Best laptop for AutoCAD and other CAD & 3D modeling software in 2024

We weigh up the contenders for the best laptop for CAD in 2024, including the best laptop for AUTOCAD specifically

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Best laptop for CAD 2024: Our reviews

Best high-end laptop for AutoCAD & demanding 3D CAD software

MSI Titan GT77 (UHD 144Hz Mini LED, i9-13980HX)

CPU

Intel Core i9-13980HX

Graphics Card

NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 / RTX 4090

RAM

32GB/64GB/128GB DDR5 RAM

Storage

1 – 4TB SSD

Max Refresh Rate

144Hz

Resolution

3840 x 2160 (4K)

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Pros

• Very powerful GPU & CPU
• Great color replication
• High RAM & SSD upgrade options
• Good port coverage
• Great build quality

Cons

• Expensive
• Poor battery life
• Heavy

The MSI Titan GT77 is our pick for the best AUTOCAD laptop in terms of raw power, but it’s probably overkill for most peoples’ needs. This is essentially a desktop replacement device / mobile workstation with a ridiculously powerful GPU and CPU pairing, ample RAM and storage, and a plentiful I/O ports.

This 17″ laptop can be equipped with the RTX 4080 laptop or RTX 4090 laptop GPU, both of which will comfortably demolish any CAD workload, plus the Intel Core i9-13980HX CPU – the most powerful Intel 13th gen laptop processor money can buy. Memory options are either 32GB, 64GB, or a preposterous 128GB of DDR5 RAM, and the storage capacity can reach all the way up to 4TB of NVME SSD space. The 4K Mini-LED screen is sublime, with an impressive peak brightness and color accuracy, but still capable of achieving a 144Hz refresh rate for gaming.

The primary trade-offs associated with this immense power are its considerable weight, high price tag, and rapid battery drain. If you can overlook the weight and keep it tethered to a power source, you’ll have a meticulously crafted, exceptionally potent device that effortlessly handles demanding rendering tasks, maxed-out 4K gaming, and most definitely any 3D modeling workflow with remarkable ease.

Best mid-range laptop for AutoCAD & demanding 3D CAD software

Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Extreme Gen 5 (16″)

CPU

Intel Core i7-12800H

graphics

up to NVIDIA RTX 3070 Ti

RAM

up to 32GB DDR5 RAM (4800MHz)

Storage

up to 1TB SSD

Max Refresh Rate

60Hz

Screen Size

16″

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Pros

• powerful GPU & CPU combination
• arguably the best laptop keyboard for typing
• matte screen minimises reflective glare
• excellent battery life
• very tough build quality
• additional security features

Cons

• somewhat pricey
• utilitarian aesthetic

The Lenovo ThinkPad X series is a perennial favorite of any best laptop for working from home/the office guide, being focused towards high-end business people who need a tough device, but the ‘Extreme’ variants combine all the benefits of the typical X1s with a powerful dedicated graphics card. In this particular case, this model comes with a high-end Nvidia GeForce RTX 3070 Ti laptop GPU, paired with a tasty Intel Core i7-12800H CPU – this hardware is more than enough to take care of any high-end 3D modeling workload in AutoCAD or any other piece of software. You get up to 32 GB RAM and 1TB of SSD storage.

The rest of the plus points are the same as those on a normal ThinkPad X. The keyboard stands out as one of the most gratifying typing experiences available in the laptop market, with a design that strikes a balance between a low-travel chiclet keyboard (akin to that found on a MacBook) and a tactile mechanical keyboard. It features ergonomic keys with an optimal layout and spacing that minimizes typing errors. The matte screen’s anti-glare properties reduce the strain on your eyes compared to the glossier screens that are much more widespread these days, and are therefore superior for a working laptop.

Additionally, the ThinkPad X series is renowned for its durability and sturdiness. These laptops are constructed to meet rigorous military-grade standards, which means they can endure large temperature variations, as well as the sort of impact damage they might experience being jostled about in a bag. Security features include a Kensington lock, fingerprint sensor, Windows Hello and also TPM 2.0 data encryption and ThinkShield software.

Provided you don’t mind their utilitarian appearance, the only real downside of these devices is their price, but you do actually get a good amount of features for the money.

Best portable laptop for AutoCAD & demanding 3D CAD software

ASUS ROG Zephyrus G14 (2022)

CPU

AMD Ryzen 9 6900HS (8C/16T)

Graphics

AMD Radeon RX 6700S / 6800S (75-105W)

RAM

16GB/32GB

Storage

512GB/1TB SSD

Screen Size

14.3″

Max Refresh Rate

120Hz

How We Review

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Pros

• MUX Switch
• great gaming performance for a smaller laptop
• great response time
• 16:10 screen gives more vertical space
• great color replication
• superb peak brightness
• decent keyboard and great trackpad
• superb battery life
• good array of ports, including MicroSD slot
• decent speakers
• light and portable
• looks great

Cons

• refresh rate capped at 120Hz
• keyboard build quality and backlighting could be improved
• difficult to navigate onboard software
• no ethernet caps your internet to 1Gpbs

We’ve done in-depth reviews of multiple iterations of the ASUS ROG Zephyrus G14, and it always scores highly – consistently being one of our top picks in the ‘portable’/14-inch gaming laptop category, and just a great gaming laptop in general. For the same reasons it makes a great gaming laptop though, it’s also a top choice for professional engineers, or those students who want a more powerful laptop capable of 3D modeling.

