Best Laptops For Archicad (2026)

ArchiCAD is a powerful Building Information Modeling (BIM) tool that lets architects and designers develop detailed architectural models, collaborate in real time, and generate construction-ready documentation—all in a unified 3D environment. It’s as much a design studio as it is a technical command center. But to fully leverage Archicad’s capabilities—from concept modeling to photo-realistic rendering—you need a laptop built for design accuracy, modeling speed, and architectural scalability.

We created this guide for you—architects, architectural students, BIM managers, and design professionals who rely on Archicad for parametric design, collaborative documentation, and high-fidelity visualization. If you’re handling complex building models, coordinating with structural engineers, or presenting high-resolution renderings to clients, your laptop must be as robust and detail-oriented.

We’ve analyzed the real-world demands of Archicad workflows, from 2D drafting and 3D modeling to BIM coordination and rendering, to help you select the laptop that keeps up with your pace of creation.

Let’s break down the essential specs that shape Archicad performance:

Processor (CPU) is the cornerstone. Archicad is largely single-thread optimized, especially for general modeling, navigation, and 2D drafting. You’ll benefit most from high clock-speed CPUs, such as the Intel Core i7/i9 (13th/14th Gen H/HX), AMD Ryzen 9 HX series, or Apple M3 Pro/Max. These deliver fast regeneration times, smooth model navigation, and snappy viewport responsiveness.

GPU matters when you’re working in 3D viewports, CineRender visualizations, or external render engines like Twinmotion or Lumion. While Archicad doesn’t depend on the GPU as much as some VFX or game design software, having a dedicated graphics card greatly improves 3D modeling performance and enables smoother walkthroughs. We recommend at least an NVIDIA RTX 4060 or better (4070/4080 for intensive visualization tasks), or the Apple M3/M4 Max with high-core GPU support.

RAM impacts how easily you can work with large projects or switch between views and layouts. For most architectural workflows, 32GB of RAM is the smart starting point. 64GB is ideal for large-scale BIM projects, detailed site contexts, or when running multiple design apps simultaneously.

Storage needs to be fast and spacious. Load times, file imports, Teamwork syncing, and rendering caches benefit from PCIe Gen 4 NVMe SSDs. We recommend at least 1TB of SSD storage, ensuring you can store models, texture libraries, linked PDFs, and BIM cloud data with room to spare.

Display is not just about size, it’s about clarity and accuracy. Architectural work demands precision visuals for detailing, color consistency for render previews, and high resolution for layouts. A 15.6” or 16” QHD+ or 4K display, with 100% sRGB or DCI-P3 coverage, ensures you see your designs the way they’ll be built and presented. For professionals presenting to clients, HDR or Mini LED displays add an edge in visual storytelling.

Build Quality and Portability matter too. Architects move between office, site, and client presentations. Look for laptops with aluminum or magnesium alloy chassis, long battery life, and under 2.5kg weight for practical mobility without sacrificing performance.

Cooling and thermal efficiency aren’t optional. Long modeling sessions and rendering batches tax your system. We favor laptops with vapor chamber cooling, dual fan setups, and intelligent heat zoning, so your laptop stays responsive during extended work sessions.

Connectivity completes the picture. You’re interfacing with external monitors, USB-C peripherals, SD cards for site photos, BIMcloud, or laser scan data. Essential ports include Thunderbolt 4, USB-C with DisplayPort, HDMI 2.1, full-size SD card readers, and Wi-Fi 6E for cloud-based collaboration and model syncing.

This guide is tailored for a wide range of users: licensed architects, design-build professionals, interior designers using Archicad’s features, and architecture students for early-stage concept modeling, documentation, or client-side rendering.

Also take a look at the best laptops for Architecture Students in addition to the best laptops for Lumion.

