{"id":313,"date":"2026-01-15T15:27:34","date_gmt":"2026-01-15T15:27:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/design.ncsu.edu\/operations\/?p=313"},"modified":"2026-01-15T15:27:36","modified_gmt":"2026-01-15T15:27:36","slug":"industrial-design-computer-requirements","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/design.ncsu.edu\/operations\/313\/industrial-design-computer-requirements\/","title":{"rendered":"Industrial Design Computer Requirements"},"content":{"rendered":"\n\n\n\n\n

ALL departments require students to have a computer with minimum specifications. Computers that do not meet minimum specifications may prevent students from completing course assignments.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Please read this page AND the general information<\/a> before spending money on computer hardware and software.<\/strong><\/em><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

EACH DEPARTMENT HAS DIFFERENT REQUIREMENTS!<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n

\n

Industrial Design undergraduate and graduate students must have their own computer by the Fall Semester of their first year.<\/p>\n <\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

Windows-based computers are required for Industrial Design students.<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The Department of Graphic Design and Industrial Design requires purchase of computers by Industrial Design students. While the industrial design industry uses different platforms, our department has chosen to use the Windows platform for its software applications. Windows-based computers are required for Industrial Design students.<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Students in Industrial Design should pay particular attention to the Solidworks system requirements<\/a> to find computers and hardware compatible with Solidworks. In addition, Industrial Design students should avoid purchasing computers with integrated graphics processors and are encouraged to select NVidia graphics processors for increased software compatibility. Industrial Design students need to have higher-end computers for the intense processing and rendering required.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Each department in the College of Design has different computer requirements.<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Please read the College\u2019s Student Computing Requirements Information<\/a> page for general information before spending money on computer hardware or software.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We recommend that your computer meet or exceed the specifications below. Because of the intense software needs of Industrial Design students, higher-end computers are specified. Computers that do not meet minimum specifications may prevent students from completing course assignments. A computer with greater capability (processor speed, RAM, disk capacity) and expandability will be more likely to continue to run required software in later years of college.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This chart provides minimum recommendations for students purchasing new computers. Software requirements are listed at the bottom of the chart. Additional specialized software may be required in other courses, as determined by the instructor. Students may consider the purchase of other software to support their particular goals and learning styles.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Components<\/th>PC Desktop<\/th>PC Laptop<\/th><\/tr><\/thead>
CPU (Processor) or Model<\/strong><\/td>Any model using Intel\u00a0Core i7 or newer processors.
Not<\/strong> Snapdragon and other ARM processors (details<\/a>)<\/td><\/tr>
System RAM<\/strong><\/td>16 GB minimum, more preferred<\/td><\/tr>
Hard Drive (Storage)<\/strong><\/td>1TB SSD or more<\/td><\/tr>
Monitor\/Display
<\/strong><\/td>		18″ or larger\u20141920 x 1080 minimum screen resolution<\/td>15″ or larger (second external 1920 x 1080 minimum screen resolution monitor optional, but recommended)<\/td><\/tr>
Graphics Processor Unit (GPU) <\/strong>Should have a discrete GPU.<\/em><\/td>Review SolidWorks system requirements<\/a>. NVidia graphics processors preferred for increased compatibility. No integrated graphics cards.<\/td><\/tr>
Operating System<\/strong> <\/td>Windows 11 or later.<\/td><\/tr>
Audio<\/strong><\/td>Standard on PCs<\/td><\/tr>
Network Adapters
<\/strong><\/td>		Wi-Fi card or adapter<\/td><\/tr>
Backup<\/strong><\/td>See NCSU Google Drive storage quotas<\/a>
External Drive – Windows Backup<\/a> (external drive needs to be at least twice the computer’s storage capacity)
Cloud Backup Services – Google One<\/a> (Only Non-NCSU Google Accounts), iCloud<\/a>, or another backup service<\/a><\/td><\/tr>
Warranty Service<\/strong><\/td>Minimum 3-year onsite parts and labor or third-party loss\/damage coverage<\/td><\/tr>
Additional Hardware<\/strong><\/td>Three-button mouse with mouse driver software (Optional certified Wacom tablet<\/a> recommended)<\/td><\/tr>
Software<\/strong>

Be sure to check for educational discounts through the College of Design or Wolfpack Outfitters<\/a>.<\/p>

Many Autodesk products are available free through Autodesk’s Education Community.<\/a><\/p>Additional software may be required for certain courses.<\/span>
<\/td>

\u2022 Microsoft Office 365<\/a> <\/strong>(free to NCSU students)

\u2022 Adobe Creative Cloud<\/a><\/strong><\/p>

\u2022 1st Year BID and Track III MID students will need a licensed version of Dassault Syst\u00e8mes SolidWorks 2023-2024 or later<\/a><\/strong> installed on their personal computers for use in ID 210 in the Spring semester.<\/p>

\u2022 2nd Year BID students will need Luxion KeyShot<\/a><\/strong> installed on their personal computers for use in ID 310 in the Fall semester.<\/p><\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Questions?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The College’s Information Technology staff will be glad to go over purchase choices or answer any related questions. You can send an email to design_help@ncsu.edu<\/a> with specific information about your problem.<\/p>\n","protected":false,"raw":"\n\n\n\n\n

ALL departments require students to have a computer with minimum specifications. Computers that do not meet minimum specifications may prevent students from completing course assignments.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Please read this page AND the general information<\/a> before spending money on computer hardware and software.<\/strong><\/em><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

EACH DEPARTMENT HAS DIFFERENT REQUIREMENTS!<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n

Windows-based computers are required for Industrial Design students.<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The Department of Graphic Design and Industrial Design requires purchase of computers by Industrial Design students. While the industrial design industry uses different platforms, our department has chosen to use the Windows platform for its software applications. Windows-based computers are required for Industrial Design students.<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Students in Industrial Design should pay particular attention to the Solidworks system requirements<\/a> to find computers and hardware compatible with Solidworks. In addition, Industrial Design students should avoid purchasing computers with integrated graphics processors and are encouraged to select NVidia graphics processors for increased software compatibility. Industrial Design students need to have higher-end computers for the intense processing and rendering required.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Each department in the College of Design has different computer requirements.<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Please read the College\u2019s Student Computing Requirements Information<\/a> page for general information before spending money on computer hardware or software.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We recommend that your computer meet or exceed the specifications below. Because of the intense software needs of Industrial Design students, higher-end computers are specified. Computers that do not meet minimum specifications may prevent students from completing course assignments. A computer with greater capability (processor speed, RAM, disk capacity) and expandability will be more likely to continue to run required software in later years of college.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This chart provides minimum recommendations for students purchasing new computers. Software requirements are listed at the bottom of the chart. Additional specialized software may be required in other courses, as determined by the instructor. Students may consider the purchase of other software to support their particular goals and learning styles.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Components<\/th>PC Desktop<\/th>PC Laptop<\/th><\/tr><\/thead>
CPU (Processor) or Model<\/strong><\/td>Any model using Intel\u00a0Core i7 or newer processors.
Not<\/strong> Snapdragon and other ARM processors (details<\/a>)<\/td><\/tr>
System RAM<\/strong><\/td>16 GB minimum, more preferred<\/td><\/tr>
Hard Drive (Storage)<\/strong><\/td>1TB SSD or more<\/td><\/tr>
Monitor\/Display
<\/strong><\/td>		18\" or larger\u20141920 x 1080 minimum screen resolution<\/td>15\" or larger (second external 1920 x 1080 minimum screen resolution monitor optional, but recommended)<\/td><\/tr>
Graphics Processor Unit (GPU) <\/strong>Should have a discrete GPU.<\/em><\/td>Review SolidWorks system requirements<\/a>. NVidia graphics processors preferred for increased compatibility. No integrated graphics cards.<\/td><\/tr>
Operating System<\/strong> <\/td>Windows 11 or later.<\/td><\/tr>
Audio<\/strong><\/td>Standard on PCs<\/td><\/tr>
Network Adapters
<\/strong><\/td>		Wi-Fi card or adapter<\/td><\/tr>
Backup<\/strong><\/td>See NCSU Google Drive storage quotas<\/a>
External Drive - Windows Backup<\/a> (external drive needs to be at least twice the computer's storage capacity)
Cloud Backup Services - Google One<\/a> (Only Non-NCSU Google Accounts), iCloud<\/a>, or another backup service<\/a><\/td><\/tr>
Warranty Service<\/strong><\/td>Minimum 3-year onsite parts and labor or third-party loss\/damage coverage<\/td><\/tr>
Additional Hardware<\/strong><\/td>Three-button mouse with mouse driver software (Optional certified Wacom tablet<\/a> recommended)<\/td><\/tr>
Software<\/strong>

