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    Portable Workstations for Sketchup

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    • ashscottA Offline
      ashscott
      last edited by

      After this debacle; http://sketchucation.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=372%26amp;t=59086
      We're looking for powerful, small laptops to run SU files larger than 60mb.

      Suggestions?

      Just some stuff I do with Sketchup.

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      • K Offline
        kaas
        last edited by

        @ashscott said:

        After this debacle; http://sketchucation.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=372%26amp;t=59086
        ...

        premium discussion maybe? I get a "You are not authorised to read this forum."

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        • ashscottA Offline
          ashscott
          last edited by

          Oh yes, its under premium.

          Suffice to say that we had a problem with a brand new HP Zbook 14 - the GPU would barely render SU models over a certain size (like 1mb)

          Just some stuff I do with Sketchup.

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          • sketch3d.deS Offline
            sketch3d.de
            last edited by

            @ashscott said:

            Suggestions?

            • Dell Precision Workstations (>= 15,6")
            • Dell XPS 15 (w/ GeForce GPU)
            • Dell Inspiron 14 7000

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            • ntxdaveN Offline
              ntxdave
              last edited by

              ASUS "Republic of Gamers" Laptop 17.3" with i7-4700HQ CPU @ 2.40GHZ. I have 12Gb of memory with 1Gb graphics memory. There are some newer models that have 2Gb of graphics memory.

              Good screen size for working with SU and enough memory to "get things done". ASUS makes good machines........

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              • sketch3d.deS Offline
                sketch3d.de
                last edited by

                @ntxdave said:

                ASUS "Republic of Gamers" Laptop 17.3"...

                @ashscott said:

                ...looking for ... small laptops...

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                • ntxdaveN Offline
                  ntxdave
                  last edited by

                  @sketch3d.de said:

                  @ntxdave said:

                  ASUS "Republic of Gamers" Laptop 17.3"...

                  @ashscott said:

                  ...looking for ... small laptops...

                  I understand but having worked on a 14" laptop I find that the bigger is screen if far more valuable when working with a tool like SU. Just MHO..........

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                  • sketch3d.deS Offline
                    sketch3d.de
                    last edited by

                    @ntxdave said:

                    I find that the bigger is screen if far more valuable when working with a tool like SU.

                    of course but sometimes mobility is a demand too... and the e.g. Precision workstations are availbale in bigger sizes also.

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                    • Mike LuceyM Offline
                      Mike Lucey
                      last edited by

                      I still miss my old 17" MacBook Pro. Having the extra screen real estate of the 17" over the current 15.4" MBP was great, even the retina resolution does not fully compensate. However, my problems will be solved when I get my hands on some very portable Packed Pixel screens!

                      PackedPixels-Uses-Office.jpg

                      If anyone is not familiar with Packed Pixels, you can check it out here, http://www.packedpixels.com/#home

                      Support us so we can support you! Upgrade to Premium Membership!

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                      • K Offline
                        kaas
                        last edited by

                        @ashscott said:

                        We're looking for powerful, small laptops to run SU files larger than 60mb.Suggestions?

                        I also just started looking for a replacement for my current 12" Thinkpad. Ideally a very portable laptop, if I need more workspace I will link it to a monitor.

                        Options:

                        • MacBook pro 13" - 2.6Ghz - Intel Iris gfx -> cons: expensive, need another license for SU (cant use same license on Win&Mac), not a dedicated gfx chip (big no-no)
                        • Lenovo Z40 - 14" - Geforce 820M 2GB graphics -> cons: not in Europe? - would prefer a 12" or 13"" - cpu only up to 2 Ghz - not sure about the build/quality (the original Thinkpads are 'indestructible' - having mine now for 7 years and still top notch quality)
                        • Lenovo Thinkpad T440p - 2.5Ghz GeForce GT 730M -> cons: again 14"

                        ... still looking, haven't found the right one yet...

                        Not considering but maybe an option for some:

                        • somewhere December 2014 (if you like the design) the Alienware 13" - 2.7Ghz - GeForce 860M
                        • in the US you can buy the Razer Blade - the GeForce GTX 870M should do well with big 3d models with the 2.2Ghz/3.2 Ghz cpu.
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                        • ashscottA Offline
                          ashscott
                          last edited by

                          Thanks folks - some good suggestions there.

                          I really like the look of the Dell Inspiron 14 7000 Series: http://www.dell.com/nz/p/inspiron-14-7447-laptop/pd?oc=x510772nz#AnchorZone3

                          The Lenovos look OK but dont seem to have the same firepower as that Dell.

                          Moving to Mac is too much of a hassle for us even though its arguably a better platform (but lets not start a 10 page discussion on that).

