SPDC Student Laptop Recommendations

All undergraduate students at Michigan State are required to have a laptop computer that can connect to the Internet. Learn more at MSU Laptop Computer Requirement.

Recommendations by Program

Updated June 2025

WINDOWS

All SPDC programs STRONGLY recommend the use of Windows Operating System (preferable Windows 11) over Mac O.S. or other operating systems. All SPDC programs involve the frequent use of professional-standard softwares that are generally more compatible, and in some cases exclusively compatible, with Windows. SPDC cannot guarantee simple or convenient solutions to operating system incompatibility issues when students decide to utilize operating systems other than Windows. Below are the minimum recommended P.C. specifications by program.

Construction Management:

Processor: Intel i7 or equivalent
Memory: 16 GB RAM or higher
Storage: 256-512 GB solid-state drive (SSD)
Graphics: 2 GB GDDR5 Graphics Card or higher
Display: 14” or 15” at least 1920 x 1080 (but consider portability)
Ports: USB or USB-C with adapter
Operating System: 64 bit Microsoft Windows 11

Interior Design:

Entry-Level Configuration

Video Display Resolutions: Minimum 1680 x 1050 with true color
Video Adapter: Display adapter capable of 24-bit color (DirectX 11 capable, Shader Model 5, min 4 GB video memory)
Memory: 32-GB RAM
CPU Type: Intel® i-Series, Xeon®, AMD® Ryzen, Ryzen Threadripper PRO, 2.5 GHz or higher
USB Ports: Minimum 1+
Operating System: 64-bit Microsoft® Windows® 10 or Windows 11
Graphic Cards: NVIDIA or AMD dedicated GPU with 4GB VRAM

Advanced for VR Requirements

CPU: Intel i5-4590 / AMD Ryzen 5 1500X or greater
Graphics Card: NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 Ti or AMD RX7900 XT with 12GB VRAM (or higher).

Landscape Architecture:

Intel/AMD processor scoring a single thread CPU Mark of 2,200 or higher. (Such as the AMD Ryzen 5 1600X, Intel Core i7-4790S or better
Memory: 16 GB RAM or higher
Storage: 512+ GB solid-state drive (SSD)
Graphics: 6 GB GDDR5 Graphics Card or higher
Display: 14” or 15” at least 1920 x 1080 (but consider portability)
Ports: USB or USB-C with adapter
Operating System: 64 bit Microsoft Windows 11
NO MAC's - certain programs refuse to port to Apple IOS

Urban and Regional Planning:

Processor: Intel i7
Memory: 16 GB RAM
Storage: 256-512 GB solid-state drive (SSD)
Graphics: 2 GB GDDR5 Graphics Card or higher
Display: 14” or 15” at least 1920 x 1080 (but consider portability)

NOTE: These are minimum recommendations. If you want your computer to last longer, purchase one on the higher end of these recommendations.

Better Video and Graphics Cards: What typically comes standard on laptops should be upgraded, especially related to video and graphics cards. Students may benefit from installing (free) or purchasing (at student rates) several design programs throughout their academic careers. Many of these programs require higher video and graphics cards to run optimally, especially for rendering.

URP Students: Urban and Regional Planning students are especially encouraged to utilize P.C.s that run Windows as they will need to use Geographic Information System (GIS) software that wont work properly on a Mac. For students that have Macs, you will need to VPN to a remote computer in SPDC to access ArcGIS. But students should be warned that this type of remote access is not as robust.

MACS & TABLETS

If a student already owns or strongly prefers a Mac, some students do use them. Students should be aware they will need to do some projects in University computer classrooms to use the correct software. Google Chrome or Apple iPads will not work for many softwares. If using a Mac, Ventura O.S. is preferable.

Mac Minimum Recommendations: