Top 8 Best Laptops For Architecture Students (2022)

Every architect has different needs and preferences when it comes to the best laptop for architecture students. It’s dependent on multiple factors like Design software, ergonomics, battery life, and budget.

We collected the best laptops with powerful specs at an affordable price for your ultimate design process. Whether you need a laptop for undergraduate or postgraduate studies, we’ve got the best laptops for architecture students that will take your work to the next level.

There are best laptop options across a broad range of budgets. This ranking is based on overall best value, as well as specific best cheap laptop picks for those who need something affordable.

Top 8 Best Laptops For Architecture Students

1. Best Laptop for Modeling Software—Apple MacBook Pro

It has an Intel Core i5 processor and an Iris Plus graphics card. If you want an Apple operating system but aren’t ready to upgrade to the Apple M1 chip, you can get the 2020 Apple MacBook Pro with that. Even though it has a smaller screen, it can store up to 1 TB of data.

Apple has built-in automatic graphics switching that lets your Mac switch between the GPU and the shared CPU to meet your software’s needs. This ultra-thin laptop weighs just three pounds and can run for up to ten hours on one charge.

It has a Touch Bar, Touch ID, four Thunderbolt USB ports for charging, a Mini Display Port, and USB 3.1. There is also a Mini Display Port and USB 3.1. This Apple product is great for architecture students who have to go somewhere but don’t want to carry a big, hot, and heavy machine with them, like this one from Apple.

2. Best Battery Life—Lenovo ThinkPad P52s

If you already have a Mac, this Lenovo laptop has the same battery life as the Mac. It has a newer Intel Core i7 processor, though.

ThinkPad P52S is only 4.3 pounds but can run CAD software and other graphics-heavy apps thanks to its 16 or 32GB of RAM.

This laptop has a quad-core Intel Core i7 processor and a 1.8 GHz Nvidia Quadro P500 graphics card. It runs on Windows 10. It has a full HD screen resolution of 1920 x 1080 and a full-size backlit keyboard with a number pad.

3. Best Budget Laptop—HP Chromebook x360

For a college student who doesn’t have a lot of money, the HP Chromebook x360 is the best laptop. It can run CAD or rendering software because it has an Intel Core Premium processor and a graphics card called Intel UHD.

It comes with three USB ports and Bang & Olufsen speakers. When used with headphones or computer speakers, these speakers, which are called dedicated audio islands, or DACs, give you a better listening experience than other speakers.

Like the Surface Book, this Chromebook can’t be used as a tablet, but some people have said that their Surface Pen works on this and other touchscreen devices.

4. Best Graphics Processing Unit—Razer Blade Pro 17

The Razer Blade Pro 17 is a great example of a gaming laptop that can also be used as a workstation on the go. For architects, engineers, designers, and gamers, the Intel Core i7 quad-core processor is the best choice. It has enough power to run complex graphics software.

When it comes to laptops, this one isn’t the lightest. It has a solid-state drive that can be upgraded to two terabytes, as well as many USB ports, including HDMI and an ethernet port, so it’s great for small dorm rooms with limited space.

5. Best Premium Laptop—Acer Predator Helios 3000

The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 Ti graphics card in the Acer Helios Predator 300 improves graphics performance while still having a powerful processor. The Nvidia GeForce GTX is different from the others because it has the Turing architecture, while the others have Tensor cores.

This is a high-end laptop for architects who want to invest in and improve their tools. It has an Intel Core i7 processor, 16 GB of RAM, and a 17-inch screen that is only 15 inches wide.

It’s a high-quality laptop for architects who want a workstation laptop at a lower price point than the Surface Book, with the option to expand your SSD storage for live streaming, 3D modeling, or homework. It also comes with a USB 3.0 port.

6. Best Affordable Laptop—Dell Inspiron 3000

The new Dell Inspiron 3000 with Windows is the best laptop for architecture students who don’t have a lot of money. It costs less than $600. It doesn’t have a separate graphics card, so students should use lighter modeling and architecture software on this laptop because it doesn’t have its own graphics memory.

It’s not as powerful as some of the more expensive laptops on this list, but one satisfied reviewer said it was the “best of the best on a working man’s budget.”

This 16GB RAM laptop is a great start for someone who wants to learn about architecture and architectural software because it has a lot of USB ports, an SD card reader, and HDMI.

7. Lenovo ThinkPad W541

Lenovo’s entry on this list is powered by a quad-core Intel Core i7-4710MQ processor, which is found on this list. In the same way as the previous entry, this one works in a range of 2.5 to 3.5 GHz. 500 GB hard drive that spins at 7200 RPM.

8 GB of RAM and a graphics card from NVIDIA are in this computer. It also has a 2 GB GDDR5 card. A 16GB RAM upgrade is also available. It comes with a three-year warranty and is good for architectural software because the hard drive spins so quickly. Definitely, the NVIDIA graphics card is a big deal and is used in a lot of different architectural applications.

8. Acer Aspire V15 Nitro Black Edition

Acer has a processor called an Intel Core i7-6700HQ that is running at 2.6 GHz. It comes with 8GB of DDR4 RAM. At 5400 RPM, the hard drive can hold 1TB of data and move at a rate of 1TB per minute.

Final thoughts

These best laptops for architecture students can’t be chosen because each student has different needs and resources.

The best laptop for you is the one that best fits your specific requirements and preferences, such as durability, weight, size, connectivity options, price range, etc.

Picking a laptop based on its price can be a mistake. This is because its capabilities can’t be compared to those of another laptop that seems cheaper at first glance.