Home > Best Laptops for College > Best Laptops for Architecture Students
If you are an architecture student and looking for a laptop that can help you run 2D & 3D modeling applications like ArchiCAD, Revit, Vectorworks, V-Ray or 3Ds Max, this guide of the best laptops for architecture students is all you need.
While creating this list, I’ve made sure that they are all good laptops for architecture students, able to handle your day-to-day tasks without lacking in performance.
Because let’s face it, if you want to learn correctly, there’s no way your laptop should feel slow!
Our Top 3
#1 – Asus Vivobook X510UQ |
#2 – Acer Aspire 7 |
#3 – Microsoft Surface Book |
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Light, Powerful Mid-Range Laptop |
Ultra-Powerful with Great Value |
Great Hybrid laptop for Architecture Students |
| 15.6″ HD | 15.6″ HD | 13.5″ QHD |
| Intel i7 with 8 GB of RAM | Intel i7 with 8 GB of RAM | Intel i5 with 8 GB of RAM |
| 1000 GB HDD (5400 rpm) | 256 or 1000 GB SSD or HDD | 256 GB SSD |
| Expect 5 to 6 hours | Up to 7 hours | Up to 12 hours |
| Jump to our Review | Jump to our Review | Jump to our Review |
What to Expect from a Laptop for Architecture Students?
A laptop for an architecture student will have to deal with a lot of 2D / 3D modeling and rendering work. All the applications used for creating 3D models require not only a powerful processor but also a discrete graphics card that will help render the visual properties of a blueprint. A good display with at least a Full HD resolution is necessary along with good viewability and color accuracy.
Make sure you choose a laptop with a powerful CPU and a dedicated graphics card.
Apart from that, you can expect the laptop to be sturdy enough to withstand daily abuse. At least 8 GB of RAM along with 256 GB of HDD is what we recommend for smooth performance.
Casing Quality & Style
The best laptops for architecture students are expected to withstand some abuse. A well-built laptop will not show flexes on the lid and will feel solid in your hands. The styling of the laptop depends on the price, personal preferences and the laptop brand, but most of them will be good-looking.
Performance
Laptops for architecture students will be running AutoCAD or other 2D / 3D rendering software to complete projects. An Intel i7 processor is the best processing unit to handle these tasks without much of throttling issues, but an i5 processor will also do the trick. Paired with at least 8 GB of RAM, you can expect all laptops on this list to perform well in any situation and under heavy load.
Display and Graphics
Which display size to choose? That really depends on your preferences.
A laptop with a 13-inch display will be easier to carry around than one with a 15-inch display. But some of you may find that you lack a little bit of screen space on some projects. So if ultra-portability is not that important, you should look at laptops with a 14-inch display or more.
Laptops for architecture students should also come with a discrete graphics card instead of the Intel integrated GPU. This way you will run any 3D applications smoothly.
Audio
Audio may not be a major concern for an architecture student. But, if you want to use the laptop in your leisure time to watch movies, some of these laptops do come with exceptional quality speakers offering clear audio output.
Other Aspects
Good internal storage is a must. Get at least 256 GB. If you can get an SSD, that is great since it’ll make your laptop that much faster. Also, a laptop with a good battery life is an important aspect of any college notebook if you don’t want to carry your charger all the time.
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Specs for the Top 12 Best Laptops for Architecture Students
Graphics 13, 14, 15-inch Processor intel i5, Intel i7 RAM 8 to 16 GB Storage 128 to 1000 GB Battery life 5 to 12 hours OS Windows 10 Thickness / Weight 0.53 to 1.15″ / 1.9 to 5.69 lbs Price Range $$$, $$$$, $$$$$
Top 12 Best Laptops for Architecture Students
1 – Asus Vivobook X510UQ – 15″ HD
“Light, Powerful Mid-Range Laptop”
The Asus Vivobook X510UQ is an all-rounder that comes with the elegance of a high-end laptop despite having a plastic shell and a lower price tag.
The Vivobook X510UQ is an alternative to the expensive ZenBook series with similar performance and looks, but some corners have been cut to keep the price low. It’s a laptop powered by an Intel i7 paired with 8 GB of RAM. On the graphics front, you get an NVIDIA GeForce out of the box. The hardware combo can handle any task with ease. You can run AutoCAD and other 3D software without any trouble. The rendering time is good for the price, but it may get a little hot during heavy load.
Asus has equipped the device with a 15-inch HD display that is easy to read under direct sunlight thanks to its anti-glare coating. Apart from the performance, one of the best features of this laptop is its weight. At 3.7 pounds, it’s definitely one of the lightest 15-inch on the market.