Best 2026 Laptops for Archicad:

Best Overall Laptops for Archicad

ASUS ProArt P16 2026 AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 475 NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5060 Laptop GPU, 8GB GDDR7
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CPU	AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 475
GPU	NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5060 Laptop GPU, 8GB GDDR7
Display Size	16 inch OLED touchscreen
Display Resolution	3840 × 2400, 120Hz
RAM	32GB LPDDR5X onboard
Storage Space	1TB NVMe SSD
Operating System	Windows 11 Home or Pro
Ports	USB4 Type C; USB C; USB A; HDMI 2.1; SD Express card reader; 3.5mm audio
Pros	4K OLED with wide color gamut; dedicated RTX graphics; SD card reader for creative media.
Cons	Memory is onboard; high end RTX configurations increase price and power use.

Lenovo Yoga Pro 9i Aura Edition 16 Ultra 9 386H RTX 5070 64GB 1TB 3.2K OLED
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CPU	Intel Core Ultra 9 386H, 16 cores, up to 4.9 GHz, NPU up to 50 TOPS
GPU	NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 Laptop GPU, 12GB GDDR7
Display Size	16 inch, 16:10
Display Resolution	16 inch 3.2K OLED 3200 × 2000, 120Hz, up to 1600 nits HDR peak / 1000 nits typical, 100% P3 and sRGB, DisplayHDR 1000, touchscreen
RAM	64GB LPDDR5X 7467MHz soldered
Storage Space	1TB PCIe 4.0 NVMe SSD; two M.2 slots available
Operating System	Windows 11 Pro
Ports	2 × USB A 10Gbps; 2 × Thunderbolt 4 USB C; HDMI 2.1; SD card reader; 3.5 mm headset combo jack; Lenovo Slim Tip power
Dimensions (L x W x H)	14.20 × 9.80 × 0.68 inches
Weight	4.19 lb (starting weight)
Pros	64GB memory and RTX 5070 support demanding creator apps; color calibrated 3.2K OLED; high brightness and fast refresh.
Cons	Memory cannot be upgraded

Dell XPS 16 Creator Edition 20Core 6144GPU 32GB 1TB 3.2K OLED 2026
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CPU	20 core NVIDIA RTX Spark N1X
GPU	6144 core NVIDIA Blackwell RTX GPU
Display Size	16 inch, 16:10 touchscreen
Display Resolution	3.2K OLED touch, 3200 × 2000, 20 to 120Hz, 400 nits
RAM	32GB LPDDR5X unified memory
Storage Space	1TB SSD
Operating System	Windows 11 Home, Copilot+ PC
Ports	3 × USB4 Type C with DisplayPort 2.1 and Power Delivery; HDMI 2.1b; headset combo port; SDXC card reader
Dimensions (L x W x H)	13.88 × 9.37 × 0.70 inches (width × depth × height)
Weight	4.45 lb minimum weight
Pros	3.2K OLED touchscreen; NVIDIA Blackwell GPU; unified memory suitable for local AI and creative workloads; Wi Fi 7. This profile includes 32GB of unified memory and 1TB SSD.
Cons	Premium pricing; ARM based NVIDIA platform software compatibility should be checked

Best Budget Laptops for Archicad

Lenovo LOQ 15AHP11 Ryzen 7 253 RTX 5050 16GB 512GB WUXGA 165Hz
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CPU	AMD Ryzen 7 253, 8 cores, up to 4.9 GHz, NPU up to 16 TOPS
GPU	NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5050 Laptop GPU, 8GB GDDR7, up to 115W
Display Size	15.3 inch, 16:10
Display Resolution	WUXGA 1920 × 1200 IPS, 165Hz, 300 nits, 100% sRGB, anti glare
RAM	16GB DDR5 5600MHz, SO DIMM; upgradable to 32GB
Storage Space	512GB PCIe 4.0 NVMe SSD; two M.2 slots
Operating System	Windows 11 Home or Windows 11 Pro
Ports	3 × USB A; USB C USB4 with DisplayPort; HDMI 2.1; Gigabit Ethernet; 3.5 mm audio combo jack; Slim Tip power
Dimensions (L x W x H)	13.58 × 10.03 × 0.82 to 0.92 inches
Weight	4.6 lb (starting weight)
Pros	High refresh display; discrete RTX graphics; memory and storage upgrades are available; suitable for student gaming and creative work.
Cons	Entry tier GPU; chassis is bulky; base memory and SSD may need upgrading for demanding games.

