Graphics Workstations for Archicad

Understand Archicard’s hardware requirements and pick the perfect 3XS Systems graphics workstation for your project

What is Archicad?

Archicad is a professional Building Information Modelling (BIM) software solution complying with all digital-delivery requirements, offering an intuitive design environment, accurate building information management, open collaboration and automated documentation.

What makes the best workstation for Archicad?

Although there is no one ideal workstation for Archicad, this page will guide you through the most important factors to consider. The best place to start is your intended usage of Archicad - simple 3D models will work well on a lower powered workstation whereas larger models will require more powerful hardware. Similarly you should also consider whether Archicad will be used standalone or whether other design or rendering packages will be used in your workflow - the below recommendations and guidance focus primarily on the requirements for Archicad software alone, so you may want to read other application pages to understand how systems specifications may be impacted if multiple software applications are used together.

What CPU should I choose for Archicad?

Whether you work with small or larger 3D models, Archicad will benefit from CPUs with a high frequency and high IPC, so CPUs with lots of cores will have little impact as the application is predominantly single-threaded. Considering these parameters we recommend AMD Ryzen 5 or Intel Core i5 CPUs for entry-level Archicad systems, Ryzen 7 and Core i7 for mid-range systems and Ryzen 9 or Core i9 CPUs for high-end systems.

What GPU do I need for Archicad?

As we’ve stated Archicad is a software application that relies on CPU for the majority of tasks so a basic GPU will suffice if working with 2D models - such as an NVIDIA T-series. When using 3D models, especially larger ones we would recommend a higher specification GPU, such as an NVIDIA RTX GPU, to cope with the more complex graphics, but as Archicad doesn’t rely on GPU memory very much there isn’t much need to invest in a card with large memory.

How much RAM is recommended for Archicad?

The minimum RAM that we recommend for Archicad is 16GB. As previously stated, if you require several models open alongside each other, or other applications open together then increasing the memory to 32GB is probably wise. Likewise, if you opt for a higher end CPU, it makes sense to match the RAM to the CPU capability for a more powerful system all round.

What storage does Archicad need?

We always recommend using an SSD for the boot drive that will host your OS, Archicad itself, and any active projects you are working on. The high speed of SSDs allows your system to boot, launch applications, and load files many times faster than any traditional hard drive. Alternatively, as your work projects increase you may want to consider a second SSD or higher capacity HDD - depending on your budget - so your OS, Archicad and live projects benefit from SSD speed, but your archived work uses the HDD where speed isn’t a necessity and costs can be lowered. Another archive solution could be to employ an external NAS device allowing sharing and RAID protection.

When it comes to deciding on drive capacity, this will very much depend on your number of files and the model sizes. You should also consider the space required by other applications and their associated files too.

Recommended Archicad Workstation Specifications

Workstation specifications
	High-End	Mid-Range	Entry-Level
CPU	AMD Ryzen 9 / Intel Core i9	AMD Ryzen 7 / Intel Core i7	AMD Ryzen 5 / Intel Core i5
RAM	64GB	32GB	32GB
GPU	NVIDIA RTX	NVIDIA RTX	NVIDIA T-series