What's the best computer to buy for Revit 2012?

Another year, another release, another same question... Same as it ever was... WTF computer to buy for Revit? Especially since most all of us will have 3DMax & even Inventor added to the mix... As always the images and links are...well, links!!!

Got 2x24" (1920x1200) monitors yet?


You should!!! Not having these gives you about a 5-30%+ waste of budget, time & money. These monitors pay for themselves in about 3 months no matter what you do on a computer!!! Yes, even Admin folks can do more work with 2x24's!!!

Nothing has changed as far as my conceptual recommendation for a Revit Workstation... but ADSK now ups the ante (as usual!!!) 

More features=More System required. It just makes sense.

My Recommendation:

Simply look at this page, for the "Performance Recommendations" from Autodesk and use that as a bare minimum, then go beyond those specs up to your budget ceiling... Be careful to find the "Performance Recommendations" drop-down, as the 32bit & 64 bit drop-downs are going to give very unsatisfactory computer experiences if you ask me... and you are, after all!!! Please do look hard at your budgets, since the following may not seem evident...

Studies (& benchmarks that I have done, as well as many others) show that for each & every 1% a machine can enhance productivity (assuming just a $100 per hour billable rate); that 1% = $2,000 per year!!! No shit!!!

If the machine you get is 10% faster than another, that will (read as WILL) translate into a super-conservative earnings bump of $6,000... this assumes that the person is only at the computer 50% of the time and even then not always working on task.

They really do pay for themselves; these $3,000 to $6,000+ Workstations!!! Yes, there will be a delta where the price and productivity flip flop but that's usually somewhere North of $4,000 to $10,000, depending on the work you do.

I like to stay around the $3,500 range personally -not including monitors- yet professionally I look at the budgets and all that fun stuff but do still recommend Workstations that range about the same with power user Workstations above those.

It just 'seems' to hurt when cutting the checks, but when taking a longer view of business good Workstations do pay for themselves quite quickly!!!

Don't forget to make sure to get a "Recommended" Video Card & driver setup (link below too)... I suggest a test machine first, since I have been told about anecdotal evidence (by another BIM Manager) that they have found some cards, even though ADSK says are recommended still throw them the "Direct 3D" warning with some of the new visual styles; I have not personally run into that (yet???) but it's always safer to be safe!!!

(ADSK) Performance Recommendations

• Microsoft® Windows® 7 64-bit Enterprise, Ultimate, Professional, or Home Premium
• Quad Core Intel® Xeon® Processor (2.50 GHz, 2X6M L2, 1333) or equivalent AMD processor (Can you say Multiple Quads? or Better yet: 6 Cores... No joking.)
• 8 GB RAM (or more) (12 Minimum!!!)
• 1,280 x 1,024 monitor with true color (This must be a Joke by ADSK: those were horrible for AEC 10 years ago!!!)
• 1 GB (or more) DirectX® 9-capable graphics card with Shader Model 3. Find out more about recommended graphics hardware. (1GB will work for now but I bet not so well next year!!!)

Happy Revitouring!!!