When researching CAD software like SOLIDWORKS, hardware requirements can sometimes be overlooked. We frequently get questions about requirements when it comes to buying or updating equipment. To help navigate the SOLIDWORKS system requirements and get insight into some suggestions from our Engineering Team, we have compiled a list of everything you need for this version of SOLIDWORKS..
>> Download our complete recommendations for the current version of SOLIDWORKS
>> Download our complete recommendations specifically for SOLIDWORKS PDM
SOLIDWORKS System Requirements
These requirements apply to all SOLIDWORKS products except where noted. Use this information to ensure you are always working with a SOLIDWORKS-supported and optimized system for hardware, operating system and Microsoft products.
SOLIDWORKS Products for Windows
| SOLIDWORKS 2016 (EDU 2016-2017) |
SOLIDWORKS 2017 (EDU 2017-2018) |
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| Operating System | |||
| Windows 10, 64-bit | Yes | Yes | |
| Windows 8.1, 64-bit | Yes | Yes | |
| Windows 8.0, 64-bit | No | No | |
| Windows 7 SP1, 64-bit (only) | Yes | Yes | |
| Virtual environments | (See chart below) | (See chart below) | |
| Hardware | |||
| Processor | Intel or AMD with SSE2 support. 64-bit operating system required |
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| RAM | 8 GB or more |
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| Install Media | DVD drive or broadband internet connection | ||
| Software | |||
| Microsoft Excel and Word | 2010, 2013, 2016 (2016 SP3) | 2010, 2013, 2016 | |
| Network |
Microsoft Windows networking. Novell networks and non-Windows network storage devices are not supported |
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| Antivirus |
SOLIDWORKS recommends:
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Supported Virtual Environments
| Virtualization Environment | SOLIDWORKS 2016 | SOLIDWORKS 2017 |
| VMware vSphere ESXi | 5.1 | 6.0 (SW2017 SP02) |
| VMware Workstation | 9 | 9 |
| Microsoft Hyper-V | 2012 | 2012 |
| Parallels Desktop, Mac | 10 | 10 |
| Citrix XenServer | 6.2 | 6.2 |
| Virtualization Environment | SNL Server | Enterprise PDM Servers |
| VMware vSphere ESXi | Supported | Supported |
| VMware Workstation | Supported | Supported |
| Microsoft Hyper-V | Supported | Supported |
| Parallels Desktop, Mac | Not Supported | Not Supported |
| Citrix XenServer | Supported | Supported |
- Support for virtual environments listed in the above table applies to SOLIDWORKS 2015 and later. Virtual environments are not supported in earlier releases.
- SOLIDWORKS and eDrawings require a GPU for optimal performance in a virtualized environment.
SOLIDWORKS Network License Server
| SOLIDWORKS 2016 | SOLIDWORKS 2017 | |
| Operating Systems | ||
| Windows 10, 64-bit | Yes | Yes |
| Windows 8.1, 64-bit | Yes | Yes |
| Windows 8.0, 64-bit | No | No |
| Windows 7 SP1, 64-bit (only) | Yes | Yes |
| Windows Server 2012 R2 | Yes | Yes |
| Windows Server 2012 | Yes | Yes |
| Windows Server 2008 R2 SP1 | Yes | Yes |
SOLIDWORKS Electrical Server
| SOLIDWORKS 2016 | SOLIDWORKS 2017 | |
| Operating Systems | ||
| Windows Server 2012 R2 | No | Yes |
| Windows Server 2012 | Yes | Yes |
| Windows Server 2008 R2 SP1 | Yes | Yes |
| SQL Server | ||
| SQL 2016 | No | Yes |
| SQL 2014 | Yes | Yes |
| SQL 2012 | Yes | Yes |
Microsoft Products
| Microsoft Products | Start of Life | End of Life* |
| Windows 10, 64-bit | 2015 SP5 | Active |
| Windows 8.1, 64-bit | 2014 SP1 | 2018 SP5 |
| Windows 8.0, 64-bit | 2013 SP0 | 2015 SP5 |
| Windows 7, 64-bit | 2010 SP1 | Active |
| Windows 7, 32-bit | 2010 SP1 | 2014 SP5 |
| Windows Vista, 64-bit | 2008 SP3.1 | 2013 SP5 |
| Windows Vista, 32-bit | 2008 SP0 | 2013 SP5 |
| Windows XP, 64-bit | 2006 SP4 | 2012 SP5 |
| Windows XP, 32-bit | 2001Plus SP0 | 2013 SP5 |
| Windows Server 2012 R2 | 2014 SP3 | 2018 SP5 |
| Windows Server 2012 | 2014 SP0 | 2018 SP5 |
| Windows Server 2008 R2 SP1 | 2009 | 2017 SP05 |
| Windows Server 2008 | 2008 | 2014 SP5 |
| IE 11 | 2014 SP3 | Active |
| IE 10 | 2013 SP0 | 2016 SP5 |
| IE 9 | 2011 SP4 | 2015 SP5 |
| IE 8 | 2009 SP5 | 2014 SP5 |
| Excel, Word 2016 (64-bit recommended) |
2016 SP3 | Active |
| Excel, Word 2013 | 2013 SP4 | Active |
| Excel, Word 2010 | 2010 SP5 | 2018 SP5 |
| Excel, Word 2007 | 2008 SP1 | 2014 SP5 |
- End Of Life (EOL) corresponds to the last SOLIDWORKS release where a Microsoft product is supported (This is synchronized with the Microsoft Mainstream Support End Date). SOLIDWORKS releases after the EOL are not supported for the said Microsoft product and SOLIDWORKS installation is blocked in the case of an operating system.
