Finding the best laptop for Mastercam can take a lot of work, considering the number of options available.
Mastercam is a resource-hungry application that will need some premium hardware to get things done smoothly. If you pick a mediocre laptop, then your Mastercam experience will be ruined forever.
We don’t want to waste your time researching and finding the best laptop. That’s why we’ve done that for you—no more useless chores.
Without wasting any more time, the best notebooks for Mastercam are as follows.
Content Overview
Best Laptops For Mastercam
The best notebooks for Mastercam are:
- Lenovo ThinkPad P53 – Editor’s Choice
- Gigabyte Aero 15 – Runner Up
- Acer Predator Helios 300 – Honorable Mention
1. Lenovo ThinkPad P53s – Editor’s Choice
The Lenovo ThinkPad P53 is our Editor’s Choice for the best laptop for Mastercam.
The Lenovo ThinkPad P53 model is a workstation laptop with hardware meant for some serious work. This is not your gaming laptop hardware but something that is targeted at professionals.
One of the essential distinctions here is using the Nvidia Quadro P520 graphics card. This is an entry-level graphics card for workstations. It is based on the Pascal architecture and does well when it comes to handling serious applications like Mastercam.
This is not even the best graphics card in the Quadro series, and yet we chose this laptop because it comes with a price tag that is affordable for most users, around the $1500 range. If you want high-end Quadro graphics cards, then your laptop will cost around $3000, which is a bit too steep.
The display on the Lenovo ThinkPad P53 is a 15.6″ one, and it comes with a resolution of 1920 x 1080 pixels. The display has an IPS panel underneath, and it comes with a good contrast ratio. The colors are realistic, and you get deep blacks and bright whites and a satisfying grayscale performance.
The addition of a fingerprint reader is a nice touch. This Lenovo ThinkPad P53 aims at serious professionals with a lot of sensitive data. Having a fingerprint reader will help encrypt those data, adding an additional protection layer.
There is no lack of processing power with an Intel Core i7 processor in charge. This quad-core processor comes with a maximum clock speed of 4.6GHz and delivers excellent performance when it comes to Mastercam.
With 24GB of RAM in the memory department, you should not have any problem when it comes to multitasking. This memory will be good enough for most people, and you should have a fine experience with Mastercam. If you’re working on complex projects, we recommend adding another 8GB for the best experience. Otherwise, this is perfect.
Overall, the Lenovo ThinkPad P53 is a brilliant laptop. It comes with excellent hardware and does well when it comes to Mastercam, making it the best laptop for Mastercam without costing you a lot of money.
- Good hardware
- Decent display
- Comes with Fingerprint reader
- None
2. Gigabyte Aero 15 – Runner Up
The Gigabyte Aero 15 is our runner up when looking for the best laptop for running Mastercam.
The Gigabyte Aero 15 is an excellent laptop that is great for gaming. But didn’t you say gaming laptops may not be a good choice for Mastercam? We did, but this one is different.
The Gigabyte Aero 15 brings an RTX GPU into play which does make an impact when it comes to handling an application like Mastercam.
The graphics card we have here is the Nvidia GeForce RTX 2070 graphics card, and it comes with a dedicated memory of 6GB of GDDR6 memory. It also comes with support for Nvidia Optimus technology which is nice. This thing rips apart all games without any mercy when it comes to gaming. The GPU also does very well when you run Mastercam, which is why we’ve included this laptop over another laptop with a Quadro GPU, which would have been a bit more expensive.
Another show-stealer in this laptop is its display. We have a 4K display that comes with excellent colors and brilliant picture quality. It has super thin bezels that are only 0.11 inches thick.
A protective cover is also surrounding the bezel to protect the display when closing the laptop lid. The display also comes with X-Rite Pantone certification for color calibration.
Concerning processing power, we have an Intel Core i7 processor in charge of the performance. This is a high-end processor, and it comes with excellent results. There are 16 gigs of RAM in the memory department, and they do a solid job when it comes to handling Mastercam. The storage is also very fast, as we have an SSD with a capacity of 512GB.
Overall, the Gigabyte Aero 15 is an excellent laptop. It comes with top-notch performance, and you will have a hell of a time running an application like Mastercam, which is why this is one of the best laptops for Mastercam.
- Excellent display
- Beastly performance
- Awesome GPU
- Slightly expensive
3. Acer Predator Helios 300 – Honorable Mention
Update: We’ve upgraded our recommendation to the latest model that comes with a better processor and a much-improved graphics card.
The Acer Predator Helios 300 is another gaming laptop costing you much less. With this laptop, you can save a lot of money and will still be able to run Mastercam, which is the goal.
So if you’re on a budget, then this is the laptop you should be going for.
The GPU in this laptop is the Nvidia GeForce GTX 1660Ti. This is an upper mid-range GPU from Nvidia and does well in Mastercam. The GPU is also excellent for running most modern games without any problems. You may have to reduce the settings a bit if you’re dealing with the latest and the greatest games.
The processor in the Acer Predator Helios 300 is an Intel Core i7 processor. This processor is from the 9th generation of Intel chips and comes with 6-cores making it a good one for running Mastercam. The processor’s performance is excellent, and you’ll be super happy with your daily routine.
