Interior Design students wanting to purchase a laptop capable of running the software that is taught beginning in the Sophomore year will need to purchase a Windows PC with the following requirements:
Minimum Computer Configuration
Processor: Intel Core i7/i9 (14th Gen) or AMD Ryzen 7/9.
Graphics (GPU): Dedicated NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060, 4070, or higher is essential for rendering.
RAM: 32GB is preferred for intensive programs like Revit; 16GB is the absolute minimum.
Storage: 1TB SSD or higher to manage large project files.
Display: 15.6 to 17-inch screen with high color accuracy (IPS or OLED).
Essential Software
- Autodesk Revit
- Autodesk AutoCAD
- SketchUp Pro
- Enscape (an advanced rendering software plug in to SketchUp and Revit)
- Twinmotion for Ravit
- Adobe Creative Cloud (e.g., Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign)(available at no cost to students by UA)
Additional Accessories
- External mouse with three buttons
- External hard drive
Recommended Models
- Lenovo LOQ Series
Recommended configuration: RTX 4060 / 16GB–32GB RAM / 1TB SSD
- Lenovo LOQ Gaming 15.6 RTX 4060
- Lenovo Legion Slim 5
- ASUS ROG Zephyrus G14/G16
- HP OMEN 16
- Acer Nitro V 15
Additional Details
Regular backups are highly suggested using external drives in addition to cloud storage.
Purchasing a Windows‑based PC laptop is strongly recommended but not required.
Apple products with the M4 chips are incompatible with the necessary software. Macs should not be considered due to the need to use software like Autodesk Revit which is PC based only.
Students also have the option to use a virtual machine for software that may require more capabilities (i.e., Enscape). To use the virtual machine, students must have reliable internet connection and a computer with the Windows operating system (at least meeting the minimum requirements mentioned above).
Google Chromebook and other lightweight computers and tablets are NOT capable of running the necessary software.