Hillier College of Architecture and Design (HCAD) Recommended Computers for (NJSoA) Students

This applies to New Jersey School of Architecture (NJSoA) students

Information Services and Technology

This applies to New Jersey School of Architecture (NJSoA) students

The Hillier College of Architecture and Design (HCAD) at NJIT uses advanced digital workflows across Architecture, Industrial Design, Interior Design, and Digital Design. Students work with applications that support 3D modeling and rendering, animation and simulation, Building Information Modeling and real-time visualizations and extended realities, among many others.

Because these applications are computationally demanding, HCAD strongly recommends computers capable of running these types of professional, creative and technical applications. These applications require computers that are more powerful, in terms of graphics processing and neural processing, than what most students have used previously. Therefore, incoming HCAD students generally choose to purchase a desktop workstation and a companion laptop, with the expectation that they will be able to use these computers for the duration of their academic program.

NJIT has partnered with Lenovo through the Lenovo Campus Program to provide educational discounts on HCAD’s recommended desktop workstations and laptops. Purchasing computers through the Campus Program gives you access to recommended HCAD configurations for hardware and software as well as simplified purchasing.

For assistance selecting a system appropriate for your program and workflow, contact hcad-computerrequirement@njit.edu.

New Jersey School of Architecture (NJSoA)

For students in the New Jersey School of Architecture, a high-performance desktop workstation meeting the HCAD Lenovo ThinkStation Series Desktop Workstation specifications outlined below is strongly recommended.

Architecture workflows increasingly rely on:

  • BIM platforms such as Autodesk Revit
  • Real-time rendering and visualization
  • Parametric and computational design
  • Environmental analysis and simulation
  • Large, complex project datasets

These workflows benefit significantly from workstation-class CPUs, GPUs, NPUs, memory capacity, and sustained thermal performance.

A laptop toward the lower end (i.e. 32GB of RAM) of the HCAD Lenovo ThinkPad specification is recommended as a companion device for mobility, studio collaboration, and presentations. A laptop used in a companion device role will not meet the needs of a primary design platform for the duration of your academic career in the New Jersey School of Architecture. 

Recommended Desktop Workstation Specifications

HCAD recommends Lenovo ThinkStation P3Gen2 Tower and P3Gen2 Small Form Factor (SFF) workstation-class systems configured with: 

  • Intel Core Ultra 7 or Ultra 9 processors
  • NVIDIA RTX PRO™ 2000 Blackwell 16GB or above
  • 64GB RAM or more
  • 1TB NVMe Solid-State Drive (SSD) or larger
  • Windows 11 Pro
  • 3-year warranty or longer

These systems are intended for:

  • Advanced architectural workflows
  • High-end rendering and visualization
  • Animation and simulation
  • AI-assisted creative workflows
  • Fabrication and production pipelines
  • Long-duration compute-intensive workloads

Click here to visit our Partnership Portal for HCAD workstation purchases

HCAD Support Eligibility

ThinkStation systems such as the P3Gen2 Tower and P3Gen2 Small Form Factor (SFF) desktop workstation meeting HCAD specifications are eligible for:

  • Full-service support
  • Imaging and re-imaging
  • Hardware support coordination
  • Software deployment assistance

Recommended Laptop Specifications

For companion devices, HCAD recommends Lenovo ThinkPad systems configured with:

  • Intel Ultra 7 or AMD Ryzen AI 7 PRO 350 processor or above
  • NVIDIA RTX Ada generation or AMD Radeon graphics with hardware-accelerated ray tracing and AI acceleration
  • 32GB-128GB RAM
    • 32GB of RAM is recommended for companion devices only
    • 64GB of RAM or more is recommended for primary design platforms
  • 1TB NVMe Solid-State Drive (SSD) or larger
  • Windows 11 Pro
  • 3-year warranty or longer

Recommended models may include selected ThinkPad P14s, P16s, P14, P16, P1, and related mobile workstation configurations depending on availability and program needs.

Higher-end mobile workstation configurations with dedicated NVIDIA RTX GPUs are recommended for advanced rendering, visualization, simulation, XR, or AI-assisted workflows.

Click here to visit our Partnership Portal for HCAD laptop purchases

HCAD Support Eligibility

ThinkPad laptop systems meeting HCAD specifications are eligible for:

  • Limited on-site hardware support
  • Software installation guidance
  • Limited configuration assistance

Laptop systems are not eligible for:

  • Imaging or re-imaging services
  • Full managed workstation support

High-Performance Desktop Workstations

Desktop workstations provide the highest level of sustained performance for:

  • BIM and large architectural models
  • Real-time rendering and visualization
  • Animation and simulation workflows
  • AI-assisted design tools
  • Fabrication and digital production workflows
  • Long rendering or computationally-intensive sessions

Laptops 

Laptops provide mobility and flexibility for:

  • Studio and classroom use
  • Field work and presentations
  • Collaboration and remote access
  • General creative and design workflows
  • Companion access to desktop-based projects

Students should select the computers that best align with their academic program and workflow expectations. HCAD academic programs have distinct computing needs depending on the discipline, studio year, and software applications used for specific courses.

