I once spent two hours waiting for a render to finish. Two hours. By the end, I wasn’t adjusting shaders or fixing lighting, I was just staring at a progress bar crawling like it had all the time in the world.

That’s when I realized something: in 3D work, your creativity isn’t the bottleneck. Your computer is. You can be the sharpest modeler in Blender or Maya, but if your machine can’t keep up, you’re working in slow motion.

Here’s the thing. The right hardware doesn’t just make your work faster, it makes it possible. A sluggish laptop might still “run” 3D software, but it’ll drain your patience, sap your flow, and sometimes even dictate the kind of projects you dare to take on. That’s why we’re here: to break down what really matters when choosing a computer for 3D modeling.

What Actually Makes a Computer Good for 3D Modeling?

Let’s cut through the jargon. When people talk about “powerful computers,” it usually means high numbers slapped onto spec sheets. But in 3D, some numbers matter way more than others.

• CPU (Processor)

  • For modeling and animation, clock speed matters more than raw core count. A faster 5.6 GHz CPU with fewer cores will feel snappier in the viewport than a slower 64-core beast.

  • For rendering or heavy physics simulations? That’s when core count takes the crown. CPUs like AMD’s Threadripper Pro 7000 (up to 96 cores) are monsters for CPU rendering.

• GPU (Graphics Card)

  • Think of the GPU as your viewport engine. The stronger the GPU, the smoother your orbit, sculpt, and texture painting.

  • If you’re GPU rendering in Cycles, Redshift, or Octane, the GPU becomes the most important part. Here, VRAM is king. 8 GB is okay for small scenes, but serious work really wants 16–24 GB (or 48 GB on pro cards like the RTX 6000 Ada).

• RAM (Memory)

  • 16 GB is the bare minimum, and I honestly wouldn’t recommend it. 32 GB is where serious workflows begin.

  • If you’re dealing with large assemblies, film assets, or running multiple apps side by side, 64–128 GB RAM isn’t overkill. It’s sanity.

• Storage (Drives)

  • Forget spinning hard drives. NVMe SSDs (PCIe Gen4 or Gen5) are the standard now. They slash loading times and keep your cache smooth.

  • For most artists: 1–2 TB of internal NVMe storage, plus an external SSD for projects and backups, is the sweet spot.

Here’s the litmus test: if your machine lets you move around a complex scene without lag, renders your test frames before you finish your coffee, and doesn’t crash when you pile on modifiers, you’re in the right zone.

Desktops: The Creative Workhorses

If you want raw horsepower for 3D modeling, nothing beats a proper desktop. They’ve got the space for bigger cooling systems, more memory, and GPUs that would melt inside a thin laptop chassis. And let’s be honest: if your day job involves throwing entire cityscapes into a scene or running physics sims, a laptop just won’t cut it.

Here’s how I like to break it down:

#1. Sweet Spot Desktops (around $1,600–$2,500)

This is where most freelancers and serious hobbyists should start.

• CPU: AMD Ryzen 9 9950X or Intel Core Ultra 9 285K, both balance high single-core speed (great for viewport) with plenty of cores for rendering.

• GPU: RTX 4070 Ti Super or RTX 4080 Super. Both give you solid VRAM and great Cycles/Octane performance without breaking the bank.

• RAM: 64 GB DDR5 (and room to expand later).

• Storage: 2 TB NVMe SSD for projects + an external SSD for backups.

These rigs fly in Blender, 3ds Max, and Maya. In my experience, a 4070 Ti is more than enough for most mid-sized animation projects, and upgrading to a 4080 gives you extra headroom for larger scenes.

#2. Heavy Hitters (around $3,000–$4,500)

This tier is for professionals juggling massive assemblies or rendering constantly.

• CPU: Ryzen 9 9950X (16 cores) or Intel Core Ultra 9 285K, both with clock speeds that keep your viewport snappy.

• GPU: RTX 4090 (24 GB VRAM). Still the undisputed king for GPU rendering in Blender. I’ve seen render times cut in half compared to a 4070.

• RAM: 96–128 GB DDR5, essential if you’re running Marvelous Designer, Houdini, or mixing multiple apps at once.

• Storage: 4 TB NVMe (with scratch disk space for simulations and caches).

These are the setups that studios spec for artists who don’t have time to wait. When you’re billing clients by the hour, the machine pays for itself quickly.

