Choosing an APEXX Workstation for Your AEC Workflow: Revit, AutoCAD and SOLIDWORKS Benchmark Results

Every week I talk with architects, engineers, and CAD managers facing the same problem: their hardware isn't keeping up with their work.

Models are getting bigger. Deadlines aren't getting longer. Applications such as AutoCAD®, Revit®, and Civil 3D® demand more from the machine with every release.

After helping configure workstations for thousands of AEC professionals, I've found that the most common mistake isn't buying too little hardware. It's buying the wrong hardware for the specific work being done.

So, we did something we do not do very often: we published the benchmark data.

The short answer

The APEXX S3 and A3 delivered closely matched performance for daily Revit and AutoCAD work.

The A3 led Revit model creation and both AutoCAD tests. The S3 narrowly led Revit graphics.

For CPU-based rendering, the APEXX T3 completed the Revit test in approximately 31% less time than the S3 and A3.

APEXX S3 vs. A3 vs. T3

The current APEXX lineup offers three distinct configurations, each built around a different AEC workflow profile. The table below compares the tested processors and the types of work each workstation is designed to support.

The question I get most often is: which one is right for my team?

The answer depends on your workflow and the applications and tasks that make up most of the team’s day. That is exactly why we benchmarked all three.

Why processor choice matters for Revit and AutoCAD

More processor cores do not automatically mean better CAD performance.

Many common modeling, drawing, and interface operations in Revit and AutoCAD depend heavily on fast single-thread performance. Other tasks, including CPU-based rendering, can use more cores.

A high-core-count workstation may look more powerful on paper. However, it may not outperform a well-configured system with fewer, faster cores during daily modeling and graphics work.

This is the design principle behind every APEXX workstation.

We are not simply chasing higher core counts. We are matching the processor, graphics, memory, and complete system configuration to the work each customer performs.

How we tested the APEXX workstations

We tested all three APEXX configurations against two benchmarks the AEC community actually uses:

• Revit® 2026 RFO Benchmark: Model creation, rendering, and graphics.
• Cadalyst AutoCAD® 2026 benchmark: Total Index and 3D Graphics

All three systems were configured identically with:

• NVIDIA® RTX PRO™ 4000 Blackwell Workstation Edition GPU
• 64GB DDR5 memory

Keeping the GPU model and memory capacity consistent helped us focus on the comparison on the performance differences between the three processor platforms.

These results represent the tested configurations. Performance may vary based on software versions, project files, plugins, drivers, settings, and the complete system configuration.

Revit 2026 and AutoCAD 2026 Benchmark Results

Which APEXX workstation performed best in Revit 2026?

There was no single Revit benchmark winner. The best option depends on how your team uses the application:

• For modeling and coordination work: The S3 and A3 are virtually indistinguishable in practice. The A3 led model creation, while the S3 narrowly led graphics. Either workstation should feel fast, so the decision may come down to budget and any secondary workloads you're running.
• For rendering and point cloud workflows: The T3 tells a different story. Its render time of 11.84 seconds is nearly 32% faster than both the S3 and A3. For a team doing scan-to-BIM work, large visualization deliverables, or running simulation alongside design, that gap adds up quickly across a project.

Which APEXX workstation performed best in AutoCAD 2026?

The APEXX A3 posted the strongest AutoCAD results, but the best-performing system differed by category:

• For overall AutoCAD and graphics performance: The A3 posted the highest Total Index, 3D Graphics, and 2D Graphics scores. The S3 remained close in the Total Index and 3D Graphics tests, so either workstation should feel fast during everyday AutoCAD work.
• For Disk and CPU performance: The S3 led both categories, with a Disk score of 337 and a CPU score of 651.
• For high-core-count configurations: The T3 did not lead any of the tested AutoCAD categories. This reinforces that more processor cores do not automatically produce better performance in day-to-day CAD work.

For most AutoCAD users, the A3 is the stronger overall starting point based on these results. The final decision may still depend on budget and the other applications or workloads your team needs to support.