The 16GB RAM and the 512GB SSD are also great performance boosters. They make sure that you don’t get any issues when dealing with Mastercam, and that’s something. Along with the 1080p display we have on board, this Acer Predator Helios 300 model delivers much more with a smaller price tag.
Overall, the Acer Predator Helios 300 is an excellent gaming laptop that doesn’t break the bank. If you’re on a budget and looking for a laptop to run Mastercam without any problem, then this is the laptop to get.
- Glorious fdisplay
- Excellent processor
- Awesome GPU
- A little heavier
What To Look For In The Best Laptop For Mastercam?
If you’re unsatisfied with the models mentioned above and want to pick a laptop on your own, then we applaud your decision.
Here are some of the aspects you should not compromise on when looking for a laptop for Mastercam or similar software.
Processing Power
For running an application like Mastercam, you need ample processing power on your side.
At a minimum, you need a 64-bit Intel or AMD processor with a clock speed of 2.4GHz or more. Ideally, an Intel Core i7 processor or an Intel XEON processor with a clock speed of 3.2GHz or higher is required.
You can stick with the minimum requirements if you’re on a budget. But to get the best Mastercam experience, going with a XEON processor is much recommended.
Choosing a high-end processor also means that it will have an adverse effect on the heat produced and also on the battery life of the laptop. Ensure the laptop has a good cooling system to give you optimal performance.
How much memory do I need?
Technically, you should be able to run Mastercam with just eight gigs of DDR4 RAM.
But you’ll need at least 16GB of DDR4 memory to experience a seamless Mastercam experience. The official site recommends 32 gigs of DDR4 RAM for the best experience.
If you’re on a budget, you can save money by not using 32GB RAM. You can stick with 16GB for the time being and add more memory later when you can afford it.
Display
Having a good display is much needed for Mastercam.
While you can get away with a 13.3″ laptop, we don’t recommend going with one as it is too small a display for what Mastercam does.
A 15.6″ display would be the right size for Mastercam, and if you can find a 17.3″ laptop, it would be even better. You can also hook up a bigger external monitor to your laptop for a better viewing experience.
What resolution works best for Mastercam?
At a minimum, you need a full HD resolution display. You can only compromise on this if you’re on a budget.
If you can afford it, go for a Quad HD or even an ultra HD display. More pixels mean better clarity, and you can notice minor details on the screen even if you want to.
Also, having an IPS panel is crucial. An IPS panel gives you a good contrast ratio and impacts the overall picture quality. It also brings you the best viewing angles, which are very important when working with Mastercam.
If possible, go with a matte display, as it can help prevent distraction reflections on your screens even when you’re working in brightly lit areas.
Graphics
For the best experience, Mastercam requires a workstation-level graphics card like the Nvidia Quadro graphics card. These GPUs are best suited for handling applications like Mastercam and are much better than the GeForce models.
They are understandably more expensive, and if you can’t afford them, you can always go for an Nvidia GeForce GPU. An equivalent AMD Radeon GPU will also be enough.
Even on a budget, consider something other than a laptop with an integrated graphics card. Mastercam and the Intel UHD graphics solutions could be better and make up for a butchered experience.
At least get a simple graphics card that is not all that expensive. It would still be miles better than the integrated offering from Intel.
Storage
The amount of storage you need depends on the type of work and the amount of work you’re going to do.
Most Mastercam users will be fine with 30 to 50 GB of free space.
But if you’re dealing with huge libraries of files, then you will need a lot more storage than that.
Get at least a 256GB solid-state drive for storage. If you can afford it, go for the 512GB SSD.
Getting an SSD over an HDD is very important. The former is better in almost all aspects and beats the latter fair and square. The SSD also brings excellent speeds and performance improvement across the board.
We recommend using a hybrid drive if you can’t afford a huge SSD. This drive would be made of both an SSD and an HDD. All your frequently used apps and the OS will be stored in the SSD, while other data will be stored in the HDD.
This setup is good for performance and won’t put a hole in your pocket simultaneously.
Battery Life
Battery life is not that important when it comes to using Mastercam.
You’ll be plugged in most of the time and don’t have to worry about battery life.
If you travel a lot, then battery life is important. In that case, get a laptop that comes with all-day battery life. This way, you can work even when you’re on the go.
Connectivity
Modern connectivity options are very important for a laptop running Mastercam.
Make sure your laptop comes with a USB Type C port, as it is the latest and the greatest in the world of ports and offers a diverse set of functionalities under a single roof.
Having 802.11ac or 802.11ax Wi-FI will also be crucial for connecting to the internet. Bluetooth connectivity will surely come in handy and will help you with external connectivity.
Operating System
Mastercam is made for Windows, so you should be going for a Windows laptop.
But if you’re a mac enthusiast, you also have options. You can install Windows using Bootcamp or using virtualization software like Parallels.
This way, you get to use the operating system of your choice while using the software of your choice as well.
Conclusion
That’s the end of this detailed post.
We believe you have gotten something out of this post and got to find the best laptop for your needs.
If you are still struggling to find a laptop, let us know, and we’ll sit with you to find the best notebook that suits your needs.