With the advent of modern innovation, we as a civilization are creating new things everyday. These inventors and engineers are working towards a better future on a daily basis, designing new products, systems, commodities, and bringing to life ideas that could change the very fabric of our existence. I mean, could you imagine bringing someone from 400 years ago, and showing them a smartphone? Or an airplane? Yeah, I think they'd leave with their mind blown, in awe of the wonders of human ingenuity.
While we've continued to innovate and creating newer technology, the tools we use to create them evolved right with them. These days, engineers, entrepreneurs and designers are equipped with a whole host of digital tools that makes creating, designing, visualizing, testing, and simulating their products and designs in real time, all on a computer screen. That's right, today we're going to be talking about one such tool, and that is Fusion 360. Luckily, we're on the search for the very best laptops for Fusion 360 to help engineers, designers and entrepreneurs realize their designs.
But you might be asking yourself, "What is Fusion 360?". Well, firstly, if you were looking for the best laptops for Fusion 360, you probably have a rough idea of what it is. But if you were still in the dark on what it actually is, let's take a minute to talk about Fusion 360 and all it brings to the table.
What is Fusion 360?
Simply put, Fusion 360 is a 3D modeling tool known as a computer-aided design software (CAD). What this means is, you're going to be able to create basically anything you could imagine with an array of 3D modeling tools. it's your one stop shop for all your 3D CAD, CAM, and CAE needs in one, and a unique point of Fusion 360 is that it's all based on a cloud. Unlike traditional CAD s0ftware like AutoCAD which works off local and network files, with Fusion 360, you're able to work on your designs wherever you want.
Another advantage about it being a cloud-based platform is that you can easily collaborate with other students, lecturers, employees, colleagues, and other relevant stakeholders. One way Fusion 360 differentiates itself greatly is with the use of freeform models. Freeform models and the use of organic modelling makes it easier to sculpt your designs, where as something like AutoCAD will uses geometry-drive models. With Fusion 360, you can use a wide range of drawing, rendering and modeling features to create 3D models to your own imagination.
From conceptualization to testing, design your product and use the parametric and sculpting environments to detail your design. From there, run various simulations to fully understand the effects, pros and cons of certain materials/designs to create your final, master product without having to leave Fusion 360 at all. Lastly, since Fusion 360 is based on a cloud-platform, it utilizes something called a 'resource multiplier' which allows heavy tasks like creating 3D models, rendering and other GPU intensive tasks straight on the cloud. Which means, less stress on your computer and lesser limitations from standard power hungry CAD software.
Now we understand Fusion 360 a little better, let's check out what the minimum specs are to get a better understanding what a best laptop for Fusion 360 would look like.
Minimum System Requirements
Based on the minimum system requirements provided by Fusion 360, the specs above are the minimum of what you'd need to get the 3D modeling tool running. First up, let's talk about the operating system the best laptop for Fusion 360 will have.
Operating System
For the most part, the operating system the best laptop for Fusion 360 is on will mainly be up to you. Depending on your personal preferences and history of devices, you may be more inclined to either the Windows or macOS operating systems. You won't see many intrinsic differences in the Fusion 360 software on either operating system, but you'll notice changes in the overall UI and user experience.
Windows 10 is the operating system I would recommend, as most users will be at least partially familiar with the Windows platform. Not to mention that by itself, Windows 10 is a great operating system that's easy to use, fluid, has a bunch of useful features, and is well protected with frequent security updates. Windows 10 is pretty straight up, and if you've used a laptop or computer over the last couple of years, you'll be well acquainted with how Windows 10 operates.
Apple's macOS is another great option for those more familiar with Apple's hardware and ecosystem of products. I wouldn't recommend macOS to someone who has only used Windows their whole life as there are quite a bit of differences within the UI and functions you might not know. Otherwise, it has great features, a sleek UI, security updates and a great ecosystem if you have other Apple products.
Display
For the display, Fusion 360 mentions you should at least have a display resolution of 1366 x 768. This roughly translates to HD quality and while it's usable, it isn't the best. I'd highly recommend finding a better display resolution than this. But more on that in the recommended system requirements below.
