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What Workstation Do You Need for Revit and AutoCAD?

CPU clock speed, a certified GPU, plenty of RAM, fast storage. What actually matters.

For Revit and AutoCAD, workstation performance depends most on a high single-core clock speed, a certified professional graphics card, generous memory and fast solid-state storage. Buying a general-purpose business laptop for a designer is the most common and most expensive mistake. Autodesk publishes minimum, recommended and performance specifications for each product version; treat the recommended tier as the floor.

What matters, in order

  • Processor. Revit and AutoCAD are largely single-threaded for modeling and drafting, so a high boost clock beats a high core count. Rendering and some analysis tasks do use more cores.
  • Memory. Large Revit models consume memory quickly, and opening multiple linked models multiplies it. Under-specifying RAM shows up as crashes and slowness that get blamed on the software.
  • Graphics. A professional card with certified drivers (or a well-supported workstation-class GPU) for stability; the most expensive gaming card is not the same thing.
  • Storage. NVMe solid-state drives for the operating system, software and active project files.
  • Display. Two monitors or one large high-resolution display is the norm for productivity.

Desktop, laptop or virtual desktop

Desktops deliver the most performance per dollar. Mobile workstations serve field staff and hybrid designers at a premium. Cloud virtual desktops with GPU-enabled hosts are viable for some workflows and remote teams, but network latency and file location decide whether they feel fast.

Fleet planning

Standardize on two or three configurations (drafting, modeling, rendering), refresh on a schedule rather than when machines die, and keep the standard current with each Autodesk release. See IT lifecycle management. Confirm the current system requirements on Autodesk's site for the version you run before purchasing.

Beyond the workstation

Storage, network speed and file organization affect model open times as much as the computer does. See IT support for architecture and engineering firms.

Mentis Group specifies, deploys and manages design workstations as part of IT support for architects and managed IT for AEC firms in Dallas-Fort Worth.

Have a question about your own environment? Schedule a consultation with Mentis Group or call (866) 901-7808.