Archicad, Meet Apple Silicon
My first video.
“If you don’t make stuff, there is no stuff.” - Elon Musk.
When I was trying to figure out whether or not the MacBook Air with Apple Silicon could serve my needs as an Archicad user, the resources to make that decision were relatively few. Graphisoft made a statement; but I was skeptical. I decided to just go with it. And now I want to share so that my experience can be a source for others.Question: Can a $1000-$1400 computer compete with high-end Intel Macs / PCs?
Short answer: I think so. I will try to explain how it serves my needs and why it impresses me so that you can see how my experiences might compare to your needs.
What is the Apple M1?
There is a ton of information on this out there and you’re likely already familiar enough if you’re watching this video; but to summarize quickly, the M1 is Apple’s first effort at ditching Intel processors for their own system on a chip. Incredible speed and long-lasting battery are two of the standout improvements that the average person will notice.
Quick things I love about the MacBook Air M1 in general.
Size — the design is nothing new for many; however, some of us have been using thick and heavy MacBook Pro laptops over the years. That said, while I do love the design, I’m very much excited to see where the design goes in the future as bezels get smaller and the familiar design language evolves.
Battery — I can sum up the battery situation by mentioning that I very rarely bring the charger with me anywhere. If I’m going to a coffee shop for a few hours, I can do the heaviest of work at full brightness without even getting close to running out of juice. I estimate that I could work in Archicad with Mail, Slack, Notion, and internet browsing all happening on the side and still get 8-10 hours on a single charge.
Speed — the M1 is simply as fast as it’s hyped up to be. Whether it’s opening the lid to instantly be greeted with my desktop, changing screen resolution, docking/undocking, or opening and closing apps… it’s a speed racer. Where many computer upgrades over the years haven’t felt like true “upgrades” outside of specific niches (32gb of RAM vs 16gb for Photoshop use, for example), this machine is a legitimate turbo to the entire experience.
Overview of my Mac workflow, power needs, and the need for Windows+Nvidia
To quickly summarize. I work in Archicad 24 for my architectural design and documentation. Our projects aren’t the largest, but they get pretty detailed for rendering purposes. For example, in the latest project we modeled hundreds (maybe thousands, IDK) of boards for the vertical siding, ceilings, and interior wood walls. Aside from Archicad, I use Macs for the usual Apple ecosystem stuff (iMessage, Notes, Reminders, etc), Dropbox, Creative Cloud, Good Notes, and web browsing. I love MacOS and prefer using it over Windows as much as I can.
That said, I still have to use Windows for rendering in Vray and Lumion due to Apple’s resistance to Nvidia hardware. I did originally purchase my iMac Pro to use for this purpose through Bootcamp, but found it unsatisfactory and eventually moved over to a custom-built Threadripper rig. One thing to note is that M1 doesn’t have Bootcamp or Windows. This could be a dealbreaker for many who use Revit or other Windows software.
To reiterate, I use Windows for intense rendering needs and I live in the Apple ecosystem for just about everything else.
Graphisoft did a pretty thorough analysis that should be highly considered when making any decisions. For example, I work on medium-to-large size residential projects in a firm of 2. We don’t use BIMcloud. Take a look and consider everything. [source]
You may consider buying a Mac with M1 chip if:
You are upgrading from a previous 13-inch Macbook Pro or Macbook Air, or if you are fine with a smaller screen and would like to try out the latest technology available.
Battery life and mobility are essential.
You only handle small or medium models with the machine.
Multiple displays are not necessary.
External GPUs are not necessary.
Only run BIMcloud in small firm size.
You shouldn't buy a Mac with M1 chip if:
You are using a recent Macbook Pro 16", Mac Pro, or any recent iMacs and won't need a smaller model.
16GB of RAM or 2TB of internal SSD is not enough for your work.
Extra power from a dedicated graphics card is needed.
You usually work with large models.
The machine will be connected to a power source most of the time, and portability is not essential.
You need multiple displays for your work.
You need to run BIMcloud in medium or large firm size.
So does it meet my needs?
Yes.