Acer Nitro V 16 AI 16 inches 2560 x 1600 Pixels, 16GB DDR5, 1TB PCIe Gen 4 SSD, Intel Core Ultra 7 356H, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5060 Laptop GPU 8GB GDDR7
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CPU	Intel Core Ultra 7 356H
GPU	NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5060 Laptop GPU 8GB GDDR7
Display Size	16 inches
Display Resolution	2560 x 1600 Pixels; WQXGA IPS, up to 180Hz
RAM	16GB DDR5
Storage Space	1TB PCIe Gen 4 SSD
Operating System	Windows 11
Ports	USB-C, USB-A, HDMI 2.1, RJ45, audio combo jack
Dimensions (L x W x H)	14.2 x 10.5 x 1.1 inches
Weight	5.7 pounds
Pros	Dedicated RTX GPU; high refresh display; memory and SSD upgrade potential
Cons	Heavy; base 16GB RAM may limit professional workloads; fan noise under gaming

Acer Predator Helios Neo 16S AI 16 inches 2560 x 1600 Pixels, 16GB DDR5, 1TB PCIe Gen 4 SSD, Intel Core Ultra 7 356H, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5060 Laptop GPU 8GB GDDR7
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CPU	Intel Core Ultra 7 356H
GPU	NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5060 Laptop GPU 8GB GDDR7
Display Size	16 inches
Display Resolution	2560 x 1600 Pixels; WQXGA OLED, 240Hz
RAM	16GB DDR5
Storage Space	1TB PCIe Gen 4 SSD
Operating System	Windows 11
Ports	Thunderbolt 4 USB-C, USB-A, HDMI 2.1, RJ45, audio combo jack
Dimensions (L x W x H)	14.2 x 10.5 x 0.9 inches
Weight	5.5 pounds
Pros	OLED gaming display; dedicated RTX graphics; modern connectivity
Cons	16GB RAM may be limiting; heavy; fans audible under load

Best Laptops for Large Archicad BIM Projects

HP HyperX OMEN MAX 16 Intel Core Ultra 9 290HX Plus RTX 64GB 2TB 2026
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CPU	Intel Core Ultra 9 290HX Plus, 24 cores, up to 5.5 GHz, NPU 13 TOPS
GPU	NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 Laptop GPU, 24GB GDDR7
Display Size	16 inch, 16:10
Display Resolution	16 inch 2.5K OLED 2560 × 1600, up to 240Hz, 0.2ms, 500 nits SDR, up to 1100 nits HDR, 100% DCI P3, VESA True Black HDR 1000
RAM	64GB DDR5 6400 MT/s, 2 × 32GB
Storage Space	2TB PCIe Gen 5 NVMe SSD
Operating System	Windows 11 Home or Windows 11 Pro
Ports	2 × USB Type A; 2 × USB Type C with high speed data and DisplayPort; HDMI 2.1; RJ45 Ethernet; headset combo; power connector
Dimensions (L x W x H)	Approx. 14.1 × 10.5 × 1.0 inches
Weight	Approx. 6.0 lb
Pros	High power gaming platform with fully internal cooling design; high refresh display; replaceable DDR5 memory and PCIe SSD options.
Cons	Heavy chassis and large power supply; battery runtime is limited under gaming

