Best SketchUp Laptops: 10 Best Laptops For SketchUp In 2023 | Reviews + Guide

The laptops on this list are sure to handle your projects with SketchUp Pro requirements like a breeze. 

But before we get into discussing and reviewing these laptops, let us know what SketchUp is. It is regarded as one of the most popular 3D modeling and rendering software. And it comes with a range of applications, starting from simple art to complex 3D designs done by professionals. 

Naturally, to run a productive and helpful application like this, you’ll need a high-performing laptop with the right specifications. Your old laptop might not be suitable for this, and selecting an efficient laptop from a sea of options can be overwhelming. 

Worry no more, as we’ve reviewed the best laptops for SketchUp on the market and prepared a detailed buyer’s guide that’ll help you make a purchase decision. Without further ado, let’s get started!

Best Laptops For Sketchup 

Here’s the list of the 10 best laptops for SketchUp in 2023, designed to meet SketchUp Pro’s demanding requirements and provide a smooth experience for your 3D modeling and rendering projects.

1. Apple Macbook ‎Pro 16.2 – Best for Creative Professionals

Apple has been a standout name in the technological market with its range of premium and high-quality products, including laptops, smartphones, tablets, and many others. Keeping true to its brand promise of putting innovative computing products in the hands of people, Apple unveiled the latest addition to the Macbook series. Be it performance, display, battery life, or storage; it’s got it all. 

The Apple Macbook Pro MK183LL/A is hands down one of the best laptops for people in the creative field. Macbooks are well-known for their reliability, battery life, and display. Likewise, this laptop boasts a 16-inch liquid Retina XDR display, which delivers some breathtaking visuals. 

Talking about its performance, it’s integrated with a robust 10-core Apple M1 Pro or Apple M1 Max chip, coupled with 16GB RAM that delivers a smooth and lag-free user experience. For people who don’t know, the Mac OS of Apple is optimized to not require a whole lot of RAM. 

Your system must contain adequate storage capacity and whopping battery life for works of artistry. And with its 512GB ultra-fast SSD storage, you can store as many large files as you wish. Also, thanks to its powerful battery, one can easily expect it to run nearly 21 hours on a single charge. During our testing, we ran nearly 6 applications and didn’t face the slightest lag.

Premium pricing is a significant setback, making it unaffordable for DIYers, art students, or beginners. However, people who’ve used or been using Apple products know the value it delivers. So, we’d recommend going for it if budget is not an issue. 

2. Dell Precision – Best for SketchUp Artists

The Dell laptops are known for their reliability and trust, and the Dell Precision 3560 is in no way different, the mobile workstation packs a punch and extraordinary build quality, the reason for which it’s the top SketchUp laptop for Windows. Apart from a stunning display, it has a powerful processor, GPU, and ample storage space, making it a viable choice for SketchUp artists. 

Firstly, it’s a high-quality model with a large 15.6-inch full HD display. Interestingly, it comes with an anti-glare coating, which allows you to work on your designs, even in the bright outdoor sun. 

It is powered by an 8-core 11th Gen Intel Core i7 processor, coupled with a massive 32GB of RAM. Apart from having a powerful processor, it is integrated with the NVIDIA RTX A4000 GPU, further boosting performance. 

Moreover, this Dell laptop comes with a 512GB SSD, which is bound to increase your workflow speed. Plus, you can securely log in to this unit using its fingerprint reader. 

Not only that, but it also comes with a range of connectivity options, including an SD-card reader, USB Type-A, USB Type-C, and an audio jack. Now get inspiration from outside and transfer it into the laptop effortlessly!

Considering its affordable price tag, it has some of the best specs combinations that you’ll get on the market. You can also customize the specs down or up to find a better balance for you in the price/performance ratio.

Using the system for a longer time at a stretch might get it heated, which you don’t want from your SketchUp laptop. This might be due to a faulty cooling system within the laptop, which might be an issue for professional designers. 

3. Asus ZenBook – Best for Gaming & 3D Modeling

The Asus ZenBook UM535QE-XH91T is a high-end gaming machine with a 4K display and a powerful processor for running SketchUp. Also, it has a good battery life and ample storage space, so you won’t have to worry about any interruption due to low battery or the device running out of storage space. 

Powered by the latest AMD Ryzen 9 5900HX Processor and integrated with a discrete NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 graphics card, it is a powerful 3D modeling and rendering laptop. You can perform a range of complex and intricate projects using SketchUp in a short span, thanks to its powerful GPU. 

But it’s the display that impressed us the most. It boasts a 15.6-inch FHD 400nits main display, but it also comes with a 14-inch variant 

Talking about its memory, it comes with a fast 1TB SSD, which is large enough for your renders, project files, photos, and installation of multiple programs. It also boosts the overall performance of SketchUp, and its launch and boot time is significantly reduced. 

