SOLIDWORKS 2026 {Hardware} Suggestions

We’ve compiled this SOLIDWORKS 2026 {hardware} necessities information to help you within the technique of upgrading or buying new {hardware}. Whereas SOLIDWORKS supplies a basic record of minimal system necessities  We offer the next steering primarily based on our expertise and actual world benchmarking.

Frequent SOLIDWORKS 2026 System Necessities Misconceptions

“Greater numbers are all the time higher”

Don’t merely have a look at uncooked numbers and specs when evaluating parts. Many firms will tout workstations with spectacular sounding specs, however lack the experience in SOLIDWORKS options to suggest the right specs. It’s potential to spend many multiples the price of our really helpful workstations however worsen efficiency.

Seek the advice of a TriMech Group Technical Guide for help when assessing the correct {hardware} in your necessities.

“Construct your personal customized SOLIDWORKS PC to economize!”

Although constructing and configuring your personal SOLIDWORKS CAD PC might be enjoyable, we strongly suggest buying a licensed workstation system from a good {hardware} producer with onsite guarantee. These workstations have been examined, optimized, and authorized to run skilled purposes like SOLIDWORKS. Your companies time is healthier used designing and constructing nice designs with SOLIDWORKS, not troubleshooting compatibility points along with your {hardware} parts.

“SOLIDWORKS efficiency is identical each launch”

Apart from the handfuls of recent options and enhancements, SOLIDWORKS have additionally centered on bettering efficiency taking extra benefit of the most recent {hardware} expertise in every new launch. Take into account upgrading your SOLIDWORKS to the most recent and greatest model to profit from these efficiency enhancements.

Home windows 10 Finish of Assist

SOLIDWORKS 2026 isn’t supported on Home windows 10 for those who haven’t already now could be the time to plan your change to Home windows 11.

Microsoft are ending assist for Home windows 10 on October 14, 2025, and SOLIDWORKS will cease assist on the identical time.

SOLIDWORKS 2022 or newer is required to assist Home windows 11 together with a PC with TPM 2.0 safety assist.

Whereas methods way back to Intel’s 8^th technology CPUs from 2018 might assist Home windows 11,  our really helpful substitute cycle is 3-5 years. An equal 5 yr previous workstation will usually take greater than twice as lengthy to finish widespread a spread of engineering duties.

Really helpful SOLIDWORKS 2026 {Hardware} Configurations

Under, the TriMech Group Technical Staff has mixed their data to present suggestions for SOLIDWORKS {hardware}.

Our engineers have used Dell Workstations with NVIDIA graphics for optimum SOLIDWORKS efficiency for over 20 years.  This provides us the boldness to suggest Dell {hardware} that may present one of the best efficiency and assist in your engineering staff.

Our really helpful specs are primarily based off benchmark checks our skilled engineers perform utilizing actual engineering information and steadiness efficiency with budgets.

DOWNLOAD: See mode detailed suggestions in our SOLIDWORKS {Hardware} Information PDF

Dell, NVIDIA & Intel

You might need observed some unfamiliar names within the desk above, this yr there was a whole lot of updates from the important thing gamers within the workstation market with a number of modifications to the acquainted names within the trade we’ll summarize the important thing modifications under.

The Finish of Dell Precision?

Dell created the home windows workstation class with their first Precision branded workstation in 1997 and lots of engineers together with our personal have come to depend on Dell Precision workstations and laptops.

As a part of a wider re-organization of their product vary in 2025 Dell introduced they’d have simply 3 foremost manufacturers going ahead

• Dell for house use
• Dell Professional for primary workplace use
• Dell Professional Max for optimum efficiency

Merchandise launching underneath this Dell Professional Max model change the earlier Precision vary,  and would be the solely Dell methods with essentially the most highly effective CPU’s and devoted graphics and authorized for skilled purposes akin to SOLIDWORKS.

Introducing NVIDIA RTX PRO

NVIDIA’s Quadro skilled graphics vary launched in 2000, turned synonymous with excessive efficiency and reliability for skilled purposes akin to SOLIDWORKS. Nevertheless this model was retired in 2021 and since then there was a little bit of confusion between equally named however unsupported GeForce gaming playing cards which lack assist for some SOLIDWORKS options and crucially trigger efficiency and stability points.

The excellent news is from summer time 2025 new NVIDIA  skilled graphics playing cards shall be underneath the NVIDIA “RTX PRO” branding, clearly separating them from the unsupported gaming/ client vary. For laptops we now have seen the launch of all the RTX PRO Blackwell technology from the RTX PRO 500 Blackwell 6GB all the way in which as much as the top quality RTX PRO 5000 Blackwell 24GB.

On desktop workstations as of October 2025 solely the top quality RTX PRO 6000 Blackwell 96GB has launched and whereas that is supreme for top finish GPU compute workloads akin to rendering, sure simulation and AI workloads it’s out of the finances of most CAD customers. For now you’ll proceed to see some graphics playing cards underneath the previous NVIDIA RTX Ada Technology branding till the remainder of the RTX PRO Blackwell desktop vary launches within the coming months.