Processor
The processor needed to run Fusion 360 is pretty straightforward. They've mentioned you're going to need a quad-core 64-bit processor with at least a 1.7GHz speed. Now, this is actually a fairly low requirement considering that most other CAD software have higher requirements to run their programs. This translates to any number of processors, including older Intel Core i5 and Intel Core i7 units. It's a fairly simple spec to match up to, and we're going to recommend what exactly to look for below.
RAM/Storage
In regards to the RAM and storage needed for Fusion 360, again, straightforward. They've mentioned that your workstation laptop should come with at least 4GB of RAM and a measly 3GB of storage for the base installation. Most computers these days will more than likely outmatch these specs easily, unless we're talking about lower priced notebooks and Chromebooks. We'll get into this a bit more as we go through our recommended system specs.
Graphics Card
And finally, one of the most important specs to look for when talking about CAD and software like Fusion 360: the graphics card. Now, most conventional software like AutoCAD, SketchUp, and SolidWorks have pretty high standards when it comes to the graphics card (GPU) your laptop is equipped with. But here, we find a more lax requirement, with the minimum being an integrated graphics card with at least 6GB of RAM.
For those unfamiliar with the difference between an integrated and dedicated graphics cards, it's simply this: an integrated GPU is soldered directly on the processor, working and sharing resources with the CPU. A dedicated graphics card however, has it's own chip and RAM to help run graphically intensive tasks like gaming, image and video editing, etc. These days, integrated graphics cards have come a long way from what they once were. The best part about Fusion 360 being a cloud-based CAD platform, you can rely mostly on the program to handle heavy tasks. But for most consumers, I'd still recommend finding a better GPU, just for that extra peace of mind.
Now that we've gone through the minimum specs we're going to need for the best laptops for Fusion 360, let's check out the recommended system requirements to see what an optimal workstation would look like.
Recommended System Requirements
From here, we can see that Fusion 360 truly isn't as demanding as some of the other CAD software on the market. This is a mix and match of both Fusion 360's recommendations, as well as our own personal recommendations to get the absolute best machine around.
Display
For the display, we're going to recommend you find a laptop with at least a Full HD resolution of 1920 x 1080. This is because, well, firstly Fusion 360 themselves recommended it, and secondly, because it's the most accessible and widely used display resolution around. Most laptops, ranging from mid-range to high-end laptops use a Full HD resolution as their base variant. A Full HD resolution translates well for other programs and tasks you do on your laptop to from; general browsing, Netflix streaming, YouTube videos, gaming, etc.
Not to mention a Full HD display is clear, sharp, vibrant and most important, color accurate. For designers and engineers designing and manufacturing products, you're going to want to make sure it actually looks the same as it does on screen. Some displays may alter the color, and therefore possibly causing problems with final product's colors and aesthetics.
Processor
Next up we're going to be talking about the processor the best laptop for Fusion 360 will house. Now, since the minimum stated by Fusion 360 is fairly simple to match up to (quad-core, 64-bit, 1.7GHz), there are plenty of processors that outperform and will run Fusion 360 smoother than ever. For the most part, we're going to recommend you find a laptop with at least an Intel Core i7. This is as most high-end Intel Core i7 chips will meet both the quad-core requirement, as well as top the 1.7GHz clock rate easily.
For power users of Fusion 360 however, I'm going to recommend you find something a little more recent. Something from the 10th Generation Intel Core i7 processor lineup or above will serve you well in this regard. Most Intel Core i7 processors come with a quad-core setup, and some with six cores that will add great value to your laptop's overall performance. With something like the Intel Core i7, you're well equipped for Fusion 360, and could possibly be a contender as the best laptop for AutoCAD as well. Since the use of CAD software is often not limited to just one particular platform, it's best to cover the bases sufficiently just in case your client/employer prefers another CAD program.
Other than that, there really isn't much else to disseminate about the processor the best laptops for Fusion 360 will house. As long as you match up to the minimum, you should be good. But for better, more consistent performance, you can't go wrong with one of the latest Intel Core i7 processors.
RAM/Storage
For the RAM and storage capabilities, we're going to recommend you find something with a little more power than the stated minimum. This is as overtime, your computer will start to slowdown if you have too little RAM and too much stuff clogging up your storage space. In regards to the RAM capacity, I'd recommend finding at least an 8GB RAM capacity. Fusion 360 themselves have recommended a 6GB capacity, but to be safe, anything upwards of that will be beneficial for the long term.
