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Whether you are a professional architect or a student, chances are you rely on Revit, the popular modeling software. But for optimal performance, you need a reliable laptop too.
We understand that finding the right laptop for your specific needs requires a lot of research and time out of your busy schedule. Don’t despair — that is what we are here for.
This article will help you understand the most important things to consider when purchasing a new laptop for Revit. Not only that, we’ll take a deep dive into some of the best choices available right now and explain what makes them a good investment.
Sounds exciting? Then let’s jump right in.
Table of Contents
Minimum & Recommended System Requirements
The first step to finding a good laptop for Revit is understanding that the system requirements may vary depending on the complexity of your projects. For example, a student who is just learning the software might not need as powerful specs as a professional architect.
Also, you’ll probably notice that our specs sheet is a bit different than those on the official Autodesk pages. This is because our recommendations are based on our user experience and standard testing. Moreover, picking a laptop with our recommended specs will ensure your computer performs well with other popular 3D modeling apps as well.
| Minimum | Recommended | |
|---|---|---|
| CPU | 12th Gen Intel Core i5 or AMD Ryzen 5 | 12th Gen Intel Core i7 or AMD Ryzen 7 |
| RAM | 8GB | 16GB |
| Storage | 256GB SSD | 512GB SSD or more |
| Display | 14-inch FHD (1920 x 1080) | 15.6-inch FHD (1920 x 1080) |
| GPU | 4GB NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 | 8GB NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 |
Top 7 Laptops for Revit
Now that you know the minimum and expert-recommended laptop specifications, it’s time to explore the best laptops for Revit. As a bonus, all of these machines are great choices if you also need a good CAD laptop.
1. Strong Perfomer by MSI: MSI Thin
- CPU: 2GHz Intel Core i7-12650H
- RAM: 16GB DDR4
- Storage: 512GB SSD
- Display: 15.6-inch FHD (1920 x 1080)
- GPU: 6GB NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4050
- Battery: Up to 7 hours
Many young professionals would enjoy an affordable, powerful laptop for Revit — and MSI Thin might just be the right choice.
Thin packs an RTX 4050, which is one of the latest NVIDIA’s GPUs. Coupled with a 12th Gen. i7, this combo works great with Revit.
In my Revit tests, MSI Thin worked really well and fast, which is also due to 16GB RAM. If you want to future-proof this laptop for several years, I’d add 16GB more.
I love Thin’s display — besides a high refresh rate, the 15.6” panel is very contrasty, which is rare for a gaming laptop. However, if your work in Revit revolves around color-accurate details, I’d check other laptops or get an external monitor.
Another thing that sets MSI Thin apart is high portability. What I mean is that the whole machine weighs only 4 lbs and manages to pull 7 hours of battery life, which are awesome figures for a gaming laptop. I had no issue carrying it around and working all day.
The chassis feels sturdy and durable, although the design may feel a little outdated to some. I don’t have a problem with that, though, especially at this price point.
Overall, if you’d like to save some money but not compromise on power, MSI Thin is a great Revit laptop to consider.
- What We Like
- Affordable
- Latest-gen GPU
- Great overall performance
- High refresh rate
- Solid battery life
- Lightweight and sturdy
- What We Don’t Like
- Low color accuracy
- Somewhat outdated design
2. Best Overall for Revit: Sager 2023 NP8875D
- CPU: 2.2 Ghz Intel Core i9-13900HX
- RAM: 32GB DDR5
- Storage: 1TB SSD
- Display: 17.3-inch QHD (2560 x 1440)
- GPU: 8GB Nvidia GeForce RTX 4060
- Battery: Up to 5 hours
If you haven’t heard of Sager, you really should. It’s a Clevo laptop for Revit that packs impressive specs, comparable to much more expensive laptops.
To start off, Sager houses one of the best CPUs currently available, with an equally powerful RTX 4060 GPU. To say this is a beast would be an understatement — I love the smooth renders and high speeds it produces.
Add to that 32GB of the DDR5 RAM — which is significantly faster than DDR4 — and you’ve got yourself a nice, powerful machine for 3D modeling.
Sager’s display joins the ranks of ASUS ROG Zephyrus and Strix Scar, with a large, 17.3” hi-res panel that is also color-accurate. Working on it feels awesome — I could see the tiniest details with great precision.
And the machine is professional — I mean, sure, the yellow-lit keyboard is gamerish, but the chassis looks and feels very polished and elegant. In other words, I’d use it in an office any day.
Carrying it to the office is a different story, since the laptop weighs a little over 6 lbs. And I can’t say I’m impressed with a 5-hour battery life, but it is what it is; just make sure to bring a charger.
However, if you don’t mind the mediocre portability, Sager more than makes up for it with stellar specs and an amazing display. It’s a Revit laptop that many hardcore professionals will enjoy for years to come.
