Graphics Card recommendation for ArcGIS Pro 2.4?

[GretaLowther]

Hi, I'm just getting started with GIS work, have taken an ArcGIS course and am hoping to attend an upcoming cartography MOOC....I need to get a computer together with Windows and all the requirements for using ArcGIS Pro 2.3. So, in looking for something just at least to get going on, which I may upgrade later......wondering about graphics requirements. I'm looking at a 16 GB Lenovo Thinkpad W540, with 256GB SSD, intel i7 4900MQ 2.8 ghz processor.....and It has a dedicated NVIDIA Quadro K2100M 2GB Graphics card. Can anyone tell me if the graphics capabilities will be adequate? The rest of the computer meets all the specs.......just not sure how to decipher the graphics. Thanks so much!

[DanPatterson_Retired]

The current recommendations for graphics is 4 GB of non-shared! memory

ArcGIS Pro 2.3 system requirements—ArcGIS Pro | ArcGIS Desktop 

scroll to the video section

Dedicated (not shared) graphics memory**

Recommended: 4 GB or more

[GretaLowther]

Thanks for that! I guess I'm wondering if I have 16 GB of system RAM, and the 2 GB graphics card gets bogged down, will it then go and access some of the system RAM?.....and if so maybe would that be ok, because I would have the (extra) optimum RAM? (The recommended system RAM for ArcGIS Pro is only 8 GB, and the minimum only 4 GB.) 

Wondering if that might work, or do I need to buy a separate graphics card to meet these needs.......or maybe get a computer with integrated graphics and increase the RAM.

Thanks again!

[DanPatterson_Retired]

You aren't going to be able to upgrade a laptop, so I wouldn't even consider that an option. In your case, replacing the graphics card would be a good investment.  SSD drives are worth the investment as well, so check for drive type.

I am currently sitting on a Surface Book II.  It has passable specs which well exceed the "Recommended" specs for ArcGIS Pro.  I consider it my "mobile" or "TV watching" devise, not a workhorse.  For courses, you could get by with less but don't fall into the having to upgrade every year trap.

I would generally recommend a desktop with a minimum 32 GB Ram with a better video card and SSD drives.  Laptops aren't for high end video rendering, unless you like to sip coffee.  And a desktop will cost you way less than an equivalently spec'ed laptop

The one cost $3500 Canadian

[GretaLowther]

Thanks so much, that's super helpful!

[DanPatterson_Retired]

Good luck!

[ShimiRii]

Reviving this conversation, for ArcGIS Pro 2.6.0. I just got a Lenovo Thinkpad with every requirement except I missed the "dedicated" non-shared graphics memory, which needs 4GB or more. Has anyone ever used an external graphics card with a laptop, and does that work better? My issue is that when I first choose the baselayer, it works fine, but when I import a shape file, the baselayer then becomes very blurry. Thanks for any advice on an external video card, or whether I should just purchase a different computer. I have a desktop at work for a workhorse, but needed something portable to do simple things at home. 

[DallinJones]

With my laptop I use an egpu with a RTX 3060 (I know it’s overkill) and it’s works like a dream. If you have a thunderbolt 3 connection on your laptop you can use just about any graphics card you want with an egpu.