No extra Intel Core i5/i7/i9?

Lastly throughout Intel’s vary we now have seen the retirement of Intel’s Core i5, i7 and i9 names, changed with the equal Extremely 5, Extremely 7 and Extremely 9 branding for brand spanking new CPU’s launched in 2025. Whereas there have been restricted 1st technology Extremely CPU’s in 2024 the total vary was not up to date till 2025 and the excellent news the 2nd technology convey a big uplift in each efficiency and effectivity.

If you wish to know extra watch this video that sums up all of the modifications launched in 2025.

Core SOLIDWORKS 2026 System Requirement Concerns

Processor (CPU)

• The processor might be the one most influential part to your system, with the Turbo Enhance velocity in GHz being extra necessary than variety of cores.
• The Newest Intel Core Extremely CPU’s supply one of the best steadiness of highest single threaded speeds for CAD and as much as 24 cores for simulation workloads. SOLIDWORKS add-ins like SOLIDWORKS Simulation, and SOLIDWORKS Circulate Simulation do make the most of multi-processing capabilities extra extensively.
• Newer CPUs might present related clock speeds and cores to earlier collection CPUs however don’t be fooled. enhancements to the general structure imply newer CPU’s can normally carry out extra calculations per GHz, your previous CPU might sound prefer it’s velocity is analogous on paper however the actuality is commonly totally different.
• In our checks solely SOLIDWORKS Circulate Simulation benefited considerably from choices with extra cores, with 32 and 64 core AMD Threadripper 9000 collection CPU’s providing 15-25% sooner clear up occasions albeit at a considerably larger value.

System Reminiscence (RAM)

System reminiscence is one other necessary SOLIDWORKS {hardware} part for general system efficiency, inadequate RAM can have an effect on system efficiency.

• SOLIDWORKS System Necessities state a minimal of 16GB of RAM.
• We suggest not less than 32GB of RAM for CAD use, with the RAM consumed by home windows and different purposes operating alongside SOLIDWORKS means 16GB of RAM  is commonly too low now.
• 64 GB-128GB is really helpful in case you are coping with complicated datasets, imports, 3D scanning and/ or conducting complicated simulation duties.
• Error Code Correction (ECC) RAM is really helpful in desktops for lengthy operating duties akin to simulation for optimum stability, this may right for errors brought on by environmental elements that would in any other case trigger a software program or working system crash.
• Extra RAM won’t enhance efficiency if enough reminiscence house is out there they greatest solution to inform is to watch RAM utilization whereas operating your typical workloads.

Graphics Card

The graphics card is among the mostly neglected SOLIDWORKS {hardware} part when configuring a workstation. Your graphics card impacts how easily the photographs on display screen rotate, zoom, pan, and refresh. Graphics playing cards may allow visualization options to show photographs extra realistically evaluating smoothness of fashions and so forth.

• It’s extremely really helpful to buy an expert workstation class graphics card to run SOLIDWORKS optimally. Client/ gaming graphics playing cards akin to NVIDIA GeForce are optimized to play the video video games, not skilled purposes like 3D CAD and are the commonest supply of SOLIDWORKS instability.
• The SOLIDWORKS {Hardware} Certification web page supplies a complete record of supported graphics playing cards and authorized drivers. Some options, akin to dwell draft evaluation, RealView graphic rendering requires a supported card.
• SOLIDWORKS makes use of OpenGL {hardware} acceleration with SOLIDWORKS 2019 and newer leverages OpenGL 4.5 for improved efficiency when the Enhanced Graphics Efficiency choice enabled.
• SOLIDWORKS Visualize makes use of NVIDIA CUDA cores for processing alongside Ray hint cores to speed up calculations and Tensor cores to speed up AI denoising and upscaling of photographs,. For closing renders this may cut back the variety of passes required as much as 10x with related time financial savings.

Laborious Drives

Apart from performing as cupboard space for purposes and information, the exhausting drive can play an important position in your system’s general efficiency.

• For optimum efficiency, we suggest a high-speed Strong State Drive (SSD).
• When deciding on a drive capability, enable for a enough quantity of free house on the drive for digital reminiscence and scratch house. Drives, particularly disk primarily based non-SSDs, run optimally when 20% or extra exhausting drive house is free.
• Solely Home windows-based storage is supported. NAS or SAN storage isn’t formally examined or supported by SOLIDWORKS.
• Working over a community drive can result in efficiency and elevated probability of file corruption. For greatest collaboration and efficiency use SOLIDWORKS Product Knowledge Administration (PDM)

Supporting Software program

Working System

SOLIDWORKS 2026 is simply supported underneath the Home windows 11 working system.

• Home windows 11 is supported with SW 2022 SP2 and newer.
• SOLIDWORKS 2020 was the final model that supported Home windows 7 SP1, (64bit).
• eDrawings 2026 is supported underneath the macOS 14.0 (Monterey) or larger working methods.
• Check with the SOLIDWORKS system necessities web page for extra data.

