To the OP, sounds like the machine you are looking at will run SU and everything else just fine but when you add Vray into the mix, that laptop will sould like a hair dryer on high (and the temps will match as well). Vray will use every resource possible to get a render done so don’t be surprised if it takes a while for a render to complete and hopefully it doesn’t heat your house in the process. I have an MSI GE-77HX and using SU with Vray, it fits the bill, but again, you get that hair dryer going in no time. If Vray is somethin you are seriously looking into, try visiting the Chaosgroup forum for advice as well, for a laptop that can handle the demands of Vray.
2 Likes
Heh. For sure. My V-Ray renders are done on a 1.8GHzCeleron mobile laptop with Intel 610 (shared) graphics, 4GB RAM, and a HDD. It’s not too bad until you push things to 4096x1152 at High+ settings. That’s when the laptop can and will do absolutely nothing else for the next 8 hours (or longer)! 
1 Like
Hi @jjmorvay
Thanks for the insight! Im getting a lot of good advice from the members here 
Would it make any difference if i tried using web-based renderers (if there are any suitable ones)?
Thanks again!
Hi Saul,
I feel ya buddy! 
Dell’s offers come and go, and I’ve missed the boat on the laptop i wanted because im still waiting on my paycheck.
I may have to resort to something cheaper with lesser specs on the 2nd hand market.
1 Like
Good question! Yes, you can always rely on Chaos Cloud, a cloud-based render service that comes with your subscription, but the caveat there is that you have to purchase credits. I tried it out once, when they offered 20 free credits with the service and it worked great until I saw how many credits it took to render the scene. The more complicated the scene, the longer it takes, thus more credits are spent. It could get costly to rely on using the cloud all the time though. As I said before, I only used it once, and it was for a project for work that I wasn’t getting the right results and unfortunately, even with cloud rendering, everything came out the same. Your results may vary of course, but the costs of using the cloud can really add up.
1 Like
It sounds like you’ve done some great research and found a potential laptop that fits your budget and needs for Sketchup work. The Dell G15 with its Intel Core 12th Generation i5 processor, 16GB DDR5 memory, and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 graphics card should be able to handle your workload with ease. The 120Hz 15.6-inch display should provide a great viewing experience for your designs.
It’s great that you’re open to upgrading components in the future, but for now, this laptop should be a solid option for your budget. Additionally, purchasing a refurbished laptop can be a smart way to save money while still getting a reliable device.
As for compatibility with OpenGL standards, the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 graphics card should support it without any issues.
Overall, it seems like a good choice, especially for the price. Best of luck with your purchase and your Sketchup work!
2 Likes
Yikes!
It seems to be one of those needs that can be solved with money 
!
May we all strike it rich one day!
1 Like
Hi Manohar,
Many thanks for your input!
I’m very relieved that I won’t have to spend beyond my means to get a perfectly adequate machine 
That being said, my long-term target would be to upgrade if I ever have the budget for it. I’ll need to start somewhere to earn some extra cash 
Thanks again!
@rudy.ariff I recently bought a new Surface Laptop Studio. They are starting at $1400 and head upwards of $2700. Without reading all of the thread posts I know you mentioned wanting to keep money in check. One thing I have learned about buying refurb computers is they never felt quite right…like a little wobble in their central system. Being that this is for professional work, I always think I want to pave my runway as long as possible and invest in the top end of what I can afford. On that note, I then make sure my ROI makes sense with the types of work and my fees for that work. For me remote work is a given, sketching by hand, and running Revit and SKUP files are a given. I also personally like to run WinPro as it ties into all my other devices.
That said, I have run some pretty large SKUP files during onsite and remote presentations and my Studio Surface 32gb ram i7 core has run like a champ. Sometimes you can find some holiday deals through Microsoft’s website and I get it, they are not the cheapest. For me, I use the Surface as a drawing and writing surface when communicating over web calls. This makes noting, on screen sketching and hand drawing sketch details so quick. I often make business decisions based on what value can I deliver and is that value actually valuable to the client or to my colleagues.
Best of luck with your purchase. BTW, I am liking your graphics you posted. Great presentation look.
Regards, Matt
1 Like
Hi Matt,
Thanks for sharing your experience and insight!
I did ask myself whether buying a refurb is worth it… getting one from a 3rd party seemed dodgy, so i gave them a wide berth. I’m hoping (and praying) that getting from Dell’s own refurb Store would be different, and give me the peace of mind that 3rd party sellers can’t.
There’s a deal i found where i could save roughly 300USD… it’s a bit hard to ignore a deal like that
Thanks for the compliment, i am trying very hard to improve my capabilities and what i have to offer.
Take care and best regards,
Rudy
P.S. the Surface sounds like an awesome piece of hardware!
If I was looking for a full time SU laptop I’d start with this Dell Inspiron 16 Plus. It starts at $1,500 and comes with; 12th gen i7-12700H, RTX 3060, 32 GB ram and 1 TB M.2. Also 3K 3072x1920 screen. That’s really hard to beat.
2 Likes
Hi,
I just change for the new Aero 16 oled, with i7 13700H and RTX 4070 8 go.
Pretty happy with it, I will advise as a good Dell alternative and also good design for a professional use. The only bad thing for me is the sound system which is a ■■■■ 
1 Like
Hi Sean,
Had a look at the Inspiron family, they look awesome!
Way over my tiny budget though
If I am lucky enough to pull in enough jobs and deliver (and this is a saturated market), I would definitely upgrade to an Inspiron or a Precision and let my kids have the G15
1 Like
Hi BIMworld,
■■■■!! That looks like a very tasty piece of hardware!
It reminds me a lot of MacBooks
Hi Rudy, budgets are budgets and I completely understand. Best of luck going forward and I hope you get MORE than enough work to keep you busy and well paid! 
1 Like
Hi Sean,
Thanks buddy!
I made the mistake of watching too many comparison videos on YouTube and now I’m in a temporary state of ‘analysis paralysis’
I think I’m pretty set on what I want though
Thanks again!
1 Like