How to Pick Best Laptop for Architecture

[@halcreasy4707]

Best laptop for Archetecture & 3D Modeling hands down: ASUS Pro Art Studiobook 16. It's simply just a better tool for those purposes than any other laptop out there. (IMO)

[@AleksPirok]

I googled it, looks impressive:)

[@JahKubRu1]

Xps 17 with rtx is the best now

[@Itsjrdot]

Architecture student here & Apple employee coincidentally 👋🏾 Revit can be run on new Macs using Parallels. The battery does suffer a bit, but even with the suffering it’s still a better battery than 90% of the other laptops on the market. I have an Alienware for most of my time as a student 16gb of Ram. And it’s failing me already in ability to run software properly. My last semester was one that required aloottt of patience. The model I have isn’t a good machine and that is made apparent at the end of every semester when the work becomes a bit more intensive. Computer shuts down randomly, sometimes not saving my work. Etc etc. and I’ve only had it for a year and a half. I’m getting a mac for it’s durability, great battery life, the 96gb of Ram. And also because I know my Mac will last about 7-10 years. Which is what I need in a computer. Knowing I can run revit on parallels is a plus, but almost everything else that I use runs on Mac OS. IE., Rhino, Cad, sketch up, Adobe suite, ArchiCad etc. it’s really only Revit that doesn’t work. But parallels has become simple to use, so it’s not a reason for me to settle for other laptops. Anyway, don’t shy away from Mac, they’re great computers. Just expensive. But like I said, I’m looking for a laptop that’ll last 7-10 years, so with that in mind, the price becomes worth it. Hope this helps anyone.

[@khulagukhan]

arch student & alienware user coincidentally 👋 Thinking about buying a macbook pro after suffering from multiple display failures. Does Parallels hinder macbooks potential? If so, to what extent? Can we use gpu based rendering programs like D5 without significant performance loss? Thanks in advance.

[@Itsjrdot]

@@khulagukhan Hey there, as far as I know D5 doesn't work on Mac, at least not natively. It may be possible with parallels, but I wouldn't count on it just yet. D5 has mentioned on their site that they do hope to expand to Mac in the future but who knows when that will happen. I also must correct myself, even with Parallels, Revit does not work on Mac. Since parallels is a virtual machine using ARMS, Revit won't work because it requires an x84/x64 environment. Maybe in the future that'll change. But still isn't a deal breaker for me since I don't use revit as much. However renderers like Lumion also require x64/x84 environment, so you lose access on that as well. Things to keep in mind.

[@adbeellopez4792]

@@ItsjrdotPretty much Apple is not ideal since Revit and Lumion are great softwares used industry. Such a bummer. Can use sketch up and enscape but not ideal since it can’t use everything you’d wish to in the job.

[@Itsjrdot]

@@adbeellopez4792 you should look into some other softwares that are used on Mac as well. I personally use rhino, and twin motion as my main design tool and rendering tool. Graphics are great since you can export in 4k. Thats enough for me, especially considering that most firms give you a computer to work from on their personal jobs, having a Mac for my personal use isn’t a deal breaker. But it is always good to know how to use the latest softwares like Revit and Lumion.

[@Itsjrdot]

@@adbeellopez4792 I wanted to amend this. A fellow classmate of mine is using the M2 Max 14" MacBook, and he's running Revit on parallels just fine. So I misspoke, about revit not working the virtual machine. Up to this point, I've only observed my classmate using it. I will download for myself in the next few weeks and come back and update to see how it works on my machine and if there's any performance dip. Will also test for lumen as well.

[@vaporrift]

When considering a laptop for architecture, the first thing to do is to forget Apple.

[@arnavjamale9803]

Same for civil Engineering?

[@adnanbhat1795]

@@arnavjamale9803 yes absolutely!

[@Girl_From_The_East]

Is that so. Thank you for telling this, i was considering apple 🙆🏻‍♀️

[@yaiphabanepram7756]

But again here are some use cases where Apple shines 1) Mobility. Good performance on battery and long battery. Specially when we are at remote sites. 2) If you’re already using IPhone + IPad combo then macs are really convenient specially in transferring data from one device to the other. Site photos and videos. Mark ups etc. 3) Editing videos and pictures for marketing. Mac is a beast in these aspects.

