Choosing a laptop for school and office work might be simple, but when it comes to specific tasks like computer aided design (CAD) or 3D modelling and animation etc, a lot of other factors come into play. Softwares used for 3D modelling or CAD analysis need high processing power from CPU and GPU. With that in mind, this article lists are 5 best laptops for ANSYS and various other CAD applications with price below $1000.
Specs to Consider for CAD applications
Every CAD software lists their minimum system requirements which should be considered before buying a laptop. However, you should choose the laptop depending upon what kind of CAD work you do, for example 2D Drafting in AutoCAD, 3D modelling in Blender, 3DS Max, AutoDeskMaya, or Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) on ANSYS etc.
Still Following things matter:
- PROCESSOR: AMD as of now might have shortened the gap in processing power in comparison to Intel, but Intel still is the king. So, whatever laptop you buy, you should one with Intel Processor. This is the key feature that needs to be checked if picking the best laptop for ANSYS and other simulation softwares. For visual designing softwares, GPU is more important.
- GRAPHICS CARD: Any laptop for CAD or 3D modelling work must have NVidia or AMD GPU. On-board builtin Intel Cards do not work. In my experience AMD or NVidia GPU with 1 GB dedicated memory is better than an Intel on-board card with 3 GB dedicated memory.
- RAM: RAM is generally overlooked for CAD. But still it matters a lot. Usually for normal CAD work 8GB RAM is good. However, if you are really into 3D animation or complicated ANSYS simulations, then 16 GB is needed for smooth working.
Apart from these SSD hard-drive also speeds up the things but its not compulsory.
BEST LAPTOPS FOR CAD APPLICATIONS
1. HP ZBook G5 Mobile Workstation
Image Source hp.com
Price: $849.00
Processor: 8th Generation Intel Core i5-8300H Processor @ 2.30GHz (4 Cores, 8M Cache, up to 4.00 GHz)
Memory: 16GB DDR4 2666 MHz SDRAM
Storage: 256GB Solid State Drive + 16GB 3D Xpoint (Optane)
Display: 15.6″ IPS LED backlight 1920 x 1080 (Full HD) Widescreen anti-glare Display
Graphics: NVIDIA Quadro P1000 4 GB GDDR5 SDRAM
Dimensions (WxDxH): 14.8 in x 10.4 in x 1 in
Weight: 5.73 lbs
Note: Used by me and it is the best laptop for ANSYS in my experience.
2. Microsoft Surface Book 2
Price: $925.00
Processor: 7th Gen Intel Core i5-7300U with up to 3.50GHz Max Turbo
Memory: 8GB RAM
Storage: 256GB Solid State Drive + 16GB 3D Xpoint (Optane)
Display: 13.5 Inch TouchScreen PixelSense Display (3000 x 2000 Resolution)
Graphics: Intel HD Graphics 620 integrated GPU
Dimensions (WxDxH): 12.3 x 51 x 9.14 in
Weight: 3.38 lbs
3. Dell Precision M3520 Mobile Workstation Laptop
Price: $599.00
Processor: Intel Core 7th Generation i5-7440HQ Processor (Quad Core, up to 3.80 GHz, 6M Cache, 45W)
Memory: 16GB, DDR4-2400MHz SDRAM, Non-ECC
Storage: 512GB M.2 SATA Class 20 Solid State Drive
Display: 15.6 inch FHD (1920×1080) Wide View Anti-Glare LED-backlit IPS
Graphics: NVIDIA Quadro M620 2GB GDDR5
Dimensions (WxDxH): 4 x 17 x 21 in
Weight: 6.35 lbs
Note: NVIDIA Quadro M620 GPU makes this one, the best laptop for AutoCAD and 3D modelling jobs.
4. Acer Predator Helios 300 Gaming Laptop PC
Price: $959.00
Processor: 8th Generation Intel Core i7-8750H 6-Core Processor (Up to 4.1GHz)
Memory: 16GB DDR4 2666MHz DRAM Memory
Storage: 512GB M.2 SATA Class 20 Solid State Drive
Display: 15.6″ Full HD (1920 x 1080) widescreen LED-backlit IPS display (144Hz Refresh Rate, 300nit Brightness & 72% NTSC )
Graphics: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 Overclockable Graphics with 6 GB of dedicated GDDR5 VRAM
Dimensions (WxDxH): 10.47 x 15.35 x 1.05 inches
Weight: 5.51 pounds
Note: This laptop is the jack of all trades. 8th Gen Core i7 Processor makes it one of the best laptop for Ansys, while NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 with 6 GB VRAM makes it also one of the best laptops for AutoCAD and SolidWorks.
