Laptops are great devices when you often need to sit with clients and go through a Revit model, or even when you are still studying and need a laptop for college. But running Revit on a laptop comes with challenges. Revit requires a lot of processing power, and that is something that is hard to get with laptops.
If we look at the Revit requirements, then we will see that Revit benefits most from a high clock speed. This is because the core tasks of Revit are single-threaded, so it won’t benefit much from multiple cores. The problem is that high CPU clock speeds come with a lot of heat, and laptops are not good at disposing of that heat.
So when we are looking for the best BIM laptop for Revit, we will focus mainly on the base CPU clock speed. Also, a large battery and good quality display are important. Laptops are normally not used for rendering, so we won’t focus on the graphics card.
Best BIM Laptop for Revit
When you are looking for a laptop for Revit it’s a good idea to take a look at gaming laptops. These laptops are designed to run high-end games, so they come with proper cooling, a good CPU, and high-quality screens.
1 – Lenovo Legion 5 Pro
One of the best BIM laptops is the Lenovo Legion 5 Pro. This Lenovo is a high-end gaming laptop which we not only see in the specifications, but also in the build quality of the laptop. The lid and bottom of the Lenovo are made from aluminum, making it a sturdy laptop which is great when you need to take it with you.
Even though it’s a gaming laptop, the design is simple, with straight and flat lines. Of course, when you open it, the RGB backlit keyboard, and the illuminated logo will give away that it’s a gaming laptop.
What makes it a great BIM laptop for Revit are the specifications. For Revit, we need a high CPU base clock speed, enough RAM, and a fast (and large) SSD drive. The Lenovo Legion 5 Pro checks most of these.
Lenovo Legion 5 Pro Specifications
- Intel Core i7 – 11800H (slightly better than the Ryzen 7 – 5800H)
- 32GB RAM
- 1TB NVMe Western Digital SSD
- NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060
- QHD IPS display (2560x1440px)
The graphic card is a bit overrated when you are only going to model in Revit. But when you want to make a quick render, then the extra GPU power is really welcome. Also good to know is that it comes with a free M.2 slot, so if 1TB is not enough for you, then you add an additional SSD to it.
What could be better is the battery life and the performance of the SSD. Western Digital is not the fastest NVMe SSD drive. For example, an Samsung SSD can be 2 times fasters. The Lenovo comes with a hybrid mode, where it disables Nvidia GPU and switches over to the built-in Radeon graphics card. This will make the battery last longer, but also drop the performance of your BIM laptop.
On full load, you can run for approximately 45 mins up to an hour on the battery. With hybrid, you should be able to extend it significantly.
Overall this is one the best Revit laptops that you can buy for under $2000.
2 – MSI Pulse GL66
If you want to stay below the $1500 for a new Revit laptop, then the MSI PLuse GL66 with a Core i7 – 12700Hprocessor is a great option to consider. This mid-range gaming laptop is a good all-rounder, with a great CPU. The i7-12700H has a great single-threat performance which will really speed up your modeling work in Revit.
MSI Pulse GL66 Specification
- Intel Core i7 – 12700H
- 16GB RAM
- 512GB NVMe SSD
- NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070
- Full HD IPS display (1920×1080)
The RTX 3070 graphics card is just like the Lenovo a bit overrated for Revit. But again, if you need to make a quick render it’s nice to have. And if you like the play games in your spare time then this GPU won’t let your down.
The MSI Pulse GL66 only comes with 16GB RAM, which is in my opinion really the minimum of what you need for Revit. The MSI can handle up to 64GB RAM, so you can always replace the two current modules with bigger ones. (all slots are taken, so you will have to buy two new RAM modules).
The lower price of the MSI reflects back in the screen resolution, SSD size, and built quality. The full HD resolution is in most cases fine, but for Revit, I like to have a QHD resolution. Also, the fans can be a bit noisy compared to Lenovo.
Overall it’s a great mid-range laptop for Revit. It has enough processing power, allows you to upgrade the RAM, and it’s a good price.
3 – Razer Blade 15
If you are looking for a high-end professional-looking Revit laptop then you should definitely take a look at the Razer Blade 15 line laptops. Razer is a gaming brand, but the Blade 15 line looks professional and has great build quality.
