Which are the Best Laptops for AutoCAD and Other 3D Modelling Applications in 2022?

Students, digital artists, civil engineers, architects, and several other professionals from all fields of functional 3D designing depend on CAD applications. Of course, AutoCAD is the most popular and widely used 3D modelling software with a massive community. So, we will focus mostly on laptops recommended for AutoCAD. Nevertheless, any of the models mentioned here will still be suited for other 3D or 2D modelling applications just as well.

Lenovo Yoga 9i 2-in1 (15.6”)

There are two important requirements that every laptop must meet if they are to be recommended as being suitable for 3D modelling. The laptop should have a high-resolution, bright, vivid touchscreen, and enough computing power to render 3D models with relative ease. The Lenovo Yoga 9i 2-in-1 is among the best laptops recommended for AutoCAD, because it meets both those requirements at a relatively affordable price. Check the key specs below to get an idea of what we are discussing here:

• A 15.6″ full high definition (1080p) IPS touchscreen with 500 nits of maximum brightness.
• Intel Core-i7, 6-core CPU that’s overclockable to 5GHz (4.8GHz max recommended).
• NVIDIA RTX 1650 Ti GPU with 4GM of VRAM.
• 12 GB DDR4 RAM at 2933MHz.

Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2021)

If you are looking for something both portable and powerful enough to be recommended from Apple’s lineup for 3D modelling, then the MacBook Pro 16 released in 2021 does stand out. Now, there are a couple of points which must be pointed out here. Firstly, How AutoCAD works on Macs is a little bit different than how it works on a Windows PC. So, you won’t miss the touchscreen as much on a Mac Pro 16 as you would on any Windows Laptop.

Secondly, it still does matter, despite what the reviewers might be telling you! Other than the lack of a touchscreen though, the MacBook Pro 16 (2021) is indeed one of the best laptops recommended for AutoCAD users if you can afford it. Check the key specs below:

• A 16.2″ (3456 X 2234) mini-LED display with 120Hz refresh rate.
• Apple M1 Max Chip (GPU + CPU)
• Up to 64GB RAM.

Lenovo ThinkPad P1 (16”)

Since we discussed Apple MacBook Pro 16 price territory in the earlier recommendation, the Lenovo ThinkPad P1 must mentioned too for the sake of PC pros! Although it is not cheap by any means, the Lenovo ThinkPad P1 is the most powerful of all laptops recommended for AutoCAD on this list. Suffice to say, it does not get more powerful than that on an AutoCAD laptop.

There are several versions and configurations available for a pro to choose from, but the following should provide a decent glimpse into the kind of power we are discussing here.

• Intel Core-i9, 8 Core CPU with 16 threads and 24MB cache (up to 5.0GHz)
• 16″ (3840 x 2400) IPS or OLED touchscreen with 600 nits of brightness and 100% Adobe Color Gamut coverage.
• Up to 64 GB DDR4 RAM at 3200MHz.
• NVIDIA RTX A5000/3080/3070.

If you are reading this in 2023 or later, here’s a pointer that should still keep this post relevant. Most manufacturers do not change core elements or the primary model monikers of their products for years. That is especially true for these models as they are each established and popular devices in their own respective segments.

Therefore, just look for the contemporary model that was released in the same year as your current one. The internals will have been upgraded by the manufacturer to keep their models relevant with the timeline.