Buying a Computer for AutoCAD

If you’re just beginning the journey of a drafter or designer or are launching a new project that calls for the use of Autodesk AutoCAD, or your equipment simply requires upgrading, you should think about a few things prior to purchasing a CAD workstation to use AutoCAD.

Since AutoCAD is used to create any 2D sketch as well as 3D models or construction digitally, as opposed to using hand, it consumes lots of power on hardware. It was created to assist drafters and designers create their ideas faster, so what would be the benefit to run the program on a CAD machine which would slow the program down? How do you determine what hardware to pick with so many choices available?

Here are some things to keep in mind when selecting the best computer For AutoCAD:

1. Understand your workloads

The first step in selecting the best CAD machine for your needs is to think about the purpose you intend to use this software to. For instance, if you’ll use AutoCAD to draw 2D drawings or smaller 3D models, you’ll not require a computer that is as precise as one who is using AutoCAD to create massive 3D model.

2. Consider other programs or software you might need to utilize

In the event that AutoCAD is the program that you use every day to draw however, you may require rendering your model using 3ds Max It is essential to search for a CAD system capable of running the program as effectively. Although the design that you import into 3ds Max isn’t a huge one however, the requirements to run the program on its own are far more than the requirements for a small amount of work AutoCAD.

3. Think about a machine that has a lot of storage space on the disk

While this may seem to be something that is obvious but it’s something that is rarely examined in depth. For instance, the most recent version of AutoCAD (AutoCAD 2021) consumes seven GB on the Windows operating system. This doesn’t include special toolsets, large data sets such as point clouds, 3D models that could accumulate over time, as well as the install of additional software such as 3ds Max, etc. Therefore, it’s essential to have more storage space on your disk than you believe you require.

4. Make sure you invest in a top-quality graphics card

While AutoCAD offers the option to enable software graphics acceleration, for example, calculating the graphics displayed by using only the CPU however, the performance will be quite poor and slow. Particularly if you’re working with 3D models or having more than one monitor or a 4K monitor. The software is graphically heavy, which is why it is logical to run it by using a CAD workstation equipped with a top-quality graphics card to get the most performance.

5. Select the correct CPU and specifications for RAM

When you are deciding on CPU and RAM specifications, there are a lot of factors to take into consideration based on the program you’re employing as well as requirements of the work. Both are equally crucial. Both complement each other with regards to overall efficiency. The number of tasks the CPU is able to handle is heavily dependent on the amount of RAM available since it will store the data the CPU processes which allows more applications to run simultaneously.

Autodesk tends to build its products around Xeon CPU’s rather than i7’s or i9’s due to the bigger memory and larger calculations. We recommend Xeons in an enterprise-grade CAD environment especially when rendering is heavily used. Additionally, it will increase durability and reliability, as it’s a commercial grade processor.