Whilst a newer 2023 version has been released, we think the 2022 version is the optimum pick. With this model you get a great balance between affordability and performance, plus it achieves the best battery life of any iteration so far (10 hours of general web browsing plus some YouTube), thanks to its AMD CPU and GPU combination. The laptop comes with a powerful Ryzen 9 6900HS processor and you can pick between a Radeon RX 6700S or RX 6800S GPU – either of which should suffice for CAD usage, with the latter being the more powerful option. The newer 2023 model by comparison is an even more powerful device but loses battery quicker and is more expensive – probably not a worthwhile trade-off if you’re using it for this purpose.

Although it’s a 14-inch display, the laptop’s 16:10 screen gives you extra vertical real estate, which is beneficial for various work-related tasks. Its remarkable peak brightness of 500 nits also makes it suitable for outdoor use. In terms of connectivity, the laptop offers a range of ports and sockets, including a convenient MicroSD card reader for data transfer. Considering it’s a gaming laptop (which aren’t known for this) it also surprises with decent speaker quality – not exactly crucial for CAD tasks, but it adds to the overall user experience when viewing/listening to media or gaming. The only real downside of this laptop that’s relevant to a CAD user is that the keyboard isn’t exactly top-tier, though it’s not bad either, just feeling a bit loose when typing, but you quickly get used to this. Besides this though, the laptop has solid build quality and craftsmanship.

Best affordable Windows laptop for CAD

Lenovo Slim 7 Pro X (3K, RTX 3050)

CPU

AMD Ryzen 9 6900HS

Graphics Card

Nvidia GeForce RTX 3050

RAM

up to 32GB DDR5

Storage

up to 1TB SSD

Screen Size

14″

Max Refresh Rate

120Hz

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Pros

• Good value
• 120Hz 3K screen
• RTX 3050 GPU & Ryzen 9 6900HS CPU
• Good memory & storage capacity
• Good battery life

Cons

• Wi-Fi 6, not 6E

The Lenovo Slim 7 Pro X is a great value pick capable of running any CAD software to at least some degree thanks to its dedicated RTX 3050 GPU complemented by the potent AMD Ryzen 9 6900HS processor. Besides this you get a lot for your money in most other areas too.

In terms of memory and storage, the laptop impresses with 32GB LPDDR5 6400MHz RAM and a generous 1TB SSD – just what you need when doing any 3D rendering workflow. You high-quality 1080p webcam for any online meetings, plus an impressive battery duration of approximately 10-11 hours of regular use (i.e. outside of running CAD software) with power saving settings activated.

The 14.5-inch display has an unusual 3,072 x 1,920 resolution aka 3K, and although you won’t really need this for CAD it has 99% sRGB gamut coverage, so is suitable for work in this color space. With a peak brightness of around 380 nits, it offers respectable visibility, though it may not be ideal for outdoor use on sunny days. For those interested in a bit of gaming on the side, the screen supports a maximum refresh rate of 120Hz, which is good enough for online competitive shooters.

Pretty much the sole drawback is that it only has Wi-Fi 6 compatibility instead of Wi-Fi 6E, However, but this is also something you’d find in MacBook Pros and MacBook Airs, so isn’t even that big of a negative.

Best touchscreen 2-in-1 laptop for CAD

ASUS ROG Flow Z13 (2022)

CPU

Intel Core i5-12500H/ i7-12700H/ i9-12900H

Graphics

Intel Xe (iGPU) / RTX 3050 (40W) / RTX 3050 Ti (40W)

RAM

16GB

Storage

512GB/1TB SSD

Screen size

13.4″

Max Refresh Rate

120Hz / 60Hz

How We Review

Hands-on Review

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Pros

• combined with the ROG XG Mobile, as powerful as any gaming laptop
• superb brightness & contrast
• great color accuracy and panel uniformity
• optional ROG XG Mobile comes with lots of ports
• good quality detachable keyboard & trackpad
• great build quality

Cons

• poor gaming performance with the Flow Z13 on its own
• very expensive
• poor response times
• insufficient ports on the Flow Z13
• poor cameras/webcam and mic
• lacklustre battery life
• color gamut would be wider
• No G-Sync

ASUS offers two types of convertible 2-in-1 laptops, designed to cater to the needs of both gamers and creators: the ROG Flow ‘Z’ series and the ROG Flow ‘X’ series. The ASUS ROG Flow Z13 essentially functions as a gaming tablet with a detachable keyboard, allowing it to transform into a laptop form factor, much like the Microsoft Surface Pro series. However, for engineering students, we recommend the ASUS ROG Flow X13, which provides a superior keyboard typing experience for those long work sessions. Instead of detaching, the X13’s keyboard can flip all the way around, allowing you to use it as a tablet in this mode or prop it up in a ‘tent’ position, ideal for presentations.