- SOLIDWORKS Product Support Lifecycle defines the End Of Support for SOLIDWORKS versions.
- SOLIDWORKS recommends using the latest Microsoft update of Windows, Office and Internet Explorer.
- SOLIDWORKS recommends using a Windows Server operating system for all SOLIDWORKS server-based products.
- Windows Server operating system support applies to Standard and Enterprise editions only.
- Windows Home Editions and Windows To Go are not supported.
- Microsoft Office ‘Click-To-Run’ feature is supported for SOLIDWORKS 2017 and later.
- Apple Mac® based machines running Windows using Boot Camp are not supported.
TriMech Recommended Hardware Configurations
Below, the TriMech technical team has compiled a general hardware recommendations list for three general levels of SOLIDWORKS user. These are guidelines and TriMech’s Customer Support Center will be happy to help you customize to fit your specific needs. (These recommendations are made based on the purchase of a NEW computer.)
Entry Level SOLIDWORKS
This profile is for SOLIDWORKS 2017 users with light-to-no analysis tools, assemblies up to 300 parts, some sheet metal and light surfacing.
| Processor* | Current Generation Intel Core i5 or AMD Athlon or better |
| RAM | 8GBs or more |
| Hard Drive* | 250+GBs; 7200RPM (or faster) |
| Operating System | Windows 7 (64-bit) Windows 8.1 (64-bit) Windows 10 (64-bit) |
| Additional Software | Microsoft Office 2010 or newer; Adobe Acrobat XI or newer; Internet Explorer 9.X or newer |
| Video Card | NVIDIA Quadro K620, 620 or better; AMD FirePro W5130, Radeon Pro WX 4100; Intel HD Graphics P4000 or better |
| Suggested Desktop Models | (Download full guide) |
| Suggested Laptop Models | (Download full guide) |
Mid-Range SOLIDWORKS
This profile is for SOLIDWORKS 2017 users with ~500 part assemblies, somewhat complex parts, demanding sheet metal designs, moderate surfacing and/or FEA/CFD analysis.
| Processor* | Current Generation Intel Core i7 or AMD Athlon FX or better |
| RAM | 16GBs or more |
| Hard Drive* | 1TB+ SSD and RAID storage solutions |
| Operating System | Windows 7 (64-bit) Windows 8.1 (64-bit) Windows 10 (64-bit) |
| Additional Software | Microsoft Office 2010 or newer; Adobe Acrobat XI or newer; Internet Explorer 9.X or newer |
| Video Card | NVIDIA Quadro K2200, 2200, or better; AMD FirePro W5170, M4100, Radeon Pro WX 4100 or better |
| Suggested Desktop Models | (Download full guide) |
| Suggested Laptop Models | (Download full guide) |
High-End SOLIDWORKS
This profile is for SOLIDWORKS 2017 users with 1000 or more part assemblies, complex sheet metal parts, complex surfaces, and/or FEA/CFD analysis.
| Processor* | Fastest Intel Core i7, Xeon, or AMD Athlon FX; consider multiple processors in parallel |
| RAM | 32GBs or more |
| Hard Drive* | 1TB+ SSD and RAID storage solutions |
| Operating System | Windows 7 (64-bit) Windows 8.1 (64-bit) Windows 10 (64-bit) |
| Additional Software | Microsoft Office 2010 or newer; Adobe Acrobat XI or newer; Internet Explorer 9.X or newer |
| Video Card | NVIDIA Quadro K5200, 5200, or better; AMD FirePro W7170, M6100, Radeon Pro WX 5100 or better |
| Suggested Desktop Models | (Download full guide) |
| Suggested Laptop Models | (Download full guide) |
- Multi-processing can greatly aid rendering and analysis computations.
- Requires hard disk space to install application and ample free space for files and swap space.
For even more detailed specifications and suggested hardware specifications for this SOLIDWORKS release, download our complete recommendations guide.
