What's the optimal PC configuration for ArcGIS Pro?

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07-15-2019 05:03 AM
HelenCooper
Occasional Contributor III

My trusty Lenovo ThinkPad has always been great for ArcGIS desktop, but just doesn't cut the mustard when running ArcGIS Pro.

Any suggestions for the best PC (not laptop) recommendations to run both ArcGIS desktop and ArcPro?  I've been looking through the recommended and optimal system requirements, here:  https://pro.arcgis.com/en/pro-app/get-started/arcgis-pro-system-requirements.htm 

is it feasible to get a system that works blisteringly fast with ArcPro for under £3,000?  If so, any specific recommendations?

Many thanks,

Helen

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15 Replies
HelenCooper
Occasional Contributor III

Thanks Jimmy (and thanks Tom for writing the article!)

That's very helpful.  I'm back to actually wondering whether ArcGIS Pro is really, actually fit for purpose for anything other than some basic map production!

I'd be really interested to know what proportion of GIS professionals have fully moved to ArcGIS Pro.

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HelenCooper
Occasional Contributor III

Aha!

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JimmyKroon
Occasional Contributor II

That poll needs a third option - ArcGIS Pro is ready by I am not.

I'm in the middle of a project to move all of my programs data processing and map production into Pro. It's taken some re-learning for sure, but now I am at the point where I love working in Pro and lothe opening ArcMap. Pro actually runs much faster on my current PC than ArcMap, probably because it's able to take advantage of the better hardware and 64 bit architecture. It's also reached a point where it has many new features that ArcMap never did. The symbology is better and map navigation experience is more fluid, and I can add summary statistics and formatted tables from related data to map layouts. Overall, I really enjoy working in it. (But to be fair, performance on my old PC was a drag)

These maps were created in Pro and everything about them is created dynamically from the geodatabase. All I do is pick the project's ID number.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1mByFBDEFDkbvxn7osK2rsEvI_7B_saSf/view?usp=sharing

But the other side of this story - I think we have two groups emerging at work. New GIS users who, from day one, work with solutions designed for ArcGIS Pro using feature services, mobile and web tools, etc. They tend to be very happy and I've even heard some say Pro was 'intuitive'. Nobody said that about ArcMap.

The other group are 'traditional' ArcMap users who's programs have used GIS for years (decades?). It'll take a lot of time and energy to retrain them in Pro and modify their workflows. They need training and they also need to dedicate time to using Pro and working through the roadblocks they will find. I feel like this group is stuck and really needs a push. They also tend to be confused by Pro because they are expecting it to be laid out like ArcMap, which it isn't.

Jimmy

HelenCooper
Occasional Contributor III

Thanks Jimmy, the maps look good, and it's great to know that they're completely automated. 

I'd be happy to invest some training time in ArcPro if at the end of the day I'm more productive and am still happy with my mapped outputs! (So far I've tried it on one major project and it took sooo long to make basic changes to the maps the computer nearly ended up out the window). Onwards and upwards - hopefully the time and ££ investment will pay off!

Thanks for all your help, 

Helen

StephanieShaw1
New Contributor III

It is just about my turn for a new PC at work. I just started looking at specs for Workstations vs Gaming PCs and I can get more RAM, More Processing Cores, and a better GPU with a gaming computer for less $. I can get a processor w/ 10 cores, GDDR5 Graphics card, and 32 GB of RAM, 256 SSD + 2TB HD for around $1600 on a gaming system. On the site I was looking at, not to name names but it starts with "D", I can't even customize a workstation with those kind of specs for under $4k. On the good, better, best scale, the Best GIS Computer = Better Gaming Computer (or best gaming computer if you can afford it). 

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