We regularly receive queries about choosing a machine to run
SketchUp Pro. At this point, it is worth reviewing the
SketchUp minimum requirements. However, there are some important considerations above and beyond even their standard recommendations..
Processor
You can run SketchUp on an i5 processor but not less. We recommend an i7 (or different brand equivalent, Ryzen for example) and higher for intensive work - or just where you expect to produce dense models. Mac M chips all work well with SketchUp also, but again remember the system requirements can keep up with the required OS version. Remember - the processor is usually the hardest element to upgrade, so choose wisely.
Graphics Card
You will need a 3D capable graphics card know as a Discrete GPU. Many laptops don't include this and rely instead on onboard or integrated graphics cards. This is not suitable for SketchUp (or any 3D application worth its salt). Some machines may run SketchUp with display issues, others may not boot SketchUp. A dedicated graphics card with OpenGL 3.1 and a few GB is a minimum.
Recent SketchUp updates have added more graphical elements like Ambient Occlusion and more detailed texture maps, if you intend to use these features heavily then a strong GPU with high amounts VRAM is needed, SketchUp themselves currently recommend 32GB for the higher level rendering and texturing tools.
We also recommend Nvidia cards as they have historically run with fewer issues; however, AMD professional cards should also be suitable. Specific 3D cards or good gaming cards are advised. If you plan on rendering with V-Ray (included in the Studio package) then Chaos recommend Nvidia cards also.
Lastly for graphics cards a good way to compare what you have compared to what you might upgrade to would be to run it through a benchmark site to see the real difference between them and their performance. One popular page is
Passmark Software but feel free to search around or use your preferred site.
RAM
Even though SketchUp advise 8GB RAM as a standard requirement, this is probably only sufficient on small models and on machines where the user is running almost no other applications. For a machine running a 3D modelling application like SketchUp, with a reasonable sized model open - alongside a few other apps - we'd recommend looking at 16GB RAM. The more the merrier.
Windows or Mac?
Both have the same tools and content available so you will not miss out either way. The only tools this would be an issue with is Plug-ins. Most are available for both Windows and Mac but often we find that windows sees priority, like in the Studio package which contains a few premium plug-ins designed to only work with Windows.
Most SketchUp tutorials are Windows based and the layout is slightly different, so if you're a complete beginner this can be a bit jarring to get around, but again all the tools are available but you may need to spend a few extra minutes in the menus when you are first learning. (Often what you're after is in the Window tab)
The Affect of Polygons on Hardware Requirements
SketchUp is a polygonal modeller and it is the calculating of the vertices of these polygons that put the computational demands on the processor and the graphics card. Users have been known to destroy perfectly simple SketchUp models by loading in very polygon-heavy models from the 3D Warehouse.
It's also possible for models to become naturally dense - just because they're complicated. As the model becomes more dense, the demands on the processor and RAM to open and edit it increase. The density of polygons visible on the screen drive the requirements of the graphics card. One way to manage performance problems in a SketchUp model is to turn off the visibility of some geometry through the layers. This can be a workaround until the model is streamlined but if this is an issue it means the model is too much for your hardware. For more information on optimising your projects,
please see here.
What about Rendering?
If you're looking to render as well, consider whether the rendering software uses CPU (processor), GPU (graphics card) or both and if you are interested in Ray-Tracing. These factors may also affect your hardware decisions. For some further reading on picking a renderer have a look through
this article here.Related Articles
Can I Transfer SketchUp Between Mac and Windows?
If you work in an environment that requires SketchUp to run on both Windows and Mac machines, one license per user is all you need, regardless of what computer you use. There is no need to buy a specific Mac or Windows version. With SketchUp, you now ...
Signing Out of SketchUp to Reset
If you need to re-sign in to SketchUp for any reason, see the steps below. 1. Open SketchUp and Sign Out. To do this, click the account icon in the top-right, then 'Sign Out' from the menu that appears. You can also do this by going to ...
Installing, Uninstalling, Transferring and Authorising SketchUp
Installing SketchUp Download the latest version of SketchUp for your Windows PC or Mac from the link below: https://www.sketchup.com/download/all?from=partner For Windows Right-click the downloaded .exe and select "Run as Administrator". Follow the ...
Resetting SketchUp Activations
If you are logging in to SketchUp and see 'You are using SketchUp on too many machines' or 'You have Exceeded your allowed activations', read on to see how to fix this. When you see the message above click on the Manage activations button OR head to ...
Why is SketchUp is having strange graphical errors
When using SketchUp, every now and again something odd can happen with the graphics. This includes - Screen tearing - Pixelation - Incorrect renders/exports - Disappearing models/lines - Objects behaving strange Realistically any strange behaviour ...