Modern technology, a marvelous wonder where almost anything you can think of is possible. But by 2021, we've reached a point in humanity that we need to create newer, better technology to help us innovate with new products, systems and technological advances. What we were once doing on pen and paper; sketching out blueprints and plans, has now migrated to a new standard of powerful machines and workstations alongside intricate and complex software to help visualize and realize our ideas. One such field which has benefitted greatly from modern technology is engineering.
Everything that you use on a daily basis, be it our road systems, cars, buildings, highways, to consumer electronics like smartphones, laptops, tablets, control systems, to even precise machine parts, pistons, and moving parts in a machine. Essentially, every important part of modern civilization. With that being said, the world has adopted new ways of creating like using computers and laptops to run computer-aided design software like AutoCAD, SketchUp and SolidWorks. Isn't it funny how we now had to create technology to keep making bigger, better and newer products? Well, maybe that's just me.
Keeping that in mind, today we're going to be highlighting some of the very best laptops for SolidWorks to get you well equipped for one of the most popular 3D modeling software available to date. But before we get to that, let's take a minute to better understand what SolidWorks is, and what it has to offer to engineers.
What is SolidWorks?
SolidWorks is the software of choice for many engineers, cementing its name as an industry standard. Specifically, SolidWorks will be a familiar name for many mechatronic engineers who create and design robotics, computers, electronics other various systems. They're not the only ones who benefit and use the highly-recognized 3D modeling software, with even mechanical, electrical and electronic engineers using the software for a wide variety of uses.
SolidWorks now has evolved to include a vast feature-set and programs built for 2D and 3D modeling. Some examples of what SolidWorks is a one stop shop for engineers capable of helping with the ideation, planning, modeling, prototyping, testing, and managing the project. From there, you can design and model all elements pertaining to the product, including the electrical, mechanical and software needed to make the system run as intended.
Popular Tools
One of the most popular tools in the SolidWorks software package is the ability to create complex large assemblies of many components, which can also be implemented into other assemblies. These assemblies have a separate feature set allowing for an easier way to work with large assemblies. Some of these features include; Large Scale Design for tools to design machinery, heavy equipment, small ships and plants among other large objects. Facility Layout lets you use special tools to work with very large models and large assemblies like plant layouts more effectively. Large Design Review allows engineers to open large assemblies quickly with a variety useful features to help review assembly designs.
Management and Governance Features
Besides the normal features of a 3D modeling CAD software, SolidWorks also has a variety of management and governance features to make working on the software much easier. SolidWorks software allows organizations, users and customers to collaborate with social tools during the development process, data management, and cloud data and product management for all your projects.
As you can tell, there's much more to the SolidWorks software that I haven't mentioned, but the message should be clear enough. SolidWorks is a well-known, highly-useful tool that many engineering students, qualified engineers and designers across the world can attest to. Now, let's take a look at the minimum and recommended system requirements to better understand what the best laptop for SolidWorks would look like.
Minimum System Requirements
Operating System
Based on the specs provided by SolidWorks official channels, a SolidWorks laptop will need some hefty performance to fully utilize what SolidWorks has to offer. First off, we're going to be discussing the operating system best suited for running SolidWorks. Well, honestly, your options is really only Windows, with support for Windows 7 and Windows 10 on one of the latest versions of SolidWorks, SolidWorks 2020. Your best bet would be to find a laptop for SolidWorks which comes with Windows 10 pre-installed, which most consumer and workstation laptop brands already do.
The one thing I should mention is that for the most part, we're going to be looking at a different variety of laptops that you may not be accustomed to. This is more commonly known as a workstation laptop, which in turn will be the best laptop for SolidWorks around. These laptops are built and well-suited to handle CPU and GPU intensive tasks like 3D animation, data analysis, and CAD software like SolidWorks. But more on that later.