- What We Like
- Powerful CPU/GPU
- Gorgeous, color-accurate display
- Sturdy and sleek
- Upgradable DDR5 RAM
- Great keyboard
- Reasonable price
- What We Don’t Like
- On the heavier side
- Mediocre battery life
3. Best for Students: Acer Nitro 5
- CPU: 2.5 GHz Intel Core i5-12500H
- RAM: 8GB DDR4
- Storage: 512GB SSD
- Display: 15.6-inch FHD (1920 x 1080)
- GPU: 4GB NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050
- Battery: Up to 6 Hours
Acer Nitro 5 has to be one of the most recommended laptop for students, and with a good reason. Not surprisingly, it also makes a great laptop for students who use Revit.
The thing with Acer is that the company prioritizes performance. For the price, Nitro 5 packs a very capable RTX 3050 graphics card and a 12th Gen. i5. This is a strong combo for any CAD and 3D modeling curriculum, and will work for complex assignments as well.
Plus, a 15.6” panel is large enough to see the details, yet still reasonably small to carry around. Similarly to MSI Thin, if you work on color-sensitive projects, make sure to plug in a color-calibrated external monitor.
And the battery life holds. I was able to get solid 6 hours of work, which is enough for most days at campus.
The main concern is the RAM. 8GB is pretty standard nowadays, however, for 3D modeling, I’d upgrade to at least 16GB.
When it comes to students, I always check the keyboard and trackpad. In Nitro 5’s case, these are very good and you should easily get used to them.
If you don’t mind a somewhat heavier chassis (I find the weight reasonable for a laptop this size), Acer Nitro 5 is one of the best budget laptops for Revit you can get.
Read our Acer Nitro 5 Review or Watch it on YouTube
This YouTube review was created by the Not Just Laptops team. The specs may slightly differ from the laptop in the article.
- What We Like
- Budget price
- Strong performance
- Large and fast display
- Comfy keyboard
- Good battery life
- Great ports
- What We Don’t Like
- 8GB RAM
- Somewhat heavy
4. Mobile Workstation: Lenovo ThinkPad P17
- CPU: 2.3GHz Intel Core i7-11800H
- RAM: 32GB DDR4
- Storage: 1TB SSD
- Display: 17.3-inch FHD (1920 x 1080)
- GPU: 4GB NVIDIA Quadro RTX A2000
- Battery: Up to 9 hours
If you want a reliable workstation for tough environments — or just for the sheer power they bring — go to Lenovo. ThinkPad P17 is a laptop for Revit that will withstand anything you throw at it, figuratively or in real life (ok, maybe let’s not get carried away).
Jokes aside, this is a sturdy, military-grade machine which I would carry to a construction site or wherever there’s a high chance of bumps and accidents.
Under the hood, you’ll find a super-reliable 11th Gen. i9 and an RTX A2000, the only one on this list. QUADRO A2000 is a GPU specifically designed for heavy 3D modeling workflows, real-time ray tracing and AI-augmented environments.
And you get 32GB RAM, which is enough for most complex and demanding tasks a professional could encounter.
Needless to say, P17 passed my Revit tests with flying colors.
I also like the large IPS panel that happens to be very color-accurate, just like Sager and ROG Zephyrus.
Portability-wise, ThinkPad P17 is great when it comes to battery life. I easily got 8-9 hours of battery life, which is enough for most workdays.
When it comes to weight, though, workstations tend to be heavier because of the powerful specs, and P17 is no different. It weighs close to 8 lbs, which is no walk in the park.
If you don’t mind the weight, ThinkPad P17 is one powerful workstation laptop for Revit that brings great performance, gorgeous display, and lots of juice.
- What We Like
- Super-strong GPU
- Sturdy and military-grade
- Great, color-accurate display
- Long battery life
- Ample RAM
- Great keyboard and trackpad
- What We Don’t Like
- Heavy
- Chunky bezels
5. Best 16-inch: Acer Predator Helios 16
- CPU: 2.1GHz Intel Core i7-13700HX
- RAM: 16GB DDR5
- Storage: 1TB SSD
- Display: 16-inch QHD (2560 x 1600)
- GPU: 8GB NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060
- Battery: Up to 5 hours
Maybe you’d like a gaming laptop for Revit? The latest iteration of Predator Helios sure fits the bill — and puts the cool in 3D modeling work.
The beast runs on a 13th Gen. i7 HX processor, paired with an RTX 4060. I mean, wow. For this price, Acer sure did shut a lot of mouths in one fell swoop.
With a 16GB of DDR5 RAM, Helios zaps through Revit workspace faster than interior designers can come up with ideas.
And the 16” panel comes with a high resolution, crisp and vivid colors, and the G SYNC — just in case you also like to game on the side.
