Cubit Estimating System Requirements and Hardware Recommendations
Cubit Estimating is a powerful software tool used in construction and estimation processes. To ensure the best performance and compatibility, it is essential to understand the system requirements and hardware recommendations for running Cubit Estimating version 10 or newer. This article aims to provide a comprehensive guide to help users make informed decisions and achieve the best possible experience with Cubit Estimating. These system requirements apply to running either as a network client or as standalone installations of Cubit Estimating 10 or newer.
For system requirements for the installation of Cubit Estimating on a Terminal Server / Remote Desktop Server, please refer to System Requirements for Cubit Estimating on Terminal Servers/ Remote Desktop Servers article.
Network client or Standalone installation
Whether you are installing Cubit Estimating as a network client or a standalone application, certain system requirements must be met. It is highly recommended to consult with your IT service provider to ensure a smooth installation process. The standard installation is provided as an x64 or 64-bit application, while an unsupported x86 or 32-bit version can be obtained upon request from the support team at support@buildsoft.com.au.
Supported Windows Version
Cubit Estimating is compatible with several Windows versions, including Windows 11 Home, Windows 11 Pro, Windows 11 Pro Educational, Windows 10 Home and Windows 10 Pro.
Important: Windows 8 and Windows 7 are not supported.
Mac Users: Cubit Estimating has limited support on Apple Mac Devices. Running Windows on an Apple Mac device using platforms like Apple Bootcamp or virtual machines such as VMware or Parallels is necessary.
Further information on how to run Windows on Mac OS can be obtained from Apple's website (www.apple.com).
Below is a matrix of supported operating systems and the version of Cubit that is supported in the platform.
Note: Cloud technologies allow for varying environmental factors; please consult with our support team at support@buildsoft.com.au for more deployment information related to your proposed environment.
Computer Hardware Recommendations
To ensure the best performance, Cubit Estimating requires specific hardware configurations based on the intensity of usage.
Heavy Use Configuration
- Processor: Intel® Core™ i7-12700H or higher¹
- Memory: Minimum 32GB
- Network: Gigabit Ethernet+ or Wi-Fi 6(AC/X)
- Video: Dedicated Nvidia GeForce RTX 3060 4GB or better²
- Storage: 1TB, M.2, PCIe NVMe, SSD (Solid State Drive)
Medium Use Configuration
- Processor: Intel® Core™ i5-1135G7 or higher¹
- Memory: 16-64GB
- Network: Gigabit Ethernet+ or Wi-Fi 4(N)
- Video: Dedicated Nvidia GeForce RTX 2050 4GB or better²
- Storage: 512GB, M.2, PCIe NVMe, SSD
Light Use Configuration
- Processor: Intel® Core™ i5-1135G7 or higher¹
- Memory: 16-32GB
- Network: Gigabit Ethernet+ or Wi-Fi 3(G)
- Video: Dedicated 4GB video card or better²
- Storage: 512GB, M.2, PCIe NVMe, SSD
Graphics Requirements & Compatibility
✅ Fully Supported Graphics Solutions
Dedicated Nvidia Graphics Cards
- GeForce RTX 2050 or newer recommended
- OpenGL 2.0+ support with up-to-date drivers
- Minimum 4GB VRAM for optimal performance
Dedicated AMD Graphics Cards
- Equivalent AMD Radeon cards with 4GB+ VRAM
- OpenGL 2.0+ support with up-to-date drivers
⚠️ Limited Support - Known Issues
Intel IRIS Integrated Graphics
Status: Limited Support - Basic functionality available
Requirements:
- OpenGL 2.0 compatibility with updated drivers
Known Limitations:
- Reduced performance compared to dedicated cards
- May struggle with graphics-intensive operations (large plans, detailed PDFs)
- Limited VRAM affects complex projects
- Some advanced features may be unavailable
Recommendation: Suitable for light use only; upgrade to dedicated graphics for medium to heavy use
Snapdragon Adreno Graphics
Status: Limited Support - Significant compatibility issues
Known Problems:
- Inconsistent OpenGL implementation
- Driver compatibility issues
- Performance degradation and instability
- Mobile-optimised architecture not ideal for desktop applications
- Feature limitations and potential crashes
Recommendation: Not suitable for production use - consider alternative hardware
❌ Unsupported Graphics
- Legacy integrated graphics without OpenGL 2.0 support
- Graphics cards without proper driver support
- Very old dedicated cards (pre-2010)
Processor Compatibility
✅ Fully Supported Processors
- Intel Core processors (4th generation or newer)
- AMD Ryzen and equivalent processors
⚠️ Known Issues - Snapdragon Processors
Snapdragon ARM-based processors have known compatibility issues and are not fully supported.
Common Problems:
- Performance degradation and instability
- Limited software compatibility
- Graphics driver issues
- Potential application crashes
Recommendation: Not recommended for production use
Storage Requirements
Minimum Installation Space: 2GB of disk space
Additional Requirements:
- At least 2.5 times the free disk space of the current database size
- Maintain a minimum of 10% free disk space on the drive where both the database and installation are stored
These requirements will help ensure smooth functioning of Cubit Estimating and prevent any storage-related issues.
Server Installation and Display Hardware
Cubit Estimating can be installed on servers; however, it is advisable for your IT consultants to consult with our support team to determine specific system requirements aligned with your current and future needs.
Display Requirements
- Screen Resolution: 1920 x 1080 or higher recommended for both single and multi-screen setups
-
4K Screen Resolution Support:
- Single screen: Video card with 4GB or more RAM
- Multi-screen setups: 8GB or more RAM
- Scaling: 100% or higher, including scales of 125%+, is supported
Performance Impact Factors
The following conditions increase the load on the CPU and the use of resources, resulting in the requirement of a higher CPU specification and/or added RAM and hard disk space:
- Working with large plans
- Including detailed PDFs (Portable Document Format) and large scanned images
- Detailed layers within plans
- Multiple open jobs
- Concurrently installed applications, including the Windows operating system
- Multiple users on the same job
- A substantial number of reference items within the job
Hardware Benchmarking Tools
Tools that can be utiliz=sed to identify your current hardware and its benchmark against the above recommendations:
- CPU Benchmarking: http://www.cpubenchmark.net/cpu_list.php
- Video Card Benchmarking: http://www.videocardbenchmark.net/gpu_list.php
Graphics Performance by Hardware Type
Important Notes
¹ Intel or equivalent AMD processor
² Nvidia or AMD equivalent video card
Graphics Requirement: A dedicated video card supporting OpenGL 2.0 with up-to-date drivers is needed for optimal performance.
Need Help?
If you have any further questions or require assistance with the installation process, please don't hesitate to reach out to our support team at support@buildsoft.com.au. They are available to provide the necessary guidance and support to ensure a smooth installation experience.
Comments
Awesome article Michael. Very helpful. Thank you.
Hi Michael,
How much space would be required for network client storage? We have the Enterprise version of cubit and have been using it since early 2022 and are currently using 672GB. We just increased it from 500GB to 800GB last month and it just keeps on growing. Thanks.
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