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The Best Laptops For Architects in 2022

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The Best Laptops For Architects in 2022

The field of architecture is no joke. Aside from the skills and the knowledge for design, you’ll also need to have the right tools to help you get the most out of what you can do. If you want to be more versatile at work, then you should get a laptop that will make most of your tasks and jobs a lot easier to handle as well.

Of course, there are lots of laptops you can buy for architecture. However, you’ll need one that’s powerful enough for multi-tasking, as well as for handling the demanding so

01 MacBook Pro

Apple’s MacBook Pro stands at the very top of this list, which shouldn’t be surprising. The 2021 version of the MacBook Pro is one of the most powerful laptops out right now after all. What makes this special laptop worth it? The 2021 MacBook Pro is not just one of the best laptops for architects. It’s also the best laptop that you can buy right now. It offers the best performance and best display out of all the items on this list, making it more than suitable for busy architects or for professionals that want to get the job done quickly. Of course, we’ve just scratched the surface of what makes the 2021 MacBook Pro such an amazing laptop to have right now. This MacBook Pro is equipped with the M1 Max chips. This is the most powerful processor that Apple has to offer right now. It’s more than capable of running the apps that architects need. Of course, it’s also capable of running at a consistent speed even if you’re multitasking. The M1 Max chips are very much critically acclaimed at this point, so it’s something that you should be happy with. Aside from performance, the MacBook Pro 2021 also delivers one of the best displays on this list right now. It’s all thanks to Apple’s patented retina display. You’re able to see the screen with the most accurate colors at the best fidelity possible. Lastly, the MacBook Pro also offers a good selection of ports for your needs. Those include a Thunderbolt 4 ports, as well as full-sized HDMI ports which are all welcome additions for this laptop. The only main issue with the MacBook Pro is its price. As expected, it can be very pricey. It’s the most expensive laptop on this list, but rest assured, your expense will be worth every penny.

Pros

  • Long battery life
  • Great port selection
  • Speedy performance

Cons

  • Pricey

Specification

  • Price $2,498.96
  • Graphics Coprocessor M1 Max 10-core
  • Screen Size 16.2 Inches
  • RAM 16 GB
  • Hard Disk Size 1 TB
MacBook Pro

02 Apple MacBook Air

Are you interested in getting a mac but unwilling to spend a whole lot of money on it? Then you might want to consider getting a MacBook Air instead. Don’t worry though, despite being cheap, the 2020 model will still be more than enough for your architect’s needs. This MacBook Air that we’re referring to is the 2020 model. Of course, there are newer MacBook models like the one we’ve listed above. However, if you want something cheaper that still delivers powerful performance, then this is the best choice. If you’re worried about performance, then you don’t have to be concerned about anything. This is more than enough for architects. The MacBook Air is a slim-built and light laptop. That means you can easily carry it around anywhere on-site as well. The slim build doesn’t mean that this lags behind in performance though. The laptop is powered by the M1 chip, which is a slightly lesser version of the M1 Pro and M1 Max chips. Despite being a downgrade, the laptop still offers impressive results. It’s enough to create highly detailed 3D renders for your needs. Another great thing about this laptop is its fantastic battery life. It can last for more than 10 hours, which is very impressive and necessary for architectural needs. Perhaps the best part is that it’s a very cheap laptop. You can’t find another MacBook that’s as cheap while maintaining such high-quality performance as the MacBook Air from 2020. There’s the reason why it’s one of the most popular MacBook models of all time after all. The MacBook Air is a lightweight laptop that’s a great performer at the same time.

Pros

  • Very lightweight
  • Affordable
  • Superb battery life

Cons

  • Fanless design

Specification

  • Price $949.99
  • Graphics Coprocessor M1
  • Screen Size 13.3-inch IPS
  • RAM 8 GB
  • Hard Disk Size 256 GB
Apple MacBook Air

03 Dell XPS 17

From Apple, let’s move on to another well-known tech brand. This time, we’re talking about Dell. Dell has a lot of amazing laptops for gaming and you can bet that they have laptops powerful enough for architects as well. That said, we’d like to introduce the Dell XPS 17. When it comes to laptops for architects, most people want a larger screen. This would allow them to have a larger space to work with. The problem is that larger screens often mean that the laptop is bulkier and harder to carry around. Surprisingly, however, the Dell XPS 17 is a light and thin laptop that offers a large screen. It seems as though Dell has found the perfect balance between size and weight with this amazing laptop. Although ultra-thin, the Dell XPS 17 looks and feels very durable. As expected from a brand like Dell, the laptop is made with high-quality materials, so you don’t have anything else to worry about when it comes to durability. This kind of durability is exactly what you need when it comes to bringing a laptop on-site for architectural needs. With its crisp 17-inch screen, you’ll definitely have a lot of room to work with using this laptop. What else makes the Dell XPS 17 special? It also has an Intel Core i9 processor, so it’s a very powerful laptop. This performance goes well with its very large screen. Thanks to its 32 GB of RAM, the Dell XPS 17 is more than capable of multitasking and running the most demanding software needed for architecture. Graphics-wise, the laptop carries an Nvidia RTX 3060 GPU, so you don’t have to worry about anything in this regard. The Dell XPS 17 is an amazingly powerful laptop that comes with everything that you need for architecture. It’s lightweight, powerful, and just a great laptop all in all.

