Best Laptops for Revit & Lumion: Top 7 Picks (2022)

As our world gets ever more complex with intricate architecture, buildings, and systems, it's only natural the tools we use to construct these marvelous structures be equally complex. For those in the construction industry be it an engineer, architect, or even skilled laborers, there are many important factors to account for to ensure sustainability, energy-efficiency and a whole host of safety and quality measures.

These days, just using one complex software to help you in your day-to-day isn't good enough anymore. To help address issues with the plentiful of challenges that pop up when looking to start construction, engineers, architects and project managers are turning to something called Building Information Modelling (BIM for short).

This BIM process is used to create and manage all different kinds of information for your project through it's lifecycle. One key aspect of the process is the ability to have a digital description of all aspects of the built asset. You will also be able to design a building or structure and all of its moving parts in 3D, include annotations with 2D drafting elements and access to the building's information on the database.

If all this sounds appealing to you as an engineer or architect, you may be interested in a little program called Revit from AutoDesk. You know, the dudes behind some of the most popular CAD software and documentation programs like AutoCAD, Fusion 360, 3DS Max, etc.

And if you were interested in AutoDesk Revit, then boy, are you lucky you're reading this right now because we're going to be going through some of the best laptops for Revit to get all AEC professionals and students properly equipped and optimizing the construction process. But before that, let's take a look at the minimum and recommended system specs to get a better idea of what a best laptop for Revit would look like.

Minimum Laptop Specs

The above specs are going to be the bare minimums of what to look for out of the best laptop for Revit and we've actually got these specs from the official Revit requirements page. Keep in mind, these specs really should be treated as the bare minimums of what to look for in an entry-level config. Let's get into it a little more in depth to finding out what it takes to run Revit.

Operating System

The operating system your Revit laptop will be running is going to be pretty straightforward. You're pretty much beholden to just one choice, but luckily enough, it's a very competent, modern and intuitive operating system. This operating system is of course, none other than Microsoft's latest offerings with Windows 10. Windows 10 is going to be your best choice anyway thanks to frequent updates and useful features. Most devices released in the last couple of years feature the Windows 10 operating system as well, so it shouldn't be too hard to look for.

Processor

Next up we're going to be talking about the processor and what should be considered the very base of what to look for in the best laptop for Revit. AutoDesk mentions in their support page that your processor should be the highest affordable CPU you can get, but this is too broad a spectrum to fully understand what the best laptop for Revit will really need. This could relate to numerous processors like those from the Core i5 processor lineup or even the Intel Core i7 processor lineup like the Intel Core i7-7700HQ.

We'll go a little more in-depth in the recommended system specs section of the article, so be sure to check that out to find out what kind of processor fits best for running Revit. Considering this is a fairly intensive program, you're going to want to ensure you can get the best that you can to run Revit without falling into dreaded long load times, freezes and crashes.

RAM/ Storage

Your processor isn't the only indicator of performance on your dedicated Revit laptop as the RAM and storage space has quite the effect on your overall performance. Revit AutoDesk mentions that laptops for Revit should come with at least 8GB RAM and at least 30GB of free space for the initial install package. Now you should expect to download a few extras after the initial installation, so you're going to want to ensure your laptop comes with plentiful storage space.

The RAM capacity your laptop is equipped with will also be equally important, and can often be one of the greatest bottlenecks in terms of speed and performance in Revit or programs like it. To mitigate slow performance and multi-tasking, at least 8GB RAM will be required from as mentioned on the Revit system requirements page. This is a pretty high requirement as a minimum spec, so keep that in mind as you're on the search for the best laptop for Revit and Lumion.

Graphics Card

Now, since this is a very intensive program for your graphics card, safe to say you're going to need quite the beefy unit to keep up with everything Revit users need to use on a daily. Revit mentions you're going to need a GPU that comes with DirectX 11 support with the Shader 5 model and at least 4GB of dedicated VRAM. While this seems easy enough to match up to, this actually means that Revit users have to be quite particular about the kind of GPU and laptops to look at.

In this case, it might make sense to find a gaming laptop like the MSI GL62M. The MSI GL62M comes with a quad-core Intel Core i7-7700HQ, 128GB SSD + 1TB HDD, 8GB RAM and a dedicated NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Ti.

Display

The last spec Revit users need to look for is going to be the display. In particular, you're going to want to keep in mind the display resolution your laptop for Revit comes with. AutoDesk Revit mentions that you're going to need a minimum of a 1280 x 1084 resolution with equates to a HD display resolution.

Recommended Laptop Specs

Now that we have a better understanding of what the minimum specs for running Revit are, let's take a look at what a Revit recommends for a balanced laptop in terms of price and performance. The above recommendations are not only going to be those mentioned by Revit themselves, but will also include what we think would be an optimal build for the best laptop for Revit.

Processor

As I mentioned earlier in the minimum specs portion of the list, the processor is an integral part of all laptops you could think of. It's the biggest determinant of performance and will definitely need to be up to speed to keep running Revit efficiently and reliably. As such, we're going to recommend finding laptops with a processor from a recent generation such as the 8th or 9th Generation of Intel Core or AMD Ryzen processors. Not only that, but we're also advising finding laptops with at least and Intel Core i5 or Intel Core i7/ AMD equivalent.

What this also means is that we'd advise on fully avoiding anything lesser than the above. This means processors like the aforementioned Intel Core i7-7700HQ should be avoided as this is actually a 7th Generation processor. That makes the Intel Core i7-7700HQ quite dated at this point, and won't last you as long as something from the 10th or 11th Generation Intel Core i7 processor lineup. It's a matter of optimized performance for as long as you can keep it, so that's what you should expect out of your laptop to fully get value for money out of your purchase.

RAM/ Storage

Your RAM and storage are also very important specs to look for and this time we're going to be recommending the exact specs to look for if you were looking to run Revit heavily. Revit mentions you should have at least a 16GB RAM capacity, and we're going to be recommending you find a laptop with at least a 512GB SSD storage space. As you can tell, this is a pretty steep climb from the previously mentioned 8GB RAM capacity, but its for good measure. In fact, even 16GB isn't the 'optimal' capacity and Revit recommends at least 32GB for large, complex models and projects.

For the storage space, we're recommending a 512GB SSD as this is one of the better specced storage space variants you can find. It's a great balance of performance, storage space, and price which should be helpful for most of you. If this is too pricey for you, you can consider finding a laptop with a 256GB SSD but I'd whole heartedly recommend 512GB or more like a SSD 1TB as your daily driver as this makes up for the price in the long run.

Graphics Card

The graphics card is still a very important spec especially to run Revit and similar programs which relies on using the graphic display driver. As such, we're going to recommend to those running Revit daily to find a laptop with a dedicated GPU to optimize your workflow. There are plenty of GPUs out there but if you were looking to truly optimize and get the very best of the best for CAD and similar software, you're best off looking for a dedicated workstation laptop with an NVIDIA Quadro graphics card. These NVIDIA Quadro graphic cards are well optimized and built for heavy industrial usage for programs like AutoCAD, Revit, Fusion 360, and the plethora of engineering and architecture software around.

If an NVIDIA Quadro card is too pricey for your budget, you're also well equipped with the numerous amounts of gaming optimized GPUs. A dedicated GPU like the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050, NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650, etc. will be more than capable of running Revit efficiently. For ease of reference, assume laptops with a "NVIDIA GTX" in its spec sheet will be fairly suitable for your usage.

Display

The last spec we're going to have to go over will be the display resolution. This is going to be pretty straight forward, as all I have to say is find a laptop with a Full HD display resolution which equates to a 1920 x 1080 resolution. A Full HD display is the base for most laptops available these days and is very easy to accommodate.

In regards to the display size, that's pretty much up to your personal preferences. Some users prefer a bigger, 15.6-inch display while others will prefer a sleek, portable 13.3-inch or 14-inch display size. Regardless of display size you go for, as long as the specs are up-to-par with Revit standards, you should be more than well equipped.

Other Features To Consider

Before we dive into the list of the best laptops for Revit, let's take a minute to go over some great add-on features that are bound to make your experience that much better.

Battery Life

First up we're going to be talking about the battery life your laptop comes with. How long your battery life lasts actually impacts your usage pattern more than you think. A longer battery equates to a longer time to use your laptop without needing to charge it back up. It makes using your laptop much more enjoyable to use and less like a chore, always looking for somewhere to plug in. It also makes it more versatile, portable, and reliable. Anything over 7 hours of battery life should be more than sufficient for all day usage.

Portability

Portability actually goes hand in hand with your battery power. This often equates to a few key factors which include weight, thinness, and battery life. Pretty simple right? The less your laptop weighs, the thinner it is, and the longer it lasts on a single charge makes it that much more portable. If you were the type to be on the move often, going on a daily commute to the office, to meetings, to the construction site and back home again, this will be an undoubtedly added advantage to your quality of life with your laptop.