                          Small laptops are preferable for travelling. Easy to plug them in to projectors at meetings to give presentations. You can easily get them out on the plane to make tweaks and at home they simply plug in to a couple of 21" or 24" LED monitors so you have plenty of screen real estate most of the time.

                          I used to have a 17" Acer that was great at home and ok if you were going away to a place that had another desk but a bit of a hassle on planes and a total pain to pull out when sitting on someone's couch. It still goes though and serves as a handy home computer - when it finally dies I'll bolt legs on it and make it into a coffee table.

                          Keep the recommendations coming for machines under 14 inches!

                          Just some stuff I do with Sketchup.

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                          • N Offline
                            numerobis
                            last edited by

                            i recently noticed that SysMark/MobileMark has integrated Sketchup. http://bapco.com/products/sysmark-2014#details-applications
                            So you could look for some results.

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                            • sketch3d.deS Offline
                              sketch3d.de
                              last edited by

                              @ashscott said:

                              Keep the recommendations coming for machines under 14 inches!

                              the ASUS Zenbook series as e.g. the new UX303LN with 13.3" display also avail in QHD+ (3200 x 1800).

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                              • ntxdaveN Offline
                                ntxdave
                                last edited by

                                @mike lucey said:

                                I still miss my old 17" MacBook Pro. Having the extra screen real estate of the 17" over the current 15.4" MBP was great, even the retina resolution does not fully compensate. However, my problems will be solved when I get my hands on some very portable Packed Pixel screens!

                                [attachment=0:10s8udcl]<!-- ia0 -->PackedPixels-Uses-Office.jpg<!-- ia0 -->[/attachment:10s8udcl]

                                If anyone is not familiar with Packed Pixels, you can check it out here, http://www.packedpixels.com/#home

                                Great idea but I am afraid they will wind up pricing themselves out of business. In one of the clips they say they estimate they will be about $500. That is a darn expensive screen (IMHO).

                                Are they actually available anywhere?

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                                • A Offline
                                  alpro
                                  last edited by

                                  http://www.boxxtech.com/products/mobile-workstations?gclid=CjwKEAjww8eiBRCE7qvK9Z7W_DgSJABfOjf2qyiDbutAIFCOezB18iRlZ8drdY6IDOZ4obmI1wrhuBoCDQPw_wcB

                                  A bit pricey but seem pretty power packed and portable plus no bloatware

                                  Mike

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                                  • pmolsonP Offline
                                    pmolson
                                    last edited by

                                    I have been using laptops pretty much exclusively for the past 8 years for modeling and rendering. I work on great big honking models. almost all of them over 70gb full of 3d plants and trees etc.

                                    I used a dell precision m6400 for the past 5 years and it was an absolute work horse. Big durable and capable. It is now my back up and still works good.

                                    My current machine is a Dell alienware 17x. Lightning fast.

                                    I found out the hard way that over 16gb ram is not utilized unless you run windows pro.
                                    I run 32gb ram

                                    I am not listing all the specifics, because you will basically want to get the fastest, baddest, components your budget will allow.

                                    The bigger the screen the better in my opinion, but I am kinda old and my eyes are not what the once were.

                                    good luck

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                                    • ashscottA Offline
                                      ashscott
                                      last edited by

                                      All great advice - and I agree, its more cost effective to go for a bigger machine, you get more horsepower per dollar. However, 14 inch is what is needed in this instance. I was tempted to buy a 6400 when they came out but went with something a little cheaper at the time.

                                      I liked alienware's recent concept of leaving heavy GPU in a module on your desktop (its rare to need full power on the plain or out and about on battery. It sounds like there could be some improvement in Alienware's pioneering idea and I look forward to seeing where it leads. The other bonus is that it uses desktop GPUs so you dont have the heat and price problems of mobile GPUs.

                                      Thanks for your input everyone

                                      Just some stuff I do with Sketchup.

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                                      • M Offline
                                        mk11
                                        last edited by

                                        @ashscott - what did you end up buying?

                                        Marc Kleinmann
                                        SU Pro 2015
                                        Mac & Win

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                                        • jujuJ Offline
                                          juju
                                          last edited by

                                          I'm also looking at options at the moment.

                                          Have another look at the alienware 13, consider it with the graphics amplifier. From what I understand it becomes the primary graphics when plugged in and restarted.

                                          Save the Earth, it's the only planet with chocolate.

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                                          • sketch3d.deS Offline
                                            sketch3d.de
                                            last edited by

                                            the brand new HP Omen 15 might be interesting too even if slightly to big but with a lots of horsepower (and being thin & light).

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