Processor
For the processor, you're going to need to find a processer with at least 3.3GHz clock speed or higher. This will relate to a number of quad-core processor like the Intel Core i5 lineup, or the Intel Core i7 series like the Intel Core i7-8750H processor, Intel Core i7-8650U, Intel Core i7-7700HQ etc. There are a wide variety of processors on the market and are all capable in their own right. The laptop brands we'll be highlighting as the best laptop for SolidWorks will undoubtedly meet these standard, if not better them.
RAM
The next spec we're going to need to be wary of is the RAM and storage capabilities of the laptop. Mainly, we're going to need a really high RAM capacity with the base requirement including a 16GB RAM capacity. While it is a higher priced RAM capacity, it's going to be necessary to handle the heavy workloads that programs like SolidWorks require. Having a capable mobile workstation with a high RAM capacity will help your laptop manage multi-tasking easily, as well as loading up graphic and CPU intensive tasks. For the storage, SolidWorks recommends finding a solid state drive (SSD) for optimal performance, but more on that later.
Graphics Card
Lastly, one of the most important specs that SolidWorks requires will be the graphics card (GPU). Again, since we're talking about SolidWorks and CAD software, the graphics card that SolidWorks certified laptops will have will be different to what you might be accustomed to. These graphics card are mainly visualization solutions that have a focus towards CAD, video editing, image editing and similar software. You'll see a variety of GPUs including (but not limited to) the NVIDIA Quadro series which uses OpenGL, in comparison to gaming GPUs and lower-end CAD software which favor DirectX.
It's a difference in the firmware which NVIDIA Quadro cards are optimized for which you might not find on gaming GPUs like an NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050, NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 or NVIDIA RTX 2070.
Now with our understanding of what the best laptops for SolidWorks will need to run efficiently, let's get into our recommendations for running SolidWorks software.
Recommended System Requirements
Now that we have a better understanding of what the best laptops for SolidWorks looks like, we're now going to recommend specific specs and laptop features to look for.
Processor
First up, we're going to be talking about the processor. To successfully and efficiently run SolidWorks, your laptop should be equipped with at least a quad-core processor. Anything less than a quad-core processor, and you're probably going to be running into some issues like freezing, slow load times, crashes, etc. This is as a quad-core processor like the Intel Core i7-9750H or Intel Core i7-8650U will not only meet up to the 3.3GHz clock speed, but will also run your system and other programs other than SolidWorks smoothly. You could also opt for an Intel Core i5 processor with a similar clock speed, but to be safe and future proof your laptop, I'd advise investing a little extra. I'd only really recommend an Intel Core i5 if you were on a tight budget.
RAM
For the RAM and storage space, we're going to recommend a 16GB DDR4 RAM variant and at least a 256GB PCIe NVMe SSD storage. In regards to the 16GB DDR4 RAM, we're recommending this as the DDR4 is the most common RAM variant, and the 16GB RAM will be pretty capable of handling almost any task you need to on your laptop. However, even with a relatively high 16GB capacity, for SolidWorks and CAD software this is actually considered a mid-range capacity. If your budget allows, you should look to investing towards better than a mid-range RAM such as a high-end 24GB or 32GB RAM capacity.
Storage Capacity
For the storage, a 256GB PCIe NVMe SSD should be considered a base and I'd recommend finding higher storage capacities like a 512GB SSD or 1TB SSD. This is mainly because overtime, you're going to be storing more and more big, heavy datasets, files and 3D renderings which will occupy quite a bit of space on your SSD. Having a little extra storage will prove useful in the long run.
Graphics Card
Last on our list, the graphics card, a very important spec as I mentioned earlier. And for the most part, we're going to be on the look for some 'workstation GPUs' from the NVIDIA Quadro lineup to properly optimize the SolidWorks experience on your laptop. But since most consumer laptops are equipped with gaming-focused graphics cards like the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 and NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060, we're bound to run into a couple on the list. While the NVIDIA Quadro lineup will be our priority, a gaming laptop equipped with a high-end NVIDIA GeForce RTX graphics card should be able to handle the intense processes within SolidWorks. Not to mention that these laptops are considerably cheaper than typical workstation laptops, making the search for the best SolidWorks laptop a little easier.
