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.
Laptop requirement
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
- 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
- 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:
- 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)
Purchasing software
As an IU student, there are multiple free software packages available to you. These software packages have already been paid for by Indiana University and can be downloaded at IUware. Students are welcome to purchase any necessary software packages for courses from any vendor of their choice.
Purchasing a computer and financial aid
If you require additional information on this subject, please contact Student Central: Financial Aid by phone at 812-855-6500, via email at scu@indiana.edu, or visit the Student Central website.
Students can request additional financial aid to support the discipline-specific computer requirements of design students through the Cost of Attendance appeal process.
Hardware and software support
It is the student’s responsibility to maintain their laptop in good working order for use in the classroom. Any damage and associated repairs, loss, or operating problems that may occur will be the sole responsibility of the student. Students must have their laptop repaired as needed at their own expense, or secure another unit meeting minimum hardware and software requirements on which they can work.
Late work, lost data, and other such problems due to any incident associated with a student’s laptop will not be accepted by instructors. Students are advised to backup their digital files in multiple formats so all data can easily be transferred to another computer if needed.
Students are also advised to purchase laptops only from reputable vendors with good warranty programs and a proven record of quality service. We recommend that students strongly consider purchasing extended warranty and service plans.
Indiana University does not offer any university-wide hardware repair service and students must visit repair shops off campus.