I know that the laptop isn't the best to use for CAD programs but we need to use them in the field.I have a Dell Precision M6500. The company is going to HP this time around. Any Ideas on the best one to get with the best video card?Mike

I would highly recommend that the company rethink their decision to go with HP and instead look at Xi PowerGo XT laptop by Xi Computers.  And it is always a good idea to get a laptop with a dedicated graphics card.

Thanks for your reply John,I will pass this information along to our IT department.Mike

If they balk at the price they should at least use the specs as the criteria for selecting a suitable CAD oriented laptop.  Too often the IT department buys what they want rather than what you need.

What's kind of funny is that at the Exhibition Center every year at Autodesk University the HP area is one of the biggest and most lively.  But I don't use an HP laptop for AutoCAD myself.  I've been very happy with a fast Jetbook.  Truthfully any laptop with an Intel i7 or equivalent processor, a fast hard drive, and at least 8 GB of memory will run AutoCAD just fine.  A good quality gaming video board, Autodesk certified or not, will also run more applications.  If you really need a 'ruggedized' laptop you can spend the money.  But really you don't need it;  in most cases any good quality machine is likely to wrok just as well.Dave.

I think there is a big difference, performance wise, between a laptop you can buy off the shelf and one that is configured for running a program like AutoCAD.  Bear in mind you get what you pay for.  You should also keep in mind you would want this laptop to last at least three years.

Since you are going to use it for Autocad it is wise to go with a machine with ample RAM at least 4GB and dedicated GPU unit to make it really worth.You can try Lenovo y500 which I think is great for this pupose.It has nvidia 2gb ddr5 high quality graphics card which I think worth a look.Thanks

4GB of RAM these days would be considered paltry.  8-12GB or whatever the max the laptop can accommodate would be better.

Dell Precision m6500 is mine too

One thing is clear,for these type of work you need a dedicated GPU unit at first

Thanks for all your replies.

Unfortunately the IT department’s take is that any computer
running AutoCAD must be able to play with the entire company program’s that
they use. A few things they probably would not have a problem with, is RAM and
a quality Graphics card. As far as HP versus another brand I’m sure they put
this out for Bid to get the best deal with what works with the company programs.

I like the larger screen with the Dell Precision M6500 and
haven’t had any problems with it however, it comes with a price. It’s much heavier
to lug around.

Is anyone using a HP laptop now and if so, how do you like
it?

Mike



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