Buy This - Students
Updated July 26, 2020
Be sure to understand what your school typically uses for software. If your needs diverge from the typical Rhino + Revit + AutoCAD + 3DS Max + VRay + Adobe Suite then you may need to tweak your system. If Octane, Red Shift, Unreal Engine, Twinmotion, Lumion, Enscape, or Cycles are used to render, then you’ll need to focus on getting powerful GPUs with enough VRAM to handle what you throw at it.
Mobile
Dell XPS 17
An achievement in balance between size, weight, and power. You can commute with it, take class notes on it, and it has enough power to get you through your school career and into professional life. It’s expensive, but get the warranty and it will serve you for a long time to come.
Buy From Dell - $3,000 Order Code xn9700cto240s
Desktop
Self Built PC
You get the power, the value, and a great and valuable learning experience. Building a computer really isn’t that difficult. It’s certainly far easier than finishing a balsa model at 2 am.
Build Guide
Great Alternative Options
Razer Studio
Excellent power and portability in a first class build. A real powerhouse for GPU rendering of complex scenes. Also great at gaming on your down time (which you will not have much of…). The only hesitation is with Razer’s warranty and customer service options, which limit longevity.
RZ09-0330QEM3-R3U1
Buy From B&H - $4,000
Buy From Razer - $4,300
Razer Blade 15 Advanced
If you don’t mind the “gamer aesthetic” and lower scene complexity for rendering, you can save significantly over the Studio Edition by giving up the very powerful GPU for complex scene rendering.
RZ09-03305E53-R3U1
Full Review
Buy From Razer - $3,300
Thinkpad P53
About to be replaced by the new Thinkpad P15.
With powerful graphics options matched with powerful processors, and the cooling to deliver most of the available performance for long renders, this machine is a great all-rounder. The major downsides are cost and weight. It will likely last longer than the Dell XPS 17 due to the durable and serviceable construction.
Full Review
Buy From B&H -
Buy From Lenovo - $3,800
20QNS00Y00
A cheaper alternative, see the review for differences - 20QNS01B00 for $2,900
Visualization-Focused Systems
Desktop Visualization
Check the build guide for how to build a desktop system focused more on visualization than modeling and drawing tasks.
Mobile Visualization
It all begins with an idea. Maybe you want to launch a business. Maybe you want to turn a hobby into something more. Or maybe you have a creative project to share with the world. Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference.