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Computer Requirements

SIU Student working on computer on campus

Recommended Specs (Smoother Performance)

These specs will ensure smoother workflow, faster rendering, and better multitasking without breaking the bank. If you are able to afford increased processor, RAM, or Graphics Card VRAM these will help increase performance.

  • Processor (CPU): 2.5 GHz (or higher; highest CPU GHz recommended); Intel® i-Series, Xeon®, AMD® Ryzen, Ryzen Threadripper PRO;
  • Memory (RAM): 32GB (or more)
  • Graphics Card (GPU): 6GB VRAM (or more); examples NVIDIA RTX 3070 Ti or AMD Radeon RX 6800
  • Storage: 1TB NVMe SSD (or more)
  • Display: 15.6” or 16” QHD (2560x1600), 100% sRGB for color accuracy
  • Operating System: Windows 11 64-bit
  • Battery Life: 5+ hours
  • Cooling: Good thermal management (dual fans or vapor chamber cooling preferred)

Best for: Revit, AutoCAD, Adobe Suite, Rhino, and moderate rendering in Enscape, Lumion, and Twinmotion Handles rendering better but may slow down on ultra-high settings

Example Laptops:
ASUS ROG Zephyrus G14 (RTX 4060, 32GB RAM, 1TB SSD)
Dell Alienware m16 R2 (NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060, 32GB, 1TB SSD)
Lenovo Legion 5i (RTX 4060, 64GB RAM, 1TB SSD)
MSI Creator M16 HX (RTX 4060, 64GB RAM, 2TB SSD)

Minimum Laptop Specs (Basic Usability)

These specs will allow you to run the software, but performance may be slow for complex projects or rendering. It is also likely that the minimum specs will not allow the laptop to last through the college
years.
  • Processor (CPU): 2.5 GHz (or higher); Intel® i-Series, Xeon®, AMD® Ryzen, Ryzen Threadripper PRO
  • Memory (RAM): 16GB (preferably upgradeable) 
  • Graphics Card (GPU): 4GB VRAM (or higher); examples NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 or AMD Radeon RX 5500M
  • Storage: 512GB SSD (NVMe preferred for speed) 
  • Display: 15.6” FHD (1920x1080), IPS panel
  • Operating System: Windows 10/11 64-bit
  • Battery Life: 4+ hours under moderate load.
  • Cooling: A laptop with decent ventilation or an external cooling pad.

Best for: Running Revit, AutoCAD, Adobe Suite, and Microsoft Office at a basic level
Struggles with: Heavy Rhino models, Enscape, Lumion, and Twinmotion rendering

Example Laptops:
Acer Nitro 5 (GTX 1650, 16GB RAM, 512GB SSD)
Dell G15 (NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4050, 16GB, 1TB SSD)
Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3 (GTX 1650, 16GB RAM, 512GB SSD)
HP Victus 15 (GTX 1650, 16GB RAM, 512GB SSD)

Required and/or Recommended Software:

Microsoft Office 360 for Students: FREE for all SIU students; familiarity with Microsoft Word, Microsoft Excel, and Microsoft PowerPoint will be helpful for many different courses you may take at SIU, including several in the School of Architecture.

Adobe Creative Cloud for Students: FREE for all SIU students; used by many School of Architecture courses for ARC, FASH, and ID students.

Autodesk Student Software: FREE for all SIU students. AutoCAD and Revit are introduced in 2nd-year courses specifically to ARC and ID students and utilized beyond.

Rendering Software Plug-In Options: Enscape, Lumion, or Twinmotion; some of these are FREE from the manufacturers with a student email account and some are a lower cost. The SoA does not officially support/require rendering plug-ins; however, these types of software are often utilized by ARC and ID students beginning 2nd year and beyond.

Sketch Up: This is a modeling program that is used often within the architectural design industry. The SoA does not officially support/require this program; however, many ARC and ID students find this to be a helpful program. There is a free web-based version of this product available but the paid versions offer most students more tools. For student pricing options visit: www.sketchup.com/en/plans-and-pricing/sketchup-studio-for-higher-education 

 

Visit SalukiTech for help with software solutions:
oit.siu.edu/salukitech/software/

Visit the SalukiTech website for computer purchasing at a discount:
oit.siu.edu/computers/

School of Architecture | College of Arts and Media | 618-453-3734 |