The newest Predator Helios just looks very gamer-polished. I love the multi-colored RGB keyboard, but I never got the impression it takes away from otherwise very elegant and sturdy design.
As for portability, the machine could have been better — at 6.4 lbs and with around 5 hours of juice, I can’t say this is an ideal office and commuting laptop. But, with these specs, I honestly didn’t expect it to be an ultrabook.
One thing going for Predator though is an excellent cooling system. Even with very heavy tasks, the machine just doesn’t budge.
Overall, if you don’t mind bringing a charger or powerbank with you, I’d seriously consider the Acer Predator Helios. It’s got the power for professional use of Revit, and will last a good number of years.
- What We Like
- Latest-gen. CPU and GPU
- DDR5 RAM
- Gorgeous display
- Sleek gamer design
- Great cooling system
- Awesome value for money
- What We Don’t Like
- On the heavier side
- Mediocre battery life
6. Mid-Range Option from ASUS: ASUS TUF Gaming F15
- CPU: 2.5GHz Intel Core i5-12500H
- RAM: 16GB DDR4
- Storage: 512GB SSD
- Display: 15.6-inch FHD (1920 x 1080)
- GPU: 4GB NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050
- Battery: Up to 7 Hours
Sometimes a strong mid-range machine is all you need. ASUS TUF Gaming is a great, reasonably-priced laptop for Revit with some cool specs and beautiful design.
Besides HP Victus and affordable versions of Lenovo Legion, ASUS TUF is definitely one of my favorites, design-wise. I love the sleek and elegant chassis, nice to the touch.
Like Victus, TUF sports an elevated panel, which I find useful for gaming and content creation. Fast 15.6” display with thin bezels works great for Revit as well, because it lets you see and focus on the workspace much better.
Under the hood, TUF packs respectable 12th Gen. i5 and an RTX 3050, similarly to Acer Nitro 5. The CPU/GPU combo works great for mid-level Revit and 3D modeling tasks, but if you’re involved with super complex projects, I’d upgrade the RAM to at least 32GB.
Compared to a few other laptops on this list, TUF comes on top portability-wise. I got around 7 hours of battery life, which is pretty good. At under 5 lbs, this laptop is no ROG Zephyrus, but it’s still easy to carry.
Still, the machine does get hot every now and then so make sure to get a cooling pad.
If you rely a lot on the trackpad, it’s worth noting that TUF’s feels a little spongy — which might not bother you, but I’d get a mouse.
For this price, TUF Gaming is a great mid-range option for Revit that many students and professionals alike can enjoy.
- What We Like
- Beautiful, elevated panel
- Strong performance
- Professional design
- Affordable
- Good battery life
- Reasonably lightweight
- What We Don’t Like
- Gets hot
- Average trackpad
7. Portable Powerhouse: ASUS ROG Zephyrus 14
- CPU: 3.3GHz AMD Ryzen 9 6900HS
- RAM: 16GB DDR5
- Storage: 1TB SSD
- Display: 14-inch WQXGA (2560 x 1600)
- GPU: 8GB AMD Radeon RX 6800
- Battery: Up to 10 hours
If you don’t mind spending a little extra buck to get both power and portability in your new Revit laptop, then ROG Zephyrus is the way to go.
ASUS’ flagship packs the super-efficient and powerful Ryzen 9 processor and one of the latest Radeon RX GPUs. These are comparable to the finest Intel and NVIDIA’s specs, and the combo performed like a champ throughout Revit tests.
Few laptops amaze me as much as Zephyrus does. Even with powerful specs, this laptop remains well under 4 lbs and manages to pull around 9-10 hours of battery life, which is just impressive.
Add to that a very high-quality, color-accurate 14” WQXGA display, and you could understand why this would be my top pick for an everyday Revit laptop. Granted, a 14” screen isn’t for everyone and you might have to plug it into an external monitor occasionally, but the panel itself looks gorgeous.
Zephyrus is one of the rare white laptops that I like — the design overall feels very clean, neutral and polished, which makes it great for office.
Though the hinge lifts the machine up for better air circulation, the laptop does get a little hot, so I’d recommend a cooling pad when working on heavy tasks.
Overall, however, if you want a sleek, super-portable and powerful Revit laptop — and budget is not the issue — check out ROG Zephyrus.
- What We Like
- Great performance
- Beautiful, color-accurate display
- Long battery life
- Very lightweight
- Sleek, clean design
- DDR5 RAM
- What We Don’t Like
- Smaller screen
- Gets hot
Buying Guide for the Best Laptops for Revit in 2023
Before we jump to the most exciting part, let’s discuss a few key considerations that will help you purchase the best laptop for Revit that suits your specific needs.
1. Pick a Powerful CPU/GPU Combo
Revit requires a powerful processor with high core counts and overclocking capabilities in order to run smoothly. For professional-level performance, look for a laptop featuring the latest generations of Intel Core i7 processors or higher.