Additional Recommendations

HCAD also strongly recommends:

  • A 24" or larger external display for studio work with at least one DisplayPort and a 10ft DisplayPort cable
  • Necessary HDMI adapters that may be required to connect to HDMI only equipment
  • Full sized keyboards and ergonomic mice for comfort during long design sessions
  • A 20ft category 6 or better ethernet cable for those students who are buying a desktop
  • Cloud storage or version-controlled project storage
  • Maintaining warranty coverage throughout the academic program
  • Surge-protected, UL-listed power strip, extension cord and extra chargers

 

What is “imaging” in the full-service option?

“Imaging” is the name for the process HCAD uses to prepare supported desktop workstations with the standard software and settings needed for HCAD coursework.

For supported workstation models, HCAD installs a standard software setup that includes the Microsoft Windows Operating System and Office software, tested hardware drivers, required design software such as Revit and Solidworks, and college-supported network configuration settings. This allows students to begin their work with a computer that is already prepared for the software used in their courses.

Imaging also helps HCAD provide faster support. If a supported workstation has a serious software problem, HCAD can re-image the computer. Re-imaging means restoring the computer to the approved HCAD setup so the student can return to coursework as quickly as possible.

For the 2026–2027 academic year, full-service imaging and re-imaging support applies to HCAD-recommended Lenovo ThinkStation P3 Gen 2 Tower and P3 Gen 2 Small Form Factor desktop workstations that meet HCAD’s specifications above.

Students who purchase one of these recommended ThinkStation desktop workstations are eligible for full-service hardware and software support while enrolled as HCAD students.

A different desktop workstation or laptop is considered a self-supported device. A self-supported device may be powerful enough for some HCAD coursework, but it is not eligible for HCAD imaging, re-imaging, or full managed workstation support.

Self-supported devices must have the required software, correct software versions, current operating system updates, valid software access or licenses, and working hardware. HCAD technical staff may be able to provide general guidance, but installation, software maintenance, hardware repairs, and warranty claims remain the responsibility of the student.

It’s important to ensure that a laptop used as a companion to a desktop workstation is able to run the design software required in HCAD courses. This may include Autodesk applications such as Revit, Maya, AutoCAD, 3ds Max, and Fusion 360; Dassault SolidWorks; Adobe Creative Cloud; Enscape; and McNeel Rhinoceros and Grasshopper.

Students using self-supported computers should review the current system requirements and student software access information provided by each software vendor.

Detailed system requirements for these software applications can be found on their respective websites:

Students opting to bring their own design-capable laptops or workstations for design work can access student versions of the necessary software through the following links:

Why Professional GPUs Matter

HCAD workflows increasingly depend on Graphics Processing Unit (GPU) acceleration. Modern design applications use GPUs for:

  • Real-time rendering
  • AI-assisted workflows
  • XR and immersive environments
  • Visualization and animation
  • Fabrication preparation and slicing workflows
  • Simulation and computational design

Professional workstation platforms provide:

  • Greater stability under sustained workloads
  • Larger GPU memory capacity
  • Improved thermal performance
  • Better driver certification and compatibility
  • Longer service life for academic programs

Why NPUs Matter

Newer laptop and desktop platforms increasingly include a Neural Processing Unit (NPU), a specialized processor designed to accelerate selected AI tasks locally and efficiently. Microsoft defines Copilot+ PCs as Windows 11 systems with an NPU capable of more than 40 TOPS, or trillion operations per second, for AI-intensive tasks such as real-time translation, image generation, and other local AI features.

For HCAD students, an NPU should be understood as a complement to the CPU and GPU, not a replacement for either one. The CPU remains important for general computing and application logic. The GPU remains essential for visualization, rendering, XR, simulation, and many professional creative workflows. The NPU is useful for emerging AI-assisted features that can run locally with lower power consumption, better responsiveness, and potentially improved privacy compared with cloud-based AI processing.

Students should not purchase a laptop or desktop based on NPU capability alone. For HCAD workflows, the system still needs sufficient RAM, fast NVMe storage, strong CPU performance, and appropriate graphics capability. NPU-equipped laptops and desktops are most relevant as part of the broader shift toward AI-assisted design and analysis tools, local inference, and future Windows AI features.

For assistance selecting a system appropriate for your program and workflow, contact hcad-computerrequirement@njit.edu.