Video editing on this application can turn out to be a bit tricky with this laptop. We couldn’t edit our videos smoothly and faster, as is the case with images. This was a downside to such a quality unit, and the company should focus on addressing these. 

4. MSI ‎Creator 15 – Best for Gaming & Design Projects

MSI is a well-known manufacturer of high-performance gaming laptops, and that’s precisely why this laptop found a place on our list. Although the unit is more affordable than our previous pick, it doesn’t disappoint in terms of functionality. Plus, it sports a 15.6-inch 4K display, a powerful graphics card, high storage, and a powerful processor.  

The MSI ‎Creator 15 A11UE-491 is considered the best gaming laptop by many users. With a 15.6-inch UHD OLED display and slim bezels, its viewing angles are almost perfect. Besides, the display offers true contrast and color, whether you’re gaming or working on a new project on SketchUp. 

With the integration of the latest 8-core 11th Gen. Intel Core i7 processor, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 GPU (Graphics Processing Unit), and 16GB RAM, it never lags even in extreme conditions. 

Talking about its storage capacity, it has a 512GB SSD that delivers exceptional speed, so you won’t have to drop a sweat when using SketchUp. All applications open with a single click and within seconds. Now, its 7 hours battery life might seem a bit less compared to the Apple Macbook, but you can run it long enough to complete your project. 

Generally, we’ve heard rumors that more power results in more heating, but that’s not the case with this unit. Also, it’s thin and lightweight, which makes it super-portable. 

Lastly, it comes with an LED-backlit keyboard that allows you to work comfortably in low-light conditions. 

Perhaps, the only limitation with this model is that it doesn’t come with an SD card slot and thunderbolt port, so it’s not versatile in transferring data. But we think the available connectivity ports would be enough, especially for people who don’t indulge in data transferring often. 

5. Apple Macbook Pro 14 – Best for 3D Modelers & Renderers

Almost halfway through the list, we have the Apple MacBook Pro that offers limitless possibilities to artists to explore their creativity and deliver high-quality designs to their clients. It is possible only because of its powerful M1 chip, exquisite display, ample storage, and long battery life. As a result, this range of laptops has emerged among the top choices for artists. 

The Macbook Pro 14 is one of the top choices for 3D modelers and renderers. We achieved almost identical results when we tested both SketchUp and AutoCAD on it, thanks to its super-powerful M1 Pro chip. So, handling large 3D files feels like a breeze. 

Apart from that, you get a brilliant liquid retina display that facilitates viewing intricate details of the design so that you don’t have to compromise on accuracy. Plus, the unit is lighter than most laptops on our list. 

Another thing that we liked about this laptop is its long battery life. Once fully charged, it can run for approximately 17 hours, which is quite impressive. Now you can complete artwork or design on the go.

If you need a portable and powerful device for SketchUp, then the Apple Macbook Pro can be a reliable option.

This product is a bit pricey compared to the other models on our list. And many people probably won’t go for a 14-inch model at such a price range. Apart from its premium pricing, you’ll get a limited number of ports and, therefore, limited connectivity options. 

6. MSI ‎Creator Z16

As mentioned above, MSI manufactures high-performance gaming laptops, and the MSI ‎Creator Z16 A11UET-013 is no exception. Starting from its visual performance to its powerful CPU and latest GPU, your 3D rendering tasks using SketchUp feel like a walk in the park with this unit. So, let’s discuss more of the product. 

Similar to its sister models, it has a 16-inch 120Hz QHD+ Touch Display that has got you covered for any situation, whether your creative tasks or fast-paced gaming. Besides, a 16:10 screen ratio delivers a much clearer and visually appealing experience. So, you don’t have to worry about missing out on any details. 

Coming to the internals, it integrates a powerful 11th Gen. Intel Core i9 processor and 32GB RAM. Multitasking feels like an easy task with this device, and you won’t face any lags while using SketchUp. 

Aside from that, the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 graphics processor makes this device a perfect build. We ran through a couple of graphics-intensive applications on the system, and they could be operated without any significant issues. 

The rendering speed is also superfast owing to 512GB SSD, so you never miss a deadline. And its Cooler Boost Trinity+ technology ensures your device never gets heated.

The primary issue with this unit is that its battery runs out sooner than expected. A powerful laptop running applications like SketchUp quickly draining out the battery can be a significant setback. Most majorly like to work on their projects outside, where they might not have the luxury to charge their systems continuously. 

