2026/2027 School Year

The School of Architecture and Syracuse University are set up to principally support computers with a Microsoft Windows operating system. Please do not purchase an Apple Mac or ARM-based computer (such as Microsoft Surface). They cannot easily run essential Windows apps required for use in the program or lack the recommended GPU (for graphics).

The School recommends laptops for portability between a residence and studio space. A laptop also can be brought to class when learning software programs. Screen size and resolution are an important consideration for CAD and graphics work. A productive combination is a 15”-16” display with an external 24” screen to use at your studio desk. Laptops with smaller screens such as 13”-14” may be underpowered for advanced graphic modeling and CAD work.

Students should purchase a three- or four-year on-site/at-home service warranty for the computer. An on-site warranty means the company will send someone to your home or meet you on campus to fix the computer, rather than waiting a week or more for mail-in service. In the event of a hardware problem, this will greatly minimize the time a student might not be able to work on time-sensitive computing projects.

Please do not purchase an underpowered machine! While it may meet your needs for the first semester or two, you will discover that it cannot handle the demands of design and modeling software.

We recommend international students wait to purchase their machine in the U.S. This will often make it much easier to receive warranty service.

Below are recommended specifications that can be used as a guide to purchase equipment.

Windows Operating System

Component  Specs Notes
Processor/CPU

Intel Core Ultra 7,

AMD Ryzen AI 7, or Ryzen 7 8000 series

 A faster cpu and one with more cores means faster 3D rendering time and video encoding.
Memory/RAM 16 GB (32 GB preferred)  32 GB is the new standard.
Storage Drive 1 TB SSD (solid state drive)  
Graphics Processor (GPU) Nvidia preferred as some advanced software requires it. 8GB memory. Avoid Intel graphics. For Nvidia we recommend at least a GeForce 5060, 4060, RTX 2000 Ada, or RTX Pro 2000. A GeForce 5070 or 4070 is the sweet spot of price/performance (and for VR development).
Screen Size 15” or 16” Minimum resolution 1920x1080. Anti-glare is better. 4K resolution (3840×2160) impacts general performance and reduces battery life. 2560x1440 (QHD/WQHD) is a good sweet spot, but 1920x1080 or 1920x1200 is okay.
Warranty 3- or 4-year on-site/at-home warranty Add accidental damage service to protect against drops and liquid spills.
Accessories External mouse A mouse is essential for using design software (using the built-in trackpad is not sufficient). Example: Dell wireless combo mouse (Bluetooth/2.4ghz dongle).
  External 24” or 27” monitor with HDMI connector Doubles your screen real estate. Don’t forget the cable (and possibly video adapter to convert from HDMI to USB-C). A 27” QHD/WQHD with resolution 2560x1440 is a sweet spot, such as these examples from Dell or elsewhere.


Expect to pay $1,600-$3,000 for an appropriately configured laptop. Cheaper laptops usually have lower-end graphics processors and may be underpowered to handle advanced 3D modeling and CAD work.

Most gaming laptops would work well when configured with an Intel Ultra 7 processor, 32gb of memory, 1tb of storage, and an Nvidia GeForce 5070 graphics card. Examples include Dell Alienware, Lenovo Legion, MSI, Asus Rog, etc.

We used to recommend workstation laptops with Nvidia RTX graphics such as the Dell Pro Max Premium, Dell Pro Max Plus, or Lenovo Thinkpad P16v (all with at least an Nvidia RTX 2000 graphics), but today’s cost is excessive.

Not all brands offer an onsite warranty, so please consider this when purchasing. An at-home/on-site warranty is crucial for getting up and running relatively quickly after a hardware failure.

Macintosh Operating System (MacOS)

Please do not purchase a Mac, as some essential software used in the program requires Windows (namely certain Rhino plugins such as V-Ray, ArcGIS Pro, Autodesk Revit, ClimateStudio, etc.).

There are a couple of 3rd party apps such as Parallels and Fusion that run Windows inside macOS, but we’ve seen poor performance and graphical glitches cause problems and frustration. If you choose to try Parallels/Fusion, Windows 11 is free for students.

* Rhino for Mac does not support essential plugins used in the school and is  missing some commands found in the Windows version.

Other Essential Items

  • 128 GB+ USB memory key, although use of SU’s OneDrive has reduced the need for memory sticks. 
  • Portable 1 TB+ USB solid state drive for extra storage and backup (available online at places like Amazon or locally in Syracuse at Staples and Best Buy). You may choose to rely on cloud storage such as OneDrive or Google Drive instead, but it’s always good to have your data in two places. Make sure data that exists only on an external drive is backed up! They can fail at any time.
  • External mouse. Bluetooth mice are ideal as they don’t take up a USB port on the laptop. Wireless combo mice that have Bluetooth plus a USB dongle are the most flexible, such as this Dell.
  • External 24”+ monitor with HDMI port (plus HDMI cable and USB-C to HDMI adapter, unless your laptop has an HDMI port). If you opt for larger than 24”, such as 27”, make sure the resolution is at least 2560x1440, such as these examples from Dell or elsewhere.
  • Cable lock for securing the computer to one’s studio desk. Unfortunately many new laptops no longer include the mounting point for a cable lock. If you can’t use a lock, make sure to keep your laptop in your locked studio desk drawer or locker (if you have one). Losing a laptop to theft can set you back weeks or months of work.