Graphics Workstations for Bentley MicroStation

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

What is Bentley MicroStation?

MicroStation by Bentley Systems is a CAD software platform for 2D and 3D design and drafting, designed for use in the architectural and engineering industries. With MicroStation, you can model, document, and visualise infrastructure projects of any type, scale, and complexity using a comprehensive set of design and documentation capabilities to reliably deliver the most demanding projects.

What makes the best workstation for MicroStation?

Although there is no one ideal workstation for MicroStation, this page will guide you through the most important factors to consider. The best place to start is your intended usage of MicroStation - simple 2D models will work well on a lower powered workstation whereas larger and 3D models will require more powerful hardware. Similarly you should also consider whether MicroStation 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 MicroStation 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 MicroStation?

Whether you work with small 2D or larger 3D models, MicroStation 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 MicroStation 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 MicroStation?

As we’ve stated MicroStation 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 MicroStation doesn’t rely on GPU memory very much there isn’t much need to invest in a card with large memory.

In both cases, we would recommend a professional-grade NVIDIA GPU, as although their consumer counterparts may offer similar performance on paper, they will not be officially certified for MicroStation usage, so you may struggle to get support from the GPU manufacturer or Bentley should you encounter a software issue.

How much RAM is recommended for MicroStation?

The minimum RAM that we recommend for MicroStation 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 MicroStation need?

We always recommend using an SSD for the boot drive that will host your OS, MicroStation 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, MicroStation 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 MicroStation 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	32GB	32GB	16GB
GPU	NVIDIA RTX	NVIDIA RTX	NVIDIA T-series