The battery life of Vivobook X510UQ is on the average side with a battery life of about 5 or 6 hours. And unfortunately, it does not come with an SSD drive, but is instead equipped with a larger – and slower – mechanical HDD. The Asus Vivobook X510UQ is a well-priced laptop with good hardware combo that is one of the lightest 15-inch laptop for architecture students.
Pros
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Cons
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| Graphics | 15.6″ HD screen (1920 x 1080) with NVIDIA GT 940MX |
| Performance | Intel i7 with 8 GB of RAM |
| Storage | 1000 GB HDD (5400 rpm) |
| Battery life | Expect 5 to 6 hours |
| OS | Windows 10 |
| Thickness / Weight | 0.76″ / 3.7 lbs |
| Price Range | $$$ |
2 – Acer Aspire 7 – 15″ HD
“Ultra-Powerful with Great Value”
The Acer Aspire 7 is a solid machine that is not perfect, but that delivers a lot of value if you are looking for a high-performance laptop. The plastic build of the laptop is of good quality & is good-looking, and it does not show any flexes on the lid. It’s a little bulky and heavy, but not so bad for a powerful laptop at a mid-range price.
The 15-inch HD display could be a bit brighter and with better color reproduction, but it’s still very good for architecture design and multimedia work. On the plus side, the Aspire 7 is powered by an Intel i7 processor, paired with 8 GB of RAM. It also comes with a high-end GeForce GTX 1050 graphics processor. The hardware combo makes it one of the fastest on the market and it will handle any resource-intensive task without any problem. Read our full review.
Pros
|
Cons
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| Graphics | 15.6″ HD screen (1920 x 1080) with NVIDIA GTX 1050 |
| Performance | Intel i7 with 8 GB of RAM |
| Storage | 256 or 1000 GB SSD or HDD |
| Battery life | Up to 7 hours |
| OS | Windows 10 |
| Thickness / Weight | 0.94″ / 5.18 lbs |
| Price Range | $$$ |
3 – Microsoft Surface Book – 13″ QHD Detachable
“Great Hybrid laptop for Architecture Students”
The Microsoft Surface Book can be a student’s dream notebook for college. If you are into architecture and need a lot of power to handle AutoCAD-like software, the Surface Book will easily do that. The build quality of the laptop is top-notch and feels premium to touch.
The 13.5-inch Quad-HD display is really an eye candy. The high-end 2-in-1 design means the display is detachable, so you can use it as a tablet as well. The Surface Book runs the full-blown Microsoft Windows 10 out of the box and one of the best things about this laptop is the Surface Pen that offers precise input and that works flawlessly.
Under the hood, it’s powered by an Intel i5 processor paired with 8 GB of RAM and an NVIDIA GeForce GTX 965M. It also has 256 GB of SSD storage and offers up to 12 hours of battery life. The Surface Book weighs around 3.34 lbs as a whole. It’s really one of the good laptops for architecture students! Read our full review.
Pros
|
Cons
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| Graphics | 13.5″ QHD touchscreen (3000 x 2000) with NVIDIA GTX 965M |
| Performance | Intel i5 with 8 GB of RAM |
| Storage | 256 GB SSD |
| Battery life | Up to 12 hours |
| OS | Windows 10 |
| Thickness / Weight | 0.9″ / 3.34 lbs |
| Price Range | $$$ |
Other similar versions (prices may vary)
Intel i7 + 8 GB RAMRecommended for you:
4 – Acer Aspire E5-576G-5762 – 15″ HD
“Affordable Laptop for Architecture Students”
The Acer Aspire E5-576G is a cheap laptop for architecture student that offers a good set of specifications. The build quality is good for a budget laptop, while offering good performance.
The Acer Aspire E5-576G-5762 is powered by an Intel i5 processor, paired with 8 GB of RAM. Running Adobe CS or AutoCAD is not a problem thanks to the NVIDIA graphics card. The 15.6-inch Full HD display is pretty good for the price, with decent brightness and viewing angles.
The port selection is good, and it is also packed with 256 GB of fast SSD storage. The laptop weighs around 5.27 pounds which is a bit heavy but is expected at this price point.
Pros
|
Cons
|
| Graphics | 15.6″ HD screen (1920 x 1080) with NVIDIA MX150 |
| Performance | Intel i5 with 8 GB of RAM |
| Storage | 256 GB SSD |
| Battery life | Up to 15 hours |
| OS | Windows 10 |
| Thickness / Weight | 1.19″ / 5.27 lbs |
| Price Range | $$$ |
5 – Asus Zenbook UX430UN – 14″ HD
“Beautiful and Powerful 13-inch”
The Asus Zenbook UX430UN offers a premium-looking, quality metal chassis with an awesome look, combined with great performance. The 13-inch HD display offers a comfortable viewing experience with great output. It’s also an ultra-light notebook at 2.75 lbs, a massive cut down from its competitors.
