Last Updated: February 20, 2026 • 8 min read
So, you need a new computer. Maybe you're not sure if your current machine is the problem, or maybe you already know it is and you're trying to figure out what to do about it. Either way, you're in the right place.
I've been answering questions about computers for years. And the same questions come up over and over: "What laptop should I get?" "Can I build something decent for under two grand?" "Do I need a PC or can I get away with a Mac?" I'm going to answer all of those here — honestly, not just with the answer you want to hear.
I should mention upfront: I have a long-term partnership with Puget Systems. They build my workstations. I've been sent a couple of workstations free of charge in exchange for introducing them to my viewers. I'm sharing my experience because I think they're the right call for a lot of people doing serious 3D work. Not because anyone's paying me to say so. And if you use any of my links to Puget Systems, you'll get free shipping on your workstation.
With that out of the way, let's get into it.
For most people, an everyday laptop handles web browsing, email, spreadsheets, and even light photo editing without breaking a sweat. But 3D modeling, rendering, and animation are a completely different beast. These tasks push hardware to its limits in ways that most consumer machines simply weren't designed for.
Before diving into hardware, it's worth knowing what KeyShot actually requires. The official minimum system requirements are fairly modest — a quad-core CPU, 16GB of recommended RAM, and an NVIDIA or AMD GPU for GPU mode. But "minimum" and "comfortable" are two very different things, especially when you're working with complex scenes, large texture sets, or animations.
If you've ever sat there watching a render crawl along, or had KeyShot grind to a halt in a complex scene, your hardware is probably holding you back. And the thing most people underestimate is the cost of their own time. A computer that renders twice as fast isn't just a nice-to-have — it's money back in your pocket, especially if you're doing client work.
I've owned and used both, and I genuinely appreciate what Apple makes. The hardware is solid, the build quality is excellent, and macOS is a pleasure to use day-to-day. I currently use a MacBook Air when I'm away from my workstation. I get it — designers love their Macs, and there's nothing wrong with that. Many younger designers and students grow up on Macs and are sometimes surprised to discover that most studios and production companies run Windows-based workflows.
But when it comes to serious 3D rendering work, a PC with an NVIDIA GPU is where I land every time. NVIDIA GPUs offer better compatibility across render engines and significantly better GPU rendering performance. NVIDIA's RTX ray tracing technology has become increasingly central to tools like KeyShot, and Apple Silicon simply doesn't give you access to any of that ecosystem. You also get considerably more hardware for your money on the PC side.
That said, if you're a Mac-first person and you need to do serious rendering work, here are a couple of approaches worth knowing about.
Some designers keep a high-powered PC workstation at their desk and use a Mac for everything else — using an app like Parsec to remote into the PC and send jobs to it when needed. A few friends of mine run this kind of setup and swear by it.
The other option is something KeyShot is actively building toward right now. As of early 2026, KeyShot is in beta testing for cloud rendering — the ability to send rendering jobs to a cloud service directly from within KeyShot's interface. I'm testing this myself at the moment and it's a genuinely interesting option for anyone working on a laptop or a Mac who doesn't want to be limited by local hardware. It's early days, but it could change the conversation around what machine you actually need.
Before you can make a smart purchase decision, it helps to understand what the components in your computer actually do. I'll keep this simple.
CPU (Central Processing Unit) — Think of this as the brain of the operation. It handles complex calculations and is the primary workhorse for CPU-based rendering. Two things determine how fast a CPU can work: the number of cores (like having more workers on a job site) and the clock speed (how fast each worker moves). More cores help with rendering and simulations. Higher clock speeds help with tasks that can only use one core at a time, like some modeling operations.
GPU (Graphics Processing Unit) — Originally designed to push pixels around on your screen, GPUs have evolved into rendering powerhouses in their own right. Modern GPUs have thousands of smaller cores that handle simpler calculations simultaneously, making them extremely fast for rendering. NVIDIA's RTX cards also support hardware-accelerated ray tracing, which is a big deal for photoreal rendering. One important spec to pay attention to is VRAM — the GPU's dedicated memory. When rendering, your entire scene often needs to fit in VRAM. If you're working with heavy texture sets or large assemblies, running out of VRAM is a real bottleneck. KeyShot recommends at least 8GB of VRAM for GPU mode, and ideally 16GB or more if you're using AI features.
RAM — This is your computer's short-term memory. Think of it like your desk space. The more RAM you have, the more you can have open and accessible at once without the computer slowing down. For most KeyShot users, 64GB is a solid sweet spot — you genuinely don't need to go overboard. RAM prices have climbed significantly over the past year, largely driven by AI hardware demand, so it's worth being intentional rather than just maxing it out by default.
Storage — Where everything lives permanently. Modern NVMe SSDs are dramatically faster than old spinning hard drives, which means your software launches faster, files save faster, and projects load faster. This is one area worth investing in — a slow drive is a constant, low-grade frustration.
Cooling — This one gets overlooked, but it matters. When components run hot, they throttle their performance to protect themselves. Good cooling keeps your hardware running at full speed and extends its lifespan. A well-cooled machine also tends to run quieter, which is a quality-of-life thing you notice every single day.
There are a few different paths to a new computer, each with their own trade-offs.