7. ‎ASUS Rog Zephyrus

The ASUS Rog (Republic of Gamers) series is designed especially for its gaming audience and has everything you wish for in a high-performance gaming laptop. Be its timeless display with true colors, powerful processor, GPU, and high storage, it has it all. What’s more, these specs make it a suitable choice for professional artists for their 3D modeling and rendering jobs. 

This unit is another high-performance Windows laptop on our list that comes with a 15.6-inch FHD Pantone-validated display, and 100% DCI-P3 color accuracy which helps architects, designers, and creatives a great deal.

With respect to its CPU, it is integrated with the latest AMD Ryzen processor, whose speed can clock up to a maximum of 4.5GHz. It ensured a lag-free testing experience of using different apps at the same time. Added to it, a powerful NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 8GB GDDR6 graphics processor makes it a perfect laptop for artists or gamers. 

We loved how fast this device renders and launches graphics-intensive applications like SketchUp, thanks to the 1TB SSD. The package also comes with a Windows 10 Professional Operating System, which can be upgraded to Windows 11 for free.   

The major disappointment is that it doesn’t sport an anti-glare display, which makes it difficult to work outside in direct sunlight. Also, the secondary screen is a bit too large for comfort, and the keys had to be fit in a smaller space. It turns out to be disconcerting in certain situations. 

8. Razer ‎Blade 15

When it comes to running high-performance applications like SketchUp, Razer Blade 15 excels in this respect. It is a high-performance laptop with a quality display, a powerful processor, and the latest graphics card for animations and renders. Also, it’s lightweight and compact, making it portable for both art students and professionals. 

The gaming laptop by Razer Blade packs an Intel i7 processor, and with its multiple cores, you are bound to get quality performance, even when handling complex 3D models. It would greatly be viable for professional artists as they can rotate, zoom in and out, and pan without any issues regarding frame rate, in turn delivering high-quality results. 

With a dedicated  Nvidia Geforce RTX 3060 GPU, it delivers fast renders if you’re working on animations. It, in turn, boosts your productivity in leaps and bounds. The laptop is suitable for multitasking and can run other applications aside from SketchUp. 

Weighing only 4.6 pounds, this laptop is easily portable for professional artists. Running the unit for a longer time wouldn’t heat up, thanks to its vapor chamber cooling. The heat generated during its use is dissipated through evaporation and condensation of internal fluid. 

We’ve found a few problems with this product: its battery life. It might not run for more than 5 hours once fully charged, which is less than other laptops. Other than that, the sound output of the speakers is not very high, as reported by most customers. 

9. Dell XPS 17

If you don’t have a budget constraint and want a high-performance SketchUp laptop, the Dell XPS 17 9710 is the ideal one. With its stunning gaming design, top-notch features, and full compatibility, you can trust it for your complex artistry projects. It is also integrated with Eyesafe technology that prevents any harmful radiation from entering your eyes. 

Like most high-performance gaming laptops on our list, this Dell laptop comes with powerful Intel Core i7 processors and GeForce RTX 30 series GPU. It handles complex 3D projects with ease, and you can run top creative apps like SketchUp with ease. 

Artists will enjoy working with a stunning 16:10 4-sided InfinityEdge display and 921k more pixels. Plus, it’s integrated with Eyesafe technology, which maintains a vivid display and reduces harmful blue light, thus making it easy on the eyes. You will now be more productive than ever. 

If you’re a person who runs other programs along with SketchUp, its 32GB RAM will prove helpful for you. It delivers a lag-free working experience every time. Besides that, you have an immersive 3D audio listening experience coming with a quad-speaker design and waves. 

Lastly, with a 5.53 lbs weight, it’s lightweight and not very difficult to carry around.

This model can feel a bit overpriced for some users, considering the features it packs. Apart from that, some customers have complained about a trackpad wobble, a significant design and quality issue. Provided these, it would be viable for the company to pay more attention to their quality checks.  

10. ‎HP Envy 13

If you want a portable and lightweight laptop for running SketchUp Pro and don’t have a budget for luxury ultrabooks, this is the one for you. Its stunning display, powerful processor, decent memory, and dedicated graphics card make it a valuable option for handling complex designs and heavy multitasking. 

HP Envy 13 sports a 13.3-inch FHD touchscreen display, you can use the stylus of your phone to draw designs and art pieces. The image quality is more vivid and clearer to deliver a quality movie-watching, gaming, and professional editing experience.  

Coming to its internal configuration, it boasts an Intel Core i7 processor, dedicated MX250 GPU, 512GB SSD, and 16GB of memory, making it more than suitable for SketchUp and other graphics-intensive applications. And, with this computer, you can do heavy multitasking. 

