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Need advice on new laptop purchase

It's time for a new laptop. I want to be able to run a moderately robust 2D cadd program, (not necessarily AutoCad) not for a professional office, just for me. I'm a licensed Architect, but retired. I am not intending to market architectural services, just do some fun projects for myself and maybe help others who need some minimal assistance.

My research suggests I may need a gaming computer. If you have some recommendations, especially for a particular Brand/Model, I'd love to hear from you. Budget is a big consideration. I'd like to limit my investment to $1k if possible.

Please speak up!

Thanks in advance.

I am running a 6 year old Toshiba that will do everything you are after, except possibly the very high resolution possibly required for your cad package. I have both 2D and 3D cad packages that work fine. this is an 8 core Intel i7 with 8 gig of memory and 500 meg drive. IMHO, you probably want to pay attention to the graphics capability and the possibility of running a second 4k (HDMI) monitor for your cad work. A gaming computer might be over kill, but maybe necessary for the graphics capability.

Thanks VT, you've given me helpful advice before and I value your feedback. Can you tell me what sort of cadd work do you do on your Toshiba?

Quote:

Originally Posted by mbenner (Post 1778531)

If you are buying a new laptop, I would get at least an I7 processor and 16GB of RAM. But, I think your budget is a little too low. If you also buy a 4K monitor, that alone will blow about half of your budget. Of course, you could save a lot of money if you get a desktop, and a cheap tablet or Chromebook for other tasks.

Quote:

Originally Posted by retiredguy123 (Post 1778591)

2D CAD should NOT require a 4K monitor nor extremely high power graphics. I would recommend the following, trying to keep it at your budget of $1K

Configure

This has the latest generation (10th) Intel i7 (for speed) and 8GB of memory which I think will be enough. It's usually easy to add additional memory if needed. It also has an entry level discrete graphics card which will enhance your 2D performance. I don't believe you need a 3D discrete card.

Another possibility is:
Configure

This has the latest AMD processor (Ryzen 7), the same graphics, but 16GB of memory.

They both have 15.6" screens but I suspect you will want/need a larger screen at home on your desk.