Engineering Laptop Recommendation 2017

Hello,

My last laptop which I received from a family member used just crashed after 5+ plus years of abuse. I am looking at purchasing a new laptop to replace it. I am a bit overwhelmed by the options and companies that offer engineering laptops. I am hoping someone can give me a recommendation based on the info provided below.

Uses: high volume engineering software use as a mechanical engineering student

Software Used: Solidworks, ANSYS simulation, Microsoft Excel, Word, PowerPoint, C++, Matlab, Autodesk applications (from time to time), iTunes

Budget: $1000-$1800

I think I narrowed down my search to a couple options but am open to other suggestions. They are the following:

HP ZBook 15 Series
Asus Zenbook Series
Lenovo P50 Series
Dell Precision Series

Specific questions for recommendation (pros vs cons):

Memory? 8 or 16 GB?

Processor? i5 or i7?

SSD size? 256 or 512 GB?

If I haven’t covered all the core questions or information let me know.

Thanks in advanced for the help!

 

Is portability important? Some of those laptops have small monitors and are very portable, but if you're doing a lot of CAD work at a desk, you may value having a bigger display.

I run CAD apps on an i5 and with 8GB RAM (although I have 16GB now), and they run just fine - although if you want to spend more then they'll be able to make the most of an i7/16GB. It's down to how much you want to spend to be honest, as they'll all do the job. A few years back, I'd suggest getting as much RAM/CPU power as possible for CAD, but that's not as much of an issue anymore.

If possible, I'd visit somewhere that stocks the laptops you are interested in - as you'll be able to test the keyboard, feel the weight and see if the screen is good enough. All things that specs won't cover. .