SOLIDWORKS 2026 Community License (SNL) Server

Many consumers want their licenses to be internally networked against activated as standalone licenses. Working system and {hardware} necessities for license servers are barely totally different than their shoppers.

• The 2026 SOLIDWORKS Community License (SNL) Server not helps Home windows server 2019 solely absolutely supported on Home windows Server 2022 & 2025
• SOLIDWORKS affords assist for sure Digital Environments. Please overview the record of authorised virtualized environments on the SOLIDWORKS system necessities
• For Community Licensing, the default setup requires TCP ports 25734 and 25735 to be open by your firewall for license entry.

Companion Software program

There are associated software program packages that work with SOLIDWORKS. Sure older variations of those software program packages usually are not supported by these firms in later revisions of SOLIDWORKS. Verify along with your reseller or the producer of the software program for compatibility and assist.

• SOLIDWORKS 2026 helps the usage of Microsoft Workplace 2021 or newer. Phrase and Excel are wanted to be able to generate Design Tables, analytical studies, and Excel primarily based BOMs.
• DS SOLIDWORKS recommends a trusted antivirus product up to date to the most recent model. Take into account including exemptions for SOLIDWORKS file varieties within the antivirus software program to enhance efficiency with Open/Save/Save As operations.

SOLIDWORKS PDM 2026 System Necessities

SOLIDWORKS PDM makes use of SOLIDWORKS SolidNetWork Licensing (SNL). Assessment the SOLIDWORKS Community License Server necessities along with these necessities.

• For greatest efficiency, we suggest a devoted server surroundings. Different configurations, akin to servers with the addition of area controllers, have been discovered to introduce variables that needs to be averted each time potential.
• SOLIDWORKS PDM 2026 Database and Archive servers are solely supported within the Home windows Server 2022 and 2025 working system environments.
• SOLIDWORKS PDM database server additionally requires Microsoft SQL 2019 or 2022. SOLIDWORKS 2026 SP5 is the final model to assist SQL 2019.
• SOLIDWORKS recommends not less than 8GB of RAM or extra for Archive and Database servers. Seek the advice of your SOLIDWORKS PDM Implementation Skilled for really helpful reminiscence quantities primarily based in your utilization and server configuration.
• The processor needs to be a comparatively present Intel or AMD processor. Seek the advice of your SOLIDWORKS PDM Implementation Skilled for really helpful specs primarily based in your utilization and server configuration.
• SOLIDWORKS PDM Internet 2 service requires the Microsoft Inside Info Service (IIS).
• SOLIDWORKS assist sure Digital Environments. Please overview the record of authorised virtualized environments on the SOLIDWORKS system necessities

eDrawings 2026 Necessities

eDrawings 2026 is simply supported on, Home windows 11, macOS 14.0 or newer.

• The eDrawings cellular app is supported on each iOS and Android cellular units.
• eDrawings 2025 helps HTC VIVE Professional™ digital actuality units for VR viewing of your eDrawing fashions.

SOLIDWORKS Visualize 2026 Necessities

SOLIDWORKS Visualize is a photograph rendering and animation software that performs greatest with NVIDIA Graphics playing cards. These characteristic 1000’s of CUDA cores for the uncooked quantity crunching, ray hint cores to speed up render calculations and Tensor cores to speed up AI Denoising of photographs.

Visualize 2026 requires a Graphics card from NVIDIA’s 2019 Turing Technology or above with Ray hint cores for full assist of 3DS Stellar Quick and Correct render modes. Assist for AMD graphics playing cards (RDNA 2+) in Quick mode was added for 2026 however doesn’t ship equal efficiency/outcomes at present.

Correct mode can assist playing cards from NVIDIAS 2014 Maxwell technology with diminished efficiency.

• SOLIDWORKS Visualize 2026 wants not less than 4GBs of GPU reminiscence to allow GPU acceleration, slower CPU rendering shall be used if in case you have inadequate VRAM.
• Greater finish NVIDIA graphics playing cards might be simpler to justify for Visualisation the place the elevated energy can ship outcomes a lot faster
• A number of graphics playing cards are additionally supported if finances permits, including a second card will roughly half the render time

SOLIDWORKS 2026 Community Suggestions

SOLIDWORKS is examined solely with Microsoft’s Home windows Networking and Lively Listing community environments.

The optimum options for collaborative working with SOLIDWORKS information are information administration options together with SOLIDWORKS PDM and the 3DEXPERIENCE platform.

These options are CAD construction conscious, cache information regionally and solely have to switch again the parts that are modified resulting in a extra sturdy and performative resolution.

Opening and saving to a community drive or to cloud storage options akin to Microsoft OneDrive or Dropbox is NOT really helpful. These options usually are not CAD conscious could cause points together with file corruption when making an attempt to entry information similtaneously SOLIDWORKS.

• TCP/IP community service is required when utilizing our SOLIDWORKS PDM for storing and managing information.
• Shopper Workstations require a minimal connection velocity of 100Mbps for dependable SOLIDWORKS PDM Server Entry. WAN environments have particular issues for bandwidth and latency