Advice on laptop spec for Twinmotion and Vectorworks please

D

Devonshire

Member
Hello,

I'm a long time Mac user but am migrating over to Windows as I need more power and path tracer / raytracing ability for Twinmotion. I'm a landscape designer and work with medium to high end 3D models in Twinmotion, including high poly plant and tree models. As an example my most recent model had 60 million polygons in it and 3GB of texture data. I then need to export models to 4k images and 4K video. My current Mac just can't handle it. I also use Vectorworks a lot.

I'm looking for a laptop that can handle this type of workload and will also serve me well for the next few years.

I rarely work directly on the laptop, but need something portable as I work in the office, remotely and at home. I use either a 2k or 4k monitor:

Dell S2722DC USB-C 27 Inch QHD

LG 27UL850-W 27" IPS 4K UHD

I've put together a spec, but would really appreciate an opinion of someone who knows what they are talking about. I really don't know much about the world of PCs as I've always used Mac. Anything I've over / under specced / missed out? I've a budget of sub £2k plus VAT. The lower the better.

Any help is much appreciated, thank you.

Chassis & Display
Defiance Series: 15.6" Matte Full HD 240Hz 72% NTSC LED Widescreen (1920x1080)
Processor (CPU)
Intel® Core™ i7 14 Core Processor 12700H (4.7GHz Turbo)
Memory (RAM)
64GB Corsair 3200MHz SODIMM DDR4 (2 x 32GB)
Graphics Card
NVIDIA® GeForce® RTX 3080 Ti - 16.0GB GDDR6 Video RAM - DirectX® 12.1
1st M.2 SSD Drive
2TB CORSAIR FORCE MP600 NVMe PCIe M.2 SSD (up to 4950 MB/R, 4000 MB/W)
AC Adaptor
1 x 230W AC Adaptor
Power Cable
1 x 1.5 Metre Cloverleaf UK Power Cable
Battery
Defiance Series Integrated 6 Cell Lithium Ion Battery (80WH)
Thermal Paste
STANDARD THERMAL PASTE FOR SUFFICIENT COOLING
Sound Card
2 Channel High Definition Audio + MIC/Headphone Jack
Wireless Network Card
GIGABIT LAN & WIRELESS INTEL® Wi-Fi 6 AX201 + BT 5.0
USB/Thunderbolt Options
1 x THUNDERBOLT 4 PORT + 3 x USB 3.2 PORTS
Keyboard Language
PER-KEY RGB BACKLIT UK KEYBOARD
Operating System
Windows 11 Home 64 Bit - inc. Single Licence [KUK-00003]
Operating System Language
United Kingdom - English Language
Windows Recovery Media
Windows 10/11 Multi-Language Recovery Image - Unlimited Downloads from Online Account
Office Software
FREE 30 Day Trial of Microsoft 365® (Operating System Required)
Anti-Virus
Norton 360 inc. Game Optimizer - Free 90 Day License
Browser
Google Chrome™
Keyboard & Mouse
INTEGRATED 2 BUTTON TOUCHPAD MOUSE
Webcam
INTEGRATED 1MP HD WEBCAM
Warranty
3 Year Standard Warranty (1 Month Collect & Return, 1 Year Parts, 3 Year Labour)
Delivery
STANDARD INSURED DELIVERY TO UK MAINLAND (MON-FRI)
Build Time
Christmas Delivery No Longer Guaranteed
Welcome Book
PCSpecialist Welcome Book - United Kingdom & Republic of Ireland
 
Last edited:
Tron1982

Tron1982

VALUED CONTRIBUTOR
Hi, sorry, i missed your topic
(and sorry, i'm bit in the hurry this morning, if you have questions, i'll try to answer later)

I don't really know much about the world of landscape designer, but i understood you need something that can manage heavy 3D work, so