Now that we've gone through pretty much everything you need to know for the best laptops for SolidWorks, let's take a look at some additional specs and features that are going to add substantial value to your laptop.
Other Features To Look For
Display
While we've gone through a lot of the hardware specs and features, one important spec that hasn't been brought up just yet is the display. Yes, the display, you know, the thing you're actually looking at while working on projects and 3D models in SolidWorks? Pretty obvious why it's important to have a great looking display at an appropriate screen size. We're going to recommend that the best laptop for SolidWorks be equipped with at least a Full HD display resolution at 1920 x 1080 pixels. A 1920 x 1080 pixels display resolution is the base for most mid-range and high-end laptops making it both accessible and affordable.
Having a display with at least 1920 x 1080 pixels density will make almost everything you see on screen crispy, vibrant, and clear. An important consideration especially if you're working with large assemblies and small components. You're going to want to make sure your model designed in SolidWorks is accurate to make sure nothing goes wrong during testing and prototype phases. Not to mention having a Full HD display is going to pay off greatly for watching videos on YouTube, streaming Netflix, and playing video games. A laptop wouldn't be considered one of the best laptops for SolidWorks if it was rocking great internals and a subpar display, would it?
Battery Life
Another important spec that I think many seem to brush aside is the battery life your laptop is capable of. This is because a long battery life equates to how long your laptop can last without being tethered to a charger. A long battery life has been one of the most important features that I've tested that greatly adds value to basically any laptop. Having a great battery life in turn makes you feel more productive, without having to worry about carrying a charger or your battery running out at the end of the day. Of course, a great battery life isn't a one stop shop for a laptop for SolidWorks, but it will make it a better purchase.
Not to mention the fact that a long battery life improves how portable you can be with the laptop. Long gone are the days where people strain their backs and shoulders carrying a behemoth of a laptop and the equally humungous laptop charger. It's not essential to run SolidWorks, but it'll prove itself in the long run, making your laptop feel high-end and premium even if it didn't cost as much.
Comfortable Keyboard
A great keyboard is essential for any laptop, even more so for engineers and designers working through the night in SolidWorks and similar CAD software. With a comfortable keyboard, you're going to experience less fatigue and ensure your workflow isn't interrupted due to an awkward typing experience. Trust me, I've used my fair share of laptops and I have a clear preference as to what kind of keyboard my laptop has. Comfort and reliability aren't the only things to consider when it comes to keyboards, as one important feature that most high-end laptops are equipped with is a backlit keyboard.
A backlit keyboard is essential if you're the type to work in a dark room, or anywhere dimly lit. It makes it a much easier experience typing in the dark since you can actually see your keys. Again, not 'essential' to help run SolidWorks, but it's a great feature to have. Once you've gotten used to it, it's pretty hard to go back, so I'd recommend your best laptop for SolidWorks be equipped with a backlit keyboard to add to its versatility and capability.
Phew, we've finally gotten through everything we need to know about SolidWorks and what the right laptop for SolidWorks looks like. That being said, let's get straight into the list and check out the best laptops for SolidWorks to find the right workstation for you!
The 6 Best Laptops For SolidWorks
1. Lenovo ThinkPad P53
- Display: 15.6" Full HD (1920 x 1080) Display
- Processor: 9th Gen Intel Core i7-9750H
- Storage: 1TB SSD
- RAM: 32GB
- Graphics Card: NVIDIA Quadro T1000
- Battery Life: 6 hours
Our first entry to the list is going to be one of the more recognized workstation laptops, the Lenovo ThinkPad P50 series. This time around, we're showcasing the Lenovo ThinkPad P53 laptop which features just the right combination of specs to make it a capable SolidWorks laptop. But before that, let's take a bit to talk about the design and aesthetic you get with the laptop. The Lenovo ThinkPad P50 series laptop comes with an overall 'industrial' look, making a clear distinction as a professional laptop. It's a pretty simple black tone all throughout the laptop chassis with a little red accents on the trackpad and iconic ThinkPad pointing stick in the middle. Don't know who uses it, but since it's retained in the ThinkPad laptop series over the last few years, I'm assuming quite a few.