Dell Alienware 16 Area 51 Core Ultra 9 290HX Plus RTX5090 64GB 2TB OLED 240Hz
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CPU	Intel Core Ultra 9 290HX Plus, 24 cores, up to 5.5 GHz
GPU	NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 Laptop GPU, 24GB GDDR7
Display Size	16 inch, 16:10
Display Resolution	16 inch WQXGA 2560 × 1600 anti glare OLED, 240Hz, 120% DCI P3 color volume, 620 nits HDR, G SYNC
RAM	64GB DDR5 6400 MT/s, 2 × 32GB CSoDIMM
Storage Space	2TB M.2 2280 PCIe Gen 5 SSD
Operating System	Windows 11 Home or Windows 11 Pro
Ports	Global headset jack; 3 × USB A 3.2 Gen 1; 2 × Thunderbolt 4 for RTX 5070 and lower or 2 × Thunderbolt 5 for RTX 5070 Ti and higher; HDMI 2.1; SD card reader
Dimensions (L x W x H)	14.37 × 11.41 × up to 1.12 inches (width × depth × maximum height)
Weight	7.49 lb maximum system weight
Pros	Desktop class graphics options; high refresh OLED; 96Wh battery; user replaceable DDR5 memory and multiple SSD capacity options
Cons	Very heavy for daily travel

AORUS MASTER 18 Core Ultra 9 275HX RTX 5090 18 inch Mini LED 240Hz
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CPU	Intel Core Ultra 9 275HX, 24 cores, 24 threads, up to 5.4 GHz
GPU	NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 Laptop GPU, 24GB GDDR7, up to 175W with Dynamic Boost
Display Size	18 inch, 16:10
Display Resolution	WQXGA 2560 × 1600 Mini LED, 240Hz, 3ms, 100% DCI P3, up to 1200 nits, 2304 local dimming zones, DisplayHDR 1000
RAM	Up to 128GB DDR5, 4 SO DIMM slots
Storage Space	Up to 6TB PCIe NVMe SSD across one PCIe Gen5 M.2 slot and two PCIe Gen4 x4 M.2 slots, RAID 0 support
Operating System	Windows 11 Home or Windows 11 Pro
Ports	Thunderbolt 5 Type C with USB4, DisplayPort 2.1 and Power Delivery 3.0, Thunderbolt 4 Type C with USB4, DisplayPort 1.4 and Power Delivery 3.0, HDMI 2.1, USB Type A 3.2 Gen 2, full size SD UHS II, RJ45 2.5Gb Ethernet, 3.5mm audio combo, DC in
Dimensions (L x W x H)	11.30 × 15.78 × 1.00 to 1.22 inches (depth × width × height)
Weight	7.72 lb (approximately 3.5 kg)
Pros	Very large bright Mini LED display; RTX 5090 performance; extensive memory and SSD expansion; premium port selection.
Cons	Heavy and bulky; large 400W adapter; likely best for desk based use rather than frequent travel.

Best Laptops for Archicad and Architectural Rendering

ASUS ProArt P16 2026 AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 475 NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 Laptop GPU, 24GB GDDR7
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CPU	AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 475
GPU	NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 Laptop GPU, 24GB GDDR7
Display Size	16 inch OLED touchscreen
Display Resolution	3840 × 2400, 120Hz
RAM	64GB LPDDR5X onboard
Storage Space	2TB NVMe SSD
Operating System	Windows 11 Home or Pro
Ports	USB4 Type C; USB C; USB A; HDMI 2.1; SD Express card reader; 3.5mm audio
Pros	4K OLED with wide color gamut; dedicated RTX graphics; SD card reader for creative media.
Cons	high end RTX configurations increase price and power use.

MSI Raider 16 Max HX 16 inches 240Hz OLED 2560 x 1600 Pixels, 2TB Storage, 64GB RAM, Intel Core Ultra 9 290HX Plus, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 Laptop GPU 24GB GDDR7
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CPU	Intel Core Ultra 9 290HX Plus
GPU	NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 Laptop GPU 24GB GDDR7
Display Size	16 inches
Display Resolution	2560 x 1600 Pixels
RAM	64GB DDR5 RAM
Storage Space	2TB NVMe SSD
Operating System	Windows 11
Ports	Thunderbolt 4, USB Type A, HDMI 2.1, RJ45 Ethernet, SD card reader, audio combo jack
Dimensions (L x W x H)	14.1 x 10.6 x 1.1 inches
Weight	6.2 pounds
Pros	Top tier gaming GPU; high refresh OLED; strong CPU performance; upgradeable memory and storage
Cons	Expensive; heavy; high power draw; fans can become audible under sustained load

