Best laptop for Autodesk Revit 2021 – Requirements & Reviews (2022)

The Autodesk Revit series is a professional software for architects and structural engineers. While I don’t personally work with it, I’ve seen a few Autodesk Revit renders in my days as an architecture student. Autodesk is a reliable brand that’s been around for quite some time now, so the software they produce has been proven to be capable of handling big data loads and complex information with ease. In this article, I’ll talk about what the best laptops for Autodesk Revit are. We’ll start by going over what exactly is Autodesk Revit.

Then we’ll talk about the actual laptop specs – how important things like processing power and dedicated graphics cards are for this program, how much RAM you’ll need, what kind of screen you want, etc.

Last but not least, I’ll make some budget recommendations for various types of professionals working with Autodesk Revit (from students to architects) to help you find the best laptop possible within your budget.

Other Autodesk Revit versions laptops reviews:

• Best Laptop for Autodesk Revit 2022.
• Best Laptop for Autodesk Revit 2023.

Requirements for a Autodesk Revit 2021 laptop

Major Processor for Autodesk Revit 2021

Requirements

In terms of processors, Intel Core i5-1135G7 is a minimum for an Autodesk Revit 2021 laptop. In terms of recommendation, I would opt for Xeon W-10855M. And if you have the budget, then go for i7-11800H – that’s the best CPU for Autodesk Revit 2021.

Recommendations

I’ll recommend 3 processors – starting with Intel Core i5-1135G7 as a minimum requirement for Autodesk Revit 2021 laptops. The next option would be Xeon W-10855M – it’s powerful and stable. Finally, the best CPU for Autodesk Revit 2021 laptops would be i7-11800H.

Major Memory that will work optimally with Autodesk Revit 2021

Minimum (8 GB)

For some reason, 8 GB is the minimum RAM that Autodesk Revit 2021 supports. I’m not sure why, but that’s the only option if you’re on a tight budget. The thing is, 8 GB just doesn’t cut it for this software.

Luckily, you can still install and run it on an 8 GB laptop with a trade-off: You’ll have to use more complex/heavy projects with limited to no pre-loading.

I don’t know how it works with other 3D design software, but this is the only time I’ve ever heard of such a low requirement.

If you don’t want to compromise performance and speed for $300 savings – do yourself a favor and invest in 16 GB of RAM.

Recommended (16 GB)

I’ve been running Autodesk Revit 2021 on 16 GB for quite some time now, and I never felt like I was missing out on anything because of it. That said, I’m currently looking into upgrading my laptop to 32 GB because that extra RAM will come in handy down the line – as technology advances and software becomes more demanding, we’ll need all the resources we can get our hands on.

I think 16 kg would be a good starting point for professionals using Revit 2021 as their main software – 16 GB laptops start at around $650 and can go up to $2500 or more depending on your preferences. In my opinion, that’s worth it considering that RAM prices haven’t been going up as much as CPUs or GPUs lately.

Best (32 GB)

In general, there’s no benefit going beyond 32 GB of RAM for Autodesk Revit 2021 – you’re just overkill’ing it unless you have a need for extra high-end apps running simultaneously or other high-end purposes. If your laptop doesn’t have an extra slot for upgrades – going past 32GB will do nothing but increase your bill by a few hundred dollars. And if you’re willing to spend money on other components instead of memory – do so! Invest in better CPU or GPU instead!

Major The right graphics card

When working with models in Revit, the video card is solely used to display the model on the screen. While a more powerful video card may allow the model to be drawn at a higher FPS when rotating, zooming, or panning around the model, the video card requirements for Revit are relatively low.

A new generation of professionals

Many companies have made the transition to Revit 2021, and for them, upgrading their laptop to a certified Quadro card is worth it. The Quadro RTX 5000 is an excellent card for designers who are working on models in Revit 2021. It offers good performance for drawing models at a high FPS while also allowing you to get real-time feedback on 3D components in Revit.

My GPU recommendations for Revit 2021

For those of you who don’t need a Quadro card, you’ll be just fine with a GeForce RTX 3060. It offers a great performance for drawing models at a high FPS and is well-suited for 3D modelling and rendering tasks.

For the best graphics – no compromises

If you’re working on Revit 2021 full-time, I recommend getting the RTX 3080. This card has the highest level of stability and provides the best experience when working with models in Revit 2021.

Optional requirements for a Autodesk Revit 2021 laptop

Optional Choosing the right storage for Autodesk Revit 2021

General tips for choosing the right laptop

There are two types of storage you can get in a laptop: SSD and HDD. For the average professional, an SSD is more than enough to keep you happy. For example, I don’t know any architect that has needed more than 256 GB of storage on their computer. On the other hand, an AutoCAD user might need more because they work with larger files all day long. But if you’re an architect working with Revit, chances are you’ll need less than 1 TB of storage space.

Different brands

Different brands of laptops have different SSD capacities available. Let’s say that you’re interested in Dell laptops – then your only option for 512 GB SSD is the Inspiron 15 5000 series. That’s not true for Lenovo laptops though – Lenovo Yoga 730 has 1 TB SSDs available too.

Choosing the right size of SSD for your needs

You’ll want to get at least 256 GB of storage on your laptop so that you have room for all your files and programs plus some extra space for future updates and downloads. But it’s worth noting that even though 256 GB is technically enough for Autodesk Revit 2021, it might not be enough for AutoCAD 2022 or FL Studio 20 – especially if you’re doing complex work with large files like renders or 3D models. If this sounds like your case, then go with 512 GB instead of 256 GB to be safe. It won’t cost much more, but it will keep you from running out of space later on down the line.

5 Best Laptops for Autodesk Revit 2021