A German company MAXON has been developing Cinema 4D which is a 3D modeling, animation, simulation, and rendering software since 1990. Cinema 4D has been used for a wide range of tasks, including animation, architecture, texturing, lighting, and so on.
Over the years, the software has grown in popularity among broadcasters, 3D animators, and motion graphics developers. Cinema 4D, like other 3D modeling applications, is resource-intensive software.
That’s why most experts choose to use a desktop computer, a powerful laptop with external display or workstations, etc.
However, it indicates that there are excellent and best Cinema 4D laptops available. Getting the right and most powerful laptop is one of the criteria for a stable workflow.
Users never want to be slowing down by pixel tearing, inconsistent texture changes, or render work for a prolonged period of time.
Some of the users including professionals may waste their lot of money and time if they don’t pay attention while selecting the required laptop for animation and modeling in Cinema 4D.
If you are still unsure about the best laptop you need to run Cinema 4D or other 3d modeling software then don’t worry. We are here to assist you to select the best laptop for motion graphics like animation, 3d modeling especially in Cinema-4D.
We have brought some of the foremost laptops available in online stores and markets.
Top 10 Best Laptops for Cinema 4D by Maxon
In this article, we have prepared a list of the best laptops for Cinema 4D that work for Adobe After Effects as well to perform 3D animation, 3D modeling and rendering, and video editing. These laptops also meet Cinema 4D R20 system requirements as well.
Few cheap laptops for animations have also been discussed.
Taking budget into consideration for students and beginners (learners/fresher) and professionals, here are the top 10 best laptops for Cinema 4D.
| IMAGE | PRODUCTS | FEATURES | CHECK PRICE |
|---|---|---|---|
 | Lenovo IdeaPad 5 | Display: 14" RAM: 16 GB Storage: 512GB SSD | |
 | Dell G7 Gaming Laptop | Display: 17.3 Inches RAM: 32GB Storage: 1TB SSD Battery: Up to 5 hours | |
 | Acer Predator Helios 300 | Display: 15.6 Inches RAM: 16GB Storage: 512GB SSD Battery: Up to 6 hours | |
 | Razer Blade 15 | Display: 15.6 Inches RAM: 16GB Storage: 512GB SSD | |
 | ASUS Dash F15 | Display: 15.6 Inches RAM: 16 GB Storage: 512GB SSD GPURTX 3060 6 GB | |
 | Lenovo Legion 5 | Display: 15.6 Inches RAM: 16GB Storage: 512GB SSD | |
 | HP Pavilion Premium | Display: 16.1 Inches RAM: 8GB Storage: 512GB SSD Battery: Up to 5 hours | |
 | Dell Gaming G3 15 | Display: 15.6 Inches RAM: 16GB Storage: 512GB SSD | |
 | Acer Nitro 5 Laptop | Display: 15.6 Inches RAM: 8GB Storage: 256GB SSD Battery: Up to 9 hours | |
 | Asus TUF F17 Gaming Laptop | Display: 17.3" RAM: 16 GB Storage: 1 TB SSD GPU GeForce RTX 3060 |
Why should you use Cinema 4D? Some Facts and Stats
The most simple answer is that it has become an industry standard for Broadcast Motion Graphics, films & TV, product visualization, Medical & Scientific and architectural vVisualizations.
3D modeling and rendering softwares are being used in many industries which is actually a clear indication of its scope. Cinema 4D is also a key player in the market with the following industries.
Media & Entertainment, Construction and Real Estate, Education, HealthCare and Life Science, and Marketing and Advertising industry are some main industries for Cinema 4D.
Visual Effects in Bollywood Movies
The Cinema 4D is one of the popular 3D Modeling software in the industry. It may be breaking news for you that Cinema 4D is on the back of many blockbuster movies.
