AutoCAD is a designing software that was developed by Autodesk. To be more specific, this software is used as a CAD (commercial computer-aided) and drafting application. The initial version of AutoCAD was introduced in the market in the year 1982, in the form of a desktop app which internal graphic controllers could run on microcomputers. Before AutoCAD was released, there were various CAD applications, but all of them had one major drawback. These CAD programs could only run on mainframe computers. In this type of setup, the users of CAD would work at a separate graphics terminal.
In 2010, a new format of AutoCAD was released, which can now be run in the form of a web application as well as a mobile application. This special version was marketed by the name of AutoCAD 360.
AutoCAD is mainly used in the engineering and architectural industry. Professionals like project managers, engineers, architects, graphic designers, civic planners etc. use this software for their daily operations. To ensure that people had the skill to operate this software, by 1994, there were a total of 750 training centres worldwide.
But you must be wondering why do we need designing tools when we can use our hands to draw designs, right? To answer this question, first, we need to understand what exactly is designing?
We can define the term “designing” as the process where an idea can be converted or transformed into an object or a system. To ensure that your ideas are converted accurately, sometimes, drawing and designing by hand does not give the right result. CAD takes the help of computer processing, and hence, the designing part becomes faster, accurate and more efficient.
This was the main motive of AutoCAD. When this application was launched in 1982, the main motive was to ease out the process of designing and drawing in the industrial sector.
Minimum Requirements
AutoCAD program is a pretty heavy-duty software; hence, in order to run it smoothly on your system, you need to ensure that you have an advanced level of hardware. In this post, we will discuss what are the minimum requirements that you need to ensure that this software runs smoothly on your system.
There are various versions of AutoCAD, and each version requires a different kind of configuration to run. We will discuss the requirements to meet in order to run the AutoCAD version of 2019 to 2021. If you are planning to install or use any of these 3 versions of AutoCAD, i.e. 2019, 2020, and 2021, then make sure you have the following configuration.
Operating system
For all these 3 versions of AutoCAD, you will need 64 bit OS. But for the AutoCAD 2019 version, you can even use a 32-bit operating system. The operating systems in which you can use to run AutoCAD are Windows 10, 8.1 and even 7 (for AutoCAD 2019).
Processor
Processing power is the most important component while running the AutoCAD program. To ensure that the software has enough power to process the task, you will need a minimum 2.5 GHz processor. You can opt for processors like Intel Core 2 Duo, i3, i5, i7 and many more. There are also many AMD series of processors like the AMD A-Series. If you have a processor that has a power of 2.5 GHz, then you are good to go.
Memory
Since this software requires saving a lot of steps and changes, you need a lot of disc space or RAM space to ensure that it functions smoothly. The minimum requirement for AutoCAD to run on your PC smoothly is 8 GB. If you have anything less than 8 GB, then we can assure you that the software cannot perform at its highest level.
Disk space
If you are using AutoCAD version 2021, then you will need a free space of 7 GB on your hard disk. On the other hand, if you are using AutoCAD versions like 2019 and 2020, then 6 GB free space in your hard disk is more than enough.
Display
Last but not least, you need to have an amazing display to experience the true potential of AutoCAD. Since this is a designing software, it demands a high-end display. Hence, you cannot compromise any kind of display that does not meet the 1920 x 1080 resolution with true colour. If the display is not good, then it will be difficult for you to judge the true value of AutoCAD.
Recommended Requirements
In the above section, we have discussed what are the minimum requirements you need in order to ensure that this software runs without any kind of glitch. But if you truly want to experience the true worth of AutoCAD, you must ensure that you have at least the recommended requirements as suggested by experts.
AutoCAD is a professional designing software; hence it is programmed to run on high-end PCs. Therefore, there is not much difference in the minimum and recommended requirements. Still, we will point out a few of the recommended hardware which you should have to experience the real power of AutoCAD.
Below are the recommended hardware requirements which your PC should have to ensure the smooth functioning of AutoCAD 2019, 2020 and 2021.
Operating System
The operating system plays a very important role when it comes to the functionality of the software. Since AutoCAD is a high-end software, you should ensure that your system has a 64-bit OS. The same goes for all 3 versions of AutoCAD. You can use operating systems like Windows 10 64-bit, Windows 8.1 64-bit and even Windows 7 64-bit.
Processor
As we read earlier, the minimum processing speed which you need to run this program is 2.5 GHz. But, to ensure the glitch-free running of the program, your PC must be equipped with a 3 GHz processor. The processors which fall under this category are Intel Core 2 Duo, Intel Pentium Dual-Core Processor 3.0 GHz, i3, i5, and i7. There are also many AMD processors like AMD RYZEN 7, AMD Athlon 3000G and many more, which you use to run this software at recommended settings.
Memory
RAM memory plays a very important role when it comes to the smooth functioning of the software. Since this is a designing software, you need to ensure that there is enough memory space for AutoCAD to use when you are processing heavy-duty files. The recommended RAM memory, as suggested by experts, is 16 GB. Although we have mentioned above that 8 GB of RAM will do the job, having a 16 GB RAM will surely enhance the performance.
Disk Space
As we mentioned above, you cannot compromise on the hard disk space, which you will need to run the AutoCAD software. For the AutoCAD 2021 version, you need a free disk-space of 7 GB. On the other hand, for AutoCAD versions 2020 and 2019, only 6 GB free hard-disk space is required to install this software.
Display
Since AutoCAD is a high-end designing software, it demands a great display. You will need to have a monitor that has a resolution of 1920 x 1080 with True Colours. If you compromise on the quality of the display, then you will not be able to enjoy the true experience of AutoCAD.
How to install AutoCAD using Installer
