When it comes to 3D modeling, product designing, mechanical designing, construction planning, or any other designing work, AutoCAD is the top-in-the-line designing software preferred by all professional designers. Although AutoCAD is one of the oldest Computer Aided Designing software, the experience it offers to the users is still unmatched. Operations like 2D modeling, 3D modeling, basic layout drawing, annotations, drafting, etc. can be carried out using AutoCAD with utmost efficiency.

Choosing the right laptop has always been a task for everyone. This task becomes a little easier when you Google “Best laptop” and press the search button. But, when it comes to selecting the best laptop for AutoCAD, you must consult a professional who is already familiar with the requirements of this software. The reason behind this being that there is no one specification that fits all. The system requirements of AutoCAD will vary from person to person depending on what exactly he is working on. For example, someone might be satisfied with a laptop with moderate GPU performance, whereas the other person might need an integrated “Intel HD” graphics card for a smooth performance. Thus, choosing the best laptop for AutoCAD will solely depend on two major points: –

• Minimum system requirement for AutoCAD software.
• The type of work you are going to perform using the AutoCAD software.

Before directly jumping to the topic of best laptops for AutoCAD, firstly we will discuss the minimum system requirements for AutoCAD software depending upon the type of user i.e. student or professional, and the type of project that it is used for.

Minimum System Requirements for AutoCAD software

All CAD software available in the market define a minimum system requirement that must be taken into consideration before choosing one laptop. A powerful processor, RAM, Full HD screen, CPU clock speed, etc. are a few important features that cannot be missed but, the most important system requirement for AutoCAD is the GPU (graphics card).

Some tips from the experts!

• CPU – AutoCAD requires a powerful CPU. Thus, choose a laptop with the highest CPU clock speed.
• GPU – ViewPort framerates rely on the GPU. Thus, choose the latest GPU in the market.
• Storage – If budget is not a constraint, go for SSDs. With SSDs not only the booting time of the laptop but even the time required for saving files and other projects of AutoCAD reduces drastically.

Below I have tried to explain both minimum and recommended system requirement to experience the best performance with AutoCAD software: –

Features	Minimum System requirements	Recommended system requirements
·         Operating system	64- bit Microsoft Windows 10	64- bit Microsoft Windows 10
·         Processor	2.5 to 2.9 GHz	Above 3 GHz
·         Storage	8 GB	16 GB
·         Display Resolution	13-inch HD 1366* 768 with True Color	15.6-inch FHD with IPS display 1920* 1080
·         Graphics	2GB with 29 GB/s Bandwidth & DirectX11 compliant	4GB with 106 GB/s Bandwidth & DirectX12 compliant

Best Laptop for AutoCAD

1. ASUS ROG Strix G15

This is the best laptop for top-level professionals, infrastructure planners, architects, and mechanical engineers who use AutoCAD software for designing purposes. If you don’t want to compromise on portability, ASUS ROG Strix G15 is the ideal laptop to invest in.

This laptop comes with an Intel Core i-7 10^th gen processor which is well known for handling intensive CPU tasks like 2D as well as 3D designing work. With a Octa-core architecture and 5GHz turbo clock speed, ASUS ROG Strix G15 is capable of handling basic drawing, drafting, and annotation work effortlessly. ASUS ROG Strix G15 brings forth a potent NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 graphics card with 6GB VRAM that provides an unmatched experience while handling photorealistic and 3D rendering.

CPU	2.2 GHz Intel Core i-7 10th gen
GPU	6 GB NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060
RAM	16 GB
Storage	512 GB SSD
Display	15.6-inch FHD 1920*1080

Pros	Cons
Powerful Processor	Average Battery Backup
Potent GPU
Higher Cores
Sharp Display

2. Lenovo ThinkPad P53

ThinkPad P53 is an excellent performer that comes with a sturdy design, Intel Core i-7 9th gen processor, and ample storage space. With high end specifications Lenovo ThinkPad P53 breeze through applications like AutoCAD, Solid works, Revit, etc.

Many professional designers and architects have reviewed that they simply cruise through designing tasks and 3D models with this PC. Thanks to the Intel Core i7 9^th gen processor that provides a turbo clock speed of 4.6 GHz. Also, NVIDIA Quadro T1000 GPU is an add-on to the unmatched performance of Lenovo ThinkPad P53.

CPU	2.6 GHz Intel Core i-7 9th gen
GPU	4 GB NVIDIA Quadro T1000
RAM	16 GB
Storage	1TB HDD
Display	15.6-inch FHD IPS 1920*1080

Pros	Cons
Powerful processor	Dust Magnet
Durable Design
Hexa Core
Windows 10 Pro

3. Dell G3 15 3500

Talking about raw processing power, Dell G3 15 3500 is indeed a resourceful component that comes with Intel Core i5 10^th gen processor. Its quad core processor and 8 MB cache memory does not miss to cast an impression on designing structures. In this PC Dell has introduced NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 graphics card with 4GB VRAM that handles all intensive tasks such as visualizations of 3D constructed parts or 2D annotations effortlessly. Also, 256 GB SSD allows you to carry out multi-tasking and data storage operations without any trouble.

CPU	2.6 GHz Intel Core i5 10th gen
GPU	4 GB NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650
RAM	8 GB
Storage	256 GB SSD + 1 TB SSD
Display	15.6-inch FHD IPS 1920*1080

Pros	Cons
Powerful processor	Predictable Design
Vibrant Design	Heavier than expected

4. Alienware M15 R3

The new and improved version of Alienware M15 R3 is a competent laptop available in the market. Alienware M15 R3 features Intel Core i9 10^th gen processor with an impressive turbo clock speed of 5.1 GHz. Also, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 GPU is an add-on resource for AutoCAD specialists.

CPU	2.6 GHz Intel Core i9 10th gen
GPU	8 GB NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080
RAM	32 GB
Storage	1 TB SSD
Display	15.6-inch 4k UHD

Pros	Cons
HyperThreading	Average Battery Backup
Powerful GPU
Innovative cooling technology
4k Display

5. Acer Aspire 5

This PC is best suited and the cheapest for students who wants to perform small or medium projects using AutoCAD. Acer Aspire 5 provides CAD professionals a sleek efficient design, light-weight chassis at the cheapest price when compared to the above mentioned laptops. It powers Intel Core i5 10^th gen processor that can easily handle small to medium designing works and rendering requirements with utmost precision. AutoCAD works fine even with an integrated GPU for medium  size AutoCAD projects.

CPU	1.5 GHz Intel Core i5 11th gen
GPU	Integrated
RAM	8 GB
Storage	512 GB SSD
Display	14-inch FHD IPS 1920*1080

Pros	Cons
Adequate storage	Average power processor
Powerful battery	Minimal capabilities
Aesthetic design
Enthralling display