A brief history of my devices. I’ve owned Surface Books, Razer Blades, MacBook Pros (13”, 15”, 16”) and a maxed out MacBook Air from early 2020 that I ultimately returned for being too slow. I’ve used a whole lot of devices over the years, partially because I’m fascinated by what they can do to better my workflow and partially because I’ve never found a machine that does it all. Considering what I stated above about keeping my rendering workflow on an Nvidia/Windows-based system, this machine has not let me down at all when it comes to architectural design and documentation within Archicad. Not only does it keep up with the i9/32GB 16” MacBook Pro that I am coming from in just about any Archicad task, it surpasses it in many others.
My experience:
I run Archicad 24 on the latest updates. I haven’t experienced any more crashing than I did on the Intel Mac (in fact, probably less, though that could be due to Archicad updates in general). Opening and closing files is comparable. Opening and updating views is comparable. Spinning around and flying inside a model is comparable. Using properties and menus is comparable. Drawing geometry is comparable. Working in a site plan with a DWG placed is comparable — still slow! While the speed of the M1 blows me away in other random tasks, when it comes to Archicad, it’s simply comparable. And that is perfectly okay! In fact, it’s more than okay—it’s amazing! To say that a $1400 computer (I upgraded the RAM and storage in mine) is comparable to Pro Mac hardware that originally cost thousands more is something to smile about.
I’ve been using my Macbook Air for over a month now and have completed an entire project on it now and I haven’t had any regrets along the way. No moments second-guessing myself. No frustrations with any tasks. The truth is that I’ve found myself working in more unique places than I used to; and this is largely due to the fantastic battery life—although the lightweight form-factor has also lent itself to this new habit as well. As somebody who doesn’t like taking my charger to coffee shops and outdoor dining, the long battery life has given me the freedom to work for as long as I need to wherever I want to be. Additionally, I find myself working in bed or from the couch more since the Air is much smaller than the aircraft carrier that the 16” is.
One key to making my new workflow work has been the addition of a Thunderbolt dock. While not especially cheap, a good one allows for the perks of my iMac Pro. With one input, I’m able to expand ports, add ethernet, keep charged, and connect to my 38” LG Ultrawide Display. I have a wireless keyboard and mouse ready to go on my desk. It’s a seamless transition from laptop to desktop with all my files and settings ready to go in one place.
Video of Use.
This model is around 150mb. It’s a few thousand square-feet. View the video above for an idea on how it performs. My hunch is that if you’re interested in this product that you have similar needs such as myself with small-large residential projects.
Wrap-Up.
Can a M1 MacBook Air drive an Archicad workflow?
For small-medium residential projects: absolutely. Rendering in Twinmotion won’t be amazing (yet), but it hasn’t really been anyways.Is it worth buying an M1 Mac for Archicad at this point?
If you need a new computer or a bit of a nerd like me, I definitely recommend it. If you’re sly with trading up hardware, you could also consider selling off your Intel-based Mac while it’s likely still worth more than the M1-based Macs. You may not only pocket some cash, but end up with a computer that not only competes with and will be faster than what you have now, but only stands to get faster on into the future as more software is tweaked specifically for Apple Silicon.Which leads to my main point: we are just getting started.
Not only are we starting out at a pretty comparable position; but we are going to see the current hardware only get better as more software ditches Rosetta for native Apple Silicon versions. Archicad, for example, will receive its version in 2022. If the 50% speed increase we are seeing in the recent Photoshop update is any indication, the first gen M1 Macbooks look to have very appealing long-term value.So what am I going to do?
Well, I already sold my iMac Pro and my 16” Macbook Pro. Values have fallen more than you might normally expect for Mac hardware; but they are still pretty respectable considering there aren’t actual replacements for the iMac and 16” Pro yet; so people who need or want these form-factors are still buying them. Many people also don’t even really know or understand what the M1 is. So it’s still a good time to sell. I pocketed a few grand and am using my Macbook Air daily and loving every minute of it. That said, I will be paying attention to what Apple does this year with the rest of the lineup. I really love the laptop lifestyle and will likely stick with it. I’m most intrigued by the rumored 14” Macbook Pro with Micro LED screen rumors. A monitor costing under $6,000 would also be pretty nice. But we will see; for now I’m the happiest I’ve been with my Apple devices in quite a long time.