For peak-of-the-peak performance, 16 gig is great, but you can get by without it. The typical modern 8 gig computer is enough to process most of what SketchUp needs. When SketchUp was first released, RAM was a big issue – there was never enough. Avoid these jack-of-all-trade cards stick with Nvidia gaming cards (GeForce, linked above) instead. And not to name names, but Nvidia Quadro cards, intended to be “holistic GPU” to run photo editing and 2D/3D CAD software, do not perform as well as advertised unless you drop $3K or more. This is usually cheap and easy to do as well. Keep in mind that higher-end GPUs sometimes require that you upgrade your desktop’s power core. It’s easy to replace the GPU in a desktop, even an older machine, and it could greatly improve SketchUp’s performance. If you’re laptop shopping, check if the laptop’s GPU appears on this list. The letter M in a GPU model number is for “mobile,” and can be found in laptops. The list is updated regularly and showcases a wide range of prices. Here’s a list of top GPUs and their prices. But if you do need to step up SketchUp’s game, it’s neither difficult nor expensive to get a good GPU. Don’t worry about running out today to replace your card, though – most standard GPUs are good enough for amateur-level modeling. Most standard desktops and laptops, even those that are sold as high-performance computers, do not include the best GPU for 3D modeling. GPUs have gotten so fast that they are starting to replace the traditional CPU-based rendering allowing for the creation of hyper-real rendering programs like Lumion.įor example, here’s a good GPU: Nvidia GeForce 980 GPU – excellent for modeling and rendering with programs like Lumion. For example, they are the key behind the recent development and release of virtual reality technology, including headgear. They are the driving force behind the creation and display of complex images, models, renderings and animations. Graphics cards are improving with every passing minute, it seems. If you want to get even geekier, you’ll want to know that SketchUp, like most CAD programs, is a single-thread application, and not able to multi-thread. Naturally, the newer the processor, the better. With an i7, you’ll have no problem reaching peak SketchUp performance. The “i” is for Intel, the number is the processor generation. Most PC or Mac computers these days ship with an i5 or i7 processor. SketchUp requires three things to run at peak performance: But if you’re designing and/or rendering complex or large models, you should be aware of what’s under your computer’s hood. Don’t be intimidated – most laptops and desktops these days have what you need for SketchUp to perform moderately well. GPU is the computer’s graphics card (the looks). CPU is your computer’s processor (the brain). The Best HardwareĪ speedy hardware setup is essential for 3D rendering programs that are CPU- or GPU-based. Part 2 will be about setting up the ideal SketchUp user interface, and Part 3 focuses on the modeling process itself. In this part (as you might have guessed from the post title), I discuss the best hardware for running SketchUp. It’s my answer to the one question I constantly see online and hear in classes: This is the first in a three-part series, based on my 12 years of using SketchUp.
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