12 Dec 2008

computer shopping tips for architecture

Posted by admin

there have been a few readers that asked me on architectural education, and some even asked me on recommendations which computer to buy to prepare yourself as an architecture student. well, I should say that there is a very good guide online that advice you on study pathway in architecture, here is it;

lowyat architecture guide (malaysia) thread

in the end, if you have any questions, be sure to ask azarimy in the forum, a respectable and experienced person in the field. nevertheless, my point of focus here is what computer you should buy as an architecture student. it is always wise to remember that the computer is a tool, and that you should ask yourself what you will be doing with your computer as an architecture student;

CAD drawings done with software like AutoCAD or ArchiCAD
designing and arranging presentation boards in Photoshop
enhancing photos of site/buildings/models
modelling 3D buildings with Sketchup or 3DS max
computer renderings/animation for architectural visualization
composing portfolios
preparing presentation slides
scanning sketches/manual works into computer
typing history & culture reports

that is your typical tasks as an architecture student, but bear in mind that in the industry; CAD tasks practically overweighs everything in your routine. so there are six criterias that are important when choosing your computer;

laptop or desktop
CPU performance
graphics capabilities (GPU)
size of RAM
hard disk size
screen size

note: the specifications here is according to today’s standards (december 2008)

1. laptop or desktop

both have their pros and cons; one is portable, the other is cheaper and so forth. I won’t be going through the full list of that, but as an architecture student; I found using a laptop is far more useful than a desktop. the portability; such as the need to show the drawings or models on screen during tutorials far outweighs the superior performance of a desktop. but in the end, if you have extra budget for BOTH desktop and laptop, then why not?

2. CPU Performance

in my two years experience as an architecture student, I would say that the most CPU intensive work I’ve ever done is presentation board compilation in photoshop. it takes me minutes to process a simple task such as resizing, moving objects; as the boards were to be done in huge size in terms of A1 paper rolls. nevertheless, our usual tasks such as generating CAD views or perspective rendering require huge processing power – so expect to buy computers with core 2 duo with at least 2 ghz or more.

3. GPU capabilities

many users thought that a dedicated graphics would only be useful for gaming, but 3d tasks from autocad, sketchup to 3ds max require a certain GPU capabilities. therefore, it does matters if you paid extra money to have that graphic card inside your PC, though you may not be the gaming type of person. on the other hand, few had asked me if there were difference between workstation or gaming graphics (nvidia quadro or geforce). well, I would say that they both does the same work, although workstation graphics is geared up towards stability while the other for peak performance. in either way, there’s a mobile GPU benchmark to help you out;

notebookcheck mobile GPU benchmark list

note: always aim for class 1 or 2 GPUs

4. RAM size

it is very easy to confuse with the purpose of CPU, RAM and hard disk capacity. basically, the function of RAM allows you to multitask more, while a CPU for processing speed. the bigger your RAM capacity, the more tasks you can do at the same time. and for us of course, a bigger RAM helps a lot in our works; as we often jingle around CAD, sketchup and photoshop at the same time. 1 gb is only merely adequate for vista, and try to take it to the max like 3 – 4 gb of RAM. remember, vista 32bit only uses up to 3gb of memory.

5. hard disk

the modern PCs usually have enough hard disk capacity to spare; unless if you’re talking about less than 100gb. anyway, what I wanted to stress here is that an additional external hard disk is much more important than a bigger single unportable hard disk. sometimes files we created are huge; ranging from few mbs to over 1 gb in size, depending on what type of work you’re doing. usually the file that compiles everything in a whole piece such as presentation boards and portfolios claim the biggest space in your hard disk.

6. screen size

some might laud that the smallest screen size (laptops) is the best, but that is not the case for architecture. always keep in mind that we will be designing buildings through that screen; so don’t opt for ultraportable laptops. always have a screen that is big enough yet manageable for yourself. therefore never take anything smaller than 14.1 inch screens, but 15 or 16 inch is excellent. 17 inch laptops on the other hand might be too heavy for mobility, but if you can lift that, why not?

in the end, brand of a computer is not that important when choosing a computer; it is the functionality, cost and service that matters. and how about Macs, you ask? I am slightly biased AGAINST Macs, therefore don’t ask me : )

Tags: architecture , computer buying , computer shopping , guide , modelling , rendering , tips