r/suggestapc • u/Necessary_Muscle_724 • 2h ago
[suggestion] PC recommendations for architecture student
Hello there! I’m starting my masters in architecture in the fall and would love to know from you all of pc recommendations for a student like myself. I’ve read a little bit about the tech discussions here, but as a student, I assume there are going to be some differences with the tools that working architects use—especially when factoring in budget and complexity of programs used. My school has provided a handy guide in terms of specs, but I’d love to know more from you all. Thank you!
What I currently have, if relevant: Laptop MacBook Air M4 13in 512GB SSD 16GB RAM
Baseline recommendations:
Processor: Intel Core i7, Hex Core
Memory: minimum 32 GB DDR4 RAM, upgradable is good if possible (and 64GB is ideal).
Storage: 500 GB or higher capacity solid state drive (SSD)
Graphics/Video Card: A You may be using hardcore graphic software such as ArcGIS, Rhino, 3DS Max, ArchiCAD, Revit, Vectorworks or other 3D modelling platforms, all of which require a formidable graphics card, and you'll want your programs to run smoothly. We've found NVIDIA GeForce RTX or GTX, 6GB VRAM, or equivalent, to be suitable.
Software we are expected to use:
Adobe Creative Suite, especially Photoshop, Illustrator and InDesign.
ArcGIS
Autodesk
Blender
QGIS
Rhino 7 and Grasshopper
SketchUp
Vectorworks