[@momerame1548]

​@@arnavjamale9803 can u suggest non gaming Laptop??

[@lorenamaier7097]

Thanks for the video! I’m going to architecture school in the fall and I’m trying to decide between the Dell XPS 15 9520 and the Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio. Both have capabilities approved by my school. The Surface Laptop does have a touchscreen function, but I’m not sure how beneficial that will be when working with the various softwares we’ll be using. In your opinion, which would be better?

[@Liz18Marie]

To put it simply. The xps is more powerful, but the surface is more versatile. Both are good, I had an xps 15 for two years, they have a lot of quality control issues, but is an excellent machine. If you don’t have an iPad go Microsoft studio so you can digitalize your sketches with its tablet functionality, if you do have an iPad, go dell xps. The dell xps+ iPad is the best experience. Having a Microsoft studio + iPad is overkill, I have a 2 in 1 and an iPad and don’t use touch screen of the laptop never. Also, having a tablet is not a must, just a nice to have, it betters your workflow, but is not essential.

[@francescoleone8471]

Best video on the subject!

[@vmafarah9473]

One of the best video out there to help choose laptops for architects.

[@AleksPirok]

Thank you!

[@constantined9015]

Great video! Far from the hype! And down to earth! I didn't know that cad and BIM are CPU intensive! Due to the visualization I thought that GPU prevailed!! That's great to know! I m structural engineer and I usually have open lots of architectural documents! My i7 16gb gaming struggles when I opened a lot! Really a lot! And I have never felt smooth with Revit! It usually crashes!! But as I said I do overstress my laptop! Lately I have been wondering about the M1 of apple processing power! I hear the best but haven't heard anything from the side of our industry and dont want to spend so much money for just a hype! But I m really curious!

[@jules3543]

I heard good things about the M1 as well. I have had an apple laptop for 20 years now so that's about 2 laptops, and it is hard for me to change. Because I have had such a good experience with apple laptops. I know they are expensive but I have never had to bring it in or worry about it (knock on wood). Which has made the price worth it for me. I currently have the M1pro 16" because I figured I would have this laptop for another 10 years, so I don't mind spending a bit more. I know many people in my class that say the M1 runs everything smoothly. I was speaking to someone in apple, and he said that the M1 pro will be even better so here's hoping.

[@kamriguzman1769]

Hi Alex! Thank you for a very informative video. I am hoping you can give me some advice. I am an Architecture and Interior Design student and I was gifted a MacBook Pro 14” Laptop with the M1 Pro chip. Specs include: 16GB Ram & 512GB SSD. I have always been told PCs are better for architectural rendering and that Revit does not run on Macs, though Apple seems to have made great strides with this M1 Processor. I have done a lot of research to make sure I should keep this computer, and I came across a video that showed how I can download Parallels Desktop 17 for Mac and use that to run Revit. In your opinion, would it be smart to utilize Parallels for the software Mac doesn’t support and run what I can, like SketchUp and AutoCAD on my Mac, or just exchange it for a PC all together? Thank you I’m advance! I appreciate your time.

[@AleksPirok]

Hi Kamri, thank you for watching! I have heard great reviews about M1, as it claims to works differently to a normal computer. Sketchup does normally run on mac, if it doesn't run in M1 then get parallels or bootcamp. I'm not sure which is faster out of those two options, you might want to do some research in that. Revit doesnt run on mac, and it's an industry standard software so you definitely want to learn it. Also check out Dami Lee's videos she made couple on M1. Hope this helps! I personally would test your mac first and then swap for windows if it turns out that parallels or bootcamp are slow, hope it makes sense

[@madisonbrigman8186]

both of them should run on parallels. i went through architecture school on a 2018 Macbook Pro with an intel processor just fine - although she did slow down on higher resolution files. the macbook 14” pros are back ordered but i’m on the waiting list to get one. i’ve seen people play grand theft auto through parallels (a virtual program) and it still ran faster than through some other big names. so it should be perfectly fine on parallels, although i think it’s only a matter of time before Autodesk makes a native program for MacOS. the power of the M1 silicon would greatly bolster the efficiency of architectural users.

[@Md.Sarafi-fq4bz]

For archetecture students macbook or windows laptop which will be better?

