Lumion is the architectural software of choice for many designers, architects, and 3D artists worldwide. It’s fast, intuitive, and produces stunning results in real time. However, like any visualization software, your experience largely depends on your hardware, and your graphics card is arguably the most important factor.
If you’re running Lumion 2025 or planning to upgrade, you may be wondering: What’s the best graphics card for Lumion right now? This article will walk you through the key factors to consider, Lumion 2025 system requirements, and our top GPU recommendations for faster, smoother, and more efficient rendering.
Factors Considered When Choosing Graphics Card for Lumion 2025
Performance Considerations
When selecting a GPU for Lumion, the most crucial factor to consider is its performance. Since Lumion is a software that requires a powerful GPU to process complex scenes and render in real time. Look for a graphics card with a high number of CUDA cores, a high clock speed, and plenty of VRAM. These specs will ensure smooth and fast rendering.
The quickest way to determine a high-performance GPU is to rely on the PassMark score, which gives you a benchmark of how powerful a card is compared to others. Lumion needs a dedicated GPU with as many Passmark points as possible. The higher the score, the better Lumion will perform and the faster it will render.
Entry level (PassMark 8,000+): Graphics cards are good for small projects, simple scenes, and basic rendering.
Mid-level (PassMark 14,000+): GPUs are good for medium-sized projects, more complex lighting, and higher resolutions.
High-level (PassMark 20,000+): GPUs are ideal for heavy scenes, ultra-high-resolution rendering, and smooth real-time navigation.
It is also worth noting that Lumion favors NVIDIA graphics cards, as the software generally offers better optimization and compatibility with NVIDIA GPUs. While AMD graphics cards can still work with Lumion, some users have reported minor compatibility issues and performance differences.
Compatibility with Lumion
You should also consider the card’s compatibility with Lumion. Version 2024/2025 has improved ray tracing features to provide more realistic lighting, shadows, and reflections. While Lumion’s ray tracing doesn’t completely replace rasterization rendering, having a GPU that supports ray tracing can improve workflow quality and efficiency.
In addition, the graphics card memory also affects the performance of the project, more memory is better. Of course, using an unsupported graphics card can lead to compatibility issues as well as not providing optimal performance. Refer to the list of graphics cards that Lumion recommends below. This list includes initial research into cards that provide suitable support and performance for Lumion 2025/2024.
Note: Ray tracing is an optional feature, so you can still use Lumion 2024/2025 even if your graphics card does not support Ray tracing. You just cannot use the Ray tracing effect, but can still render using the Rasterization rendering process.
Budget Considerations
Graphics cards vary widely in price, so choosing the right card for your budget is important. Lumion is a professional software that requires a powerful graphics card, which is usually more expensive. However, there are options for different budgets.
If you have a flexible budget and want the best performance, high-end graphics cards such as the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090, 4090, 4080, or AMD Radeon RX 7900 XTX/XT, RX 9070, RX 7800 XT are great choices. These cards offer top-notch performance and are suitable for professionals or professional studios that need maximum rendering capabilities.
On the other hand, mid-range graphics cards such as the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 Super or AMD Radeon RX 5600 XT can still provide satisfactory performance at a more affordable price. These cards offer a good balance between affordability and performance. They are suitable for 3D artist beginners, small-scale projects.
Future-Proofing and Upgradability
If you invest in a GPU in 2025, think about how long you expect it to last. While a mid-range graphics card can handle Lumion today, software updates, higher resolution displays, and more complex projects may push it to its limits sooner than you think.
Opting for a slightly more powerful GPU now can extend its useful life by several years. You may save on upgrade costs in the short term. Also, don’t forget to check that your power supply (PSU), cooling system, and computer case can handle a larger GPU if you decide to upgrade in the future.
Summary Requirements
Note: Rendering movies in 4K resolution requires a minimum of 8GB graphics card memory.
Recommended Graphic Cards for Lumion 2025
High-end Requirements (For Ultra Complex Projects)
Extremely Complex
When working with extremely complex Lumion projects like rendering a full-scale city, airport, or stadium, you’ll need nothing short of a powerhouse GPU. It’s better with Raytracing-supported GPUs.
Minimum requirements:
Pro-only graphics cards with at least 32GB of graphics card memory.
Well above 22,000 PassMark points.
Examples:
NVIDIA RTX A6000 (48GB)
NVIDIA Quadro RTX 8000 (48GB)
AMD Radeon Pro W7900 (48GB)
Large-scale
A large-scale project, such as a detailed landscape made with high-end Lumion features like Fine-detail Nature and 3D Grass.
Highly Detailed
Or highly detailed multi-floor buildings packed with complex interiors and HD textures, Lumion needs:
Minimum Requirements:
16 GB+ graphics card memory.
22,000 PassMark points.