Razer Blade 15 Specifications
- Intel Core i7 -12800H
- 16GB RAM
- 1TB NVMe SSD
- NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070
- QHD IPS display (2560x1440px)
When we look at the specifications of the Razer, then your first thought might be that it doesn’t outperform the other two laptops that I mentioned. But Razer has done a great job when it comes to cooling, resulting in maintaining a higher clock speed for a longer period of time.
Also the built-in NVMe SSD from either Lite-On or Samsung show amazing performance result (read 6800 MB/s and write 4800 MB/s), which really benefits when you are opening your models in Revit.
16GB of Memory is the bare minimum, but just like the MSI, the Razer Blade 15 supports up to 64GB of RAM. There are also models available with 32GB RAM, but they also come with a more expensive graphics card which we don’t need for Revit. It’s better to buy the 16GB RAM model and upgrade it yourself.
An alternative for the Razer would be the Lenovo Legion 7 line. These notebooks are a bit cheaper than the Razer blade, also look really nice, have good built quality, and are available with a Ryzen 9 CPU.
Other Options for BIM Laptops
Gaming laptops are a great option for Revit when we look at the best value for money. But in some professional environments, you simply can’t show up with a gaming laptop. In these cases, you will need to take a look at the more corporate-orientated branches or at the true Bim mobile workstations.
The HP Zbooks or Dell XPS line are both great performance notebook lines that you can use with Revit. They are a bit more expensive than gaming laptops but are of course more excepted in a professional work environment.
For example, the HP ZBook Studio G8is a great option to take a look at. It comes with an i7-11850H, 32GB RAM, 1TB NVMe SSD, and a Geforce RTX 3070. The price however will be around $3500, depending on the exact configuration.
There are also brands that offer purpose-built (mobile) workstations for engineering, design architecture, etc. You can expect great performance from those devices, only they are even more expensive than the ZBooks from HP. But if you are looking for the best laptops for Revit, then make sure you check out Boxx and Bimbox.
Wrapping Up
Keep in mind that you will get the most performance out of a normal workstation compared to a BIM laptop. Workstations can cool the CPU much better, allowing for higher clock speeds compared to laptops. It’s better to have a good workstation for your daily work and use the laptop only for meetings.
Make sure that you have at least 32GB of RAM on your laptop. Windows 10 and 11 already consume up to 8GB these days, so 16GB isn’t really much anymore.
I hope this article helped you with choosing your BIM laptop for Revit. If you have any questions, just drop a comment below.
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FAQs
Which laptop is best for BIM modeling? ›
- HP ZBook Firefly G9 Mobile Workstation.
- Dell Alienware m15 R7 Gaming Laptop.
- Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 9i 14'' Laptop.
- ASUS ROG Zephyrus Duo 16 Gaming Laptop.
- Microsoft Surface Pro 9.
- HP ZBook Fury G8 Mobile Workstation.
- Dell Inspiron 15.6'' FHD Touchscreen Laptop.
The 2021 MacBook Pro is the most powerful computer for Revit. It features a potent CPU and high-resolution display. With a massive 1TB SSD storage capacity, you have a lot of space to save all your Revit files.
What are the recommended laptop specs for Revit? ›Revit is a “RAM hog.” It requires a minimum of 8GB of RAM for student use and a minimum of 16GB for professional architectural projects. Look for a Quad Core with the highest clock-frequency that you can afford (i5 or i7).
What is the laptop requirement for BIM? ›RECOMMENDED: Operating System: 64 bit Microsoft Windows 10 with the latest updates installed (Windows XP and Windows Vista are NOT supported.) Video card (GPU): Video card with DirectX 11 and 9.0c support. Suggestion: NVIDIA or ATI graphics cards with minimum 1 GB or more dedicated memory.
Which one is most widely used BIM software? ›Revit is an established BIM design software that enables users to create, edit, and view building models in a three-dimensional environment. It is one of the most popular BIM software programs on the market and is used by BIM architects, BIM engineers, and construction professionals worldwide.
What is the ideal RAM for Revit? ›optimized memory for Autodesk Revit 2022
We recommend to use 4-8 GB RAM per CPU core. For example, if you opt for a single six-core processor, 32 GB of RAM is sufficient for basic tasks or 64 GB for more demanding tasks.