[@KaplanAmanda]

Hey Aleks! Great video! I wonder, what do you think about the Dell XPS 13 7390 2-in-1 for architecture work? Specifically the graphic card, is it enough?

[@AleksPirok]

It seems fine, XPS are a decent line. Longer asnwrr: Looks like your model has an intel graphics card, so its integrated rather than dedicated, integrated card nvidia or AMD would be faster. Apart from that looks good to me. Is it touch screen? If so is it important for you to have touchscreen? If not maybe there is a model with dedicated graphics card?

[@constantined9015]

@@AleksPirok dedicated or integrated is faster?

[@AleksPirok]

@@constantined9015 I think dedicated

[@ВалентинаШашкова-ч9ю]

Aleks! Useful video!

[@IntoTheLabyrinth]

Thank you! I learned a lot from a short 12-minute video.

[@vmafarah9473]

My recommendation is to staywawy from workstation, for that money you could upgrade to a same class performance with half money and upgrade the laptop for next gpu generation if you sell it you can upgrade it another gen. coz some workstaion lap priced as 3x than gaming.

[@juliamlnk4960]

very informative video, thank you!

[@madcapper6]

As far as gaming laptops go and accompanying graphics hardware, between nVidia and AMD cards is there one that typically performs better than the other? From what I hear nVidia is much better on ray tracing and video editing but what about rendering in CAD programs, particularly 3D models? Thanks.

[@AleksPirok]

Hey, I'm not too sure how it is these days, I would imagine they are close for use by a typical architect. Traditionally Nvdia has always been marketed better as a gold standard and AMD was an alternative "poor man's" choice. If I had to choose one I'd go with Nvidia purely based on reputation, having said that my Mac has AMD video card and its absolutely fine for 3d and CAD

[@Florianspiteri]

hi , I have a hard time to choose between zephyrus G15 (2022 ) , acer concept d 5 and dell xps 15, which one would be best? thanks !

[@AhmedRagab-kg8ze]

plz can I get apple macbook with m2 and run autodesk software by Using Parallels with windows 11, or the best buy windows laptop and what is the best for 1400$

[@AleksPirok]

Go with windows if it's for university, you'll have better experience with Autodesk apps and you'll get more.power for your money. I have mac but only because I graduated, and i like them. Back in university i had windows laptop

[@nishtadhanda75257]

Hi I was planning to buy ASUS TUF Gaming A17, Ryzen 7, 8 GB, DDR4 3200 RAM,NVIDIA G FORCE RTX 15100-2065 R100,17” But I have an old MacBook Pro with 2.3 GHz quad core intel i5, 8 GB 2133 Mhz LPDDR3, Intel Iris plus graphics 655 1536 MB, 13”(2018) Shall I buy new ASUS or use MacBook Pro till I am student & buy a new laptop later

[@Teluric2]

I talked to a girl working for a big company that built skycrapers and said that windows laptop are the norm for big projects. Autocad runs better on windows.

[@AleksPirok]

Yes Windows are generally the best for Architects, I work on a Windows PC at work. I love the simplicity of Mac thought, and I use it for my side projects

[@imnargez]

Tnx for the video👍🏻

[@theguywhoaskedtoguywhoasked]

hello can i build a PC instead of a laptop because I don't like laptops

[@AleksPirok]

Go for it of.you are brave enough!

[@drippysmiles9493]

What about the Lenovo legion 7i gen 8 4080 rtx

[@dishakolte4971]

Hi! I’m an architect and interior designer and my prior question is in today’s date which processor is better for our architectural softwares intel or Ryzen?

[@javiericaza1790]

Intel would be best option I usually select Ryzen but in architecture there's another story. Most of the available hardware approved by the software you will be using is based on Intel and Nvidia Graphic cards :) this is just an opinion

[@vinuaski5503]

Got struck between Asus Rog zephyrus G15 and HP omen 15...plzz suggest... I'm doing masters in structural engineering

[@Md.Sarafi-fq4bz]

For archetecture students laptop or pc which is better??

[@AleksPirok]

Laptop is better if you work in university

[@carlosdavidarcosjacome6407]

Thank you!!!

[@AleksPirok]

Thank you of watching!