Similar to the Z13, the X13 features a touchscreen display with a maximum refresh rate of 120Hz. Additionally, both models offer various dedicated Nvidia GPU options. For engineering students, we suggest the GeForce RTX 3050 Ti. If you require extra power, this convertible laptop is compatible with the ASUS ROG XG Mobile external graphics card, enabling you to incorporate a portable RTX 3080, for instance, to enhance gaming performance or rendering capabilities for engineering tasks. The X13 also includes a MicroSD card slot along with a couple of USB ports and the standard audio combo jack.

While we haven’t benchmarked the X13 yet, you can reference our review of the ASUS ROG Flow Z13 to gain a good understanding of its performance since these two devices share many similarities in this regard. If you’re in search of a larger version of the X13, you can also explore our review of the highly recommended ASUS ROG Flow X16.

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Things to consider when buying a laptop for CAD

What CAD software exists and how demanding is it?

Solidworks, Inventor, Revit, AutoCAD, Civil 3D, MicroStation, CATIA, Creo, SIEMENS NX, and Windchill are ten of the most popular CAD software on the market. The specialism of each varies from use in civil engineering, transportation, and water management to aerospace and automotive industries, plus general product development. AutoCAD is one of the oldest and most widely used pieces of CAD application, and has some of the most versatility and breadth in its applications.

To make sure your device is capable of running your chosen software to your satisfaction, we’d strongly recommend Googling the system requirements of whichever one you’re interested in and comparing the recommended specs against those of your laptop. Generally though, any laptop listed here that we’ve said is capable of running 3D modeling software to a good standard should be able to run any of these other bits of software.

What specs are needed for a laptop to run AutoCAD?

The official AutoCAD system requirements are as follows. As a general rule, it’s always wise to assume the minimum specs will barely run a piece of software, and aim as close as possible to the recommended specs if you want a decent experience. The recommended specs are by no means a ceiling and significantly more powerful laptops above this threshold will have significantly improved performance.

AutoCAD minimum system requirements

• CPU: 2.5–2.9 GHz processor
• GPU: 1GB VRAM with DirectX 11 support
• Memory: 8 GB of RAM
• Storage: 10GB
• OS: 64-bit Windows 10 / Windows 11

AutoCAD recommended system requirements

• CPU: 3+ GHz processor
• GPU: 4GB VRAM with DirectX 12 support
• Memory: 16 GB of RAM
• Storage: 21GB+ for expanded toolsets/features (Map 3D, Electrical, Architecture, Plant 3D, Mechanical, Raster Design etc.)
• OS: 64-bit Windows 10 / Windows 11

Workstation vs gaming: Which GPU is best for AUTOCAD?

Although you might think specialist workstation GPUs like the Nvidia Quadro series might deal with CAD workloads faster, this is not usually the case. Typically workstation GPUs might even have a slightly slower clock speed than gaming-focused ones, like the Nvidia RTX series, despite the fact that they often cost more money. Really what you pay for when you buy a device with workstation graphics card is greater stability and build quality, better aftermarket tech support, and error-correcting VRAM that reduces the chance of data corruption. For most people though, unless you’re working on some kind of data-crunching scientific research project where every data point matters, a gaming GPU will be just fine – certainly for most CAD and AutoCAD users.

Best laptop for CAD & AUTOCAD FAQs

Does CAD work better on Mac or Windows?

Some CAD software, including AutoCAD, can run natively on Mac devices, however others like Solidworks, Creo, Catia, and others do not. Even for some applications that do run natively on MacOS, some advanced features might not function properly.

Software like Parralels, which allows you to run Windows on the desktop of your Mac within a separate window on your screen, can be used as a workaround, but limit your efficiency.

Do you need a good laptop for AutoCAD?

Getting AutoCAD to run does not require a particularly powerful laptop, just one with a dedicated graphics card. However, if you’re a professional where time is money and you want to complete your rendering workloads quicker, it is worth spending more money on a more powerful laptop to maximize your performance. We’ve suggested some examples above/within for you to consider.

Best laptop for CAD 2024: Final Word

You should now be well-versed in everything there is to know about the best laptop for CAD and AutoCAD options available. For more options befitting other uses, take a gander at our best laptop for working from home guide, best laptop for students guide, best laptop for computer science students, or our best gaming laptop guide.