SUGGESTION ( LAPTOP SPEC)

[Anonymous]

Hi, I am a new graduate with a degree in Mechanical Engineering and I want to start up a small design consultancy firm, I intend to run AutoCAD MEP and AUTOCAD with some other graphic design packages like Ilustrator and Photoshop. I am a low earner and I cam accross this laptop specs

AMD QuadCore A8-6410 2.0GHz, 8GB RAM, 1TB HDD, AMD Radeon R5 Graphics, Memory Card Reader, 15.6" HD LED Backlit Display, DVD/CD RW, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, 3 USB Ports, HDMI Port, RJ45 Port, webcam, windows 8.1(64-Bit)

Intel Core i7, AMD Radeon(2GB Dedicated), 500GB HDD, 4GB RAM, HD webcam, 15.6" HD LEd backlit Display, Bluetooth 4.0, DVD/CD RW, Card reader, VGA Port, 3 USB Ports(2 USB 3.0), HDMI Port, Wi-Fi, Windows 8.1(64-Bit)

Intel Pentium Dual-Core 2.2Ghz, 750GB HDD, 4GB RAM, 15.6" HD LED Backlit display, DVD/CD RW, HD cam, Bluetooth, 3USB Port, HDMI Port, VGA Port, 5-in-1 memory card reader, 

Lenovo G50-30

Intel Celeron 2.16Ghz, 1TB HDD, 8GB RAM, Intel HD Graphics, HD Webcam, Dolby Advanced Audio v2, 1    x USB 3.0, 2 x USB 2.0, Audio Combo Jack (headphone and mic), HDMI-out, 2-in-1 (SD / MMC) card reader, 15.6" HD LED Backlit Display, DVD/CD RW,  Bluetooth 4.0, windows 8.1(64-Bit) With Bing

I need to know which will serve me well for atleast two to three years

[pendean]

General comments:
4G Ram is not adequate for all of your software needs.
Celeron is not acceptable except for your receptionist or child.
Win10 is best, why buy something old like Win8/8.1 today.

Otherwise all the other specs are generic enough for production work.

[JDMather]

I would want a minimum 17" screen for CAD mobile work and a second larger monitor for desk work.

I can't imagine doing production work on a 15.6 screen.

[nrz13]

@JDMatherA 15.6" screen could be doable if using mostly keyboard input.  I worked on a 14" screen back in the day for about a year, I think, and that was doable.  Not great, but it'd be the least of my concerns considering the underwhelming specs on all of those computers.

@AnonymousI don't think any of those computers will serve you well now, let alone for three years.  If I had to get one of them, though, I'd get the AMD one because it has 8GB of RAM and doesn't have a Celeron processor.

[Anonymous]

Can you give some specifications... I have a tight budget

[Anonymous]

Well another thing you will want to look at is whether or not you can expand on what you are purchasing.

Is 8 gb the max amount of ram you can place on the motherboard?

Can you upgrade the processor next year?

Does it have space for a 2nd hard-drive?

Most laptops will use motherboard ram for video.

So just because it tells you 8 gb of ram, your video card will be using 256-512 meg of that 8 gb.

If you look up the minimum recommended requirements for AutoCAD you'll have a better idea on what you'll wish to start with.

https://knowledge.autodesk.com/support/autocad/troubleshooting/caas/sfdcarticles/sfdcarticles/System-requirements-for-AutoCAD-2016.html

I haven't tried to add a link before on this forum so I hope that works.

If not, all I did was a quick Google search and it popped up.

Remember that minimum requirements are just that, the minimum.

Autodesk will tell that anything less and they will not guarantee that the program will even run.

So once you get a few larger items in your file, you will most likely run into hesitation issues.

So I hope you understand that part.

I would also say that a 17" screen is the minimum I would wish to work with.

I can't speak to all but many 17" laptops have space for a 2nd drive too.

Good luck.

Radar

[JDMather]

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@nrz13 wrote:

@JDMatherA 15.6" screen could be doable if using mostly keyboard input.  ....

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Well, my 18.4 Alienware is barely "doable".  

A bit heavy to carry around though - the power brick weighs as much as a 15.6 laptop.

[nrz13]

Let me expound upon my comment:  I use only keyboard entry.  I don't have a Ribbon, toolbars, command line, status bar, or anything else eating into my drawing area except the Model/Layout bar at the bottom.  It's doable on a 15.6".  Obviously, I much prefer my dual 30" monitor setup that I have now, which I still use with just as clean an interface, although I have a lot of extra room for my Properties and Layers on the second monitor now.

[genecurtis]

I would stay away from Quadcore. The i7 would be the best option, IMHO. At least until Autocad support multi-core processing. Max out your ram.

[kalebharper223]

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@Anonymous wrote:

Hi, I am a new graduate with a degree in Mechanical Engineering and I want to start up a small design consultancy firm, I intend to run AutoCAD MEP and AUTOCAD with some other graphic design packages like Ilustrator and Photoshop. I am a low earner and I cam accross this laptop specs

AMD QuadCore A8-6410 2.0GHz, 8GB RAM, 1TB HDD, AMD Radeon R5 Graphics, Memory Card Reader, 15.6" HD LED Backlit Display, DVD/CD RW, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, 3 USB Ports, HDMI Port, RJ45 Port, webcam, windows 8.1(64-Bit)

Intel Core i7, AMD Radeon(2GB Dedicated), 500GB HDD, 4GB RAM, HD webcam, 15.6" HD LEd backlit Display, Bluetooth 4.0, DVD/CD RW, Card reader, VGA Port, 3 USB Ports(2 USB 3.0), HDMI Port, Wi-Fi, Windows 8.1(64-Bit)

Intel Pentium Dual-Core 2.2Ghz, 750GB HDD, 4GB RAM, 15.6" HD LED Backlit display, DVD/CD RW, HD cam, Bluetooth, 3USB Port, HDMI Port, VGA Port, 5-in-1 memory card reader, 

Lenovo G50-30

Intel Celeron 2.16Ghz, 1TB HDD, 8GB RAM, Intel HD Graphics, HD Webcam, Dolby Advanced Audio v2, 1    x USB 3.0, 2 x USB 2.0, Audio Combo Jack (headphone and mic), HDMI-out, 2-in-1 (SD / MMC) card reader, 15.6" HD LED Backlit Display, DVD/CD RW,  Bluetooth 4.0, windows 8.1(64-Bit) With Bing

I need to know which will serve me well for atleast two to three years

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If you want to run AutoCAD, you're best off looking at a laptop with the latest Intel Core i5 or Core i7 chips, but how powerful a machine do you need in practice? That really depends on what kind of work you're doing in CAD.
MacBook Air (M1 2020) is my recommendation

[pendean]

@kalebharper223 I don't think they are still waiting from the year 2016 for your recommendation 😉

BTW, the MAC forum is over here https://forums.autodesk.com/t5/autocad-for-mac/ct-p/4051