Best GPU and Hardware Setup for Agisoft Metashape
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Best GPU and Hardware Setup for Agisoft Metashape

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Agisoft Metashape is a demanding photogrammetry tool that thrives on powerful hardware. If you’re planning to process high-resolution drone imagery or generate dense 3D models, your system setup will make a major difference. In this article, we’ll explore the best hardware configuration for Metashape in 2025—covering the optimal GPU, CPU, RAM, storage, and more.

Why Hardware Matters for Agisoft Metashape

Metashape’s performance scales significantly with hardware capabilities. The software is multi-threaded and supports GPU acceleration (NVIDIA CUDA), making it highly dependent on:

  • GPU for dense cloud and depth map computation
  • CPU for photo alignment and mesh generation
  • RAM for handling large datasets
  • Disk speed for loading/saving large project files and photos

Recommended Hardware Setup (2025)

1. GPU: The Most Important Component

Metashape supports GPU acceleration only through NVIDIA CUDA-enabled GPUs. AMD cards are not supported for acceleration tasks.

Top NVIDIA GPUs for Metashape in 2025:

  • NVIDIA RTX 4090 – Best overall, unmatched CUDA core count and VRAM (24 GB)
  • NVIDIA RTX 4080 Super – Excellent performance for high-end users
  • NVIDIA RTX 4070 Ti Super – Great value-performance ratio
  • NVIDIA RTX A6000 or A5000 – For professional workstations (ECC VRAM and better stability)

Minimum recommendation: NVIDIA RTX 3060 or higher (12 GB VRAM)

Note: Metashape supports multi-GPU setups. If your system has adequate power and cooling, adding a second GPU can boost processing speed.

2. CPU: Multi-Core Performance Counts

CPU is crucial during photo alignment, depth map generation, and general workflow management. Metashape scales with cores but also benefits from strong single-thread performance.

  • Intel Core i9-14900K / 14900KF – Fastest single-thread performance
  • AMD Ryzen 9 7950X – Excellent multi-threaded performance and PCIe 5.0 support
  • AMD Threadripper PRO 7975WX – For enterprise-grade parallel processing

Minimum recommendation: 8-core CPU (e.g., Intel Core i7-13700 or Ryzen 7 7700X)

3. RAM: Handle Massive Datasets Smoothly

Photogrammetry projects can quickly consume RAM—especially with large image sets (500+ photos at 20MP+ resolution).

  • Minimum: 32 GB
  • Recommended: 64 GB
  • High-end: 128 GB or more for orthomosaics and city-scale modeling

Opt for DDR5 memory if supported by your CPU/motherboard for better bandwidth and futureproofing.

4. Storage: Speed and Capacity

Storage affects load times, project saving, and overall fluidity. Fast storage is essential for working with RAW images and large .psz/.psx project files.

  • Primary Drive: 1 TB NVMe SSD (PCIe 4.0 or 5.0)
  • Secondary Storage: 2–4 TB SSD or HDD for archives and backups

Avoid running projects on external USB drives unless absolutely necessary.

Additional Considerations

Operating System

Metashape runs on Windows, Linux, and macOS, but Windows offers the most GPU compatibility and driver support.

  • Best choice: Windows 11 Pro (for full CUDA and driver support)
  • Linux: Ubuntu 22.04 LTS or newer – stable for scripting and server-side processing
  • macOS: Supported but no CUDA acceleration

Display & Cooling

  • Display: A 4K monitor helps when inspecting dense models or orthophotos
  • Cooling: Use liquid cooling or high-performance air coolers for heavy batch processing

Pre-Built vs. Custom Workstations

You can either build a custom system or purchase a pre-built workstation optimized for photogrammetry. Trusted vendors like Puget Systems, Boxx, and Lambda offer tested Metashape builds.

Custom Build Tip: Always ensure proper airflow and use a high-wattage PSU (850W or higher) if using GPUs like the RTX 4090.

Best Budget Setup (2025)

  • GPU: NVIDIA RTX 4060 Ti (16 GB)
  • CPU: AMD Ryzen 7 7700X
  • RAM: 32 GB DDR5
  • Storage: 1 TB PCIe 4.0 NVMe SSD

This setup can handle medium-size projects (up to 300 images at 20MP) with good processing times and responsiveness.

Conclusion

Whether you’re working on architectural documentation, drone surveys, or 3D asset generation, your hardware setup will determine how fast and smooth your Metashape workflow runs. Prioritize a powerful NVIDIA GPU, a modern multi-core CPU, and fast NVMe storage. With the right build, you’ll dramatically reduce processing times and unlock the full potential of Agisoft Metashape in 2025.

Need help benchmarking your current setup or planning a future upgrade? Contact us for personalized hardware recommendations based on your photogrammetry needs.