Besides, the professional and high-quality metal construction of this HP laptop makes it highly robust and captivating. Lastly, it comes with a whopping 12 hours of battery life, which is another thing to look for. 

Every professional artist devotes a significant amount of time to a single design, so the system must be capable of supporting it for an extended period.  However, the unit heats up after a few hours of use, which is not appropriate. 

Best Laptop For Sketchup Comparison Table

Buying Guide For The Best Laptop For Sketchup

Running heavy applications like SketchUp, AutoCAD, and others for rendering and 3D designing requires a good laptop with suitable configurations. According to our industry experts, hands-on comparisons, and in-depth tests, we delivered a list of top options available on the market. Through this extensive list of options, we hope you’ve got an idea of what to look for. 

However, a laptop needs to look out for a range of aspects to determine its ideality. For instance, if you select a model with a powerful processor and RAM but weaker graphics, you’ll be forced to model in smaller portions and won’t be able to work on intricate designs. 

So, we’ve prepared a detailed buyer’s guide to take you through each aspect of a laptop in detail. Let’s read on. 

Processor

For working on 3D designs using SketchUp, a 2 GHz or powerful processor is ideal. 

Make sure the laptop has a minimum of 750MB of storage space available and a graphics card like RTX 3070. If your budget doesn’t fit this card, we’d suggest you opt for at least a 3D class video card. Plus, it’s ideal to have hardware acceleration support. 

We have noticed that Intel-based integrated graphics cards are not ideal for SketchUp, and users have faced many issues with it in the past. 

Apart from that, it’s important to consider that high graphics-intensive apps like these don’t support multi or hyper-threading, regardless of the processor you’re using. We always recommend you go for a dedicated GPU, a good graphics card is a game changer.

Random Access Memory (RAM)

When using a laptop for SketchUp or other applications like these, 8GB RAM is an absolute minimum requirement. But, if you’re planning to continue using these applications for years, 16GB and 32GB RAM are ideal. The greater the RAM, the faster it will render, and the higher your productivity will be. 

If you are a student designer or interior designer who plans to learn 3D designing and pursue a career in architecture or any similar field, you would want a laptop with 16GB or 32GB RAM. 

Display

When working on complex and intricate design projects, it’s crucial to select the right size for the display. Remember that a large screen will make for a better viewing experience. And although 15.6-inch is the optimal size, a 17-inch display is even better. If you’re not going to carry your system everywhere, we’d recommend going for the latter. 

Apart from the display size, screen resolution is also essential. It’s recommended to have at least an FHD resolution as it gives clearer lines, and you can have a more detailed view of your art. There are still several laptops on the market with 1366 x 768 screens, and these should be avoided. 

Besides, a resolution better than Full HD display quality is not always suitable as it tends to consume more battery and, in turn, less working time. 

Storage

Having an SSD (Solid State Drive) on your laptop is sure to boost your working experience. For example, launching a program, opening and saving files, and rendering faster. 

Also, SSD storage makes your system more future-proof. If budget is not an issue for you, it’s recommended to have a standard 1TB HDD. But, if you want a best-budget laptop, we recommend you go for at least 512GB SSD storage. 

Weight

If you work remotely and carry your SketchUp laptop everywhere, a heavy laptop can be a problem. So, it will be viable to find a laptop that weighs nearly 3 lbs. 

Does having two displays (primary and secondary) help in faster rendering?

No, faster rendering depends on the processor and graphics card your system sports. Having two displays allows you to perform multiple tasks at a time.

Is AMD good for SketchUp?

In recently released AMD and NVIDIA, SketchUp is performing excellently. So, we can say that upgraded AMD is the most suitable option for performing your artistry on this app.

Which processors suit SketchUp best?

As we’ve already mentioned in the buyer’s guide, the Intel Core i7 is the best processor to run Sketchup or any similar applications on. But the latest and upgraded model you have it’s better, and you can keep using the model for a longer time in the future.

Does SketchUp use GPU or CPU?

For 3D modeling work and running respective applications, you always need a faster CPU and large RAM. A powerful and discrete graphics card is also as important in this respect.

Conclusion

With this, we have reached the end of our list, and these are the best laptops for SketchUp available on the market. Because we’ve included such a diverse range of options, you’ll be able to investigate several options based on your specific requirements. 

If you ask us which one we would prefer the most, we’d say the Apple Macbook Pro for OS or Dell Precisions for Windows, the best of the bunch overall. Despite being a premium laptop, prices are rather justified by the features they boast and the outstanding performance they deliver. If you want the best budget laptop, the ASUS ZenBook Pro 15 is a top option for SketchUp you can get. 

We’d keep on posting such informative and unique content on our page, so stay tuned. Till then, goodbye and take care! 

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