Pros

  • Great performance
  • Amazing lightweight build
  • Good display

Cons

  • Limited ports

Specification

  • Price $1,665.67
  • Graphics Coprocessor NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050
  • Screen Size 17.0-inch FHD+
  • RAM 32 GB
  • Hard Disk Size 1 TB
Dell XPS 17

04 LG Gram 17 (2021)

The LG brand is known for its amazing crisp displays, but of course, they have a good selection of amazing laptops as well. If you’re an architect, the one LG laptop that you should consider getting is the LG Gram.  The LG Gram is a 17-inch laptop that gives you more than enough space for your software and planning. Like the Dell XPS, the LG Gram is lightweight as well, so it will be very easy to bring on-site. If you want something light but large, then this is another great option that you should consider as well. The LG Gram is surprisingly lighter and more compact than the Dell XPS. If you put it inside a suitcase or a luggage bag, for instance, it will be very hard to notice that you’re carrying a laptop at all. This makes the LG Gram one of the lightest and most desirable laptops that your money can buy right now. It’s perfect for people who are always on the go, which is usually a large part of an architect’s day-to-day schedule. The LG Gram also has plenty of power to boot. This is a bit of a surprise considering how the laptop doesn’t have as fancy a  processor or graphics card as others on this list. Despite this, however, the LG Gram is more than enough to work with the usual software that architects use. However, if you’re looking for something more complex that will allow for larger 3D models, the LG Gram might suffer in terms of performance. This laptop is the best in terms of size. It may lag behind with regards to performance, but still, the LG Gram will let you do most of the tasks that come with becoming an architect.

Pros

  • Excellent battery life
  • Great display
  • Lightweight

Cons

  • Lags behind in terms of performance

Specification

  • Price $1,389.00
  • Graphics Coprocessor Intel Iris Xe Graphics
  • Screen Size 17-inch IPS
  • RAM 16 GB
  • Hard Disk Size 1 TB
LG Gram 17 (2021)

05 Microsoft Surface Laptop 4

You don’t need to spend a lot of money to get a good laptop for architects. If you want something cheap and very reliable, you should consider getting the Microsoft Surface Laptop 4, which is not only cheap but a great performer as well. It’s hard not to expect good things from a brand like Microsoft. As the Microsoft Surface Laptop 4 would prove, the brand really knows its way around computers. The Microsoft Surface Laptop 4 is one of the best laptops that your money can buy right now. What’s even better is that your money isn’t going to be depleted with this model. It’s a very cheap laptop that comes with exactly what you need in a computer as an architect. The Microsoft Surface Laptop 4 has a similar look and feel to a MacBook. It’s slim, lightweight, and very powerful. The main difference is that it doesn’t run on macOS. Instead, it runs on Windows 11, which is a good thing if this is what you are used to. If you want a great laptop that won’t require you to adjust to using a Mac, then the Microsoft Surface Laptop 4 is definitely the laptop that you should consider getting ASAP. One of the best things about the Microsoft Surface Laptop 4 is that it comes with a touchscreen using Microsoft’s PixelSense technology. That said, you can easily use the touchscreen for various design and working needs. Thanks to its great specs that involve an Intel or AMD graphics card, the Microsoft Surface Laptop 4 has become one of the top options for a laptop for architects there is right now. The Microsoft Surface Laptop 4 is a sleek, stylish laptop from Microsoft itself. As one of the cheapest laptops on this list, it is safe to say that you don’t need to lose an arm and a leg for a good laptop.

Pros

  • Great keyboard
  • Comfortable touchscreen
  • Affordable

Cons

  • Limited ports

Specification

  • Price $844.17
  • Graphics Coprocessor AMD Radeon™ Graphics
  • Screen Size 13.5-inch
  • RAM 8 GB
  • Hard Disk Size 256 GB
Microsoft Surface Laptop 4

06 Acer ConceptD 7

When it comes to powerful computers,  you should always expect Acer to be a part of the list. The best that they offer for architects is the Acer ConceptD. There’s a lot more to this laptop than just a cool name. The Acer ConceptD is one of the best Windows laptops for architects right now. The laptop features some serious firepower thanks to the Nvidia RTX graphics card that it has with it. It might not be the latest that Nvidia has to offer right now but don’t worry too much though. This laptop is still more than capable of doing most of the tasks that you want to do with your architectural software. Not many laptops in this range offer that flexibility. The Acer ConceptD features an excellent build quality as expected from a brand like Acer. It’s a laptop that will last you for years to come as this is a laptop that’s made with high-quality materials. It’s more durable than your average laptop, which is another reason why this is easily one of the best investments you can make as an architect.

Pros

  • Cheap high-end laptop
  • Good ports

Cons

  • Rather bulky

Specification

  • Price $2,999.00
  • Graphics Coprocessor NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060
  • Screen Size 15.6-inch
  • RAM 16 GB
  • Hard Disk Size 1 GB
Acer ConceptD 7

Jonas Sunico

Jun 6, 2022

Jonas is a writer with over 6 years of experience in the tech and gaming industry. He holds a bachelor's degree in Journalism from University of the East Philippines and is one of the proud leaders of the academe's Journalism Society. At heart, he's a hardcore tech junkie that loves video games, the latest gadgets, and the wonderful science behind social media and AI.

314 Articles Published

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