Laptop Requirement

Laptop requirement

Students at the Eskenazi School of Art, Architecture + Design are required to have a personal laptop computer available for use in class. The following are recommendations for laptops that meet the minimum memory and operating standards required for the software used in the school’s courses.

Purchasing hardware

Students may purchase any brand, make or model of laptop as long as it meets the recommended hardware specifications. Indiana University has discount agreements with some vendors including Apple, CDW-G, Dell, GovConnection, and Microsoft.

If a student would like a Mac, it is recommended to purchase the laptop computer through the IU Bookstore.

Interior Design and Comprehensive Design Students are advised that a Mac laptop or Apple computer will not meet the requirements outlined below.

Degree-specific recommendations

Interior Design and Comprehensive Design students are expected to have a personal laptop computer powerful enough to support the demanding graphic and computational requirements necessary for course work, as well as adequate storage to accommodate new software releases.

The software programs used in Interior Design and Comprehensive Design are PC-based (Windows operating systems). The software will not run in expected ways on a Mac (Apple operating systems)—even with Boot Camp or Parallels. Any problems arising from installing, formatting, or running programs on Windows for Macintosh (and subsequent interfaces such as Boot Camp or Parallels) are solely the responsibility of the student. Some essential software plug-ins will not run on a Mac computer even with Windows for Macintosh running in Boot Camp or Parallels.

Students are expected to maintain their computer, operating system, and software.

Interior Design and Comprehensive Design students should refer to the specifications outlined on this page (and linked at the end of this page) before buying a laptop.

Students should not download or activate free educational licenses for design software until directed to do so by course instructors. Software changes rapidly.  The specific software required for the curriculum has included the programs listed here. This list is subject to change based on cost, professional expectations, and learning outcomes. Software has recently included: AutoCAD, Revit, Rhino, SketchUp, Grasshopper, Enscape, Lumion, Twinmotion, D5, VR engines, Photoshop, InDesign, Illustrator.

Students are advised that software (and computer processing) requirements may change during the time they are completing their degrees. A basic or minimum-level computer may not meet their needs for the four years of their education.

PC LAPTOP REQUIREMENTS (updated April 2025)

Three computer options are referenced below. Students may purchase a laptop from any retailer. We encourage students to consider reliability, performance, warranty, and cost as they decide about which computer to purchase. These options are provided as examples and to simplify the comparison process. 

We encourage students to check retailers for current educational access programs. Like many computer retailers, Dell offers additional discounts for college students.

Recommendation

Minimum**

Better

Best

 

Equivalent to a basic sandwich (white bread, deli meat, no cheese, no lettuce, no condiments). This computer will perform basic needed functions but will not handle advanced digital rendering or VR applications. Students will need to use a campus computer lab outside of regular class time to complete anything more than basic graphic tasks.

Equivalent to a dressed burger (bun, patty, cheese, lettuce, tomato, pickle, and basic condiments). This computer will handle some advanced rendering, but at slower speeds and limited scales. Students will need to use a campus computer lab outside of regular class times to complete some advanced tasks.

Equivalent to a gourmet burger (toasted bun, patty, cheese, special condiments, lettuce, caramelized onions, tomato, pickles, etc.). This computer will handle most advanced digital rendering and VR applications. Complex VR rendering may need to be completed in a campus computer lab.

Processor

Processor with CPUMark of 2,000 or higher

Processor with CPUMark of 2,500 or higher

Processor with CPUMark of 2,500 or higher

Memory / RAM

16GB RAM DDR5

32GB RAM LPDDR5

64GB RAM DDR5

Storage

1TB M.2 SSD

1TB M.2 SSD

1TB M.2 SSD

Graphics

Graphics card with ray-tracing capability, 8GB dedicated RAM, and a benchmark score of 10,000 or higher

Graphics card with ray-tracing capability, 12GB dedicated RAM, and a benchmark score of 15,000 or higher

Graphics card with ray-tracing capability, 16GB dedicated RAM, and a benchmark score of 20,000 or higher

Screen Size

16” Screen (2560x1600)

16” Screen (2560x1600)

18” Screen (2560x1600)

** The Minimum laptop will not handle large or complex 3D models without significant delay or lag time. The Minimum laptop will not support advanced graphics (e.g., use of rendering plug-in applications like Twinmotion, Lumion, or Enscape; or virtual reality rendering engines). The size and complexity of models increases significantly as a student progresses through the curriculum.