HP HyperX OMEN MAX 16 Intel Core Ultra 9 290HX Plus RTX 32GB 1TB 2026
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CPU	Intel Core Ultra 9 290HX Plus, 24 cores, up to 5.5 GHz, NPU 13 TOPS
GPU	NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5080 Laptop GPU, 16GB GDDR7
Display Size	16 inch, 16:10
Display Resolution	16 inch 2.5K OLED 2560 × 1600, up to 240Hz, 0.2ms, 500 nits SDR, up to 1100 nits HDR, 100% DCI P3, VESA True Black HDR 1000
RAM	32GB DDR5 6400 MT/s, 2 × 16GB
Storage Space	1TB PCIe Gen 5 NVMe SSD
Operating System	Windows 11 Home or Windows 11 Pro
Ports	2 × USB Type A; 2 × USB Type C with high speed data and DisplayPort; HDMI 2.1; RJ45 Ethernet; headset combo; power connector
Dimensions (L x W x H)	Approx. 14.1 × 10.5 × 1.0 inches
Weight	Approx. 6.0 lb
Pros	high refresh display;
Cons

Best Portable Laptops for Architects Using Archicad

ASUS ProArt PX13 2026 AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 370 NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 Laptop GPU, 8GB GDDR7
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CPU	AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 370
GPU	NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 Laptop GPU, 8GB GDDR7
Display Size	13.3 inch convertible OLED touchscreen
Display Resolution	2880 × 1800, 120Hz
RAM	32GB LPDDR5X onboard
Storage Space	1TB NVMe SSD
Operating System	Windows 11 Home or Pro
Ports	USB4 Type C; USB C; USB A; HDMI 2.1; microSD card reader; 3.5mm audio
Pros	Portable convertible design; OLED touchscreen; discrete graphics for mobile creative work.
Cons

ASUS ROG Zephyrus G14 2026 AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 475 NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 Ti Laptop GPU, 12GB GDDR7
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CPU	AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 475
GPU	NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 Ti Laptop GPU, 12GB GDDR7
Display Size	14 inch OLED
Display Resolution	2880 × 1800, 120Hz
RAM	32GB LPDDR5X onboard
Storage Space	1TB NVMe SSD
Operating System	Windows 11 Home
Ports	USB4 Type C; USB C; USB A; HDMI 2.1; microSD; 3.5mm audio
Pros	Compact OLED gaming laptop; discrete RTX graphics; portable form factor.
Cons	Memory is onboard

LG gram 14 Ryzen AI 7 450 16GB 1TB WUXGA IPS 2026
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CPU	AMD Ryzen AI 7 450, 8 cores and 16 threads, up to 5.1GHz, NPU up to 50 TOPS
GPU	Integrated AMD Radeon graphics
Display Size	14 inch, 16:10
Display Resolution	WUXGA 1920 × 1200 IPS, 60Hz, 350 nits, 99% DCI P3 typical, anti glare
RAM	16GB LPDDR5X 7500 MT/s onboard
Storage Space	1TB M.2 PCIe Gen 4 NVMe SSD; second M.2 slot available
Operating System	Windows 11 Home, Copilot+ PC
Ports	2 × USB A 3.2 Gen 1; 2 × USB C 3.2 Gen 2 with DisplayPort and Power Delivery; HDMI 2.1; 3.5mm headset combo jack
Dimensions (L x W x H)	13.98 × 8.80 × 0.59 to 0.61 inches
Weight	2.47 lb (1.12 kg)
Pros	Very light 14 inch chassis; 72Wh battery; WUXGA display with wide color coverage; second SSD slot; AI ready processor.
Cons	16GB memory is onboard and not upgradeable