- The Lion King
- Avengers: Endgame
- Spider-Man: Far From Home
Famous Visual Effects Studios / Corporate Clients
The visual effects were created by Cinema 4D that make the audience like ‘wow’. Apart from that following are high profile corporate users of Cinema 4D
- Territory Studio
- Perception
- Cantina Creative
- KTM Productions
Smart Cities Planning and Modeling
In this era where digitization has overcome almost every sector, city planning has also been visualized by Cinema 4D. Infrastructure modeling ,building design are considered as primary factors to reduce cost of projects.
With 3D Visualization & 3D Rendering, you can create advanced graphical models, rendering solutions, and virtual designs to improve planning and execution.
Several North American, European, and Asian countries including Canada, the U.S., the UK, Germany, the Netherlands, Spain, Sweden, India, China, and Japan.
Market Share of 3D Modeling and Rendering Softwares
If we talk about some market use then we can clearly say that 3D visualization and rendering softwares has huge potential and a billion dollar market.
- According to famous statistics, Statista has predicted the worldwide market share of CAD software will reach 8.4 billion USD until 2023.
- Another study conducted by Allied Market Research states that global visualization and rendering software is expected to reach $7.96 billion up till 2027. That means it has a growth rate at a CAGR of 23.1% from 2020 to 2027.
- The Enlyft has tracked 18 different 3D Computer Graphics softwares and found 60% out of 13,050 companies are using Cinema 4D.
Above facts clearly shows that 3D computer graphics has so many opportunities and potential for its users.
If you are a professional 3D modeler/animator then its good, or think seriously to adopt this profession.
How to Select Best Laptop for Cinema 4D – To the Point Buyer Guide
In this section we will suggest some best hardware recommendations for Cinema 4D.
We’ll share some of the best hardware that has high benchmark scores when tested for Cinema 4D.
Processor / CPU
It might be a new fact for you to know. The 3D modeling softwares don’t use all cores while creating 3D models/ characters / objects, animation, modifying and other majority tasks.
They use only single core while others lying idle, so high frequency CPU’s with moderate core count are ideal for these tasks.
But don’t just think other cores are idle for the whole process, as Rendering uses all cores with their full potential for CPU based rendering engines.
Some best CPU based on benchmark testing by CineBench R23 are following
- AMD Threadripper PRO 5995WX 64 Core, 71102 Score
- AMD Threadripper PRO 3995WX 64 Core, 61116 Score
- AMD Threadripper PRO 5975WX 32 Core, 49894 Score
- Intel Core i7 12700K 12 Core ,
- Intel Core i9 12900K & 12900KS 16 Core, 25799 Score
RAM
The upgradable RAM memory has a significant impact on your 3D modeling and graphic design outputs. When dealing with the most resource-intensive animation projects, you might not want your laptop to slow down or lag.
In the same way that a player finds it extremely irritating when the game stops or lags/ delays during play, an animator finds it the same.
The minimum memory size which you need is 16 GB RAM but for the best performance, we strongly advise you to go with 32 GB to run Cinema 4D smoothly.
In some special and extreme cases, when you might be rendering a large amount of complex, high resolution scenes, it may need 64 GB or even more RAM.
Storage
In order to tackle you daily projects smoothly we recommend at least 1 TB SSD storage capacity for professional use. You may start with a 512 GB SSD but soon you’ll realize that it is not enough.
The storage capacity might not be critical for some graphic artists, architects, and animators. They can save their project source files to an online cloud storage or external hard drive for record-keeping.
Although SSD are expensive than traditional hard dis drives, but you should go for it in first choice.
Why. . . .?
SSDs are many times faster than traditional hard drives at booting, launching applications, and loading files. So use an SSD drive that boosts your laptop’s performance for 3D modeling.
Pro Tip: You can use an external traditional HDD for backup and dual hard disks (HDD + SSD) in a laptop to save money.
Graphics Processing Unit (GPU)
If you want to use the best laptop for cinema 4d, you’ll need the best graphics card which matches Cinema 4D requirements and fits to your budget as well.
When using cinema 4D and other 3D modeling and animation programs, the GPU’s function is to accelerate the laptop’s efficiency to get outstanding results.
