All programs in the Department of Applied Design are computer intensive. Currently, students are requested to have a laptop computer for each of the programs and some programs require the laptop. A docking station for the laptop can be purchased for use at home. The technology is advancing so rapidly, it is difficult to anticipate software and hardware changes during the four year college experience. While these specifications are developed to ensure maximum viability of computers for the college experience, software upgrades may drive more sophisticated hardware requirements and may require upgrades or replacements of the computers prior to completing the degree. Below you will find specifications for computers that will provide maximum longevity for students entering Appalachian State University.
Appalachian State University provides computer technical support to students, faculty, and staff: http://support.appstate.edu
Dell™ and Apple™ offer Appalachian State University Students with purchasing options.
Purchases may be made through the Appalachian State Bookstore and Computer shop.
Minimum Requirements
- Windows 10 64 mb OS
- Intel® i5 Processor, Highest affordable CPU speed rating recommended
- 8.0 GB RAM
- 500 GB Hard Drive
- Dedicated Video Card with Dedicated RAM
- 17 Inch Monitor (or larger), can be smaller for Laptop portability
Recommended
- Windows 10 64 mb OS
- Intel® i7 Processor, Highest affordable CPU speed rating recommended
- 16.0 GB RAM
- 1 TB Hard Drive
- Dedicated Video Card with Dedicated RAM
- 19 Inch Monitor or Larger, can be smaller for Laptop portability
Interior Design Program Recommendation
Operating System ¹ | 64-bit Microsoft® Windows® 10 or 11 is required. See Autodesk's Product Support Lifecycle for support information. |
CPU Type | A fast multi-core processor is essential. Intel i-Series, Xeon, or AMD Ryzen processors with a clock speed of 2.5 GHz or higher are recommended, with higher clock speeds generally preferred. Autodesk® Revit® software products use multiple cores for many tasks. |
Memory | Minimum 16GB is recommended, but 32GB or more is highly recommended, especially for larger and more complex models. |
Video Display Resolutions | A resolution of 1280 x 1024 with True Color is the minimum, with higher resolutions like 4K being supported. |
Graphics Card | A DirectX 11 capable graphics card with Shader Model 5 and at least 4GB of video memory is needed. Integrated GPUs may be sufficient for basic use, but a dedicated card is recommended for optimal performance, particularly with large models. |
Disk Space | 30GB of free disk space is required, but a larger SSD (1TB or more) with a fast NVMe drive is highly recommended to prevent bottlenecks and provide ample space for projects and temporary files. |
Media | Download or installation from DVD9 or USB key |
Pointing Device | MS-Mouse or 3Dconnexion® compliant device |
.NET Framework | .NET Framework Version 4.8 or later. |
Browser | Microsoft Internet Explorer 10 or higher |
Connectivity | Internet connection for license registration and prerequisite component download |