Be sure to check for educational discounts through the College of Design or Wolfpack Outfitters<\/a>.<\/p>

Many Autodesk products are available free through Autodesk's Education Community.<\/a><\/p>Additional software may be required for certain courses.<\/span>
<\/td>

\u2022 Microsoft Office 365<\/a> <\/strong>(free to NCSU students)

\u2022 Adobe Creative Cloud<\/a><\/strong><\/p>

\u2022 1st Year BID and Track III MID students will need a licensed version of Dassault Syst\u00e8mes SolidWorks 2023-2024 or later<\/a><\/strong> installed on their personal computers for use in ID 210 in the Spring semester.<\/p>

\u2022 2nd Year BID students will need Luxion KeyShot<\/a><\/strong> installed on their personal computers for use in ID 310 in the Fall semester.<\/p><\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Questions?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The College's Information Technology staff will be glad to go over purchase choices or answer any related questions. You can send an email to design_help@ncsu.edu<\/a> with specific information about your problem.<\/p>\n"},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

ALL departments require students to have a computer with minimum specifications. Computers that do not meet minimum specifications may prevent students from completing course assignments. Please read this page AND…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":152,"featured_media":345,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"source":"","ncst_custom_author":"","ncst_show_custom_author":false,"ncst_dynamicHeaderBlockName":"ncst\/default-post-header","ncst_dynamicHeaderData":"{\"displayCategoryID\":11,\"showAuthor\":false,\"showDate\":true,\"showFeaturedVideo\":false,\"showReadingTime\":false,\"subtitle\":\"Industrial Design undergraduate and graduate students must have their own computer by the Fall Semester of their first year.<\/strong>
PC computers are required for Industrial Design students.\"}","ncst_content_audit_freq":"","ncst_content_audit_date":"","ncst_content_audit_display":false,"ncst_backToTopFlag":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[11],"tags":[19],"class_list":["post-313","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-computer-requirements","tag-industrial-design"],"displayCategory":{"term_id":11,"name":"Computer Requirements","slug":"computer-requirements","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":11,"taxonomy":"category","description":"","parent":0,"count":8,"filter":"raw"},"acf":{"ncst_posts_meta_modified_date":null},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/design.ncsu.edu\/operations\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/313","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/design.ncsu.edu\/operations\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/design.ncsu.edu\/operations\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/design.ncsu.edu\/operations\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/152"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/design.ncsu.edu\/operations\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=313"}],"version-history":[{"count":14,"href":"https:\/\/design.ncsu.edu\/operations\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/313\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":126677,"href":"https:\/\/design.ncsu.edu\/operations\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/313\/revisions\/126677"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/design.ncsu.edu\/operations\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/345"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/design.ncsu.edu\/operations\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=313"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/design.ncsu.edu\/operations\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=313"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/design.ncsu.edu\/operations\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=313"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}