I’m trying to find a new laptop which will run SketchUp Make 2017, preferably a ThinkPad. My models are not terribly complex (mostly designs for my personal woodworking projects), and I have used this version of SU on a previous ThinkPad without any problems, but I think that had a discrete graphics…

[image] DanRathbun: When speaking of Intel we talk of integrated graphics that is packaged with the the CPU (sometimes referred to an APU.) Basically the SketchUp does not recommend use on machines with integrated graphics. These machines do not have there own VRAM and so rob system RAM as neede…

[image] Anssi: I have an Asus ultrabook with an i7 processor and MX250 graphics. I bought it more for mobility than performance, but it runs my small SketchUp models quite OK. Which model is that? DanRathbun said MX cards were among those to avoid, but you’re saying they might work for me, si…

[image] gr8dane: DanRathbun said MX cards were among those to avoid … Only because they are old. But you’d need to check their specs on the Nvidia site to be sure they support OpenGL 3.1 or better and have their own VRAM. [image] gr8dane: If a listing doesn’t mention the term VRAM, how e…

[image] DanRathbun: Very Old ones prior to GTX. (Like GeForece, GT and MX). I’m confused. When I look at this List of Nvidia graphics processing units - Wikipedia it looks like all the Mobile GPUs are GeForce and I don’t see any mention of GTX, GT or MX on the list. What am I missing?

[image] DanRathbun: check their specs on the Nvidia site to be sure they support OpenGL 3.1 or better and have their own VRAM. Yeah, but how do I find out if they support hardware acceleration? I don’t see that specified on anybody’s site.

[image] gr8dane: When I look at this List of Nvidia graphics processing units - Wikipedia it looks like all the Mobile GPUs are GeForce … I probably misspoke. “GeForce” is a family distinct from “Quadro”. I meant OLD GeForce. [image] gr8dane: … and I don’t see any mention of GTX, GT or M…

[image] gr8dane: Yeah, but how do I find out if they support hardware acceleration? I don’t see that specified on anybody’s site. Because it’s a very technical thing that is built into the CPU and it’s chipsets that the average user doesn’t understand much about. You can read the 2nd answer …

[image] gr8dane: Which model is that? DanRathbun said MX cards were among those to avoid, The exact model is Asus UX334F. The graphics circuit is GeForce MX250. This belongs to the current “entry-level” Nvidia notebook graphics series. From Notebookcheck: " The Nvidia GeForce MX250 is a dedic…

[image] DanRathbun: So … what it boils down to is the Intel i3, i5, i7 … etc. (the iCore series) CPUs and chipsets support it if the operating system does and the GPUs do. Windows 7, 8 and 10 have support. Later Intel UHD may (but are integrated and not recommended for heavy modeling.) It may b…

[image] gr8dane: Are you saying that the laptop I asked about in my original post (a ThinkPad E14 Gen 2 20TA with an 11th Gen Intel Core i3-1115G4 3.0GHz Dual-Core processor and Integrated Intel UHD Graphics) might actually work for SU? It may for light models (as some users said in the other…

ThinkPad support for SketchUp Make 2017

SketchUp Computer Advice

DanRathbun April 30, 2021, 9:32am 32

I agree the ASUS machine is a better buy for 54 bucks more (via newegg.)

ASUS is a Taiwanese corporation vs mainland Chinese.
ASUS machines generally seem to have a better reputation for quality and durability.

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ThinkPad support for SketchUp Make 2017

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