All Interdisciplinary Design students who do not own a laptop computer with the specifications listed below will need to purchase one during their first semester of the major. This allows students to work on their own computer in classes. This page provides some recommendations to consider when choosing a computer. In general, purchasing a computer with a faster processor, more memory, and a better graphics card is worth the extra investment as it will extend the useful life of the machine. Consider purchasing a carrying case and AppleCare or an equivalent protection plan for your new computer. Our current advice for laptop purchases includes the following minimum requirements: 

Updated 06/10/2026 

Operating System 

Choose a computer with the latest version of either macOS or Microsoft® Windows®. 

When deciding whether to purchase a Windows or Mac computer, research the system recommendations for specific software that you intend to use. Some programs will run on only one operating system or the other. Others have specific requirements concerning graphic cards. Many applications for Linux can be run on macOS or via WSL on Windows. 

Processor 

Windows System Processor: Latest multi-Core Intel i-Series, Xeon®, or AMD® equivalent with 2.5 GHz minimum and 3GHz or higher processor is recommended 

Apple System Processor: 64-bit Intel CPU or Apple M series CPU 

Graphics Card (CPU) 

If you intend to use the laptop for graphics-intensive applications – such as 3D animation, video editing, or photorealistic rendering – you should consider purchasing a laptop with a Class 1, 2, or 3 graphics card (GPU) as shown in this cross-reference list. Class 4 and lower cards found in lower-end Microsoft Surface and MacBook laptops are not suitable for graphics-intensive work. If you intend to work in depth with AI and machine learning, 16GB of VRAM is recommended. Use the above comparison chart to determine how much VRAM is available on each graphics card. 

Memory: 32 GB or higher is recommended 

Hard Drive: SSD (Solid State Drive) storage of 512 GB is recommended. 

Software 

• A subscription to Adobe Creative Cloud is recommended 

• Autodesk provides free software for students, including Maya and Fusion 360 

• Microsoft Office 365 is available to all students for free 

• Cloud storage on Microsoft OneDrive is also available free of charge 

Display: 1920×1080 (higher resolution recommended but might impact performance. 

Pointing Device: external mouse with at least 3 buttons. 

Printer 

Students are strongly advised to purchase a desktop color printer with scanning capabilities. Printing paper size is 8.5 x 11. 

On campus, computers with printers are available in WJB 1023 and in Strozier library. 

Scanning 

Students are encouraged to find a suitable scanning application that can be added to the phone that they carry. On campus, computers with printers are available in WJB 1023 and in Strozier library. 

Additional needs 

Students may want to purchase an external hard drive (USB-C, USB 3.0, or Thunderbolt recommended) to back up laptop. Also, have a couple of thumb/flash drives on hand to easily transport information between the computers in the department and your laptop. Adapters to allow you to connect USB devices to your computer’s USB-C ports 

Purchasing 

Computers, software, and accessories can be purchased at a discount through the FSU bookstore on campus or via their website. 

 All Interior Design students not owning a laptop computer with the specifications listed below will need to purchase one by the Fall semester of their second year (once accepted into the program following First Year Review). This allows students to work on their own computer in studio classes. It is strongly advised students NOT purchase a new computer ahead of the recommended time, as requirements constantly change with software and technology upgrades. Our current advice for laptop purchases includes the following minimum requirements: 

Updated: 06/10/2026 

Hardware 

Processor: Intel or AMD® equivalent with 2.5 GHz or higher as a minimum requirement. 

Note: Revit and Lumion do not officially list ARM-based processors. Devices running Windows on ARM may require emulation. 

Memory: 16GB minimum (32GB or higher is recommended for optimal performance). 

Hard Drive: Solid State Drive (SSD) storage with a minimum capacity of 512Gb. 

Note: High-resolution images and 3D files can consume significant disk space. Additionally, software operation requires free space: Adobe Photoshop 20GB, Revit 30GB, and Lumion requires 105GB of free space. 

Display: 1920×1080 (higher resolution recommended but require higher hardware specifications). 

Graphics: Dedicated graphics card with at least 4 GB of video memory (VRAM). 

While many laptops are configured with integrated graphics, a dedicated graphics card is needed for improved performance, especially as project complexity increases. Lumion is highly GPU-intensive and can serve as a useful benchmark when evaluating graphics performance needs. 

Lumion Pro requires at least 6 GB of VRAM. 

Lumion also provides GPU performance scoring for evaluating compatibility (see Lumion requirements link below). 

Note: Enscape officially requires a graphics card with a minimum of 4 GB VRAM. 

AutoCAD recommends a dedicated GPU to ensure optimal performance. 

Pointing Device: external mouse with at least 3 buttons. 

Optional: 3- or 4-year warranty / protection plan. 

 Software System Requirement Links: 

• Autodesk AutoCad 2027: Link 
• Autodesk Revit 2027 system requirements: Link
• Adobe Photoshop v. 27.x system requirements: Link
• Enscape system requirements: Link
• Lumion Pro system requirements: Link

MAC vs. PC: With the current state of software, the Department recommends purchasing a Windows-based computer. This is largely due to the fact that Autodesk Revit does not run directly on a Macintosh operating system. This means that students who choose to purchase Apple computers will be responsible for configuring their Apple device and virtualization software (Parallels / VMWare) to allow use of Windows environment; additional cost will be needed for virtualization and Windows licenses. The decision is the students to make, and students will be responsible for ensuring the computer’s compatibility, installation, and configuration as per Autodesk Revit requirements. The faculty will not be able to troubleshoot student’s personal Apple computers. 

Software 

We advise students not to purchase the software required by the Department until fully accepted into the program (after a successful First Year Review). Students should have computers purchased prior to enrollment in Studio I (or during the first few weeks of the semester). 

Students will be expected to be familiar with the Adobe Creative Suite during their first-year classes. An active subscription should be purchased by the entrance into Studio I; Adobe provides student subscription discounts. Autodesk products (AutoCAD, Revit, etc.) are available to students free of charge through Autodesk Education Community; Autodesk software will be used starting with CAD I and throughout the program. Your CAD faculty will provide more details during courses. We do not recommend downloading this software prior to taking these classes, as software upgrades are frequent. 

Printer 

Students are strongly advised to purchase a desktop color printer with scanning capabilities. Printing paper size is 8.5 x 11. Students are encouraged to find a suitable scanning application that can be added to the phone that they carry. 

Additional needs 

Students may want to purchase an external hard drive to backup their laptop. Also, have a couple of thumb/flash drives on hand to easily transport information between the computers in the department and your laptop.