It handles activities such as 3d rendering, animations, and graphic designs. When using integrated GPU render engines, the demand for a strong GPU becomes even more prominent.
A strong GPU, such as the NVIDIA GeForce GTX, RTX models will reduce the amount of load on your CPU by managing cinema 4d’s resource-intensive functions.
Use a mainstream GPU for Cinema 4D, like Nvidia GeForce GTX, RTX series and AMD Radeon RX series. There is no need for high priced pro level graphics cards likeNvidia Quadro, as majority of the tasks can be done through above mentioned GPUs.
Another reason is Cinema 4D’s has Internal and physical renderers that are CPU-based.
You should opt for pro level GPU only when you are working with a large corporation and your work demands it or using software like Solidworks that truely can use these GPUs with their true potential.
Best GPUs for Cinema 4D
These GPUs are delivers best performance with Ciema 4D
- Nvidia GeForce RTX 3060 Ti
- Nvidia GeForce RTX 3070
- Nvidia GeForce RTX 3080
- NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 ( low budget choice)
Display/LCD Monitor
In the end, the display is the most critical component to select while considering the smooth workflow results on the Cinema 4D program. 3D animation relies on the details of graphics, and the user must be able to observe the deep information in order to provide better results.
For that reason applications such as Cinema 4D usually require a large size and high display resolution. A full IPS screen, HD 1080p is the minimum criterion for a 3D animation, modeling, or rendering laptop.
Something less will not be as reliable. According to several common options, the minimum perfect screen size is 17 inches but the higher is recommended. You should use external display monitors of 24”, or 27”size for Cinema 4D.
Something below 15.6 inches would not be appropriate for new learners of Cinema 4D and will not satisfy the needs of different animation, modeling tasks.
What Minimum and Recommended Specifications are Required?
Through extensive research based on 2d and 3d modeling, animation, and graphic designing programs and according to the Cinema 4D system requirements, we have suggested the minimum and recommended specifications for your laptop.
You should have a convenient workflow of your projects and to get desired excellent results when you have any specified laptops.
| Features | Minimum | Recommended |
| Graphics | NVIDIA GeForce GTX 660MX or equivalent NVIDIA Maxwell GPU, AMD Polaris (AMD GCN 4), Intel Kaby Lake | Nvidia GeForce RTX 3060 Ti Nvidia GeForce RTX 3070 Nvidia GeForce RTX 3080 Quadro RTX 3000 or higher for special needs |
| RAM | 8 GB DDR4 | 16 GB, 24 GB, 32 GB DDR4 or 64 GB in special cases |
| Processor | Intel Core i7 7th Gen 64 Bit Processor | Intel Core i7 9th – 12thGen or AMD Ryzen 64 Bit processor or latest |
| Screen Size and Resolution | 15.6 inches with 1080p Full HD | 17” inches with 1080p Full HD or 24-27” external monitors |
| Storage | 512GB SSD | 1 TB SSD or More as required by projects |
| LCD/LED Monitor | 2K with 144Hz refresh rate | 4K with 144Hz refresh rate |
1. Acer Predator Helios 300 – Best Laptop For 3D Modeling and Rendering in Cinema 4D
When you think about a laptop for 3d modeling, rendering, and animation, high-end graphics are required. However Acer predator Helios 300 is a gaming laptop as the brand presents, it supports Cinema 4D perfectly too. Predator Helios 300 is equipped with an Intel Core i7 10th Gen 6 core processor, 8 GB DDR4 dual-channel RAM, and 5512 GB SSD with the latest M.2 technology.
Here comes the solution for 3D modeling and rendering work on Predator Helios 300 which offers a great 1080p 144 Hz IPS display and dedicated NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 6GB of GPU Memory for superfast parallel tasking during complex visuals of Cinema 4D.
15.6″ Full HD with (1920 x 1080) resolution display screen provides perfect visibility and a great viewing angle for 2D & 3D modeling. Storage is expandable as a separate bay and cable are provided to meet the heavy animation and 3d modeling projects storage requirement.
