What Hardware is Recommended for SOLIDWORKS Users?

Recommended Hardware for SOLIDWORKS Users

When choosing or upgrading a workstation for SOLIDWORKS, it’s important to understand how the software uses hardware. Below is a clear breakdown to help you make informed decisions when going above the minimum SOLIDWORKS requirements.

General Recommendations

Here’s what matters most when building or buying a system for SolidWorks:

• Prioritize the CPU first, then RAM, and finally the graphics card.
  • Most SOLIDWORKS operations—like rebuilding models or opening large assemblies—rely heavily on the processor.
• SOLIDWORKS is mostly single-threaded, so single-core speed matters more than core count.
  • More cores will help with Simulation or Visualize workflows, but they don’t benefit daily modeling tasks.
• Choose a balanced system—don’t overspend on a powerful GPU unless you're using it for supported GPU-accelerated tasks (like real-time rendering or large assembly graphics).
  • Keep in mind: the graphics card mainly helps with smooth zooming, panning, and rotating. It doesn’t affect rebuild speed or file opening times.
• Watch your VRAM (video card memory). Graphics memory is mapped into your system RAM.
  • Adding a high-VRAM GPU without enough system memory can actually slow your system down.
  • Rule of thumb: if you're going with a higher-end graphics card, make sure to increase system RAM accordingly.
  • Make sure your graphics card is on the Certified Hardware List.  
• Adjust your antivirus settings:
  • Turn off real-time scanning or at least exclude *.sld* file types. This reduces delays when opening or saving SolidWorks files.
• Work locally for the best performance:
  • Accessing files over a network can slow things down.
  • Solutions like SOLIDWORKS PDM (for on-premise file management) or Collaborative Designer for SOLIDWORKS on 3DEXPERIENCE (cloud-based) make this easier by handling local caching and syncing automatically.

Recommended Specs

• CPU:
  • Desktop: Intel Core i7-14700K or better
  • Laptop: Intel Core Ultra 7 155H or better
• Memory: At least 32 GB, 64 GB for medium-large assemblies or simulations
• Graphics: NVIDIA RTX 2000 Ada or higher
• Storage: 1TB SSD

Hardware Recommendations for SOLIDWORKS Visualize

While SOLIDWORKS CAD and SOLIDWORKS Visualize are part of the same product family, they rely on hardware in very different ways. Visualize is built to leverage the power of your GPU (graphics card) to accelerate rendering—so your graphics card becomes the most important component.

Here’s what to keep in mind when configuring a system specifically for SOLIDWORKS Visualize:

Key Hardware Considerations

• Visualize is GPU-driven
  Unlike SOLIDWORKS CAD, which is CPU-focused, Visualize uses the graphics card to handle rendering tasks—so a higher-end GPU can dramatically reduce render times.
• GPU performance varies significantly
  Based on benchmarks from NVIDIA, there’s a clear performance hierarchy among their RTX series cards when used with Visualize. Faster GPUs = faster renderings.
• Two GPUs can be better than one
  In many cases, two mid-range cards (like two RTX 2000 Ada GPUs) can outperform a single higher-end card (like an RTX 4000 Ada)—and often at a similar or even lower cost.
  • This multi-GPU setup is supported in Visualize Professional, not Visualize Standard.
• NVIDIA RTX is fully supported
  The RTX architecture provides real-time ray tracing and AI denoising support, which translates to better visuals and faster results in Visualize.
• AMD Radeon Pro is also supported
  As of SOLIDWORKS Visualize 2020, hardware acceleration for AMD Radeon Pro cards is officially supported—though NVIDIA cards generally lead in rendering performance based on third-party benchmarks.

Visualize Hardware Tips

• Look for GPUs with at least 8GB of VRAM—more VRAM helps handle larger scenes and higher-resolution outputs.
• For maximum performance, go desktop over laptop—desktop GPUs are more powerful and better cooled than their mobile equivalents.
• Dual GPU configurations work best when paired with adequate system RAM and a robust power supply.