If you had a little extra in the budget, I'd recommend finding at least a 16GB DDR4 RAM capacity. While Fusion 360 has some pretty relaxed requirements, other CAD software will require much more power. To be honest, even the relatively high 16GB DDR4 capacity is only considered a mid-range unit when talking about RAM for workstation laptops. With that in mind, you can never have too much RAM. It just makes things easier to manage on your laptop.
The storage capacity your laptop has however, is a more flexible spec. Depending on your budget, you can easily get away with a 256GB SSD. However, I'm going to recommend something more than a 256GB SSD solely because overtime, you're going to be storing more and more projects, files, pictures, and other documents. Something like a 512GB SSD or even a 256GB SSD + 1TB HDD will make thing much easier in the long term.
Graphics Card
Lastly, we're going to be talking about the GPU the best laptops for Fusion 360 should have. While the cloud will help with most heavy lifting, you're still going to need capable hardware. We're going to recommend you find a laptop with a dedicated graphics card with at least 1GB of VRAM. A dedicated GPU will always outperform an integrated unit, making things perform faster, smoother, with less complications. This could relate to a bunch of GPUS like the NVIDIA GeForce GTX lineup; NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050, NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 Ti, NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070,etc.
Most, if not all of these GPUs will perform its best for Fusion 360. While something like the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 may be considered a mid-range GPU, since the requirements are pretty low already, you should be able to do quite a bit with the slightly dated NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050.
Now that we've gone through pretty much everything we need to, let's get straight into the list to find the best laptops for Fusion 360!
The 5 Best Laptops For Fusion 360
1. Pavilion 15 by HP
First up on our list we've got a fantastic laptop that's got the specs just right to handle Fusion 360. The Pavilion 15 laptop is straying away from the standard 'workstation' laptop genre, but brings admirable power and gorgeous aesthetics for a reasonable price tag. For starters, the laptop comes with a 15.6-inch Full HD display with micro-edged bezels around the frame. This results in a slimmer display bezels and bigger screen real estate in a relatively small frame. Many laptops in this category have opted to do the same, but I'm a big fan of the implementation here with the HP Pavilion 15.
On the inside, the laptop features up-to-date, powerful specs with the 11th Generation Intel Core i7-1165G7. This is one of the latest Intel Core i7 processors, cementing its performance capability. That added to the 16GB DDR4 RAM and 512GB SSD, you're well equipped to handle even the most intensive designs and 3D models in Fusion 360. For the graphics card, the laptop features only an Intel Iris Xe Graphics but since we have such a powerful processor and RAM combo, it will be able to handle most tasks on your laptop.
There are a few more great extra features the laptop has to make it a better deal like Windows 10 Pro, fingerprint reader, B&O audio, a full array of ports with 2x USB Type A, 1x USB Type-C, HDMI, and up to 8 hours of battery life. This laptop truly one of the best deals for the price and accompanying performance and aesthetics. A great choice for those looking for a slim, attractive and capable laptop.
2. ASUS ROG G531GT
Since Fusion 360 is a graphically intensive program, you're well equipped with a number of gaming laptop brands who deck their laptops with a fully array of powerful performing specs. The ASUS ROG G531GT is one such laptop which comes fully stacked with everything you could need for Fusion 360. The gaming laptop features a 15.6-inch Full HD display with slim bezels on the sides and top of the display frame, and a noticeable chin at the bottom.
Under the hood, the gaming laptop has a great feature set starting off with a 9th Gen Intel Core i7-9750H processor, a massive 32GB of RAM and a sizable 512GB SSD. While the 512GB SSD is not as big as a 1TB HDD, it makes up for it with capable speed to help load things up on your laptop much faster. For the graphical performance, the gaming laptop features a NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 GPU with 4GB GDDR5 VRAM, making it more than capable of handling Fusion 360's 1GB dedicated RAM requirement.
A few extra features that add great value to the laptop includes a backlit keyboard, Windows 10 Home, HD Audio stereo speakers, and up to 4 hours of battery life. All in all, this gaming laptop is a beast when it comes to performance, cinching it a spot on the best laptops for Fusion 360 list.
