Stop guessing what hardware your design team actually needs
A practical playbook and spec sheet for architecture, engineering and construction firms that run Revit, AutoCAD and big central models every day.
A free playbook and spec sheet for architecture and engineering firms. Right-size Revit and CAD workstations, fix slow VPN access, and protect project files.
What you'll get
A practical, ready-to-use resource you fill in with your own numbers and keep. No expiring trial, no strings.
What the AEC IT Playbook does
If your design team complains that Revit crawls over VPN, or you’re about to buy a batch of new workstations and have no idea which specs actually matter, this playbook is for you. Architecture, engineering and construction work pushes hardware and networks harder than almost any other small business, and generic IT advice tends to fall apart the moment someone opens a large central model.
This guide lays out what fast looks like for a firm your size: how to spec the machines, how to share models without the lag, and how to keep years of project files safe. It is written for the people making the call, not for a server room.
Right-size every workstation
Three spec tiers for modeling, rendering and light users, with concrete CPU, RAM, GPU and storage targets tuned for Revit and AutoCAD instead of generic office PCs.
Fix slow model access
Plain-English options for central-model and file-sharing setups, so you know when VPN is the problem and when a cloud workstation or sync model fits your firm better.
Protect the project files
Large-file backup and version control guidance built for design data, so a corrupted model or a ransomware hit doesn't cost you a whole project.
Built for jobsites out here
Field-crew device and connectivity notes, a CMMC pointer for defense work, plus an Alaska and Hawaii annex on remote-jobsite and Starlink realities.
What is inside the playbook
- Three workstation spec tiers, modeling, rendering and light, with target CPU, RAM, GPU and storage for Revit and AutoCAD
- A comparison of central-model and file-sharing approaches: VPN, cloud workstation, and file sync, with the trade-offs of each
- Large-file backup and version-control guidance so you never lose a project to a bad save or an attack
- Jobsite connectivity and field-crew device notes, including mobile device management for laptops that leave the office
- A CMMC pointer for firms doing defense or federal work
- An Alaska and Hawaii annex covering remote-jobsite connectivity and Starlink realities
A spec sheet is a starting point, not a purchase order
Want the background behind the specs?
If your real pain is slow model access, our article on why Revit and CAD run slow over VPN explains what is actually happening and how to fix it as a firm. For the bigger picture on supporting your sector, our IT for your industry hub covers how design, healthcare, legal and nonprofit work each need different things from IT.
How it works
Tell us where to send it
Fill in the short form. Just enough so we know who we're helping and can tailor any follow-up, only if you want it.
Check your inbox
We email your copy right away, and the download is yours to keep. No expiring trial, no login.
Put it to work
Use it on your own, or ask us for a second set of eyes. No pressure either way.
We do not sell your information
You get the file and an email copy for later. That is it. No third-party sharing, ever.
Real local humans built this
Vicinity is a genuinely local IT provider with people in Alaska and Hawaii who support design firms running these exact tools.
No sales theater
The playbook is a working reference, not a brochure. Use it whether or not we ever talk.