On the display, the laptop features a standard 15.6-inch Full HD display with a 1920 x 1080 resolution. Nothing too enticing, but it's good enough for engineers working in SolidWorks. Under the hood, we start to see why this laptop is a pretty great bargain for what you're getting. Starting things off the laptop comes with a 9th Generation Intel Core i7-9750H processor, and while it is slightly dated, it's still a capable SoC with a base 2.60GHz clock speed, but can ramp it up to 4.50GHz when needed. Safe to say, fairly powerful to take on the SolidWorks software and similar CAD programs.
The laptop also features some stellar supporting specs including a generous 32GB RAM capacity and a sizable 1TB SSD. This is a pretty great setup, especially for SolidWorks and 3D CAD programs. To top it off, the laptop also features a NVIDIA Quadro T1000 making it a solid all around laptop to handle pretty much anything. Besides the main act, the laptop also features a full array of ports including 2x USB3.1, 1x USB Type-C, 1x HDMI and 2 Thunderbolt ports, Windows 10 Pro, fingerprint reader, and up to 6 hours of battery life. Honestly, the Lenovo ThinkPad P53 is one of the best value for money workstation laptops I've seen. It's a solid price tag with the accompanying specs, making this a strong contender as one of the best laptops for SolidWorks.
2. HP ZBook 15 G5
Another staple in the workstation laptop genre is the HP ZBook series, and the HP ZBook 15 G5 is an excellent choice from the lineup. The laptop might seem a bit daunting at first with the jagged edges and industrial, boxy look that these portable workstations are accustomed to. Around the laptop chassis you'll find a matte Ash Silver color with a black keyboard and display frame. On the display, the laptop features a 15.6-inch Full HD panel which admittedly, isn't exciting but gets the job done. Where the laptop truly starts to shine is with the solid internal specs it's packing.
The first major spec we're met with is the Intel Core i7-8750H processor. Again, while the Intel Core i7-8750H is slightly dated to the latest Intel Core processor lineup, its still very capable with a base 2.2GHz clock speed and the ability to take it to 4.1GHz when necessary. Some respectable firepower so far, further supplemented with great supporting specs including 16GB DDR4 RAM and 256GB SSD + 500GB HDD of storage.
With this combination, I'd advise storing your programs like SolidWorks and the like on the SSD to help things load up a bit faster, and the rest of your files on the 500GB hard drive. To round it out, the laptop also features a NVIDIA Quadro P1000 graphics card, making it suitable to handle SolidWorks software and similar programs.
To top it all off, the HP ZBook 15 G5 brings some great extras to make things a little more worth the money. The laptop comes with Windows 10 Pro, a backlit keyboard, smart card reader, a full array of ports including; 3x USB 3.0, a HDMI, 2x Thunderbolt Type-C ports, and up to 17 hours of battery life. Well, that's what HP claims anyway, but I'm still confident on the battery performance of this one. All in all, the laptop is a worthy purchase to help you get through SolidWorks thanks to the solid spec sheet.
3. Razer Blade 15
To change things up, we're taking a different route in our search for the best laptop for SolidWorks: a gaming laptop. Yes, that's right, like I said earlier, it's not that gaming laptop GPUs aren't powerful enough to handle SolidWorks and its processes. However, some features and modes may be unavailable on a unsupported graphics card. Besides that though, you're well equipped to handle most tasks with the Razer Blade 15. This laptop represents a different use case, but is still a pretty attractive offer to most consumers. For the display you're getting a 15.6-inch Full HD edge-to-edge display, which is a fancy way of saying really slim bezels. That added to the 144Hz refresh rate capability makes this an even more attractive display frame. Besides the stunning display, you're met with sleek matte and metal black chassis making it quite the looker.
