Best Laptops for Zbrush: Top 5 Laptops for Zbrush

When it comes to 3D digital sculpting, Zbrush is an industry standard. And as a designer, you might face 3D work at one point. ZBrush is one of the most robust 3D sculpting programs that are currently available. What is different about it compared with other 3D tools is that it brings the flow of natural sculpting techniques in a digital format.

Sculpting using ZBrush feels like you are working with your own hands. Its tools let you do many things, so you get that creative freedom that any artist needs. Bringing organic details that make the final product better looking can be done quickly with ZBrush. The company behind it is Pixologic, INC, and the program was shown for the first time in 1999.

What to consider when getting a laptop for Zbrush:

Zbrush is today it is one of the best programs that you can find on the market. Working with this program is going to require some resources coming from your machine.

Let’s have a look at what are the official minimum system requirements :

• OS: 64-bit editions of Windows Vista or newer. (32-bit operating systems are no longer supported.)
• CPU: Core2duo or AMD equivalent with SSE2 technology or better.
• RAM: 4 GB (6+ GB strongly recommended)
• HDD: 8 GB of free hard drive space for ZBrush and its scratch disk.
• Pen Tablet: Mouse or Wacom compatible (WinTab API) pen tablet.
• Monitor: 1280×1024 monitor resolution with 32-bit color.
• Video card: Most cards manufactured 2008 or newer. Must support OpenGL 3.3 or higher.

As you know, these are the minimum that your machine spec needs to meet in order to run Zbrush, but it doesn’t always guarantee the best performance. As you already know, the performance will also vary depending on the complexity of the projects you’ll be working on.  Here are some of the top specs to consider in order to get the best performance when it comes to Zbrush:

– The processor: Most tasks in Zbrush can only utilize a single core; for example: Building meshes, extruding polygons and other 3D modeling tasks, will only use a single Core. Most processors nowadays comes with multiple cores, and while having more cores is definitely recommended for multitasking and also rendering, getting a processor with a high clockspeed will give you better performance in Zbrush.

– The RAM: When it comes to 3D modelling, the amount of RAM you have is very important. In a laptop, don’t go any lower than 16GB of RAM. If you’re really on a tight budget, you can start with 8GB, but still consider adding more RAM in the future.

– The Graphics Card: As you might have noticed, ZBrush doesn’t use the full power of the GPU. This is why having a laptop with a stronger GPU doesn’t mean you will get better performance from it. But it’s always preferable to get a recent Nvidia GPU for 3D work, especially if you will be running other applications.

– The OS: While Zbrush can run on both Windows and Mac Os, I personally wouldn’t recommend getting a Macbook pro for Zbrush. Despite meeting the system requirements, it seems that many Mac users have reported overheating and fan problems when running Zbrush. So unless you really rely on Mac, it’s recommended to get a PC for Zbrush.

Best Laptops for Zbrush:

So, now that you have an idea what to consider when looking for a laptop for Zbrush, let’s check out some of the best laptops for Zbrush we selected for you.

• Lenovo IdeaPad L340

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First on our list, the Lenovo IdeaPad L340 is a relatively affordable laptop for Zbrush. It comes with a powerful 9th generation Intel Core I5 that goes at 2.40 GHz speed and with turbo boost it reachest 4.10 GHz. Although it is a gaming laptop, it can still be used for 3D modelling and rendering as well. This laptop also has 16GB of DDR4 RAM, a 512 GB PCIE SSD , and an NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650.

If you like to have different ports, this laptop has 2 x USB 3.1 GEN 1, 1 x USB 3.1 Type-C Gen 1, 1 x HDMI 2.0, 1 x Ethernet (RJ-45), and one combo audio/mic jack.

• Acer Predator Helios 300 PH315-52-78VL

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The Acer Predator Helios 300 is a great gaming laptop, but it’s also a reliable choice for ZBrush, thanks to its powerful spec. It has 16GB DDR of RAM and a 9th Generation I7 9750H 6 Core Processor that goes up to 4.5 GHz.

The display is 15.6 inches having a 144Hz refresh rate. We also see the well-known NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 Ti that has 6GB dedicated VRAM. The storage is a 256GB PCle SSD that you can say it is a bit small, but you can always add extra storage easily.

The build quality is excellent, and you will love the backlit keyboard. It also has a good battery life going up to 6 hours. It’s also not that heavy, and it weighs 5.07 lbs.

• Lenovo Yoga 730

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For those of you looking for a more mobile system, here is the new Yoga 730. The Lenovo Yoga is  perfect for users that need an affordable 2 in 1 laptop for Zbrush.

This laptop comes with an 8th gen i7-8550U processor, 16GB of RAM , a 512GB SSDand a dedicated Nvidia GTX 1050 .The screen size is what you would expect, a 15,6″ 4K UHD touchscreen that looks amazing.

2 in 1 laptops can work with Zbrush, especially if you don’t have the budget to invest in a Wacom tablet. And the Yoga 730 is a good fit for those who need an affordable  2 in 1 laptop that is capable of providing desktop like performance. However, please, note that the Pen is not sold with this laptop, and that in order to work properly with Zbrush, you’ll need to install WinTab Driver.

• MSI P65 Creator-654

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As its name implies, The MSI P65 was designed with creators in  mind. It is a great laptop with top specs, yet it is ultra-portable. The 15,6 display offers enough visual space for your work, and together with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX2070, it does a great job.

The 1TB NVMe SSD offers more than enough space for all of your activities, and the i9 processor has a speed of 4.8 GHz. You get Thunderbolt connection, USB and other ports ready to help you out. The battery life is good and goes up to 8 hours. High-quality design with powerful hardware makes this laptop a great choice.

• HP ZBook Studio x360 G5

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For those of you looking for a professional grade laptop, check out the HZ Zbook Studio x360 G5. This laptop comes packed with 32GB of RAM that will make any app run efficiently.

The Intel Core i7-8750H, 2.20 GHz processor, is also a fast mobile processor and can go up to 4.10 GHz. The 15,6″ screen is in 4k UHD, so the image quality you get is awe-inspiring. You will love to hear that it has 2TB of PCle SSD, as you can save more of your work on it. You also get a 1-year warranty, and you will like the build quality it has. It can, for sure, be an option!