- your spec was not so bad, but it can be improved here and there :
-- 2 SSD instead of one (it's better in case you'd have to reinstall windows)
-- a better thermal past, because you'll need it
-- the 3 year gold warranty and the 1 year dead pixel guarantee

Chassis & Display
Defiance Series: 15.6" Matte Full HD 240Hz 72% NTSC LED Widescreen (1920x1080)
Processor (CPU)
Intel® Core™ i7 14 Core Processor 12700H (4.7GHz Turbo)
Memory (RAM)
64GB Corsair 3200MHz SODIMM DDR4 (2 x 32GB)
Graphics Card
NVIDIA® GeForce® RTX 3080 Ti - 16.0GB GDDR6 Video RAM - DirectX® 12.1
1st M.2 SSD Drive
1TB SAMSUNG 990 PRO M.2, PCIe 4.0 NVMe (up to 7450MB/R, 6900MB/W)
1st M.2 SSD Drive
1TB SAMSUNG 980 PRO M.2, PCIe NVMe (up to 7000MB/R, 5000MB/W)
AC Adaptor
1 x 230W AC Adaptor
Power Cable
1 x 1.5 Metre Cloverleaf UK Power Cable
Battery
Defiance Series Integrated 6 Cell Lithium Ion Battery (80WH)
Thermal Paste
ARCTIC MX-4 EXTREME THERMAL CONDUCTIVITY COMPOUND
Sound Card
2 Channel High Definition Audio + MIC/Headphone Jack
Wireless Network Card
GIGABIT LAN & WIRELESS INTEL® Wi-Fi 6 AX201 + BT 5.0
USB/Thunderbolt Options
1 x THUNDERBOLT 4 PORT + 3 x USB 3.2 PORTS
Keyboard Language
PER-KEY RGB BACKLIT UK KEYBOARD
Operating System
Windows 11 Home 64 Bit - inc. Single Licence [KUK-00003]
Operating System Language
United Kingdom - English Language
Windows Recovery Media
Windows 10/11 Multi-Language Recovery Image - Unlimited Downloads from Online Account
Office Software
FREE 30 Day Trial of Microsoft 365® (Operating System Required)
Anti-Virus
NO ANTI-VIRUS SOFTWARE
Browser
Google Chrome™
Keyboard & Mouse
INTEGRATED 2 BUTTON TOUCHPAD MOUSE
Webcam
INTEGRATED 1MP HD WEBCAM
Warranty
3 Year Gold Warranty (2 Year Collect & Return, 2 Year Parts, 3 Year Labour)
Dead Pixel Guarantee
1 Year Dead Pixel Guarantee Inc. Labour & Carriage Costs
Chassis
Clevo PD50PNT (16GB RTX-3080 Ti, i7-12700H, AX201, 240Hz N7, Blank KB)
Delivery
STANDARD INSURED DELIVERY TO UK MAINLAND (MON-FRI)
Build Time
Christmas Delivery No Longer Guaranteed
Price: £2,553.00 including VAT and Delivery
Unique URL to re-configure: https://www.pcspecialist.co.uk/saved-configurations/defianceX-15/JC68NBBjKg/

- i propose you another spec' from the DDR5 ram twin of your spec (with a little bit less powerful GPU tought but a better screen)
-- still with 2 SSD, the better termal past and the warranty and guarantee