It has 3 USB A & C, MDP, Ethernet, and HDMI ports available for better connectivity of different devices at a time.
2. Acer Aspire 5 – Best Match of Cinema 4D System Requirements
Keeping the low price as a key factor, the Acer Aspire 5 is an excellent all-rounder laptop. It offers a 15.6 inches Full HD display and an Intel Core i5 processor from the 8th generation, as well as RAM Memory of 8 GB DDR4.
The Aspire 5 is equipped with a dedicated entry-level Nvidia GeForce MX250 having 2GB V-RAM. Aspire 5 includes 512 GB SSD storage which is a plus point for animators and graphic designers.
If you’ve been looking for a low-cost but the best laptop for Cinema 4D, then Aspire 5 without a doubt is the perfect laptop for Cinema 4D in this price range.
RAM can be upgraded up to 20 GB DDR4 Max (in 1 channel), which is almost needed according to the Cinema 4D system requirements. A & C type 4 USB ports available and one of these provides charging support while the laptop is turned off.
In order to protect your digital content better, HDMI including HDCP support is available as 2D and 3D modeling animators require such type of protection. This laptop provides a battery life of 9.5 hours on a single charge, which is quite remarkable under the weight of 65 Ounces.
3. ASUS AS77 ZenBook 15 – Best Laptop For Animations in Cinema 4D & After Effects
ASUS AS77 ZenBook 15 is a 15.6 inches 4K Ultra HD 1920 x 1080 Display laptop that provides a wide-angle view and a novel touchscreen trackpad.
This laptop is equipped with a Quad-Core processor of 10th Gen Core i7 having 12M Cache, 16 GB DDR3 RAM, and 512 GB of SSD. It comes with a dedicated NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 Max-Q with 4GB VRAM.
The IR camera provides fast sign-in to laptops with Window Hello facial recognition, which is quite convenient for 3d modelers and animators.
ZenBook 15 is not only the best laptop for after-effects and Cinema 4D, but can play heavier games with complex graphics smoothly. It is a perfect solution for 2D and 3D models, animations, and rendering work.
It provides 3 USB A and C Type ports, an HDMI, and a Card Reader for multi connections including 5.5 hours of battery life having a total weight of 57.6 Ounces makes it portable for traveling or meeting use.
4. Gigabyte AERO 15 – Best Laptop For After Effects and Cinema 4D
Taking gaming and graphics into count this laptop comes with a super GPU of NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 having 8GB dedicated graphics memory, and a 144Hz refresh rate IPS display with a resolution of 1920×1080.
In combination with an Intel Core i7 8th Gen processor it provides 3 times faster and amazing visualizing experience in gaming and complex 3d modeling programs like Cinema 4d, Maya, and blender, etc. Which makes it the best laptop for After Effects and Cinema 4D animation and rendering work.
It has a 16 GB thin RAM module used with SSD in Gigabyte AERO 15. The SSD comprises NVMe M.2 technology for uncompromised performance, as the 1TB storage is spacious for animation and rendering for different projects.
There are 3 USB ports for parallel connectivity along with 8 hours of battery timing to make it super portable. The Gigabyte AERO laptop comes with a weight of 70.4 Ounces.
5. Razer Blade Pro 17 – Best Laptop For 3D Animation
In the zone of 3D modeling, the Razer Blade Pro 17 is a heavy-duty animation and gaming laptop. It is equipped with an Intel 10th Gen Core i7 (8-core) processor.
It is garnished with Ultra HD 4K display screen of 120 Hz refresh rate, and an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 graphics card having 8 GB dedicated video memory.
Not only the above specs, but for external connectivity, 3 USB ports besides Thunderbolt 3, an Ethernet, an HDMI, and one media card reader are also available for fast data transfer rates and communication at one time.
The combination of 16GB DDR4 (8GB x 2) RAM and 1TB SSD along with a high-tech graphics card makes it the best laptop for Cinema 4D and 3D animations.
