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User profile for user: Tmetcalfe
Tmetcalfe Author
User level: Level 1
4 points

Can the new 2023 15" Apple Macbook Air handle architectural programs such as Vectorworks, Revit and Photoshop?

I'm an architect and I travel, therefore I am interested in the Macbook air (15") namely for its weight (and price!) but I am uncertain as to whether it would be capable of handling the programs I run.


I currently have a 2017 15" Macbook Pro which works well, so it would be good first of all to know:


  1. Will the new 2023 15" Macbook Air be an upgrade to my existing one?
  2. Will it be able to handle my programs including Vectorworks, Sketchup, Revit and Photoshop?


Comparing the new Air to the new Pro, I've noticed two main differences:


  1. The Air's has a CPU-8 and GPU-10, over the Pro's CPU-12 and GPU-19
  2. The M2 Chip in the Air is not "PRO"


NB. If I were to get the Air, I would upgrade the Unified Memory from 8gb to 16gb (Or potentially 24gb if recommended?)


Thank you for your help in advance!

MacBook Air (M2, 2023)

Posted on Oct 17, 2023 11:22 PM

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User profile for user: BobTheFisherman
BobTheFisherman
User level: Level 10
81,613 points

Posted on Oct 18, 2023 8:43 AM

You should check the requirements for each of the apps you will be using to see if they are compatible with the computer you are planning on getting. Each app should have listed the computer specifications required to run the app.

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User profile for user: MacMikeInOK
MacMikeInOK
User level: Level 4
3,658 points

Oct 18, 2023 2:11 PM in response to Tmetcalfe

I'm not familiar with Vectorworks, Sketchup, or Revit, so I can't offer an opinion on them.


If it was just Photoshop, I'd recommend the 15" MBA with 24GB of RAM, and as much SSD storage as you can afford.


But, my understanding is that architectural applications are pretty demanding on any computer. With those other 3 programs in mind, I'd probably want to go with the MacBook Pro over the Air, as you can spec it with 32GB of RAM, which might well be needed for those programs.


My 15" MBA handles Photoshop and Lightroom just fine, but I don't do any video editing. If I did video editing, I most likely would have gone with the Pro.

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Can the new 2023 15" Apple Macbook Air handle architectural programs such as Vectorworks, Revit and Photoshop?

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