Chassis & Display
Defiance Series: 15.6" Matte QHD 165Hz WVA DCI-P3 LED Widescreen (2560x1440)
Processor (CPU)
Intel® Core™ i7 14 Core Processor 12700H (4.7GHz Turbo)
Memory (RAM)
64GB Corsair 4800MHz SODIMM DDR5 (2 x 32GB)
Graphics Card
NVIDIA® GeForce® RTX 3070 Ti - 8.0GB GDDR6 Video RAM - DirectX® 12.1
1st M.2 SSD Drive
1TB SAMSUNG 990 PRO M.2, PCIe 4.0 NVMe (up to 7450MB/R, 6900MB/W)
1st M.2 SSD Drive
2TB SAMSUNG 980 PRO M.2, PCIe NVMe (up to 7000MB/R, 5000MB/W)
AC Adaptor
1 x 230W AC Adaptor
Power Cable
1 x 1.5 Metre Cloverleaf UK Power Cable
Battery
Defiance Series Integrated 6 Cell Lithium Ion Battery (80WH)
Thermal Paste
ARCTIC MX-4 EXTREME THERMAL CONDUCTIVITY COMPOUND
Sound Card
2 Channel High Definition Audio + MIC/Headphone Jack
Wireless Network Card
GIGABIT LAN & WIRELESS INTEL® Wi-Fi 6 AX201 + BT 5.0
USB/Thunderbolt Options
1 x THUNDERBOLT 4 PORT + 3 x USB 3.2 PORTS
Keyboard Language
PER-KEY RGB BACKLIT UK KEYBOARD
Operating System
Windows 11 Home 64 Bit - inc. Single Licence [KUK-00003]
Operating System Language
United Kingdom - English Language
Windows Recovery Media
Windows 10/11 Multi-Language Recovery Image - Unlimited Downloads from Online Account
Office Software
FREE 30 Day Trial of Microsoft 365® (Operating System Required)
Anti-Virus
NO ANTI-VIRUS SOFTWARE
Browser
Google Chrome™
Keyboard & Mouse
INTEGRATED 2 BUTTON TOUCHPAD MOUSE
Webcam
INTEGRATED 2.0 MP FULL HD WEBCAM
Warranty
3 Year Gold Warranty (2 Year Collect & Return, 2 Year Parts, 3 Year Labour)
Dead Pixel Guarantee
1 Year Dead Pixel Guarantee Inc. Labour & Carriage Costs
Chassis
Clevo PD50PNN1 (8GB RTX-3070 Ti, i7-12700H, AX201, DDR5, 165Hz QHD DCI-P3, Blank KB)
Delivery
STANDARD INSURED DELIVERY TO UK MAINLAND (MON-FRI)
Build Time
Christmas Delivery No Longer Guaranteed
Price: £2,418.00 including VAT and Delivery
Unique URL to re-configure: https://www.pcspecialist.co.uk/saved-configurations/defianceX-15-DDR5/mb!Y4SPnBa/


I hope this will help you
 
D

Devonshire

Member
Hi Tron1982.

Thanks very much for reading and replying, it's much appreciated.

You're correct in your assumption that what I do is heavy 3D work. I also build models in a programme that is primarily reliant on the CPU, but as this runs well enough on my current Mac M1, I think any of the specs above will be more than enough, especially with 64GB ram.

Good idea about splitting the 2TB SSD over 2 different SSDs. Mitigates against the risk of SSD failure too I suppose.

I think the trade off between screen and GPU needs to be in favour of the GPU. I want a minimum of 12GB vram for the GPU. It could be a 3080 rather than a 3080ti maybe? I rarely use the screen to work - the laptop is almost always connected to a 2K or 4K monitor. I'm also unsure of QHD is really needed in a 15 inch screen.

Will I notice any real world performance difference between DDR4 and DDR5?

Finally, what are your thoughts on the real world difference between an intel i7 and i9? I assume the i7 is a decent enough CPU and will work well with a 3080 or 3080ti?

Many thanks!
 
D

Devonshire

Member
Thanks very much Tron.

This is now the spec I think I've settled on, but your views are welcome.

