Hardware Purchasing
Recommended Models
We are currently suggesting three tiers for incoming students:
Basic - This is the recommended system for most design students.
Advanced - (XR Ready) This is the recommended system for students who are interested in using advanced and emerging digital technologies during their studies. Focusing especially on virtual and augmented reality, as well as advanced rendering, real-time visualization and simulation, advanced scripting, and programming, and/or advanced building information modeling.
Non-design: This is the recommendation for students in programs without intense design components.
Peripherals | ||
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| Amazon | Dell |
Monitor* |
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Keyboard & Mouse |
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*In Fall 2026, some of our studios will include monitors at the desks, so please coordinate any potential monitor purchases after the studio lottery.
Comparison Charts
Prices subject to change. Fall 2026 configurations are now current as of July 8th, 2026.
Note: These computers can be altered on the website for cheaper prices but below are the specs that are recommended.
WE DO NOT RECOMMEND ALTERING RAM, PROCESSOR, or VIDEO.
Design | Basic | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Model | Revised | Price | Weight | Processor | RAM | SSD | Video | Screen | Warranty | Accidental Damage |
Dell Pro Max 16 Laptop (Fall 2026) | Jul 8, 2026 | $3,829 (Dell) | 4.46 lbs. | Intel® Core™ Ultra 7 255H (24MB, 16 cores, 16 threads, up to 5.10 GHz Turbo, 45W) | 32GB: 2x16GB, DDR5, 5600 MT/s, SoDIMM, Dual Channel, non-ECC | 1TB, M.2 2230, Gen4 NON-SED PCIe NVMe, Class 35 | NVIDIA® RTX™ PRO 1000 Blackwell Generation, 8 GB GDDR7 | 16" FHD+ LCD with 400 nits, Non-touch, FHD HDR IR Camera, Microphone, with WLAN antenna | 3 years ProSupport Plus | 3 years (price included in ProSupport Plus warranty) |
VenturePro A16 AI+ A3HWFTG-004US | Jun 24, 2026 | $1,759.99 (MSI) | 4.19 lbs. | AMD Ryzen™ AI 9 365 2.0 - 5.0GHz | 32GB (16GB*2) DDR5 5600MHz | 1TB NVMe SSD | NVIDIA® GeForce RTX™ 5060 Laptop GPU 8G GDDR7 | 16" 16:10 FHD+(1920x1200), touch | 2 years (factory)
| 1 year (factory) |
Design | Advanced | ||||||||||
Models | Revised | Price | Weight | Processor | RAM | SSD | Video | Screen | Warranty | Accidental Damage |
Dell Pro Precision 7 Series 16 Laptop (Fall 2026) | Jul 8, 2026 | $5,561 (Dell) | 5.9 lbs. | Series 3 Intel® Core™ Ultra X7 368H vPro® Enterprise | 64GB LPDDR5x 8533 MT/s | 1TB PCIe NVMe 2230 SSD
| Intel® Arc™ B390/Arc™ Pro B390
| 16", Non-Touch, FHD+ 1920 x 1200, VRR 120Hz, 500 Nit, DCI-P3 100%, Anti-Glare, 8MP RGB + IR | 3 years ProSupport Plus | 3 years (price included in ProSupport Plus warranty) |
Raider 18 HX AI A2XWIG-014US | Jun 24, 2026 | $3,499.99 (MSI) | 7.94 lbs. | Intel® Core™ Ultra 9-285HX 2.1 - 5.5 GHz | 64GB (32Gx2) DDR5 6400MHz | 2TB NVMe SSD Gen5x4 | NVIDIA® GeForce RTX™ 5080 Laptop GPU 16GB GDDR7 | 18" UHD+(3840x2400) 120Hz Mini LED HDR 1000 100% DCI-P3 | 2 years (factory)
| 1 year (factory) |
Non-Design | ||||||||||
Model | Revised | Price | Weight | Processor | RAM | SSD | Video | Screen | Warranty | Accidental Damage |
Dell Pro Max 16 Laptop (Fall 2026) | Jul 8, 2026 | $2,371 (Dell) | 4.65 lbs. | Intel® Core™ Ultra 7 255H (24MB, 16 cores, 16 threads, up to 5.10 GHz Turbo, 45W) | 16GB: 2x8GB, DDR5, 5600 MT/s, SoDIMM, Dual Channel, non-ECC | 512 GB M.2 | Intel® Arc™/Arc™ Pro GPU | 16" FHD+ LCD with 400 nits, Non-touch, FHD HDR IR Camera | 3 years ProSupport Plus | 3 years (price included in ProSupport Plus warranty) |
VenturePro A15 AI+ A3HWETG-083US | Jun 24, 2026 | $1,449.99 (MSI) | 4.19 lbs. | AMD Ryzen™ AI 7 350 2.0 - 5.0GHz | 16GB (8GB*2) DDR5 5600MHz | 1TB NVMe SSD | NVIDIA® GeForce RTX™ 5050 Laptop GPU 8G GDDR7 | 15.6" FHD (1920x1080) | 2 years (factory)
| 1 year (factory) |