Build Quality

Lastly, you're going to want to ensure your laptop comes with a durable, sustainable build quality to truly gauge its value. Build quality is very important because you'd be surprised at how many times you'll accidentally drop, bang, or just damage your laptop in some shape or form. A military grade standard will be a good indicator for your laptop's build quality, but it can also come from the materials used, what kind of protection the laptop has for the hard drive and internals, etc.

Now that we've gone through everything you need to know, let's get straight into the list to find the best laptops for Revit!

The 7 Best Laptops For Revit

1. Acer Predator Helios 300

The first laptop we'll be featuring on our list is going to be a pretty heavy hitting gaming laptop, the Acer Predator Helios 300. This gaming laptop does range in the higher priced, premium segment of laptops, but you do get plenty for your money. The first thing you'll notice is the display size which is a 15.6-inch FHD Display with a speedy 144Hz refresh rate. A higher refresh rate will make everything you do on screen look and feel much smoother and high-end.

On to the internals is where the Acer Predator Helios 300 truly shines with an impressive array of specs. The gaming laptop comes with a 10th Generation Intel Core i7-10750H, 16GB RAM and a sizable 512GB SSD storage capacity. For the graphical performance, the laptop comes with an impressive NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 with 6GB GDDR6 VRAM. Besides the impressive performance, the laptop has a few more features to offer including a 4-Zone RGB backlit keyboard, Windows 10 Home, and DTS X Ultra audio.

2. Microsoft Surface Book 3

The next laptop on our list is going to be a pricey, ultra high-end business laptop which translates very well for use in Revit; the Microsoft Surface Book 3. The Microsoft Surface Book 3 comes with a slim and trim design language and a 13.5-inch PixelSense touch display. The great thing about the laptop is that it's a solid display size, but it can also fully detach from the keyboard and body to function as a tablet. This gives it that extra value you won't find on most of the others we've mentioned on the list.

Under the hood is where the Microsoft Surface Book 3 really shines because not only does it have a stunning design, it's got the performance to boot. The laptop comes with a 10th Gen Core i7 processor, a whopping 32GB RAM capacity and a very generous 1TB SSD storage. It also features the NVIDIA GTX 1650 with 4GB VRAM. A few extras the laptop features include USB 3.0, USB Type-C ports, SD card reader, 15.5 hours battery life and Windows 10 Home.

3. Lenovo ThinkPad E15

For those of you looking for a more conventional laptop form factor, look no further than the Lenovo ThinkPad E15. This business oriented laptop features a pretty great spec sheet and features for a considerable discount. The Lenovo ThinkPad E15 comes packed with a 15.6-inch FHD (1920 x 1080) display with narrow bezels on all four corners of the display. This results in a bigger display size without unseemly bezels taking up space.

Under the hood the Lenovo ThinkPad E15 comes packed to the rim with a great lineup. It's not the most powerful or plentiful, but for the price, the Lenovo ThinkPad E15 has got the right stuff. The laptop features an AMD Ryzen 5 4500U, 16GB RAM, and a 256GB SSD. This is lacking a bit in the GPU department with just an AMD Radeon Graphics but you should be fine running Revit considering the rest of the spec sheet. A few more extras the laptop comes with includes anti-glare display, Windows 10 Pro, USB Type-C, USB 3.0, HDMI ports, and privacy security features.

4. Acer Nitro 5

If you were looking for a more affordable gaming laptop with a respectable spec sheet, the Acer Nitro 5 gaming laptop might be your best bet. The Acer Nitro 5 has a lot to like and all of it comes at a fraction of the price of some of the other laptops on the list. The Acer Nitro 5 features a 15.6-inch FHD display with a speedy 144Hz refresh rate with narrow bezels on both sides of the frame. The rest of the laptop body on the Nitro 5 is a pretty standard, menacing gamer aesthetic.

For its performance, the Nitro 5 relies on a 10th Generation Core i5-10300H, 8GB RAM, and a humble 256GB SSD. On the graphic side of things, the laptop utilizes the NVIDIA GTX 1650Ti with 4GB dedicated GDDR6 VRAM. A pretty well equipped laptop considering how much it costs. It doesn't stop there though folks, as the Nitro 5 has a few more things to offer including a red backlit keyboard, Wi-Fi 6 support, dedicated cooling tech, a full array of port including Type-C and DTS: X Ultra audio.

5. ASUS TUF Dash 15