[@luketurner8429]

You can run Revit on the new mac if you use parallels

[@AleksPirok]

Yes that's right, although battery life will suffer on a macbook

[@nicodeguzman6364]

Hi, any major inputs what is the difference between workstation vs gaming GPU?

[@AleksPirok]

I think it's the CPU, workstations are optimised for CAD/ BIM and are more stable ( less crashes) and can run multiple programs simultaneously very well. Gaming laptops can do the same ( although not as well as workstations) but they are designed specifically run a single game on a high frame rate.

[@nicodeguzman6364]

@@AleksPirokthank you very much for the reply! is there any way to categorize those GPUs? Is it safe to say that a laptop with Quadro or RTXA3000 Video card can be classified as a workstation? While a laptop with RTX 30 series can be classified as a gaming laptop?

[@AleksPirok]

@@nicodeguzman6364 I'm not sure, you'll need to check on AMD website what they categorise as workstation GPUs. The processor is the main thing though, most CAD and BIM rely on processing power not GPU to run well. If you want play games or do real time rendering then consider a high end GPU

[@AleksPirok]

Sorry I meant Nvidia website

[@nicodeguzman6364]

@@AleksPirok alrighty! thank you!

[@thylm8572]

Hi! I enjoyed your video! I am a senior in high school and I'm thinking of taking architecture in college. I have been looking into a lot of laptops and recently I came across the ASUS VivoBook Pro 14X and although it's marketed for "creators," it has the AMD Ryzen 9 5900HX cpu and an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050ti gpu. It also has 16 GB of DDR4 RAM and 512 GB SSD. All of this for a pretty reasonable price (roughly around 1100 dollars) since it is on sale where I live. Do you think this laptop will be enough? I know you said that the display and portability isn't the most important, but I do want to mention that it has a 2K Samsung AMOLED display that is color accurate and weighs only 1.4kg, that being said, do you think this is a good deal?

[@AleksPirok]

Yep sounds like a good deal to me. Make sure you buy it with one year warranty at least just in case..

[@nurikkulanbaev3628]

Make sure it has a good cooling system. In my experience, the Vivobook series is the Ultrabook series. And Ultrabooks prioritize battery life and prevent the components going to high tdp. I would say, for work cooling is more important than the marketed power of components, because high temperatures usually cause the deterioration of components.

[@not-u8j]

That's more than enough, or should i say should do...frm my 20yrs in arch experience here~ bim is important nowadays, though 2d drafting like autocad n vectorwork still essential in fast pace project ims..back in my day as student, i render 3d vray for sketchup using compaq laptop model only, amd chip with radeon gpu baseline spec..during masters, i use sony vaio midspec to render lumion~ any laptop u use, just use it to the max n dont treat like a pet, cuz it's just a tool for us architect to get the job done faster with lowest cost~ 👌🏻😅

[@azhan1955]

How many core gpu’s are good enough?

[@vmafarah9473]

3060 6GB IS GOOD, 3070 IS BETTER, 3080 LAPTOPS ARE EITHER CHUNKY OR UNDER POWERED LOWER WATTAGE.

[@vincekidzie]

Amazing video

[@AleksPirok]

Glad you liked it!

[@mekalasandeep6236]

Can all civil engineer softwares work in MacBook M1?

[@AleksPirok]

I'd recommend Windows for you, I think you have very special types of software that might not work for mac. Unless you get bootcamp/ parallels.

[@luislacuin4083]

Wow!

[@EliaszSobinski]

Asus rog zephyrus m16 anyone?

[@tonykuzmisin6559]

no is 16 inch, wake up dude, what century do you live in?

[@nishtadhanda75257]

Hi I was planning to buy ASUS TUF Gaming A17, Ryzen 7, 8 GB, DDR4 3200 RAM,NVIDIA G FORCE RTX 15100-2065 R100,17” But I have an old MacBook Pro with 2.3 GHz quad core intel i5, 8 GB 2133 Mhz LPDDR3, Intel Iris plus graphics 655 1536 MB, 13”(2018) Shall I buy new ASUS or use MacBook Pro till I am student & buy a new laptop later

[@AleksPirok]

I think your laptop is OK, I would keep saving money for a better computer with at least 16gb RAM in the meantime. CAD and BIM are RAM hungry!