TOP 7 Architects Laptops 2020

The ability to take our laptop with us - moving quickly between home, office and site - is vital to our workflow. So whether you’re buying your first computer, or simply replacing an old one, take a peek at our list of the 7 best laptops for architects, designers and architecture students. The first few mobile workstations on this list are premium machines, while the latter set are included for those looking for a great laptop on a budget.

1- Microsoft Surface Laptop 2 With 16GB of RAM, an 8th Gen Intel Core i7 processor and up to 1TB SSD, the Micrsoft Surface Laptop is built to handle demanding architectural software like Revit, 3ds Max and Rhino. It’s also slim, reasonably light and looks incredibly smooth. It´s an amazing all-rounder for architects and designers that enjoy devices with touchscreen capabilities. The laptop boasts a vibrant 13.5” PixelSense display with an interactive touchscreen that enables fast navigation and intuitive control on creative applications. For even more precision, the Surface Pen is a worthwhile addition. ​

2- HP Smart Buy ZBOOK 17 G5 The ZBook 17 G5 is powered by NVIDIA Quadro P5200 professional graphics, making it possible to design and present architectural models in real-time with incredibly clarity. Coupled with the HP DreamColor 4K UHD anti-glare display, the ZBook 17 G5 provides architectural visualizers with everything they need to create amazing renderings. Dubbed “the world’s most powerful mobile workstation”, the ZBook 17 G5 matches the power of most desktop computers, making it ideal for design professionals that regularly use high-demand software packages. HP’s “Smart Buy” edition of this workstation does the job with 16 GB of RAM and 2.60 GHz processor speed. Significantly, the boosted version of the laptop boasts 128GB of RAM, allowing users to run multiple high-demand programs at once without any noticeable delay.

3- Lenovo ThinkPad P1 Gen 2 Lenovo's most powerful 15.6" mobile workstation! Fans of Lenovo’s ThinkPad series called for a thinner, lighter mobile laptop but without compromising on performance, naturally. Lenovo’s response was the ThinkPad P1 Gen 2. With 32 GB of RAM, NVIDIA Quadro T2000 4GB graphics and 512GB SSD PCIe of storage, the laptop’s specs give the vast majority of architects what they need. This mobile workstation is just 0.7” thick and weighs in at 3.74 lbs, making it a very lean high-performance machine. Additionally, the workstation’s black carbon fiber chassis lends it a highly rugged yet slick quality. For architects that prioritize mobility, this laptop might just provide the right balance.

4- MSI WS65 9TJ-003 15.6" With the WS65, MSI aims to strike the perfect balance between power and weight, and it also looks incredibly cool. The WS65 its a little heavier, it weighs in at 4.15 lbs, but supports a superior graphics card — the NIVIDIA Quadro T2000 — and an 9th Generation Intel Core i7 Processor. MSI workstations also have the advantage of being ISV certified, which means that it’s been optimized to run a whole gamut of applications from the likes of Autodesk and Adobe.

5- Dell G5 For less than $1000, you get a 8th Gen Intel Quad-Core i5 processor, 8GB of RAM and 1TB HDD+128GB SSD of storage space, all of which can be upgraded as needed. The laptop’s full HD anti-glare panel display makes it ideal for use in varied conditions, from home to studio. The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050Ti graphics card is good enough for most architectural applications, while the black and red chassis is undeniably sharp. ​

6- Lenovo ThinkPad P51 Mobile Workstation With 16GB of RAM, NVIDIA Quadro M1200 graphics and 512GB PCIe NVMe SSD of storage, its an undeniable competitor in the market of architecture mobile workstations. The Intel Quad-Core i7-7700HQ processor should comfortably handle the more demanding software used by design professionals. The Lenovo ThinkPad P51 packs a powerful punch for its price and it comes with a nice scratch-proof matte finish body

7- HP OMEN 15.6-inch Gaming Laptop This affordable HP OMEN laptop boasts an impressive 12GB of RAM, and its i5-8300H processor is sufficient to run the majority of architectural programs, though there is an i7 option for those in need of extra speed. Meanwhile, the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Ti graphics card will aid your rendering process without a meltdown. For architects and architecture students looking for a cheaper computer that still possesses the graphics and processing power needed for modeling software, it’s worth considering laptops that are built for gaming. HP’s offering, entitled OMEN, is encased in a sturdy aluminum chassis with a plastic base plate for easy access to upgrade.

Do you have another laptop to recommend? Let us know! ​ Thanks for reading!