Razer Blade Pro 17 comes has a 17.3 inches widescreen size for a comfortable view but 10.58 lbs weight makes it a little bulky.
6. ROG Zephyrus S GX701 – Best Laptop Match of Cinema 4D R20
ROG Zephyrus S GX701 is a high-end gaming laptop with 17.3 inches screen size and a 1920 x 1080 resolution with an IPS quality display panel. It features a 9th generation Intel Core i7 processor with 6 cores, 32 GB of dual-slot DDR4 RAM, 1 TB SSD for great performance and quick storage.
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 with dedicated 8 GB V-RAM perfectly meets the requirement of Cinema 4D graphics and several other 3D modeling and animation softwares like Maya, Nukem, Blender, and twin motion.
To stay away from other smart cables 3 USB Type-A & 2 USB Type-C and HDMI ports are available, and a 1080p detachable camera is provided to stay cool during a virtual meeting.
It has a total weight of 91.68 Ounces. The G-sync can be disabled to increase battery life even Zephyrus S can be charged from any portable power bank with a USB Power Delivery option to work countless hours.
7. Concept D7 Laptop – Best Laptop For Rendering & 3D Modeling
If you want to create excellent 3D models in Cinema 4D then put Concept D7 on top priority as given by the manufacturer.
The laptop is designed with a 9th Gen Intel Core i7 processor having 6 Cores, 32 GB of DDR4 RAM Memory, 1 TB Solid State Drive to encompass 2D and 3D modeling, graphics, and rendering work with a smooth flow.
The fastest NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 card including 8 GB dedicated VRAM makes it the best laptop for rendering in Cinema 4D. This laptop is purely designed for graphics designers, animators, and 3d modelers to run heavy projects on it effortlessly.
Concept D7 laptop is super reliable for Cinema 4D and strongly suggested to buy as it provides 8 hours of battery life, a wide 15.6 inches screen size, 4k UHD IPS display screen with (3840 x 2160) resolution, provides a realistic sensation to the viewer and the creator.
The most superb feature is the Adobe 100% RGB Color Gamut which is and making the graphics output nearly 100% precise, sharper, and brighter for wide audience coverage.
8. MSI GS 75 Stealth 17.3″ – Best Laptop for 3D Animation and Video Editing
Razor MSI GS75 Stealth is a 17.3 inches, IPS with a Full HD display and 1920×1080 resolution Laptop.
It features an Intel 8th Gen Core i7 Processor having 6 cores, 32 GB of DDR4 Dual-Channel RAM, 512 GB of SSD Memory with the latest M.2 fast technology, and upgradable with additional 2 more slots (1 SATA only).
For graphic designing, this laptop provides 40% higher performance. The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 with 8 GB VRAM provides excellent visual scenes in Cinema 4D of which makes MSI GS75 Stealth-093 the best laptop for animation and video editing.
The touchpad works smoothly with a 35% more silky surface and includes more than 10+ multifunctional gestures to complete tasks quicker.
Faster transfer rates are provided with a thunderbolt, 4K display output, and power charging up to 3A. USB A & C Type, HDMI, Card Reader, and Ethernet ports are available for fast connectivity.
Supercooling technology is used with 3 fans, 2 exhausts, and 7 copper heatpipes. Separate GPU & CPU heat pipes provide extra smooth performance during games and heavy-duty software.
The laptop provides 8 hours of battery timing while having a weight of 85 Ounces.
9. Acer Aspire E 15- Best Cheap Laptop For 3D Animation in Cinema 4D
Acer Aspire E 15 features Intel 8th Gen Core i5 Processor, Dual Channel 8GB RAM, and 256 GB Solid State Drive.
It provides 15.6 inches of display size, an IPS screen quality with 1920 x 1080 resolution that makes it perfect for animation works.
The NVIDIA GeForce MX150 graphics card with 2 GB separate video memory provides a better experience of working on 3D modeling.
The laptop comes with 4 USB ports, 8X DVD drive, VGA, Ethernet, and HDMI ports.
