I’m decently new to 3d printing and I’ve had my A1 for about a month now. I want to get into 3d modelling but I don’t have a computer. I’m a bit stuck because I hear that desktops are better than laptops because they have more power, but I don’t know anything about what parts I should get or if I should get a pre-built one. Any suggestions?
You probably won’t be designing anything that will require supercomputer for a while if you are just starting. Any decent laptop will handle onshape, fusion or anything else that you plan to use. Big advantage with laptops is you are not tied to one spot so you can design where you feel comfortable. On the sofa, in the garden, you get the point.
Disadvantage is laptops are less powerful vs desktops but you need to decide about how much you want to spend vs what performance you need. Most of it comes to the decision about the software you plan to use
Used or refurbished or outlet dell precision laptop with dedicated rtx 1000 ada graphics would be my recommendation
Here’s a tip. If you’re considering buying a computer solely for CAD and 3D printing, save your money, don’t buy a computer for your first time out in the CAD design world. Instead, use OnShape to learn CAD. It’s free, 3D printer friendly and has a lower learning curve than Fusion 360 or FreeCAD. But here is the payoff, it runs completely in the cloud inside a browser. There is a version that runs on a Tablet or smartphone too.
Watch these videos for an idea of what the choices are.
The only two caveats are:
- You need an internet connection to use the software
- Everything you produce is visible to the public. So if you’re designing anything confidential, just know that others can find your model out of the millions of files online if you use an easily recognizable name. If it’s generic name like “Coffee Cup” you’ll be hidden in the sea of other files with similar names.
Once you get the hang of it, you’ll have better idea of what you like and don’t like and then you can move forward and make a more informed decision based on your specific needs.
Thanks for your reply! I will take this into consideration.
I really like the macbook pro m1, I bought it second hand cheap
It’s a tough time to buy a computer but not sure there is much relief in sight. All the AI data centers have driven up DRAM prices and some companies have even closed their retail sales.
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8 years old video is just too old to give a good overview of the current situation. The prices are wrong, there has been a lot of development done on multiple apps, free alternatives are way better than they used to be. Fusion is also free for non-commercial use.
Theres no rule that says you gotta use the laptops screen nor keyboard/mouse. Plug in a good monitor and a real mouse and youll be surprised. Don’t do CAD style work with a laptop trackpad 
please dont
You really want the machine to perform well enough to be able to rotate stuff around on the slicer preview, while sliced, and not chug. Steam deck does it fine, for context.
There is an endless stream of Dell something-plexes from offices secondhand, check for a processor within 5 years, and most of them are pretty ok for usually like $100
Usually i don’t do this kind of recommendation, but agreeing with you, the final boss to beat at the moment is the Macbook Neo. I hate MacOS with all my guts and the whole ecosystem around Apple, but i got to give them credit. The Neo is unbeatable for the price and performance. And it can even be “perfected” with a small mod that keeps the cpu cooler while giving it a lot more performance.
My 2 cents, at least for a start.
Edit: Forgot to add that for modeling the Neo is enough but for using Bambo Studio you might need a NASA computer of some sort, due to the problems with performance lately 
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If you are serious about Cading and want an official CAD software, a Z-Book would be a good pick as it is a very good computer, they have several options to suit your needs.
Decide on a CAD software first, then look at the minimum requirement of the CAD and buy something that is at least a bit higher than that. But as a CAD beginner, more likely any laptop or desktop that isn’t entering EOL will do.
You said you don’t have a computer. But how about your comfort level working with a computer? That may play a role in deciding Mac vs PC.
Get a good gaming computer as opposed to an office computer. The underlying graphic engines for CAD and video games are very similar and they use resources in a similar way. A solid mid-range computer with a good graphics card would do just fine. CAD and 3D modeling are graphic programs, so computers built with that in mind will work best.
Dell Precision has always been my go to
Many easy to find second hand examples from businesses.
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