3. Apple MacBook Pro
If you were more keen on Apple's lineup of laptops and ecosystem, the Apple MacBook Pro 2019 is a capable performer. While this isn't the most recently released MacBook Pro, it's still got a great array of specs that I think will serve well for most consumers. The Apple laptop features a 13.3-inch Retina display with some on-board screen tech like 500 nits of brightness, True Tone technology, and a P3 wide color gamut. Other than the gorgeous display, the laptop has a sleek design with an attractive color scheme. It really is a looker.
On to the internals, we see some pretty capable performance even for a older laptop. The MacBook Pro comes with one of the latest 10th Generation Intel Core i5 processors, a 16GB RAM capacity and a generous 1TB SSD storage capacity. For the graphical performance, we're met with only an integrated Intel Iris Plus Graphics 645. But considering the supporting specs, you should be good to handle Fusion 360. The laptop features a few great extras too, including four Thunderbolt 3 Type-C ports. Though if you hadn't been using Thunderbolt 3 Type-C cables, you might want to invest in some adaptors. Otherwise, the Thunderbolt 3 ports are very flexible, capable of DisplayPort, fast charging, and data transfers.
Some other extra features includes up to 10 hours of battery life, scissor Magic backlit keyboard, Touch ID, Touch Bar, and weighs in at just 3.1lbs. All together, the 2019 MacBook Pro comes with a stunning lineup of features and specs with the caveat being the higher price tag. But if you were able, this is a great laptop to get some 3D modeling done in Fusion 360.
4. Acer Nitro 5
Next up on the list, we've got another great budget gaming laptop, the Acer Nitro 5. The Acer Nitro 5 gaming laptop comes with a solid spec sheet for a very reasonable price point. The laptop features a 15.6-inch Full HD display, similar to most laptops on the list. Not the absolute best when it comes to display resolutions, but still very respectable. Other than the display, you can expect a conventional gaming laptop aesthetic.
Onto the internals we find the laptop features a pretty great lineup with an 8th Gen Intel i5-8300 processor, 16GB RAM, and a 256GB SSD + 1TB HDD storage options. This is a great combination as this will allow for more flexibility for your storage capabilities, putting intensive programs on the 256GB SSD and the rest on the sizable 1TB HDD. For the graphics, the laptop features a slightly dated NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050. While the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 isn't the best in terms of performance, it's still marginally better than even the best integrated graphics cards around.
A few standout extras the laptop comes with includes a backlit keyboard, media card reader, stereo speakers, Acer TrueHarmony, and up to 5.5 hours of battery life. You're missing out on a Thunderbolt 3 Type C connectivity, but you get 1x USB 3.0 and 2x USB 2.0 ports instead. As a whole, the Acer Nitro 5 gaming laptop is one of the best in the price range, with a fully stacked spec sheet and a slim design at 1.1" thin.
5. MSI GF63
Last up on the list, we've got another affordable gaming laptop with an impressive arsenal of specs. The most visible feature we'll see on this laptop is going to be the 15.6-inch Full HD IPS display with razor thin bezels on the sides of the frame. Besides that, we've got a red color scheme on the backlit keyboard and brushed metal black around the laptop chassis. A pretty standard gaming laptop look to be honest. It isn't the most exciting in terms of laptop design, but it will get the job done with capable internal specs.
Under the hood, the laptop features a slightly dated 9th Generation Intel Core i7-9750H processor, 8GB RAM and a 256GB SSD. The Intel Core i7 processor features a base 2.6GHz clock rate, capable of scaling up to 4.5GHz when necessary. While it isn't the latest Intel Core i7 processor, it's still very capable of handling CAD software and Fusion 360. For the graphical performance, the laptop is equipped with an NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Ti GPU with 4 gigs of GDDR5 VRAM.
A few other standout features that comes with the laptop includes Cooler Boost 5, Audio Boost, silver-lining print keys, and up to 7 hours of battery life. Overall, the MSI GF63 is a formidable laptop and distinct look that I think many will be able to appreciate. The last best thing you're going to find with this laptop is the reasonable price for all you're getting in the package.
Conclusion
We've gone through a bunch of laptops but we're finally choosing just one as the ultimate, best of the best laptops for Fusion 360.
Our winner as the best laptop for Fusion 360 is going to be the Apple MacBook Pro!
While it does come at a high price, it doesn't change the fact that this laptop is a capable performer in a gorgeous, slim, and sleek package. With the inherent requirements being relatively low in Fusion 360, you're going to create some of your best work with the powerful, beautiful Apple MacBook Pro.
