Start with the size
If the laptop goes in a bag most days, start with the Nova 16. It weighs 4.96 lb and is 0.78 in thick, against 8.6 lb and 1.1 in for the Avon 18. If it mostly works from one desk or one site office, the Avon 18 gives you the bigger screen, Thunderbolt 5, two Ethernet ports and more graphics memory.
Choose the graphics card by its memory
The two Avon 18 builds share the chassis, the Core Ultra 9 290HX, the screen and the ports; only the graphics card differs. The RTX 5090 carries 24 GB of graphics memory against the RTX 5080's 16 GB, for $780 more. Pay for it when your scenes, textures or local models need the room. For games at 2560 × 1600 and for most CAD work, the RTX 5080 keeps that money in your pocket. For local AI models, 24 GB holds a 4-bit file of up to about 20 GB, a 30B-class model, and 16 GB suits 7 to 14B-class models. The Nova 16's RTX 5070 Ti has 12 GB, enough for a 4-bit file of up to about 10 GB: the same 7 to 14B class, with less room left for context. A 70B model's 4-bit file alone is 42.5 GB, which is a workstation job.
Then the memory
Every build starts at 16 GB, which suits games and light work. Autodesk recommends 32 GB or more for Inventor and 64 GB or more for large assemblies (Autodesk, Inventor 2027 system requirements, published May 2026). In the configurator, 32 GB adds $273 and 64 GB adds $1,057, on either laptop. 96 GB is the most we offer today; if your models need more, that is a workstation job.
Storage and Windows
Each build ships with a 2 TB M.2 SSD, and a second drive can be added in the configurator. Windows 11 Home is standard; Windows 11 Pro adds $45, and it is the edition IT teams ask for when laptops join a company domain.
For games
Our laptops are gaming laptops as much as work machines, each with a 2560 × 1600 G-Sync screen: 300Hz on the Nova 16 and 240Hz on the Avon 18. The RTX 5070 Ti is for playing wherever you take it. The RTX 5080 is the build most players need at a desk, and the RTX 5090 is for the highest settings, with creative work on the same machine.
When a desktop is the better buy
If the machine rarely leaves your desk, a desktop holds more memory and graphics and has room to grow. The laptop earns its price when the work has to travel. If you are unsure, tell us what you run and we will say which one fits.