#3. The Absolute Beasts (Threadripper & Friends)

Now we’re in “render farm in a box” territory.

• CPU: AMD Threadripper Pro 7000 WX-Series, with up to 96 cores. Perfect for CPU-based renderers like Arnold or for crazy fluid sims.

• GPU: Nvidia RTX 6000 Ada Generation (48 GB VRAM). Designed for production-scale assets — think film VFX pipelines, CAD assemblies with thousands of parts, or photogrammetry datasets.

• RAM: 256 GB ECC memory and beyond.

• Storage: Multiple NVMe drives, RAID setups, and 10 Gb Ethernet for pushing data around a studio network.

This is not overkill if you’re a professional studio with deadlines stacked back-to-back. But if you’re a freelancer or student? Don’t bother. You’ll be paying more for electricity than the creative work you get out of it.

Workstation Families to Trust

If you’d rather not custom-build:

• Lenovo ThinkStation P series (Threadripper Pro options, multi-GPU).

• HP Z6/Z8 workstations (Xeon and high-end GPU configs).

• Dell Precision towers (solid ISV certification for CAD users).

These aren’t glamorous, but they’re stable, expandable, and built to last. I’ve worked on HP Z workstations in production studios, and they were boring in the best possible way: they just never failed.

Laptops: Power You Can Carry

Not everyone can sit behind a tower with glowing fans and a power bill to match. If you’re a freelancer bouncing between client offices, a student working in cafés, or just someone who doesn’t want to be tied to a desk, a powerful laptop is the way to go.

The good news? Mobile workstations in 2025 are absolute monsters compared to just a few years ago. The bad news? They’re also heavy, expensive, and not always as cool-running as the marketing suggests. Let’s look at the best ones worth your money right now.

#1. Lenovo ThinkPad P16 Gen 3

If I had to describe this machine in one word: unapologetic.

• Why it matters: It’s essentially a desktop crammed into a laptop chassis. We’re talking Intel Core Ultra 200HX CPUs, up to NVIDIA RTX Pro 5000 GPUs, 192 GB RAM, and 12 TB of PCIe Gen 5 storage. That’s workstation territory you can throw in a backpack (a heavy one).

• Who it’s for: Architects, engineers, VFX artists who deal with massive assemblies or simulations but need to be mobile.

• The trade-off: It’s bulky — over an inch thick and north of 5 pounds. Don’t expect to carry it around all day like a MacBook Air. But if you need to present huge BIM models or show animations on-site, it’ll handle it.

#2. HP ZBook Fury 16 G11

HP’s ZBook line has been a staple in design and engineering studios for years, and the Fury G11 keeps that streak alive.

• Why it matters: Up to Intel Core i9-14900HX (24 cores, 32 threads, turbo up to 5.8 GHz) plus NVIDIA RTX 4000/5000 Ada Laptop GPUs. It’s basically desktop-grade silicon with the ISV certifications big studios love.

• Who it’s for: CAD-heavy workflows, VFX pipelines, or anyone who needs certified drivers and stability on top of raw performance.

• The trade-off: Like the ThinkPad P16, it’s not small. But the expandability (up to 128 GB RAM, dual SSD slots) makes it one of the most flexible laptops around.

#3. Dell Precision 7680

The safe, boring, but rock-solid choice.

• Why it matters: You can spec it with up to RTX 3500/5000 Ada GPUs and plenty of CPU options. It’s configurable for different budgets, which makes it popular in studios that deploy fleets of workstations.

• Who it’s for: 3D artists who need a reliable laptop that just works, especially if you’re working in a pipeline where Dell Precision towers are already standard.

• The trade-off: Not flashy, not slim, and certainly not cheap. But in my experience, Precisions are the type of laptops that keep going long after you’ve forgotten when you bought them.

#4. Asus ProArt P16

The wildcard — and maybe the best blend of portability and power.

• Why it matters: It pairs AMD’s new Ryzen AI 9 HX CPUs with RTX 4070 graphics, an OLED Pantone-validated display, and up to 64 GB RAM. It’s thinner and lighter than the ThinkPad or ZBook, but still powerful enough for most 3D workloads.

• Who it’s for: Creatives who care about visuals as much as performance — think Blender artists, motion designers, or students who need one laptop to do it all.