SPECapc for SOLIDWORKS 2025: APEXX Workstation Benchmark Results

AutoCAD and Revit are the primary tools for most AEC workflows, and we want to be clear that those results above are the most relevant starting point for the majority of readers here.

That said, many engineering firms, particularly in MEP, structural, and industrial design, run SOLIDWORKS alongside their CAD environment.

For those teams, and for IT managers and tech managers evaluating a single workstation platform across multiple disciplines, we also ran the SPECapc for SOLIDWORKS 2025 benchmark.

The APEXX T3 posted the highest CPU Composite Score of 2.25, compared with 2.01 for the A3 and 1.84 for the S3.

The A3 posted the highest GPU Composite Score at 2.26. The S3 followed at 2.22, while the T3 scored 2.18.

For firms running SOLIDWORKS alongside AutoCAD or Revit, the T3’s CPU Composite Score is a meaningful step above the S3’s 1.84. For multidisciplinary teams evaluating one workstation platform across several applications, the T3 makes a strong case.

Which APEXX workstation is right for your AEC workflow?

Choose the APEXX S3 for responsive daily CAD work

The S3 is a strong starting point for professionals focused on:

• Revit modeling and coordination
• AutoCAD drawing and documentation
• Graphics and viewport responsiveness
• Workflows that depend heavily on fast single-thread performance

It narrowly led the Revit graphics test and remained close to the A3 in model creation and AutoCAD performance.

For teams deciding between the S3 and A3, the choice may come down to budget and the secondary applications or workloads the workstation needs to support.

Choose the APEXX A3 for balanced Revit and AutoCAD performance

The A3 led three of the five published benchmark categories:

• Revit model creation
• AutoCAD Total Index
• AutoCAD 3D Graphics

Based on these results, the A3 provides the strongest overall balance across the tested Revit and AutoCAD tasks.

It is a good starting point for professionals who move between modeling, documentation, graphics, and other applications throughout the day.

Choose the APEXX T3 for CPU-based rendering

The T3’s clearest advantage appeared in the Revit render test.

It is the strongest starting point for teams that spend a significant amount of time on:

• CPU-based rendering
• Heavily threaded processing
• Simulation
• Large assemblies

The T3 also posted the highest SOLIDWORKS CPU Composite Score, making it a strong option for multidisciplinary teams using SOLIDWORKS alongside AutoCAD or Revit.

If most of the day is spent modeling in Revit or working in AutoCAD, the S3 or A3 may be the better fit.

A note on the Intel Core Ultra 7 270K Plus

We also tested Intel’s recently released Core™ Ultra 7 270K Plus.

We wanted to see whether it could provide a competitive price-performance alternative to the Core Ultra 9 285K.

The 270K Plus is a capable processor. However, the 285K used in the APEXX S3 produced the stronger results for the CAD workloads we tested.

For Revit and AutoCAD workflows that depend heavily on fast single-thread performance, the 285K remains the stronger Intel option based on our testing.

The Bigger Picture: Building for the workflow and what's coming

One thing I tell every AEC professional I work with: the workstation you're buying today isn't just for the workflow you have today.

AI-assisted tools are already arriving inside the software your team uses every day. Real-time visualization, automated analysis, larger models, and more complex project data are also placing new demands on hardware.

As those augmentations layer onto existing CAD and BIM workflows, the performance floor rises. Hardware that's adequate today may not be adequate in eighteen months.

BOXX has spent 25 years building workstations for exactly this kind of inflection point, for professionals who need their hardware to be the last thing they're worried about.

Not Sure Which APEXX Configuration Fits Your Workflow?

This is the conversation I have every day.

Most AEC professionals aren't running just one application, and the right machine depends on how your team actually works, not just the spec sheet.

If you want to talk through which APEXX configuration makes sense for your workflow, reach out to our team to evaluate your modeling, rendering, visualization, and processing requirements.

Talk with a BOXX performance specialist.