Chassis & Display
Defiance Series: 15.6" Matte Full HD 240Hz 72% NTSC LED Widescreen (1920x1080)
Processor (CPU)
Intel® Core™ i7 14 Core Processor 12700H (4.7GHz Turbo)
Memory (RAM)
64GB Corsair 3200MHz SODIMM DDR4 (2 x 32GB)
Graphics Card
NVIDIA® GeForce® RTX 3080 Ti - 16.0GB GDDR6 Video RAM - DirectX® 12.1
1st M.2 SSD Drive
500GB SAMSUNG 970 EVO PLUS M.2, PCIe NVMe (up to 3500MB/R, 3200MB/W)
1st M.2 SSD Drive
1TB SAMSUNG 970 EVO PLUS M.2, PCIe NVMe (up to 3500MB/R, 3300MB/W)
AC Adaptor
1 x 230W AC Adaptor
Power Cable
1 x 1.5 Metre Cloverleaf UK Power Cable
Battery
Defiance Series Integrated 6 Cell Lithium Ion Battery (80WH)
Thermal Paste
ARCTIC MX-4 EXTREME THERMAL CONDUCTIVITY COMPOUND
Sound Card
2 Channel High Definition Audio + MIC/Headphone Jack
Wireless Network Card
GIGABIT LAN & WIRELESS INTEL® Wi-Fi 6 AX201 + BT 5.0
USB/Thunderbolt Options
1 x THUNDERBOLT 4 PORT + 3 x USB 3.2 PORTS
Keyboard Language
PER-KEY RGB BACKLIT UK KEYBOARD
Operating System
Windows 11 Home 64 Bit - inc. Single Licence [KUK-00003]
Operating System Language
United Kingdom - English Language
Windows Recovery Media
Windows 10/11 Multi-Language Recovery Image - Unlimited Downloads from Online Account
Office Software
FREE 30 Day Trial of Microsoft 365® (Operating System Required)
Anti-Virus
NO ANTI-VIRUS SOFTWARE
Browser
Google Chrome™
Keyboard & Mouse
INTEGRATED 2 BUTTON TOUCHPAD MOUSE
Webcam
INTEGRATED 1MP HD WEBCAM
Warranty
3 Year Gold Warranty (2 Year Collect & Return, 2 Year Parts, 3 Year Labour)
Dead Pixel Guarantee
1 Year Dead Pixel Guarantee Inc. Labour & Carriage Costs
Chassis
Clevo PD50PNT (16GB RTX-3080 Ti, i7-12700H, AX201, 240Hz N7, Blank KB)
Delivery
STANDARD INSURED DELIVERY TO UK MAINLAND (MON-FRI)
Build Time
Christmas Delivery No Longer Guaranteed
Price: £2,458.00 including VAT and Delivery
 
Tron1982

Tron1982

VALUED CONTRIBUTOR
Hi,
You have to upgrade at least your primary ssd for a 990 pro (or, at least, the 980 pro)
You have a 4th gen port ssd, using it with a 3rd gen ssd would be waste

Otherwise, as it's pretty much what i spec'ed for you, it look good to me :D
(but if you can afford it, you should go for what i proposed to you with this "classic" 15.6 defiance)
 
D

Devonshire

Member
Hi,

Will I actually notice any real world performance difference if I keep the 3rd gen SSD? I know all these things are "ideal" but there's a balance to be found between the ideal and the practical / ££.

Is the "classic" Defiance you mention the DDR5 one? If so then that doesn't have the graphics card that I want. Or maybe it's just what I've spec'ed but with the better SSDs?

Many thanks!
 
Tron1982

Tron1982

VALUED CONTRIBUTOR
Hello,
To be honest, and "sadly", yes, I think there is a difference between a 4th and a 3rd gen ssd in term of speed and durability.
Nop, the "classic" is not the DDR5 :D
It's the 1st proposition i made (or, what you spec'ed, if you want ^^) but with, indeed, better ssd
This first proposition is "only" 100 pounds more expensive than yours, but i think the improved ssds are worth it
 
D

Devonshire

Member
Tron1982 said:
To be honest, and "sadly", yes, I think there is a difference between a 4th and a 3rd gen ssd in term of speed and durability.
Click to expand...
That's annoying! 😃

OK thanks will probably spend the extra £100 then.

Thanks very much for all your help. It's much appreciated.
 
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