Best High Performance Laptops for Professional Architects

Razer Blade 18 2026 Core Ultra 9 290HX Plus RTX 5090 128GB 2TB Dual Mode
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CPU	Intel Core Ultra 9 290HX Plus, 24 cores, 24 threads, up to 5.5 GHz, integrated NPU up to 13 TOPS
GPU	NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 Laptop GPU, 24GB GDDR7, up to 175W TGP including Dynamic Boost
Display Size	18 inches, 16:10
Display Resolution	Dual mode IPS: UHD+ 3840 × 2400 at 240Hz or FHD+ 1920 × 1200 at 440Hz; 3ms, 600 nits, 100% DCI P3
RAM	128GB DDR5 6400MHz, 2 × 64GB SO DIMMs
Storage Space	2TB PCIe 4.0 NVMe M.2 SSD; supports additional M.2 SSDs, with up to 8TB Gen4 plus up to 4TB Gen5 according to Razer support
Operating System	Windows 11 Home
Ports	1 × Thunderbolt 5 USB C; 1 × Thunderbolt 4 USB C; 3 × USB A 3.2 Gen 2; HDMI 2.1; 2.5 Gb Ethernet; UHS II SD card reader; 3.5 mm headset combo jack; Kensington lock slot
Dimensions (L x W x H)	15.74 × 10.84 × 0.86 to 1.10 inches (depth × width × height)
Weight	7.06 lb (3.2 kg)
Pros	128GB RAM supports unusually large datasets, local development environments and demanding production work; RTX 5090 with 24GB VRAM; 2TB SSD.
Cons	Very costly and heavy; full performance requires the large AC adapter.

MSI Titan 18 HX 18 inches 240Hz Mini LED 3840 x 2400 Pixels, 4TB Storage, 64GB RAM, Intel Core Ultra 9 290HX Plus, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 Laptop GPU 24GB GDDR7
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CPU	Intel Core Ultra 9 290HX Plus
GPU	NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 Laptop GPU 24GB GDDR7
Display Size	18 inches
Display Resolution	3840 x 2400 Pixels
RAM	64GB DDR5 RAM
Storage Space	4TB NVMe SSD
Operating System	Windows 11
Ports	Thunderbolt 4, USB Type A, HDMI 2.1, RJ45 Ethernet, SD card reader, audio combo jack
Dimensions (L x W x H)	16.1 x 12.0 x 1.3 inches
Weight	7.9 pounds
Pros	Flagship GPU; 4K high refresh Mini LED; large screen; excellent for demanding gaming and rendering
Cons	Very heavy; expensive; large power adapter; limited portability

Razer Blade 16 2026 Core Ultra 9 386H RTX 5090 64GB 2TB OLED 240Hz
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CPU	Intel Core Ultra 9 386H, 16 cores, 16 threads, up to 4.9 GHz, with integrated NPU up to 50 TOPS
GPU	NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 Laptop GPU, 24GB GDDR7, up to 165W TGP including Dynamic Boost
Display Size	16 inches, 16:10
Display Resolution	QHD+ 2560 × 1600 OLED, 240Hz, 0.2ms, 100% DCI P3, up to 1100 nits HDR, VESA DisplayHDR True Black 1000
RAM	64GB LPDDR5X 9600MHz onboard memory, not upgradeable
Storage Space	2TB PCIe 4.0 NVMe M.2 SSD; two M.2 slots, supports up to 8TB total with compatible drives
Operating System	Windows 11 Home
Ports	1 × Thunderbolt 5 USB C with DisplayPort and power delivery; 1 × Thunderbolt 4 USB C with DisplayPort and power delivery; 3 × USB A 3.2 Gen 2; HDMI 2.1; UHS II SD card reader; 3.5 mm headset combo jack; Kensington lock slot
Dimensions (L x W x H)	13.98 × 9.86 × 0.59 to 0.69 inches (depth × width × height)
Weight	4.71 lb (2.14 kg)
Pros	64GB high speed memory plus RTX 5090 suits demanding creative software, 3D work, local AI and gaming; premium 240Hz OLED display.
Cons	Very high purchase cost; RAM cannot be expanded or replaced