Computing Recommendations for Architecture Students

The Architecture Department at Stuart Weitzman School of Design requires incoming graduate students to purchase or bring a laptop during your time as a student at Weitzman. It is critical that you bring in a laptop that can handle the demands of your program. As an Architecture student, memory, GPU, and processor performance are key, especially when working with larger files and renderings. We have configured a few options at varying price points which are available via the Dell for Students portal. Each of these systems is priced at an educational discount.

We do not configure Macs in our Back-to-School sale and strongly discourage their use in the Architecture program. Some software applications you may use, like Revit, V-Ray for Rhino, and 3ds Max, are only available for Windows and cannot be adequately run on virtualization software like Parallels with Apple’s new ARM-based Apple Silicon processors.

It is important that you visit our Computer Recommendations page BEFORE ORDERING for more detailed information on laptop configurations, software applications, and shipping information.

If you have specific questions about computing requirements at Weitzman, please send us an e-mail at ithelp@design.upenn.edu.

We understand these are important decisions, and we are here to help guide you through the process.

Should you choose to order your laptop through the University’s preferred vendor, you can log into the Dell for Students portal to order. It is important that you secure your laptop and other peripherals with a cable lock. If you plan to purchase a system elsewhere, or want to evaluate a system you already own, you should match the specifications of your preferred system to the ones recommended by Weitzman ITS for the Architecture program:

• CPU: 4GHz or higher
• RAM: 64GB or more
• Storage: 1TB or more SSD
• GPU: Non-Integrated graphics card with 8GB of memory or more

If you have any questions about laptop configurations, please contact ithelp@design.upenn.edu and we will be happy to consult with you. We encourage students to place their technology orders as quickly as possible taking into account any supply chain delays.

If you plan to purchase one of the configurations* from Dell, it is important to create a Dell Account first to access educational pricing. See steps below:

1. Visit Dell’s new student portal: https://www.dell.com/students
2. Sign in or create an account. 
3. Register for Dell Rewards by clicking the Dell Rewards box when you create your My Account.
4. Verify your student status with a valid student email address.
5. Your student discount will be automatically applied to applicable items, and you will see the discount applied within cart. 
   • You must be signed into the Dell student account before clicking on any links to recommended models in order for the discount to be applied.

*All configurations are adjustable. While students are encouraged to customize their systems with additional features and benefits, they should use the baseline specifications as a starting point.

As a student in a Design based program, you are required to have Rhino and a subscription to Adobe Creative Cloud. The computer labs at Weitzman are heavily scheduled for teaching and are not to be depended upon to do your work. Often faculty will expect you to bring your laptop to class and having this software will allow you to fully participate. For the 2025-26 academic year Weitzman graduate and PhD students will have access to a free subscription of Adobe CC. Rhino is offered at educational pricing from Weitzman. Please see our Software Availability page for more information.

You can download free copies of Autodesk applications at Autodesk's student webpage. A free download of Microsoft 365 is available to students at Campus Express. Microsoft 365 includes Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, OneNote and more. For a complete list of available software, see our Software Availability page.

If you are a US citizen or permanent resident, have filed a 2025-2026 FAFSA, and are eligible for US federal student loans, you can request a federal loan budget increase from the University’s Office of Student Registration and Financial Services (SRFS) to assist you in the purchase of your computer. Download their Application for Educational Budget Adjustment form and return the completed form to them along with a receipt from the computer you’ve purchased or an estimate of the computer you plan to purchase. For more information, contact the Weitzman School of Design Office of Financial Aid at fin-aid@design.upenn.edu. Please note: the request for federal loan budget increase is only necessary if you are borrowing your full loan eligibility for other educational expenses in the 2025-2026 academic year.