{"id":42,"date":"2015-02-18T12:37:57","date_gmt":"2015-02-18T12:37:57","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/picknotebook.com\/blog\/?p=42"},"modified":"2018-05-27T12:25:49","modified_gmt":"2018-05-27T18:25:49","slug":"the-best-laptop-for-autocad","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/picknotebook.com\/blog\/the-best-laptop-for-autocad\/","title":{"rendered":"The best laptop for AutoCAD (Updated 2018 April)"},"content":{"rendered":"
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So you are searching for the best laptop for the new AutoCAD 2018 (or 2019, as Autodesk apparently lives in the future)? Well, be prepared to spend extra cash on the laptop as AutoCAD demands a lot of performance.<\/p>\n

Best laptop for AutoCAD LT<\/h2>\n

First off, if you want to use AutoCAD LT for 2D drawing and drafting you do not have to buy high-end machines for that. I’ve run AutoCAD LT 2015 and 2018 without a problem on laptops priced just under 500$. It took a while to load AutoCAD, but it still worked. At the same time, if you are like most, you’ll probably need the full AutoCAD package, which works with 3D graphics (architecture, 3D design and etc). In this article, I’ll focus mostly on full AutoCAD version and its requirements.<\/p>\n

What is essential for a good laptop for AutoCAD<\/h2>\n

The Essentials<\/em><\/p>\n

AutoCAD can be surely demanding and if you can, buy a more high-end machine as AutoCAD will be able to take advantage of your extra spending through more lag-free (and stress-free) workflow with complex structures. But let’s start off with the bare minimum – what do you need to run AutoCAD without ripping your hair off? These requirements are roughly based on official minimum requirements for AutoCAD 2018<\/a>. These requirements haven’t changed much since last year<\/a>.<\/p>\n

So what you should be looking for is:<\/p>\n

Multi-core processor<\/h3>\n

If you’ll work with 2D drawings – this criterion is hard to mess up. Any non-entry tier processor will suffice. But if you can spend more than let’s say 700$, you should aim for higher-end processors. 3D work (architecture, 3D models and design) can put a lot more stress on this part so you should aim for 4 core processors with clock speeds above 3 GHz.<\/p>\n

\n For raw performance under $2000, i7-6700HQ, i7-7700HQ and i5-7300HQ are the best options. The good news \u2013 these processors can be found in laptops as cheap as $700 (though I would not recommend these models as they sacrifice every other aspect to squeeze in these processors). But in the $1000-$2000, it is the best pick. At the same time, if you are looking for a laptop that offers a balance of battery life and performance \u2013 i7 U line of processors would be better. For example, i7-7500U, i7-6500U, i7-6600U, i5-7200U. In short:<\/p>\n