Off-the-shelf machines from big brands like Dell, HP, or Lenovo are the most accessible option. For context, a configured Dell Pro Max Tower at around $2,500 gets you a solid Intel Core Ultra processor, a decent amount of RAM, and a basic dedicated GPU. That's a workable machine for getting started with KeyShot. The catch is that these machines are spec'd for the general market — the GPU in particular tends to be modest, and you may find yourself bumping up against VRAM limits sooner than you'd like in more complex scenes.
Used or refurbished is an underrated option, especially on a tight budget. A previous-generation workstation with a solid NVIDIA GPU — bought used — can deliver a lot of rendering performance for a fraction of the new price. Sites like eBay, B&H, and even Puget Systems' own refurbished store are worth checking. The trade-off is no warranty and the usual second-hand uncertainty, so do your homework on the seller.
Building your own PC is the best way to stretch a dollar. You pick every component yourself, pay no labor markup, and can swap parts over time. The downside is that when something goes wrong, you're on your own. Troubleshooting a DIY build can eat a significant amount of time, and that time has a cost. I've been down that road — it's not always as economical as it looks on paper once you factor in the hours spent debugging.
Custom-configured from a specialist is what I currently do, and it's what I'd recommend to anyone who relies on their computer for income. Companies like Puget Systems build machines specifically for professional creative workloads. You're paying a premium over a DIY build, but what you get is real: compatibility testing, benchmark results, thermal testing before it ships, and actual human support when you need it.
I get this question constantly, and I want to give you a real answer rather than a comfortable one.
A sub-$2K PC can absolutely run KeyShot and produce good work. But go in with honest expectations. At that price point, you'll likely be choosing between a decent GPU or a strong CPU — it's hard to have both. And at a tight budget, I'd prioritize the GPU. An NVIDIA RTX card with at least 8GB of VRAM (16GB if you can stretch to it) will have a bigger impact on your day-to-day KeyShot experience than a faster CPU, especially as GPU rendering has matured.
For RAM, 32GB is a reasonable floor in this price range and you can add more later. On storage, don't cut corners — even a 500GB NVMe SSD as your boot and working drive makes a noticeable difference.
If new hardware at that budget feels limiting, seriously consider the used market. A previous-generation RTX 3080 or 3090 with 10–24GB of VRAM can be had for a fraction of its original price and will still render very well. Pair it with a used workstation-class CPU and you've got a capable rendering machine for well under $2K.
And if you're genuinely just getting started, treat whatever you buy as a starting point. The machine you build today doesn't have to be the one you're working on in three years.
If portability matters, a mobile workstation is worth considering — but go in knowing you're making trade-offs. Thermal constraints mean you'll never get desktop-equivalent performance, and VRAM options are more limited than what you'd find in a desktop GPU.
That said, Puget Systems now offers mobile workstations, and they bring the same philosophy to them as they do to their desktops — careful component selection, proper thermal management, and the same support you'd get with any of their builds. Their mobile workstations start in the $4,000 range. Check out their options here.
Whatever brand you go with, look for an NVIDIA GPU (not integrated graphics), at least 16GB of VRAM if the budget allows, and 32GB of RAM minimum. And remember — the KeyShot cloud rendering beta I mentioned above could make the mobile workstation question a lot simpler in the near future.
In 2025, I reached back out to Puget for an upgrade. I'd gotten to a point where I was designing projects around what my hardware could handle, rather than what I actually wanted to create. That's exactly backwards. My new Puget Systems workstation is a significant step up:
This is a nearly $14,000 computer. I'm not sharing those specs as a recommendation for everyone — I'm sharing them for transparency. What I can tell you from using it is that the RTX 5090's 32GB of VRAM means I don't think twice about large texture sets or complex scenes anymore. And the machine runs noticeably quieter than my old workstation thanks to the larger case, more fans, and water cooling. When your limitations stop being the hardware and start being the software or your own workflow, you know the machine is doing its job.
Watch my video to see how it performed on some real-world projects.
Here's what I think you actually get for the premium over a DIY build:
They run their own compatibility testing and publish independent benchmarks for each new generation of hardware. When you call them, you talk to a US-based consultant who asks about your workflow specifically. They thermal-test your machine before it ships and send you a full QA report — including benchmark results and thermal imaging. I visited their facility in Auburn, Washington. It's a warehouse where they actually do the work, not a fancy campus. That extra cost goes into R&D and customer support.
Is it the cheapest option? No. But for someone who earns their living on their machine, that support is worth something real.
If you use my link, you'll also get free shipping on your Puget Systems workstation.
Visit Puget Systems here and get free shipping on your next workstation
There's no single right answer, and I'd be doing you a disservice if I pretended otherwise. Here's how I'd think about it:
If you're just getting started and budget is tight, a sub-$2K build — or a smart used purchase — is a reasonable place to begin. Prioritize the GPU, make sure it's NVIDIA, and get as much VRAM as you can at that price point.
If you're on a Mac and want to keep it that way, the Parsec remote desktop approach is worth looking into — or keep an eye on KeyShot's cloud rendering beta, which could make the whole hardware question less critical over time.
If you want a mobile workstation, look for an NVIDIA GPU, plenty of VRAM, and check out Puget Systems' mobile workstation lineup starting around $4K.
If you're earning income with your computer and reliability matters, the conversation about a custom-configured Puget Systems workstation is worth having. Use my link, get free shipping, and they'll take good care of you.
And before any of this — check KeyShot's minimum system requirements. It's a quick sanity check to make sure whatever machine you're considering will actually run the software the way you need it to.