The Zenbook UX430UN is powered by an Intel i7 processor with 8 GB of RAM, and an NVIDIA MX150 which is better than the GT 940MX offered in the previous generation. Asus has also packed the laptop with a good number of ports and 512 GB of SSD storage, which is sufficient to install all the programs needed for architecture school. The performance is excellent for the price and it can run almost any application you can get your hands on.
It also offers an impressive ‘up to’ 12 hours of battery backup, more than enough for a full day of school. All-in-all, an impressive lightweight 13-inch!
Pros
|
Cons
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| Graphics | 14″ HD screen (1920 x 1080) with NVIDIA MX150 |
| Performance | Intel i7 with 16 GB of RAM |
| Storage | 512 GB SSD |
| Battery life | Up to 12 hours |
| OS | Windows 10 |
| Thickness / Weight | 0.62″ / 2.75 lbs |
| Price Range | $$$$ |
Other similar versions (prices may vary)
13-inch HD + NVIDIA MX1506 – Acer Aspire R15 – 15″ HD Convertible
“Great Value & Powerful 15-inch Hybrid”
Acer may not be the biggest laptop manufacturer, but the company has a great mid-range laptops line offering good performance for the price.
The Acer Aspire R15 offers a solid build quality, and a premium feel. The 15.6-inch full HD display is really excellent with good brightness, especially when you look at the affordable price tag. As for the performance, it comes equipped with an Intel i7 processor with 12 GB of RAM and 256 GB of SSD. The performance is solid on all fronts. The speakers are also good, so is the keyboard.
On the other hand, the lack of anti-glare coating means the display is quite reflective and it’s not the most portable at almost 5 pounds. But apart from that, it’s really a great 15-inch affordable 2-in-1 laptop.
Pros
|
Cons
|
| Graphics | 15.6″ HD touchscreen (1920 x 1080) with NVIDIA GT 940MX |
| Performance | Intel i7 with 12 GB of RAM |
| Storage | 256+ GB SSD |
| Battery life | Expect 0 hours |
| OS | Windows 10 |
| Thickness / Weight | 0.79″ / 4.96 lbs |
| Price Range | $$$ |
# 7 to 12 Best Laptops for Architecture Students
7 – Dell XPS 15 – 15″ HD
“High-Quality but Expensive”
If price is not a constraint, the Dell XPS line is one of the best-looking Windows laptop lines on the market, and the XPS 15 one the best laptops that money can buy. Dell has crafted the XPS 15 to near perfection and, in terms of look, it is second to none. The laptop is also lightweight and comes with the nearly bezel-less display. The build quality is top notch as well.
On the performance side, you’ll hardly find more powerful with an i7 processor, 8 GB of RAM and a powerful GTX 1050 to run any 3D software. Add an SSD drive to that and you’ve got a beautiful high-end laptop that won’t let you down.
Pros
|
Cons
|
| Graphics | 15.6″ HD screen (1920 x 1080) with NVIDIA GTX 1050 |
| Performance | Intel i7 with 8 GB of RAM |
| Storage | 256 GB SSD |
| Battery life | Expect 11 hours |
| OS | Windows 10 |
| Thickness / Weight | 0.66″ / 4 lbs |
| Price Range | $$$$$ |
8 – Asus VivoBook Pro M580VD – 15″ HD
“Very Powerful with Nice Screen”
The Asus VivoBook Pro N580VD is yet another Asus laptop on this list. The VivoBook Pro M580VD comes with a metallic chassis that looks premium and sets it apart from other laptops that mainly offer a black or grey body.
Asus has equipped this laptop with a 15-inch Full HD display that offers excellent viewing experience for both work and multimedia stuff. The color accuracy is good, and the brightness is adequate.
Under the hood, it is powered by an Intel i7 processor with 16 GB of RAM that is upgradable if you need more later. You also get an NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 for graphics-intensive needs like gaming and 3D rendering. The performance on this laptop is better than most laptops for architecture students and it won’t let you down, whatever you are doing.
The VivoBook Pro M580VD comes packed with 256 GB of SSD storage and weigh around 5.1 lbs due to its metallic chassis. On the minus side, the battery life is average at best.
Pros
|
Cons
|
| Graphics | 15.6″ HD screen (1920 x 1080) with NVIDIA GTX 1050 |
| Performance | Intel i7 with 16 GB of RAM |
| Storage | 256 or 512 GB SSD |
| Battery life | Expect 4 to 5 hours |
| OS | Windows 10 |
| Thickness / Weight | 0.76″ / 4.8 lbs |
| Price Range | $$$$ |
9 – Dell Inspiron i7559 – 15″ QHD
“Bulky but Powerful with 4k Display”
The Dell Inspiron 15 is Dell’s attempt to make an affordable performance laptop. The Inspiron series always delivered value laptops with good performance, but some corners have to be cut for that. In that case, it’s the bulkiness and lower-than-average audio.