Acer Aspire E15 is among the cheap laptops for 3d animation which comes with 15 hours of long battery backup under the weight of 85 Ounces and provides great portability during lengthy tasks.
10. ASUS ROG Zephyrus S – Best Laptop For 3D Animation and Graphic Design
ASUS presents an Ultra slim laptop for Cinema 4D with 15.6 inches screen size, called ROG Zephyrus S. It has 1920 x 1080 screen resolution and IPS quality highest with 144 Hz refresh rate.
The display provides 180 degrees of amazing view angle for 2D and 3D Modeling. 100% sRGB Color Gamut provides accurate graphics output with desired color combinations
ROG Zephyrus S is equipped with an Intel 8th Gen Core i7 Processor,24 GB RAM, 1 TB SSD for boosting the desired operations during professional video rendering and simulation.
The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 Card is provided with 8GB dedicated video memory making it the best laptop for 3d animation and graphic design.
ROG Zephyrus S is powerful enough to do multitasking efficiently while heavy programs of complex graphics are running in parallel.
While considering these powerful features makes this laptop best for 3d rendering, video editing, and animation.
Usually, gaming laptops use excellent cooling technology to provide high-end performance during multiple model rendering. ROG Zephyrus S is using an Aerodynamic system (AAs) with other cooling fans to maximize its efficiency.
The latest cooling and anti-dust technology are used for gaming and graphics programs without compromising the CPU & GPU performance efficiency. Further, plenty of ports are available for connecting multiple devices in parallel.
FAQs
Q-1. Which laptop is mostly used by animators for Cinema 4D?
You don’t need an expensive type of laptop or any special features laptop for Cinema 4D. There are several features which will make your task more reliable and quicker but minimum requirements should meet.
Q-2. Is RAM of 8 GB sufficient for Cinema 4D?
As previously mentioned, in this section RAM size of 8GB is sufficient for animating simple scenes for Cinema 4D.
Users will be much satisfied with 16 GB of RAM (or also 32GB), particularly in scenarios having a lot of graphics or Software used in parallel.
Q-3. Can Gaming laptops be used for Cinema 4D?
Yes, definitely! you can use a gaming laptop for Cinema 4D as gaming laptops have extra specifications than the required for animations.
Q-4. Will the Acer Aspire E 15 Laptop work without lagging till 2 years of my 3D animation projects?
As told earlier, even the expensive laptops lag after some years as RAM and SSD health becomes down.
So, meet your requirements for the projects and buy one from the above. Replacement of the RAM and SSD Memory can fix lagging and you can go for years.
Q-5. Which one is the all-rounder laptop besides animation and Cinema 4D projects?
Most gaming laptops have excellent graphic cards, screen size, reliable RAM, and the latest SSD M.2 or M.1. All these specs are required for animation too.
So, Gaming laptops are better and smoother, but for specific purposes search for laptops meeting that requirement like battery backup or camera for online meetings, etc.
Conclusion
If we talk about the best, there is no individual laptop that is ideal for graphics and rendering tasks; sometimes the strongest, most efficient, and most costly laptop starts lagging and becomes slow during multiplex graphics, and sometimes the laptop’s CPU throttles to make the system quieter automatically.
Each 3D animation software has different requirements, which must be met first before going for the latest graphics card and more RAM and video RAM.
Adobe After Effects, Cinema 4D, and Autodesk Maya 3D require almost the same specs, but when it comes to complex visual graphics for huge projects, sometimes the minimum requirements do not perform well.
So it is recommended to add additional V-RAM for 2D and 3D Modeling.
if you are working with the available VRAM, then you don’t need a heater to stay warm during rendering.
Always go for a laptop with great cooling technology. When you turn on turbo-boosting while rendering or animating scenes to achieve 100% CPU performance, it will start throttling to cool down. As a result, (low) performance will be compromised.
Above mentioned all laptops are listed with deep research and fit best for rendering and modeling however ASUS ROG Zephyrus S GX701 and Acer ConceptD 7 are strongly suggested here while considering their amazing features.