Similar to other software packages, you may check the list of system requirements, which includes a comprehensive list of video cards, to make sure the hardware in your computer is compatible with the software. But most "system requirements" lists just address the minimum amount of PC hardware required to run the software, not what will truly perform at its peak. In addition, sometimes these lists may be out-of-date, include obsolete hardware revisions, or just simply represent inadequate hardware.

For the majority of SOLIDWORKS users, we advise using Intel's Core i7 14700K. In SOLIDWORKS, general modeling operations like reassembling assemblies, rotating models, and loading and saving files work best on CPUs with a high operating frequency. Together with increased per-core performance and high clock rates, this model includes a few "efficient cores" to handle multithreading and background operations, while the primary cores concentrate on your active workloads. For those seeking a bit more power, the Core i9 14900K increases clock rates even more and has additional efficiency cores for better multitasking.

For simulation workloads, which can expand with more CPU cores but are still sensitive to clock speed, it is a powerful tool. Moreover, they frequently have memory bandwidth sensitivity and can require additional RAM overall on the system. While both the AMD Ryzen 9 7950x and the Intel Core i9 14900K are excellent options for FEA and flow simulations, they also perform well for standard modeling jobs in SolidWorks.

For operations like rotating models, simulations, and renders, Solidworks typically requires 8 GB of RAM; however, the exact amount of RAM required will depend on your specific models. Because of this, we advise installing 16GB of RAM on your computer to ensure you have enough free space for any other applications you might be running.

However, we believe that 32GB is a decent starting point because of the relatively low cost of RAM and the fact that most users typically have more apps open on their PC than just Solidworks. While 64GB of RAM is required for demanding simulation or rendering tasks,. Any other software you run alongside Solidworks will also require memory space, so keep that in mind.

The video card is the only device utilized to display the model on the screen when working with models in Solidworks. Solidworks requires a relatively small amount of video card power, while a more powerful one can enable the model to be drawn at a greater FPS (frames per second) when rotating, zooming, or panning around the model. Since most operations in Solidworks don't really require an upgraded video card, we usually advise getting a mid-range GPU to handle the demands of Solidworks and other related apps that do require a GPU. Since Solidworks does not heavily use the GPU, VRAM is typically not a concern. If you have a 4K display, we recommend having at least 4GB to 6GB of VRAM, although all the video cards we currently offer for Solidworks have at least 8GB of VRAM.

In Solidworks 2019, a brand-new feature dubbed "Enhanced Graphics Performance" mode made its appearance. When it is turned on, a lot more of the work required to display parts and assemblies is handled by the video card. That also leads to a much greater difference in frame rates with different graphics cards.

Primary Drive: OS/Software (SSD/NVMe): Includes your operating system and the base Solidworks installation. An SSD is highly recommended as it will greatly improve how fast the OS and programs startup, but you can also upgrade to a faster NVMe drive for a small performance benefit. The recommended storage for installation of software is not more than 10 GB.

Since the primary drive will primarily be used to store Windows and software, including all software (except large Game), it doesn't need to be that large for the majority of users; a 500GB-1TB SSD will be enough for Drive C.

Secondary Drive: Project Files (Platter/SSD/NVMe) Having a second storage (either SSD or HHD) for storing assets and effects is a wonderful alternative if you have additional money to spend or keep a lot of them around for use on different projects. Of course, an internal or external hard drive is a more cost-effective option than a high-capacity SSD if you need more mass storage and preservation.