Although it’s price is highest in this list, but it is the best laptop of this list and that high price is justified in specs.
5. Lenovo ThinkPad P50
Price: $899.00
Processor: Intel Quad Core I7-6700HQ up to 3.5 GHz
Memory: 16 GB RAM
Storage: 1 TB HDD
Display:15.6′
Graphics: NVIDIA Quadro M1000M 2GB
6. ASUS ROG Zephyrus M Thin and Portable Laptop
Price: $1,199.00
Processor: 9th Generation Intel Core i7-9750H Hexa-core Processor @ 2.60GHz (6 Cores, 12M Cache, up to 4.50 GHz)
Memory: 16GB DDR4 2400 MHz SDRAM
Storage: 512GB PCIe NVMe M.2 Solid State Drive
Display: 15.6″ Full HD 1920×1080 IPS Type Display
Graphics: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 Ti 6GB GDDR6 with ROG Boost
Dimensions (WxDxH): 14.2 in x 9.9 in x 0.8 in
Weight: 4.39 lbs
Note: Highly recommended for CAD designers who also enjoy gaming on the side.
7. Apple MacBook Pro (16-inch)
Price: $2,399.00
Processor: 9th Generation 6-core Intel Core i7 Processor
Memory: 16GB 2666MHz DDR4 Memory
Storage: 512GB SSD Storage
Display: 16-inch Retina Display with True Tone
Graphics: AMD Radeon Pro 5300M Graphics with GDDR6 memory
Dimensions (WxDxH): 14.09 in x 9.68 in x 0.64 in
Weight: 4.3 lbs
Note: Ideal for CAD professionals who value a blend of performance and aesthetics.
8. MSI WE72 7RJ-1032US IPS Level 17.3″ Workstation Laptop
Price: $1,499.00
Processor: Intel Core i7-7700HQ @ 2.80GHz (4 Cores, 6M Cache, up to 3.80 GHz)
Memory: 32GB DDR4 2400MHz
Storage: 512GB SSD + 1TB HDD
Display: 17.3″ Full HD eDP IPS-Level 1920×1080
Graphics: NVIDIA Quadro M2200 4GB DDR5
Dimensions (WxDxH): 16.49 in x 11.02 in x 1.14 in
Weight: 5.95 lbs
Note: A powerhouse workstation, perfect for intensive CAD projects.
9. Razer Blade 15 Studio Edition Laptop
Price: $3,799.99
Processor: 8-Core 10th Gen Intel Core i7-10875H
Memory: 32GB DDR4-2933MHz
Storage: 1TB SSD
Display: 15.6″ 4K OLED Touch
Graphics: NVIDIA Quadro RTX 5000 Studio Edition
Dimensions (WxDxH): 13.98 in x 9.25 in x 0.7 in
Weight: 4.63 lbs
Note: A premium choice for professionals seeking top-tier CAD performance and a stunning display.
10. Gigabyte AERO 15 OLED Thin and Light Laptop
Price: $1,899.00
Processor: Intel i7-9750H
Memory: 16GB DDR4 2666MHz
Storage: 512GB Intel 760P SSD
Display: 15.6″ 3mm Ultra-thin bezel | Samsung UHD 3840×2160 AMOLED display
Graphics: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 Ti GDDR6 6GB
Dimensions (WxDxH): 14 in x 9.8 in x 0.8 in
Weight: 4.4 lbs
Note: Combines performance with a breathtaking AMOLED display, making CAD designs come to life.
FINAL THOUGHTS
If you have to choose between a workstation or gaming laptop, go for workstations because of their certified GPUs. However, for students gaming laptops will also do the trick.
Key things to look are:
- Best laptop for ANSYS and simulation softwares would be the one with high processing power. So, CPU is important there.
- Best laptop for AutoCAD, drafting and 3D modelling etc would be the one with best GPU. So graphics card is important there.
- If a laptop has both these at high levels, then that is the magnum opus for both jobs.
Thats it for best laptops for CAD applications.
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