Hardware Purchasing Advice For SketchUp & LayOut [wiki]

[DanRathbun]

Continuing the discussion from Needing to buy new workstation, Will this Dell work?:

Okay, I collected some links to topic threads on hardware advice.

[This listing is a wiki list. Anyone with earned privilege can edit / add links.]

@karcher

I have tried searching for what computer setups are recommended but not finding much. maybe my choice of words are not matching up the best in the search bar. I am more than happy to read up on anything you suggest would help.

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SketchUp Knowledgebase

• SketchUp Hardware and Software requirements

• SketchUp and OpenGL

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Offsite Knowledge

• CPU

  • Processor Benchmarks and Ratings (by PassMark Software)
  • Intel - Supported Operating Systems for Intel® Processors

• STORAGE

  • HD & SSD Benchmarks and Ratings (by PassMark Software)

• VIDEO

  • AMD FirePro™ - Professional Graphics Certified Applications
  • Intel - Supported Graphics APIs & Features
  • Intel - Supported Operating Systems for Intel® Graphics Processors
  • Intel - Windows® 10 support information for Intel® products
  • Video Benchmarks and Ratings (by PassMark Software)

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SketchUp Forums

Graphics Specific

• Did you know that SketchUp relies heavily on a good video graphics card?

• What’s the best PC, graphics card and monitor for SketchUp use?

• Opinions on Graphics Card for Notebook Computer?

• Graphics Card Upgrade

• SketchUp 2015 (64-bit) and Intel HD Graphics 5500

• Does the Intel [HD5500] Graphics Card perform well with SketchUp 2015?

• Integrated Graphics Card vs Recommended Hardware

• Which Fast Graphics Card is best for SketchUp?

• GPU Intel HD 520 vs AMD Radeon R7 M360 2GB

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PC / Windows

• What computer to buy?

• What PC to buy?

• Laptop or desktop

• Dell XPS 15 9550 v. Dell Precision 15 5510

• Advice Building up a Desktop Computer

• I want assemble new pc for sketchup pro 2015 & vray 2.0

• Extreme slowness when matching photo (on new Dell machine)

• Verify hardware powerful enough to run SketchUp Pro 2015

• i7 Skylake integrated graphics and SketchUp rendering

• Sketchup will work best on which laptop?

• [Advice] New laptop on the cheap

• HP ProBook laptop for SketchUp

• Looking for a convertible laptop

• Reccomended laptop

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Surface / Tablet

• Using SketchUp with Surface Pro Stylus

• SketchUp Functionality on Windows Tablet

• What 2 & 1 Tablets are best for SketchUp?

• Tablets for SketchUp

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Apple Mac

• SketchUp and macOS Sierra

• New to Apple World: Which MAC should I get

• Macbook 2015 SketchUp Performance

• Macbook Air or a Windows laptop i5

• Apple vs PC for SketchUp

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Mouse / Pointer

• SketchUp 2016 & 3DConnexion 3D mouse

• WACOM Intuos Pen with Tablet

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[SketchUp3D_de]

SketchUp Help Center : SketchUp and OpenGL

[alabamabob2003]

Personally, I prefer the extra space a 17" machine has. The picture quality is the same as a 15" computer but the extra space in the width is very useful in Sketchup and Layout because of the “panel” interface. If you leave the various ‘trays’ on screen while you draft.
The processor should be a “quad core”, the machine should have a ‘discete’ video card, not built into the chipset and the ports, (USB etc.) should be near the back, not the front of the computer. Extra cooling fans are good, touchscreens are bad and Solid State Drives are the bomb. Like Electric Cars; Once you try one you’ll never go back.

I’ve gone from notebook to desktop, back to notebook and now I’m thinking about an “all in one” machine. The setup of just a large, curved screen, a wireless keyboard and mouse and my Spacenavigator seems perfect. I’m also dying to try out a virtual reality headset as a monitor soon. If that works, it will be the ultimate setup for a while.

Robert Pollock