• The trade-off: Less headroom than the beefy workstation models. You’re not going to want to run a full-length feature film render on this thing. But for day-to-day 3D modeling and design, it’s a sweet spot.

Apple’s Take: Mac Studio & MacBook Pro

Some people swear by Apple for creative work. And honestly? I get it. If you’re deep into Cinema 4D, Redshift, or motion design, Apple’s silicon chips have made a huge leap in recent years. The machines are quiet, energy-efficient, and the displays are gorgeous. But there are caveats.

#1. Mac Studio (M3 Ultra / M4 Max)

• Why it matters: Apple’s Mac Studio is basically a tiny cube that punches way above its size. The M3 Ultra packs up to a 32-core CPU and 80-core GPU, while the M4 Max variant balances efficiency and raw speed. Unified memory goes up to 192 GB, which means your system and GPU share one massive pool of RAM — perfect for texture-heavy projects.

• Who it’s for: Motion graphics artists, C4D users, anyone working in macOS-optimized tools. If you want a desktop that doesn’t look like it belongs in a server room, this is it.

• The trade-off: Windows-only apps like Revit won’t run here (at least not natively). And while Redshift, Octane X, and Blender support Apple Silicon, some plug-ins still lag behind in optimization.

#2. MacBook Pro (M4 Pro / M4 Max)

• Why it matters: Apple’s flagship laptop combines desktop-class silicon with one of the best displays in the industry. HDR mini-LED screen, color accuracy that’s a dream for design, and battery life that puts Windows workstations to shame.

• Who it’s for: Creators who want mobility without giving up polish. If you’re a motion designer bouncing between client offices, or an artist who values battery life on top of performance, the MacBook Pro makes a strong case.

• The trade-off: GPU rendering on macOS isn’t quite as flexible as on NVIDIA-equipped PCs. If your workflow leans heavily on CUDA-only tools, you’ll feel boxed in.

Bottom line with Apple:
If you’re already in the macOS ecosystem and your tools play nicely with Metal and Apple Silicon, these machines are incredible. They’re stable, sleek, and surprisingly powerful for their size. But if your workflow depends on Windows-only apps or CUDA-exclusive renderers, you’ll hit walls pretty fast.

Budget-Friendly Options That Still Work

Not everyone has $4,000 lying around for a workstation tower, and that’s okay. The good news is that 3D software doesn’t demand you buy the absolute top shelf to get started or even to work professionally on small to medium projects. You just have to know where to cut corners without shooting yourself in the foot.

Entry-Level Desktops (~$1,000–$1,200)

• CPU: AMD Ryzen 5 7600 or Intel Core i5-13400. Both give you solid single-core performance for viewport work.

• GPU: NVIDIA RTX 3060 (12 GB) or RTX 4060. These won’t blitz through massive GPU renders, but they handle most Blender and Maya projects surprisingly well.

• RAM: 32 GB, don’t skimp here. 16 GB will have you cursing the swap file.

• Storage: 1 TB NVMe SSD. Fast load times matter more than sheer capacity at this tier.

Who it’s for: Students, hobbyists, or freelancers just starting out. You’ll be able to learn, practice, and even deliver client projects. Just don’t expect to breeze through 20-million-poly assemblies.

Mid-Tier Laptops (~$1,800–$2,300)

• MSI Creator Z16 — Intel i9 + RTX 3060, paired with 32 GB RAM. It’s not a workstation-class rig, but it balances creative power and portability well.

• Asus ProArt series (lower configs) — If you don’t need the absolute top-end, the ProArt line offers midrange configs with RTX 4060 GPUs and strong color-accurate OLED displays.

Who it’s for: Creators who want one machine to handle 3D modeling, editing, and design work. If you’re not dealing with cinematic VFX scenes, these mid-tier laptops will get the job done.

Why “Budget” Still Needs Smart Choices

I’ve seen too many people buy a “gaming laptop deal” with a flashy GPU only to choke on 16 GB of RAM and a small SSD. Here’s the order of priorities if you’re tight on budget:

1. RAM — 32 GB minimum. It’s the best bang-for-buck upgrade.

2. Storage — Get at least a 1 TB SSD. Loading big scene files from a spinning HDD is like watching paint dry.

3. GPU — A 3060/4060 is fine for learning and light projects.

4. CPU — Mid-tier chips are fine for modeling; don’t get fooled into thinking you need Threadripper to make a decent character rig.

The takeaway here? Budget builds are perfect for learning, experimenting, and even freelancing, as long as you’re realistic about their limits. If you’re not rendering feature-length animations, you probably don’t need a $10,000 rig just yet.

The Hidden Costs Nobody Talks About

Specs are sexy. Benchmarks are exciting. But once you actually live with a 3D machine, you start noticing the unglamorous stuff nobody mentioned in the product brochure. These hidden costs can turn even the most powerful computer into a daily frustration.

#1. Cooling & Throttling

Laptops especially love to play this game: you run Blender, it screams at full speed for 15 minutes, and then… performance drops. That’s thermal throttling. All the horsepower in the world doesn’t matter if your cooling solution can’t keep up. A bulky workstation laptop like the Lenovo P16 or HP ZBook handles this better than thin-and-light “creator” laptops, but even they can get toasty.

On desktops, cooling means bigger cases, more fans, maybe even liquid cooling. Great performance requires airflow, and airflow often means noise. Which brings us to…

#2. Noise & Power Draw

That RTX 4090 isn’t just a graphics card, it’s a space heater. Pair it with a Threadripper and you’ve basically built a second radiator for your room. Desktops at this level can easily chew through 800–1000W under load. That’s higher electricity bills, more heat in your workspace, and fans that sound like a small jet taking off if you don’t manage cooling properly.

#3. Upgradability (or Lack Of)

• Desktops: this is where they shine. Swap GPUs, add more RAM, throw in extra storage, easy.

• Laptops: usually capped at RAM and SSD upgrades, and even that’s getting rare. Many solder memory now.

• Apple machines: what you buy is what you live with. Unified memory is fantastic for performance, but you can’t upgrade it later. If you think you might need 64 GB down the line, you’d better buy it upfront.

#4. Software Certification

If you’re in CAD/CAE (SolidWorks, Creo, CATIA), raw specs aren’t enough. You’ll want certified GPUs and drivers for stability. That’s why Dell Precisions, HP ZBooks, and Lenovo ThinkPads still dominate in engineering firms. They’re boring, but certified drivers mean fewer viewport glitches and fewer crashes during deadlines.

#5. Peripherals & Displays

Don’t forget the stuff around the computer. A color-accurate 4K monitor isn’t optional if you’re doing texturing or animation reviews. A $2000 GPU is wasted if you’re looking at it through a 1080p washed-out display. Add in a good keyboard, stylus tablet, or 3D mouse, and suddenly your “$2,500 setup” is a $3,200 setup.

In short: when planning your budget, leave room for airflow, electricity, reliability, and peripherals. Because the fastest machine in the world won’t help you if you can’t stand sitting next to it all day.

Mistakes to Avoid When Choosing a 3D Computer

I’ve seen (and made) most of these mistakes myself. They all come from the same place: chasing numbers on spec sheets without thinking about how 3D workflows actually behave. Here are the traps worth dodging:

#1. Buying a Gaming Laptop Because It “Looks Powerful”

RGB lights and an RTX badge don’t guarantee smooth 3D performance. Gaming laptops often prioritize flashy GPUs while cutting corners on cooling, RAM capacity, or driver stability. Fine for gaming, not always fine for 3D software that runs viewport-intensive scenes or needs certified drivers.

#2. Overspending on the GPU While Starving the Rest

It’s tempting to blow the budget on the biggest GPU you can afford, but 24 GB of VRAM won’t help if you’re stuck with 16 GB of RAM and a mid-tier CPU. A balanced system always beats a lopsided one. Think 64 GB RAM minimum for serious work before you spring for that RTX 4090.

#3. Ignoring Storage Speed

I’ve seen artists run Blender on systems with giant HDDs because “it has 4 TB of space.” Yes, and also 4 minutes of load times per project. Don’t. NVMe SSDs are non-negotiable. Use cheap HDDs only for long-term archiving, not daily work.

#4. Forgetting About Upgradability

That slim laptop or base Mac might look sleek, but if you can’t upgrade RAM or storage later, you’ll be boxed in fast. If you’re not sure how your workload will grow, leave yourself a path to expand. Desktops are better here, but even workstation laptops like the ThinkPad P16 let you add more RAM/SSD after purchase.

#5. Underestimating Display Quality

3D work isn’t just about crunching numbers. If your monitor can’t show you accurate colors, you’ll end up with textures that look “off” on client screens. At minimum, get a color-accurate IPS or OLED display with good resolution. Trust me — working on a washed-out monitor will make you second-guess your own skills.

#6. Not Matching the Machine to the Workflow

• Do you mostly model/animate? CPU clocks matter most.

• Do you mostly render on GPU? VRAM and GPU tier are king.

• Do you work in CAD/CAE? You’ll want certified GPUs/drivers for stability.

• Do you travel a lot? Don’t buy a 20-pound workstation laptop unless you also want a new chiropractor bill.

Buying a computer for 3D isn’t about chasing the flashiest spec. It’s about picking the right mix of parts for the kind of work you actually do.

Workflow-Specific Notes & Quick Self-Assessment

Here’s the part most guides skip: not every 3D artist needs the same kind of computer. A character animator’s priorities are completely different from a VFX artist running fluid sims or an engineer in SolidWorks. Instead of a generic “best PC” list, let’s map hardware to actual workflows.

If You’re Mostly Modeling or Animating

• Priority: High CPU clock speed + responsive GPU.

• Why: Viewport performance is driven more by single-thread speed than raw core count.

• What to get: Intel Core Ultra 9 285K or AMD Ryzen 9 9950X; pair it with a mid-high GPU (RTX 4070 Ti / 4080).

• RAM: 32–64 GB is plenty here.

If You’re Doing GPU Rendering (Blender Cycles, Redshift, Octane)

• Priority: GPU horsepower + VRAM.

• Why: GPU renderers scale directly with CUDA cores and memory.

• What to get: RTX 4090 (24 GB VRAM) if you want the best bang for buck, or RTX 6000 Ada (48 GB) if your scenes are film-scale.

• RAM: 64–128 GB for smoother multitasking while rendering.

If You’re Doing CPU Rendering or Simulations (Arnold, Houdini, fluid/cloth sims)

• Priority: Core count + memory bandwidth.

• Why: These workloads love parallel processing and chew through RAM.

• What to get: AMD Threadripper Pro 7000 WX (up to 96 cores, 8 memory channels).

• RAM: 128–256 GB ECC.

If You’re CAD/CAE Focused (SolidWorks, Creo, CATIA)

• Priority: Certified GPUs and stable drivers.

• Why: Raw power isn’t enough — certified Quadro/RTX Pro cards prevent crashes and ensure viewport accuracy.

• What to get: NVIDIA RTX A4000/A5000 or RTX 3500/5000 Ada Laptop GPUs in mobile workstations.

• Bonus: Dell Precision, HP ZBook, and Lenovo ThinkPad P series often carry ISV certifications.

If You’re a Motion Designer or C4D User on macOS

• Priority: Apple Silicon performance + display.

• Why: Redshift, Octane X, and native tools love the M-series chips.

• What to get: Mac Studio (M3 Ultra) or MacBook Pro (M4 Max).

• Caveat: If you need Windows-only tools like Revit or 3ds Max, Apple’s not your friend.

Quick Self-Assessment

• Do you spend more time moving objects than rendering them? → Prioritize CPU clock speed.

• Do you hit “Render” more than “Extrude”? → Prioritize GPU + VRAM.

• Do you crash often with giant sims? → Invest in cores + massive RAM.

• Do you work in CAD/CAE? → Certified GPUs and ISV-approved systems.

• Do you travel often? → A workstation laptop with 32–64 GB RAM and at least an RTX 3000/4000 Ada.

• Do you prefer macOS? → Great for C4D/motion graphics, but check software compatibility first.

At the end of the day, the best computer isn’t the one with the most cores or the shiniest marketing. It’s the one that doesn’t slow you down in the specific kind of work you do.

Cloud as a Safety Net

Here’s the truth: no matter how powerful your desktop or laptop is, there will be times when it just isn’t enough. Maybe you’re traveling with only a lightweight laptop. Maybe your workstation is tied up rendering all night and you still need to get other work done. Or maybe you hit a scene so massive that even your shiny RTX 4090 groans.

That’s where Vagon Cloud Computer comes in.

With Vagon, you don’t have to own every ounce of performance upfront. You spin up a high-powered machine in your browser, work on it like it’s your own PC, and shut it down when you’re done. Need 64 GB of RAM and a beefy RTX GPU for one project? Fire it up. Back to lighter tasks tomorrow? Scale it down.

98Real-World Scenarios Where Cloud Saves You

• Traveling with a thin laptop → You can still model or render heavy projects by connecting to a Vagon session in Chrome.

• Crunch time rendering → Instead of locking your workstation for hours, push the render to the cloud and keep working locally.

• Collaboration → Share the same project session with teammates without worrying if they have the right hardware.

• Budget relief → Instead of dropping $5,000 on a monster workstation, you can start with a modest setup and “rent the horsepower” only when you need it.

How to Think About It

Vagon isn’t a replacement for your daily driver, it’s a safety net. Your local machine still handles your everyday modeling and animation. But when you hit the limits of that hardware, or when you’re away from it, the cloud fills in the gap.

It’s the difference between being stuck and being able to keep going. And honestly? That peace of mind is worth as much as raw specs sometimes.

Final Thoughts

There isn’t a single “best” computer for 3D modeling. There’s only the machine that fits your projects, your budget, and your lifestyle.

If you’re animating characters and care about snappy viewports, prioritize a fast CPU with high clocks. If you’re deep into GPU rendering, spend the money on a card with plenty of VRAM. Running giant sims or film-scale projects? Nothing short of Threadripper-class cores and 128+ GB of RAM will keep you sane.

And if you’re traveling, presenting to clients, or just don’t want to be chained to a tower, workstation laptops are finally powerful enough to carry most of the load. Apple machines, too, are incredible for motion design pipelines, if your software plays nicely with macOS.

But here’s the key takeaway: don’t buy a machine to impress Reddit threads. Buy the machine that won’t slow you down. That might be a $1,500 desktop, a $3,500 workstation, or a Mac Studio that fits neatly on your desk. And when even that setup hits a wall, the cloud is there as a safety net.

I’ve been on both sides of this, stuck watching a render bar crawl for hours, and also flying through projects because the hardware melted them like butter. Trust me, the difference is night and day.

Pick the right tool for your workflow, keep an eye on balance (CPU, GPU, RAM, storage), and you’ll spend less time waiting, and more time actually creating.

FAQs

Q: Is 16 GB of RAM enough for 3D modeling?
Technically, yes — but you’ll regret it fast. Simple models might run fine, but once you add textures, modifiers, or multiple apps at once, 16 GB becomes a bottleneck. For real-world work, 32 GB is the minimum, and 64 GB is where things start to feel smooth.

Q: Do I need an RTX 4090 for Blender or Maya?
Not necessarily. The RTX 4090 is amazing for GPU rendering, but plenty of artists get by with RTX 4070 or 4080 cards. If your scenes aren’t enormous or you’re just learning, you don’t need to jump straight to a $2,000 GPU. Spend wisely, balance your CPU and RAM too.

Q: Should I buy a gaming laptop for 3D modeling?
Maybe, but with caution. Gaming laptops often have strong GPUs but weak cooling and limited RAM capacity. If you’re serious about 3D, look for a workstation laptop (Lenovo ThinkPad P, HP ZBook, Dell Precision, Asus ProArt). They’re heavier, but they’re built for professional workloads.

Q: Are Macs good for 3D modeling?
Yes, for the right software. Macs (Mac Studio, MacBook Pro) shine in Cinema 4D, Redshift, Octane X, and motion graphics. But if you rely on Windows-only tools like Revit, 3ds Max, or certain plugins, you’ll be blocked. Always check your software list before committing to macOS.

Q: Do I need ECC memory for 3D modeling?
Not unless you’re running huge simulations, film-scale VFX, or CAD/engineering projects where absolute stability is critical. For most artists, standard DDR5 memory is fine. ECC RAM matters more in studio environments where crashes could mean thousands lost in downtime.

Q: Can I start with a budget PC and upgrade later?
Yes, and honestly that’s the smartest way for most beginners. Start with a desktop that supports upgrades. Get a decent CPU, 32 GB RAM, and an RTX 3060/4060. As your projects get heavier, add more RAM, bigger SSDs, or swap in a stronger GPU.

Q: Where does cloud fit in — can it replace my computer entirely?
Cloud options like Vagon Cloud Computer are best as a safety net, not a full replacement. Use your own machine for daily work, and lean on the cloud when you’re traveling, rendering overnight, or pushing scenes too heavy for your hardware. Think of it like renting extra horsepower when you need it.