If you want something more affordable, going for the lower-tier Intel Core i5 or an equivalent from AMD Ryzen is a good balance between budget and performance.
But having a powerful CPU won’t be enough. You also need to pair it with a dedicated graphics card. A dedicated GPU will provide a smoother and more efficient workflow with 3D rendering, Real-Time Visualization, and other GPU-intensive tasks.
On that note, picking a laptop with some of NVIDIAs GeForce RTX 30- or 40- series is recommended.
2. Get Enough RAM and Storage
Working on large and complex Revit projects requires an ample amount of RAM. 16GB RAM is slowly becoming the base minimum for Revit and other demanding applications, but for professionals, 32GB or more is recommended.
Getting more storage is also a good idea considering Revit projects can stack up quickly. On that note, going for a 1TB storage is a decent ballpark. Moreover, picking a laptop with an SSD will provide faster loading times and improved overall performance of your machine.
3. Pick a High-Quality Display
Besides performance, having a high-resolution display with good color accuracy is essential for enjoyable work on your architectural creations.
The good thing is that any modern laptop will come with at least an FHD resolution. We don’t discourage investing in a higher-resolution display, but it’s not an absolute necessity.
It’s important to note, however, that some cheaper versions sacrifice the color accuracy for a higher refresh rate. So before making a purchase, make sure the color accuracy is on point.
4. Choose a Laptop With Efficient Cooling
Powerful laptops generate a lot of heat, especially during intensive 3D modeling and rendering sessions. So to maintain optimal performance and avoid overheating, choosing a device with an efficient cooling mechanism is important.
Powerful laptops from reputable brands are known to have decent heat management, but in some cases investing in a cooling pad may be necessary.
5. Consider Portability and Battery Life
We understand that many architects have pretty mobile lifestyles. So think about a portable laptop with enough battery juice.
The tricky part is that the most powerful laptops are usually large and can weigh up to 8 lbs. But luckily, we’ve managed to dig out a few exceptionally lightweight and portable machines that don’t fall behind in performance. For that matter, check out the ASUS ROG Zephyrus 14 and the MSI Thin from our list.
6. Set Your Budget
Finally, laptops with high-end components can get pretty expensive. But that doesn’t mean you can’t get a well-performing laptop for Revit for a reasonable price.
So, setting your budget will help you find the best-suited laptop within your reach.
FAQs about Laptops for Revit
Let us now answer some of the most asked questions about Revit laptops.
How much RAM do I need for Revit?
Revit is pretty RAM-intensive software, so the more you have, the better. But how much you really need ultimately depends on the complexity of your projects. The official Autodesk page recommends a minimum of 8GB RAM. But as modern computing is becoming more RAM-reliant, we recommend going for at least 16GB, just to be on the safe side.
On the other hand, professional architects who work on large-scale buildings should aim for 32GB or more.
Is Revit a good alternative to AutoCAD?
The short answer is: it depends on your specific needs and the type of work you do.
Revit is a BIM (Building Information Modeling) software focused on creating intelligent 3D models of buildings and other architectural structures. Revit keeps and updates all the relevant data and calculations about your building design, making it a more efficient tool for professional architects.
On the other hand, AutoCAD is a general computer-aided design and drafting software. It’s widely favored among users who require speed and efficiency with 2D drawings. You can also use it for creating 3D structures, but you’ll have to keep your data and calculations by using other apps and update them manually.
It’s also worth mentioning that AutoCAD has a cheaper subscription and is easier to learn compared to Revit. So as you can see, both tools have pros and cons, and which one is the better is up to you to decide.
Are there any affordable laptops that can run Revit?
Absolutely yes. As we saw from our list of recommendations, there are some great budget options capable of running Revit with considerable ease — like MSI Thin, Acer Nitro 5 or ASUS TUF Gaming.
Of course, for professionals, we’d recommend a more premium model for smoother workflows with complex projects. But if you’re a student just starting out with the software, picking some of the more affordable options is a great choice.
Verdict
Picking the right laptop for Revit should go along with your specific needs and budget. That’s why our list includes various models with different features and price ranges.
To sum up, a good laptop for Revit requires a powerful CPU/GPU combo and a good amount of RAM and storage.
If you’re still can’t decide, here is a short overview:
- For professional architects, we recommend Sager 2023 NP8875D.
- For students, we suggest Acer Nitro 5. It costs under 800 bucks and provides balanced performance for both college and gaming.
- And if you’re looking for a stylish and portable powerhouse, the ASUS ROG Zephyrus 14 is a great choice.
Finally, if you’re into more general 3D work, you might be interested to see our favorite laptops for 3D modeling. Or if you’re looking for specific recommendations for AutoCAD, we got you covered.
Did you find what you were looking for, or are there other questions we left unanswered? Let us know in the comment section below.
