Beginning
in the fall of 2017, interior design majors are required to purchase a
laptop computer for use in interior design courses. The most recent
technical requirements can be found below. It should be
noted that incoming freshman are not required to have the laptop until admission into the Interior Design program.
The Interior Design program at Central Michigan University (CMU) uses computers extensively. The continuing and rapid advance of technology drives frequent upgrades or replacements of the software and hardware. The laptop specification below will provide maximum longevity for students entering the program:
Processor: Intel i7 or i5 Processor or AMD Quad Core processor Basic: 2.5–2.9 GHz
Recommended: 3+ GHz processor
Memory: 8 GB of Ram minimum, 16 GB preferred
Video Card: 2 GB or Higher: NVIDIA or AMD (independent video, not "shared" video)
(NVIDIA or AMD, Intel not compatible with all software)
Hard Drive: 256 GB Solid State or higher with at least 50 GB of free space
Conventional Displays:
1920 x 1080 with True Color
High Resolution & 4K Displays:
Resolutions up to 3840 x 2160 supported on Windows 10, 64 bit systems (with capable display card)
Windows 10 operating system
An external mouse for CAD Drawings (hard to do on a trackpad)
(The specification will be updated annually.)
The Autodesk web site provides the most up-to-date computer specifications for the interior design software offered in our program, such as Autodesk Architecture, Revit, and 3ds Max. You are strongly recommended to refer to the System Requirements of the above software at www.autodesk.com
For questions related to the software taught at CMU Interior Design program and computer specifications, please contact Professor Zuo at zuo1jq@cmich.edu