The Dell Inspiron 15 comes with a strongly built body that can withstand some abuse. The 15.6-inch Quad HD display is excellent and offers a pleasant viewing experience. The performance is great with its Intel i7 paired with 8 GB of RAM and an NVIDIA GeForce GTX 960M. With 1 TB of HDD, it is enough to keep your large college projects for a long time.
The claimed battery life is 10 hours, but you’ll get much less than that when you start pushing it. The Dell Inspiron 15 is a good entry-level performance laptop that can be used for 3D modelling and gaming alike.
Pros
|
Cons
|
| Graphics | 15.6″ QHD screen (3840 x 2160) with NVIDIA GTX 960M |
| Performance | Intel i7 with 8 GB of RAM |
| Storage | 8GB + 1000 GB Hybrid |
| Battery life | Up to 10 hours |
| OS | Windows 10 |
| Thickness / Weight | 1″ / 5.69 lbs |
| Price Range | $$$ |
10 – Lenovo IdeaPad 720s – 14″ HD
“Light 14-inch”
Lenovo IdeaPad 720s is one of the best-looking laptops for architecture students on this list. It comes with a premium looking metal chassis and a strongly built body. And performance that matches the look.
The IdeaPad 720S is a 14-inch laptop powered by an Intel i5 processor with 8 GB of RAM. The Full HD resolution display offers great viewing angles, has good brightness and color accuracy. The graphics performance is handled by the GeForce MX150. While these specs are not the most powerful of all of the best laptops for architecture school, it is more than enough to go through college.
Other features of the laptop include a fast 512 GB SSD and Windows 10 home. The battery life is average but it weighs around 3.4 lbs, which is pretty good. Read our full review.
Pros
|
Cons
|
| Graphics | 14″ HD screen (1920 x 1080) with NVIDIA MX150 |
| Performance | Intel i5 with 8 GB of RAM |
| Storage | 512 GB SSD |
| Battery life | Expect 6 to 10 hours |
| OS | Windows 10 |
| Thickness / Weight | 0.62″ / 3.4 lbs |
| Price Range | $$$ |
11 – Samsung Notebook 9 – 13″ HD
“Ultra-Light & Premium laptop for architecture school”
The Samsung Notebook 9 is a high-end lightweight and portable Windows 10 laptop that offers everything from premium looks to great performance. The build quality of the laptop is good and the metal chassis gives the premium feel it should for the price.
It comes with a 13.3-inch Full HD display with good brightness and color accuracy. The Intel i7 processor with 16 GB of RAM and NVIDIA 940 MX is the right combination for blazing fast performance.
There is a 256 GB SSD unit inside which performed fast in our tests. The laptop is ultra-lightweight at 1.9 lbs thanks to the smaller form factor and quality materials. And with up to 10 hours of battery life, it can get you through the day with ease. However, under heavy load, the laptop starts to heat up, so it’s definitely not a laptop made for gaming.
Pros
|
Cons
|
| Graphics | 13.3″ HD screen (1920 x 1080) with NVIDIA 940MX |
| Performance | Intel i7 with 16 GB of RAM |
| Storage | 256 GB SSD |
| Battery life | Up to 10 hours |
| OS | Windows 10 |
| Thickness / Weight | 0.53″ / 1.9 lbs |
| Price Range | $$$$ |
12 – Dell Inspiron i7577 – 15″
“Ultra-Powerful 15-inch”
If you are looking for a Dell product that looks like a proper gaming laptop then the Dell i7577 is a good choice. It comes with a black matte finish and good performance for the price.
This Inspiron is all about power. Forget portability, welcome ultra-performance. With an i7, 16 GB of RAM and one of the most powerful graphics card on the market, you up for a threat. Add to that a big HDD combined with a fast SSD and you’ll run any programs on the market!
| Graphics | 15.6″ screen (1920 x 1080) with NVIDIA GTX 1060 |
| Performance | Intel i7 with 16 GB of RAM |
| Storage | 128 or 256 GB SSD + 1000 HDD (5400 rpm) |
| Battery life | Expect 5 to 6 hours |
| OS | Windows 10 |
| Thickness / Weight | 1″ / 5.51 lbs |
| Price Range | $$$$ |
Erik is the owner and main editor of lptps.com. He has been working in computers and information technology for more than 20 years. He’s a business analyst, developer, and avid traveler.