Highest CPU GHz recommended - 3 GHz or Higher recommended Autodesk® Revit® software products will use multiple cores for many tasks. 8 GB RAM • Usually sufficient for a typical editing session for a single model up to approximately 100 MB on disk. This estimate is based on internal testing and customer reports.
What is the best processor for Revit? ›The recommended processor to run Revit is an Intel Core i7 or Xeon E5-2687W v3. What is the recommended RAM to run Revit? The recommended RAM to run Revit is 8GB. If you have a 32-bit operating system, you can only use up to 4GB of RAM.
Is Revit 2023 better? ›With more automation for your steel connection libraries and many improvements for rebar, including adaptive placement and better visualization, Revit 2023 is a more complete toolset for the structural engineer and detailer.
Is Revit 2023 faster? ›With the Revit 2023 just coming out one of the features they talk about are performance improvements. This is always welcomed, who doesn't want their software to go faster or have less hesitation. While the program itself will be faster the help file only lists the areas they have improved upon.
What graphics card is best for Revit? ›
What is the best video card for Autodesk Revit? For most users, a mid-range professional card such as the NVIDIA RTX A4000 will be more than powerful enough. If you plan to use a GPU-based rendering engine within Revit, consider the more powerful RTX A5000 or A6000, or potentially even multiple video cards.
Does more RAM help with Revit? ›A critical factor in the speed and performance of your computer is the amount of Random Access Memory (RAM) that is installed. Adding more RAM should improve the performance of Revit and your computer; however, even a computer with a fast CPU can run slowly without the proper amount of RAM.
Does Revit need more CPU or GPU? ›Rendering in Revit only uses CPU. However, if you are working in 3d view or using shade or other graphic options, GPU will be needed to smooth the 3d browsing. Otherwise, the gaming GPU with 2GB will be enough for any simple work.
Why is BIM not being used? ›The most significant barriers to adopting BIM were personal issues associated with resistance to change and lack of proper BIM awareness [16] , in addition to lack of experience, most engineers had no experience working on projects based on new technology and methodology [17].
How much does a BIM system cost? ›BIM software is typically priced on a user-based subscription model. A popular SaaS solution can charge between $35 and $300 per month. Most BIM software solutions also require some form of training that can cost up to $2,000 on top of what you're already paying.
Why is BIM so expensive? ›Earlier design development and coordination means there are more upfront costs for the client in terms of fees. This, in turn, means there will be higher abortive costs if the project needs to be redesigned or abandoned.
What BIM software do architects use? ›Autodesk's Revit is a BIM solution that helps architecture and construction firms design floor plans. It allows for collaboration with professionals across different disciplines. It can be used for construction management for the entire life cycle of a construction project.
Is BIM better than Revit? ›Revit is just one of many software applications under the BIM umbrella that lead to an efficient design of space. Revit is the main application that falls under BIM, but there are other applications designed to perform certain functions that Revit cannot achieve or is ineffective at tackling.
What is world's largest BIM? ›BIMCommunity has been chosen as the world's largest BIM platform on global and international scales.
Is there overkill in Revit? ›Select objects in a drawing (use CTRL-A to select everything) and then type OVERKILL on the command line. Click OK on the Delete Duplicate Objects dialog window, adjusting settings as desired (the default options are usually sufficient). Overkill deletes information that is overlaying other items.
Which Revit is most stable? ›
Autodesk Revit 2022 release was appreciated by many users and proved to be the most stable version of the software in quite some time. The Revit Factory announced the Revit 2023 release, and the update has been rolled out globally.
Does RAM speed matter for Revit? ›Inadequate RAM can significantly hurt model performance. The quantity of RAM available to Revit depends on the Windows operating system environment.
What are the minimum system requirements for Revit 2023? ›| Revit® Server 2023 | ||
|---|---|---|
| CPU Type | 4+ cores 2.6 GHz+ | 6+ cores 3.0 GHz+ |
| <100 Concurrent Users (multiple models) | Minimum | Performance |
| Memory | 8 GB RAM | 32 GB RAM |
| Hard Drive | 7,200+ RPM | 15,000+ RPM |
Autodesk® Revit® software products will use multiple cores for many tasks. Usually sufficient for a typical editing session for a single model up to approximately 700 MB on disk. This estimate is based on internal testing and customer reports.