On to where the Razer Blade 15 laptop really takes things up a notch, on the inside. The laptop features the Intel Core i7-8750H processor with a max clock speed of 4.1GHz. To support the slightly dated processor is 16 gigs of RAM and a decently sized 512GB SSD storage capacity. Pretty standard specs when it comes to gaming laptops, but capable performance nonetheless. In terms of it's graphical performance, the laptop features a powerhouse GPU with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q with 8GB dedicated VRAM. This makes it a step above standard NVIDIA GeForce GTX cards which we see most often on budget/mid-range gaming laptops. Fair to say, the Razer Blade 15 comes with an impressive lineup of specs from the processor, Intel Core i7, sizable RAM and storage capacities topped off with a flagship RTX graphics card.
Though the Razer Blade 15 does a few extras to complement the performance an aesthetics. These features include Windows Hello facial recognition, Razer's Chroma backlit keyboard with a variety of colors, patterns, and settings, CNC aluminum frame, a decent port selection including 3x USB 3.0, Thunderbolt, HDMI port, and up to 7 hours of battery life.
All together, the Razer Blade 15 has an undeniable allure to it, with a gorgeous design aesthetic and display paired with reliable, powerful internals. It ranges in the premium category of gaming laptops, but if you were looking for something other than the standard 'workstation' laptop for SolidWorks, this is a great choice.
4. ROG Strix G15 by ASUS
Keeping in line with our search splitting off from the standard 'workstation' laptop category, the ROG Strix G15 is another great gaming laptop to handle pretty much everything you need to. The ROG Strix G15 by ASUS has a distinct 'gamer' aesthetic that some may be averse to. To me though, this laptop is a looker, with the brushed metal black color around the chassis and ROG branding on the rear and palm rest of the keyboard. One thing that standouts from the rest is the AuraSync lightbar at the bottom of the laptop frame, which syncs up to the RGB keyboard, Logo and other AuraSync gear you might have.
To match up to the attractive design is a 15.6-inch Full HD display with super slim bezels on the top and side display frame. For a gaming laptop, that's a pretty great screen, supplemented by the 240Hz refresh rate to make everything you do look waaaay smoother. You know, like scrolling, gaming, and other creative programs like SolidWorks.
Getting to the good stuff, the ASUS ROG Strix G15 laptop features an impressive lineup of internal specs. Starting things off we've got one of the latest 10th Gen Intel Core i7-10750H processors powering the laptop. The processor comes with a base frequency of 2.60GHz, capable of a maximum of 5.00GHz, making it a very reliable performer. A powerful processor is only one part of the spec sheet, and the ASUS ROG Strix G15 comes with dependable supporting specs with 16GB of RAM and a generous 1TB SSD storage. Considering we did recommend at least a 256GB SSD, the 1TB SSD is a very welcome entry to the list. For the graphical performance, the gaming laptop comes equipped with NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070, which features 8GB of dedicated GDDR6 VRAM.
Besides the impressive performance and gamer aesthetic, the laptop does a few more things to make it standout. Some of these features includes a backlit keyboard, ROG Intelligent Cooling, Wi-Fi 6 for faster internet connection, 3x USB-A 3.2 ports, USB Type-C, HDMI port and up to 8 hours of battery life. For a laptop that isn't in the workstation category, the ASUS ROG Strix G15 brings you commendable performance, eye-catching aesthetics and a reasonable price point. What more could you ask for?
5. Lenovo ThinkPad P52
Getting back to the core competencies of a laptop for SolidWorks, our next laptop we're featuring is the Lenovo ThinkPad P52. This laptop is more in line for what SolidWorks requires, and keeps the industrial look and design with a black color scheme around the chassis. The laptop also features a pretty 'thick' design, so keep that in mind. Most of these kinds of laptops have a similar form factor/design, so if you wanted something a little more flashy check out some of the other laptops on the list. For the display tech, we've got a standard 15.6-inch Full HD IPS display panel. The 15.6-inch display here is pretty similar to most that we've seen thus far, keeping each laptop we've featured on par with the others.