Examples:
NVIDIA: Geforce RTX 3090, RTX 3090 Ti, RTX 4070Ti, RTX 4080, RTX 4090, RTX A5000, RTX A5500, NVIDIA RTX A6000
AMD: Radeon RX 6800 XT, RX 6900 XT, RX 6950 XT, RX 7900 XT, RX 7900 XTX
It’s important to note that GPU performance isn’t the only factor. To match these high-end graphics cards for Lumion, your CPU should deliver as high a clock speed per core as possible, ideally above 3000 on the single-threaded CPUMark test. For extreme performance GPUs like the RTX 4090 or Radeon RX 7900 XTX, a recommended score of 3500 or higher is enough to avoid bottlenecking.
Recommended Requirements (For Complex Projects)
For complex Lumion projects like a small park, a part of a city created with OpenStreetMap, or a large house with a detailed interior made up of HD textures and multiple models (mostly from the Lumion Library), you will need a GPU that balances powerful performance and reliability. Another example at this level is a single residential or commercial building with a partial landscape, including some high-end assets like Fine-detail Nature.
Minimum Requirements:
10 GB+ graphics card memory.
14,000 PassMark points.
Examples:
NVIDIA: GeForce GTX 1080 Ti, GeForce RTX 2080 Ti, RTX 3060, RTX 3070, RTX 3070 Ti, RTX 3080, RTX 3080Ti, RTX 4070 Ti, RTX A4000, Quadro RTX 5000, Quadro RTX 6000, Quadro RTX 8000, Quadro P6000, NVIDIA TITAN XP
AMD: Radeon RX 6700 XT, Radeon RX 6750 XT, Radeon RX 6800, Radeon PRO W6800,Radeon PRO W7700, Radeon Pro W5700X, Radeon VII
To get the most out of these graphics cards for Lumion, your CPU should also keep pace. A processor with high per-thread clock speeds is crucial, along with a single-threaded CPUMark score above 2600.
Minimum Requirements (For Simple Projects)
If you plan to work on simple Lumion projects like a small park, a modest residential building, or basic architectural scenes built primarily using Lumion’s default models and textures, you can get away with less powerful hardware.
Minimum Requirements:
6 GB+ graphics card memory.
8,000 PassMark points.
Examples:
NVIDIA: GeForce GTX 1060, GeForce GTX 1660, GTX 1660 Ti, GTX 1660 SUPER, GTX 1070 Ti, GeForce GTX 1080, RTX 2060, RTX 2060 SUPER, RTX 2070, RTX 2070 SUPER, RTX 2080, GeForce RTX 3050, RTX 3060, NVIDIA TITAN X, Quadro K6000, Quadro RTX 3000, Quadro RTX 4000, Quadro RTX 5000, Quadro P4000, Quadro P5000, Quadro P6000, Quadro K6000, Quadro M5000, Quadro M6000, Quadro P4200
AMD: Radeon Pro W5500, Radeon RX 5500 XT, Radeon RX 5600, Radeon RX 5700, Radeon RX 5700 XT, Radeon Pro 5700, Radeon Pro 5700 XT, Radeon Pro W5700, Radeon RX 6600, Radeon RX 6600 XT, Radeon RX 580, Radeon RX 590, Radeon R9 390X, Radeon Pro WX 9100, Radeon Pro Vega 56, Radeon RX Vega 56, Radeon RX Vega 64, Radeon Vega Frontier Edition
The CPU should have as high a GHz value as possible per thread and should exceed a Single-threaded CPUMark score of 2200 points or more.
However, it should be noted that this configuration will not fully exploit Lumion’s advanced features such as real-time ray tracing or advanced 3D Grass. Additionally, rendering at 4K or 8K resolution requires at least 8GB of VRAM, which is not the case with the smallest GPUs. If your PC is running close to these minimum specs, you should plan to upgrade for more comfortable use in the long run.
FAQ Section
1. How many GPUs does Lumion use?
Lumion is a single-GPU software. It only optimizes one GPU for the rendering process. Using a multi-card server for Lumion is an unnecessary waste.
2. Can Lumion make use of multiple graphics cards?
No. Multiple graphics cards (in NVIDIA SLI, NVIDIA NVLink, or AMD Crossfire configuration) will not boost the performance or render speed in Lumion. Some iRender customers have tried using NVLink on 2xRTX 3090 servers but it did not really bring any noticeable effect.
See also: Is Unreal Engine or Twinmotion able to use multiple GPUs for path tracer?
3. Should I prioritize GPU or CPU for Lumion?
For Lumion, GPU is more important than CPU because real-time rendering relies on graphics card performance. However, you still need a strong CPU to avoid bottlenecks and match your GPU power.
4. How much VRAM do I need for Lumion?
The VRAM needed depends on project complexity. A minimum of 8GB VRAM is recommended, while 12GB-24GB VRAM is ideal for large Lumion projects.
5. Which graphics card is recommended for running Lumion smoothly?
The NVIDIA RTX 4090 is the best graphics card for Lumion 2025. It handles light to heavy projects, offers top performance, has dropped in price since launch, and is easy to find new or second-hand.
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