard drive or solid-state drive. A laptop with a 512GB or larger SSD is ideal, as it will provide fast data access speeds and ample storage space.
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Display: AutoCAD requires a large, high-resolution display to be used effectively. Look for a laptop with a 15-inch or larger display, with a resolution of 1920 x 1080 or higher.
Best laptop for AutoCAD
1. MSI GF63
SPECIFICATIONS
- CPU: 11th generation Core i5
- GPU: Nvidia Geforce GTX1650
- RAM: 16GB
At just $625 on Amazon, this is the least expensive laptop that meets AutoCAD 2023’s two most important requirements: 16GB of RAM and a dedicated graphics card. The GF63 Thin, which has an odd name, is a gaming laptop. It doesn’t even try to hide this fact. It has a Core i5 processor from the 11th generation and an Nvidia Geforce GTX1650, which should make it fast enough for even the most complicated AutoCAD drawings.
Aside from the fact that it’s a bit heavy (4.1 pounds), has a smaller-than-average battery (53WHr), and is thicker than most laptops (0.85 inches), it’s perfect. It has a 15.6-inch full HD screen, two 8GB memory modules for a total of 16GB, a 512GB NVMe SSD, a 99-key keyboard, and, wait for it, a 1TB hard disc drive. Oh, and don’t forget that it has four USB ports, a Gigabit Ethernet LAN port, an audio port, and an HDMI port.
In our review of the MSI GF63 Thin, we pointed out that it is a gaming laptop with a reasonable price that doesn’t feel cheap. It has good 1080p performance without loud fans and a sturdy body with a comfortable, responsive keyboard.
2. Lenovo Legion 5
SPECIFICATIONS
- CPU: AMD Ryzen 5 5600H
- GPU: Nvidia Geforce GTX 1650
- RAM: 16GB
3. LG Gram 17 2023
SPECIFICATIONS
- CPU: 13th generation Intel Core i7-1360P
- GPU: Geforce RTX 3050
- RAM: 16GB
If you can spend $2,000, you should think about the great LG Gram 17 (2023). (opens in new tab). It is one of the lightest 17-inch laptops with a discrete GPU, weighing only 3.2 pounds. It comes with the newly released 13th generation Intel Core i7-1360P, a processor with 16 cores and a boost speed of up to 5GHz, which should be enough for any AutoCAD-related tasks.
LG was able to fit a Geforce RTX 3050 GPU with 4GB, which is a big upgrade from the RTX2050 in the 2022 model, as well as a huge 90WHr battery, which is a first for a laptop that size. As expected, it has all the high-end hardware you’d expect from a $2,000 laptop: 16GB LPDDR5 (6GHz, soldered, dual channel), 1TB NVMe (almost certainly Gen5 and upgradable), and that gorgeous 17-inch, 2560 x 1600-pixel display with a 16:10 aspect ratio and a refresh rate of up to 144Hz.
The LG Gram 17 (17Z90R-A.AAB7U1) is just as good at gaming as it is at being creative. Connectivity might be the only area where it could be better. There is no Ethernet port, but there are four USB ports, two of which are Thunderbolt 4, a microSD card slot, and an HDMI port.
We looked at the LG Gram 17 in 2021 and found that it was “fantastic for productivity” because it had a sharp screen, a long battery life, and great performance overall. We wouldn’t think it would be any different in 2023.
4. Asus ROG Strix G18 2023
SPECIFICATIONS
- CPU: Raptor Lake-based Core i9-13980HX
- GPU: Nvidia GeForce RTX 4080
- RAM: 16GB
The ROG Strix from Asus is another gaming laptop on this list, but this one is pretty unique. It’s made for AutoCAD users who want to play games in their spare time. At the time we wrote this, it was the cheapest laptop we could find with a GeForce RTX 4080 GPU. It was also the only one we could find with an 18-inch screen, which is the biggest screen you can find on a laptop.
This is great if you work on large, detailed projects. It costs $2,499 to pre-order at Best Buy and has Intel’s fastest mobile processor to date, the Core i9-13980HX, which is based on Raptor Lake and has 24 cores and a boost speed of up to 5.6GHz. Asus paired it with the just-released Nvidia Geforce RTX 4080, which is one of the fastest mobile GPUs ever. It has 12GB GDDR6, which is almost as much as the onboard system memory (16GB LPDDR5).
The only bad thing about this system is probably the amount of RAM and the fact that it uses the slower 4.8GHz. At this price point, it’s reasonable to expect 32GB of RAM in two channels running at 6GHz. Still, you can always switch out the memory modules later. The 18-inch display has a 16:10 aspect ratio, the same QHD+ resolution as the LG Gram 17, and a refresh rate of 240Hz.