Onto the more pressing specs on the laptop, the internals. The Lenovo ThinkPad P52 features a familiar 8th Generation Intel Core i7-8750H with a base 2.2GHz frequency, capable of scaling up to 4.1GHz when necessary. To supplement the processor, the laptop comes equipped with a staggering 32GB RAM capacity and 1TB of SSD storage, making it a great performer. Again, I can't state how important the 1TB SSD is in comparison to our base 256GB SSD spec. In terms of graphical performance, the laptop comes with one of the specialty visualization solutions, the NVIDIA Quadro P1000. This should be more than capable of handling SolidWorks, along with other CAD software like AutoCAD and SketchUp.
To put the cherry on top, the laptop comes with a few additional features to sweeten the deal. Some of the features include a backlit keyboard, numeric keypad, TrackPoint, dual Dolby Audio speakers, fingerprint reader, Windows 10 Pro and up to 8.9 hours of battery life. Overall, the Lenovo ThinkPad P52 laptop a formidable lineup of specs well suited to take on SolidWorks and any other design needs you may have. What it lacks in pizzazz, the laptop makes up for in reliable performance and internals.
6. ASUS StudioBook Pro 17
Our last entry to the list is a definite heavy hitter, the ASUS StudioBook Pro 17 coming in with super powered specs to take on even any and everything. You'll get what I mean soon. First things first, let's talk about the design and overall aesthetic of the laptop. What should be considered a norm at this point, the laptop features a deep gray color scheme all around the laptop chassis and body. There are slight variations to the color scheme on the rear panel, with a brushed metal look. On the lower half of the laptop, there's a silver line that separates the trackpad and keyboard. Don't know if this has any function or if it's purely for aesthetic purposes, but I'm into it.
On the display, we've got a massive 17-inch WUXGA NanoEdge display with a resolution of 1920 x 1200. However, that's not all as the laptop display actually features a wide color gamut with a focus on color accuracy and sharpness. This is a big deal, especially if you were designing things on your laptop as a color accurate, vibrant display will ensure the final product comes out looking the way you intended it to.
For the internal specs, the laptop is packing some heat starting things off with the 9th Gen Intel Core i7-9750H processor. The processor's performance is supplemented by a hefty 64GB RAM capacity and a 2TB SSD storage. I'm not gonna lie, these are heavy hitting specs that will ensure smooth performance in SolidWorks and other programs. To add to the already awe-inspiring spec sheet is some steady graphical performance. The laptop comes with a NVIDIA Quadro RTX 3000 with 6GB dedicated GDDR6 VRAM. This is one of the better Quadro GPUs we've seen so far, earmarking the ASUS StudioBook Pro 17 a top contender in our search.
There also a few extra features that add great value to the laptop such as the backlit keyboard, Windows 10 Pro, Privacy hotkeys, NumberPad built in to the trackpad, MIL-STD 810G durability, Wi-Fi 6, and up to 10 hours of battery life. All together, the ASUS StudioBook Pro 17 is an almost irresistible laptop for engineers looking to up their game in SolidWorks. It decimates basically every laptop on the list with overpowering specs and a very attractive design for a mobile workstation. The caveat here being the somewhat high price tag. If you were looking for a proper, fully equipped workstation to handle day-to-day tasks and SolidWorks though, this is the right laptop for you.
Conclusion
We've gone through a whole host of laptops ranging from gaming laptops, to the more conventional workstation performers to find the very best of the best laptops for SolidWorks. I will add that as a final note, each and every laptop on our list will be able to handle SolidWorks reliably, so if your final choice is different from ours, I'd suggest you go for the one that appeals most to you.
Nonetheless, we're crowning a champion today as our best of the lot, and this time it's going to be the ASUS StudioBook Pro 17!
This laptop is a potent combination of specs and aesthetics that far outweigh some of the other laptops on the list. Considering that this is a 'workstation' laptop, the aesthetics are some of the most attractive with a slim body and great color scheme, with the accompanying firepower to boot. Speaking of firepower, this laptop features supersized specs that none of the laptops we've seen so far can match up to. If you've got the money, you're best off getting this beastly performer.