Is Revit better on Intel or AMD? ›CPU speed has some influence over graphics performance, but the extent to which it does depends on the software. In Revit, an application renowned for being CPU limited, the Intel Core i9-13900K showed around a 7% performance lead over the AMD Ryzen 9 7950X when using the same Nvidia RTX A4500 GPU.
What slows Revit down the most? ›Third party software and services (that are running at the same time as Revit taking resources away from the system and potentially directly interfering with the program). The storage media (slow performance reading or writing to the storage media will slow down operations that do this).
What devices are best for Revit? ›- Apple MacBook Pro 2021 – Best for Apple System.
- MECH 15 G3R 2022 – Best for Temperature Control.
- Acer Swift SFX14 – Best for Budget.
- Acer Nitro 5 AN517 – Best for Large Size.
- Lenovo Legion 5 – Best for Design.
- ASUS ROG Scar 15 – Best for Performance.
- Alienware R4 RTX – Best for Connection.
Best Laptop for Energy Efficiency—Dell XPS 15 Laptop
The large screen (92.9% screen-to-body ratio) which makes it perfect for detailed work like 3D modeling, its 16-thread processor courtesy of its Intel Core, NVIDIA GeForce card, and ample memory possibilities earn it a spot on this list for running CAD software.
The faster your processor runs, the quicker you'll be able to render models, meaning less time spent waiting and more time creating. Look for laptops with Intel Core i7 or AMD Ryzen processors with the latest generation which offers excellent performance speeds and can handle most 3D modeling tasks.
What technology does BIM use? ›1) What is BIM Technology? Building Information Modeling (BIM) technology is a process that uses digital models to create a virtual representation of a building or structure. This model can be used to plan, design, construct and operate the physical asset.
Which laptop is best for AutoCAD and Revit and 3D Max? ›
MacBook Pro 14-inch (2021)
In our review, we found that it was more than capable of running both AutoCAD and resource-hungry 3D modelling software like Maya, 3DS Max, and Fusion 360 with ease. Note also that you can run iOS here as well, so you can open up the AutoCAD mobile app if that helps your workflow.
For maximum compatibility with 3D design and rendering, we recommend using Windows. You can purchase Windows here. Some people are eligible to get Windows free through school or work, so you may also look into that.
How much RAM is enough for 3D modeling? ›RAM (system memory).
For some 3D rendering jobs, 8 GB of RAM will get the job done, but to be fully optimized, 32 GB is recommended, with a MHz rate as high as possible (ideally not less than 2.2).
While 3D design programs tend to need a lot of memory, we recommend having at least 16GB to 32 GB of RAM for a professional 3D design. The more RAM you have, the smoother your computer will run. Especially if you're running heavy programs or several apps at once, you'll need all the RAM you can get.
Is Apple laptop good for 3D rendering? ›Yes, 3D modeling and rendering are possible on a MAC computer. But, there are some limitations in terms of what you can do using this computer. Thankfully, the majority of software like Maya, Nuke, Houdini, etc., are compatible with MAC OS.
What kind of computer do you need for 3D rendering? ›You need a great GPU for fast 3D rendering and performance in Lumion, and when shopping, always pay attention to this specification. A good desktop computer for Lumion also has enough CPU to back up the graphics card, suitable system memory, the correct power supply and a 64-bit Windows 10 operating system.
Which processor is best for AutoCAD 3D? ›- Intel Core i7 & i9. Workstations with 13th Gen Intel Core i7 & i9 processors on Z690 and Z790 chipsets.
- AMD Ryzen 7 & 9. ...
- AMD Threadripper PRO. ...
- Intel Xeon W. ...
- Rackmount & Server. ...
- Customize a desktop workstation from scratch.
- Customize a rackmount server from scratch.
- QNAP Network Attached Storage.
Building Information Modeling (BIM) programs have been widely used by engineering and architecture firms in the United States for many years. Despite its relatively slow adoption into US-based projects, today BIM software is nearly accepted as the industry norm.
Which country has the most advanced BIM technology? ›The United States is a clear successful example. They are pioneers and creators of this methodology, and as such, they are the most advanced country in terms of BIM implementation. They can count on years of experience using these tools, and they are considered the current leaders.