All laptops must run the most recent Windows® 11 (64-bit) operating system or higher.

Operating most design software requires an external mouse (wired or wireless).  The trackpad will not enable a student to use all features of the software. A mouse is required.

Students are strongly encouraged to consider maintenance and warranty plans for their laptops. While IU offers limited technology support for student computer issues on campus, many computer repairs will require off-campus support. Faculty members will not assist with computer repair or maintenance.

Many students prefer to work with an external monitor to support a two-screen workstation. The purchase of an external monitor is optional but recommended.

Students will have access to university-provided, cloud-based storage systems for creating back-up copies of their work. They may also prefer to have an external solid-state drive for backing up work.

BENCHMARK EXPLANATIONS

CPU Mark is a benchmark score that measures the performance of a CPU (Central Processing Unit). It is calculated using a series of tests that evaluate various aspects of the CPU's capabilities, such as data compression, encryption, floating-point math, and integer calculations. The higher the CPU Mark score, the better the CPU's performance.

Graphics benchmarks measure the performance of a GPU (Graphics Processing Unit). These benchmarks focus on tasks like rendering 3D graphics, handling high-resolution textures, and running complex visual effects. Graphics benchmarks provide scores based on the GPU's ability to handle graphics-intensive tasks.

FINDING BENCHMARK SCORES

Finding CPU Mark Scores

  1. Visit a Benchmarking Website: Websites like CPUbenchmark.net provide CPU Mark scores. You can search for your CPU model to see its benchmark score.

Finding Graphics Benchmark Scores

  1. Visit a Benchmarking Website: Websites like videocardbenchmark.net provide benchmark scores for GPUs. You can search for your GPU model to see its benchmark score.

 

Refer to the vendor recommended system requirements for the most recent versions of:

Revit software
https://www.autodesk.com/support/technical/article/caas/sfdcarticles/sfdcarticles/System-requirements-for-Autodesk-Revit-products.html

  • Graphics Card
    • Minimum: DirectX® 11 capable graphics card with Shader Model 5 and a minimum of 4 GB of video memory
  • CPU
    • Minimum: Intel® i-Series, Xeon®, AMD® Ryzen, Ryzen Threadripper PRO. 2.5 GHz or Higher

 

Twinmotion software
https://dev.epicgames.com/documentation/en-us/twinmotion/hardware-and-software-specifications-for-twinmotion

  • Graphics card  
    • Minimum: A graphics card with the latest available drivers installed, and at least 6 GB of dedicated Video Random-Access Memory (VRAM) and a benchmark score of 10,000 or higher.
    • Note: Intel ARC graphic cards are not officially supported.
    • Recommended: A graphics card with the latest available drivers installed, and at least 12 GB of dedicated Video Random-Access Memory (VRAM) and a benchmark score of 20,000 or higher.
  • CPU
    • Minimum: A processor with a benchmark score of 2,000 or higher.
    • Recommended: A processor with a benchmark score of 2,500 or higher.

 

Lumion software
https://lumion.com/product/system-requirements

  • Graphics card  
    • Minimum: Ray tracing-capable integrated GPU—such as Intel Arc or Radeon 760M and newer with a Passmark score of 5,500 or higher.
    • Example: Intel Core Ultra 5 135H or Ryzen 7640U
    • Recommended: Ray tracing-capable dedicated GPU with a Passmark score of 10,000 or higher.
    • Example: RTX 2060 (6GB)
  • CPU (processor)  
    • Minimum: Intel/AMD processor scoring a single thread CPUMark of 2,500 or higher.
    • Recommended: Intel/AMD processor scoring a single thread CPUMark of 2,600 or higher

 

Rhino software
https://www.rhino3d.com/8/system-requirements

  • Graphics card
    • At least 8 GB (RAM) memory is recommended
    • 5 GB disk space
    • OpenGL 4.5 capable video card is recommended
    • At least 4 GB Video card memory is recommended
  • CPU
    • 64-bit Intel or AMD processor (Not ARM)