A Computer for Architects: The Hardware You Need for AutoCAD, ArchiCAD, Revit and Visualisation

Architects, structural engineers and interior designers work with some of the most demanding software there is: AutoCAD for drawings, ArchiCAD and Revit for building information modelling, SketchUp for sketches, and 3ds Max, Lumion, Twinmotion, V-Ray and Enscape for visualisation. Choosing the wrong computer is costly: a multi-storey building model takes minutes to open on a weak machine, every view change comes with a pause, and the final client visualisation renders all night. What's more, different stages of the work load different components, and that's important to understand.

Modelling: processor clock speed matters

Most operations in AutoCAD, ArchiCAD and Revit — building and editing the model, updating views, recalculating relationships — run on one or a few threads. That means a 20-core processor with a low clock speed will be slower in CAD than an 8-core chip with high per-core performance. For modelling, single-core speed comes first. Extra cores aren't wasted, though: they're needed for rendering, exports, point clouds and running several applications at once.

The graphics card: from navigation to visualisation

Navigating a 3D model — orbiting, zooming, switching views — needs a graphics card with enough video memory. Large models with detailed materials and surroundings can easily use 8–12 GB. For real-time visualisation in Lumion, Twinmotion, Enscape and D5 Render, the graphics card becomes the main component: it determines whether the scene is smooth and how quickly a fly-through renders. Workstation-class professional cards have certified drivers for some CAD applications, but for most architecture practices modern high-end consumer cards offer better value for money.

Memory

Running out of memory with large models is one of the main causes of hangs and crashes that lose unsaved changes.

Storage and project data

Architectural projects are huge: the BIM model, linked consultant files, textures, libraries, renders and video quickly add up to hundreds of gigabytes. You need a fast NVMe SSD for the system, applications and current projects, plus large, reliable storage for the archive. In a practice where several people work on the same project, a properly designed network and a server or NAS with access control and backups are especially important. A slow network, or Wi-Fi instead of cable, makes collaborative BIM work a misery.

Monitors

Architects work comfortably on two monitors, or one large high-resolution screen: plan on one, 3D view or section on the other. 27–32-inch monitors at 1440p or 4K with accurate-colour IPS panels are ideal — for visualisations and material selection, colour matters as much as it does for graphic designers.

Stability beats benchmarks

On a workstation where months-long projects are created, stability matters more than a few percent of speed. Aggressive overclocking, experimental drivers, a poor power supply and inadequate cooling are common causes of application crashes and corrupted project files. We build these machines with headroom in cooling and power, use the drivers recommended by the software vendors, and connect them through a UPS.

Laptops for architects

A mobile workstation is useful for site visits and client meetings, but doing the main work on large projects on one is hard: laptops overheat quickly when rendering, and their graphics are weaker than a desktop's. The ideal combination is a powerful desktop for the main work and a laptop for presentations, kept in sync via a server or the cloud.

What a technician does

1. Finds out which applications and project types you use and assesses model sizes.
2. Balances CPU clock speed, core count, graphics card and memory.
3. Builds and tests the workstation under sustained load.
4. Installs recommended drivers and configures the applications.
5. Sets up the network, a server or NAS for the practice.
6. Configures backups and UPS protection.

A real example

A small architecture practice in Vake complained that Revit "froze" on a residential complex project and Lumion visualisations stuttered. The computers had older-generation processors and 16 GB of memory, and the project was opened over Wi-Fi from an ordinary laptop acting as the "server". We upgraded the workstations, increased memory to 64 GB and installed a NAS on a wired network with backups. Project opening times fell several-fold, and client visualisations now take an hour instead of all night.

Let us build your design workstation

We work across Tbilisi around the clock, specifying computers for architects, building networks and setting up project storage. Learn more on our PC build, local network installation and software installation pages.