Typical requirements as per use case outlined below
| Tier | Model | Processor | Memory | Graphics | Storage | Approx. Price | Typical Assembly Size |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Good | Dell Pro Max 18 | Intel Core Ultra 7 | 32GB | NVIDIA RTX 1000 – 8GB | 512GB SSD | £3,000 | Up to 500–1,000 parts / moderate mates |
| Better | Dell Pro Max 18 | Intel Core i7 / i9 (HX) | 32–64GB | NVIDIA RTX 2000 – 8GB | 1TB SSD | £3,500 | 1,000–3,000 parts / complex mate structures |
| Best | Dell Pro Max 18 | Intel Core i9 / Xeon | 64–128GB | NVIDIA RTX 3000 – 12GB | 1TB SSD | £4,300 | 3,000+ parts / large, highly constrained assemblies |
Why upgrade your Laptop – what will you actually gain?
Four years is a long time in hardware. We looked at what a typical 2022 mobile workstation delivers against its 2026 equivalent across every component that affects SOLIDWORKS performance — and what the numbers mean in practice. We compare a recommended spec from 2022 with a recommended spec from 2026 below.
Laptop workstation — 2022 vs 2026
| Component | 2022 | 2026 | Gain | Solidworks impact |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CPU single-thread | 3,200 PassMark | 4,349 PassMark | +36% | Rebuilds, drawings |
| GPU — CAD viewport | Turing (T1200) | Blackwell RTX PRO | +40–90% | Viewport, RealView |
| RAM bandwidth | DDR4 ~50 GB/s | DDR5 ~90 GB/s | ~80% | Large assemblies |
| Storage read speed | ~3,500 MB/s | ~7,000 MB/s | ~100% | File open / PDM |
| Overall gain | — | — | ~50% | Across all workflows |
SolidX recommend certified Dell workstations, desktop, mobile, and servers .
We have worked with Dell for just over 2 decades – their build quality, performance and reliability are second to none.
Additionally, their 3 year next day on side warranlty offers excellent peace of mind and ensures you’re never down for long if something does (very rarely) go wrong.
Dell’s 3 Year Next Business Day on-site Warranty
- Hardware and software support
Next business day onsite repairs after remote diagnosic
Proactive and predictive hardware alerts with auto dispatch
24/7 phone access to in-region experts
