What computer should I buy for architecture?

Live recommendation. Tweak the inputs below.

Desktop
Laptop
Modeling / BIM Drafting Real-Time Visualization Production Rendering Baseline
Modeling / BIM
Revit
ArchiCAD
Vectorworks
SketchUp
Rhino
Drafting
AutoCAD
Real-Time Visualization
Enscape
Lumion
D5 Render
TwinMotion
Unreal Engine
Production Rendering
V-Ray
Corona
Baseline
Office / Bluebeam / PM -- minimum system
Budget
Project Scale
Small / Medium
SFR, small office, single models
Large / Complex
Large buildings, multiple linked files
Setup
Desktop
Laptop
Desktop + Travel Laptop
Desktop + Powerful Laptop
Platform
Windows
Mac
Updated March 2026. Independent recommendations — no affiliate commissions.