Computer Requirements
Students in the Department of Earth, Environment and Planning use professional geospatial and remote sensing software that requires capable hardware. The recommendations below are based on the system requirements of the software used in our courses, including ArcGIS Pro, ArcGIS Drone2Map, ERDAS IMAGINE, ENVI, and Agisoft Metashape.
A well-equipped laptop ensures you can complete coursework, labs, and independent research without performance bottlenecks. These recommendations apply to all students in the department, but are especially important for students enrolled in GIS, remote sensing, or drone mapping courses.
Recommended Specifications
The table below lists recommended hardware specifications at two tiers. The High option provides the best performance for demanding workloads such as photogrammetry and deep learning. The Basic option meets the requirements of all required software and handles typical coursework well.
| Item | High Option | Basic Option | Justification |
|---|---|---|---|
| Operating System | Windows 11 Pro | Windows 11 Home | All five software titles require or strongly recommend Windows. ERDAS IMAGINE, ENVI, and ArcGIS Drone2Map are Windows-only. ArcGIS Pro officially supports only Windows. |
| Processor (CPU) | Intel Core i9 or AMD Ryzen 9 (12+ cores, 3.0+ GHz) | Intel Core i7 or AMD Ryzen 7 (8+ cores, 2.5+ GHz) | Drone2Map and Metashape benefit heavily from multi-core processing. ArcGIS Pro recommends 4+ cores; Drone2Map recommends 12 cores at 3.0 GHz or higher. |
| Memory (RAM) | 64 GB | 32 GB | ArcGIS Pro recommends 32 GB. Drone2Map recommends 32–64 GB for typical projects. Metashape’s advanced configuration calls for 32–128 GB. More RAM allows processing larger datasets. |
| Dedicated Graphics (GPU) | NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 or higher (8+ GB VRAM) | NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5060 (8 GB VRAM) | All five titles benefit from NVIDIA CUDA GPU acceleration. ArcGIS Pro recommends 8 GB+ dedicated VRAM. ENVI Deep Learning and Drone2Map require NVIDIA GPUs for GPU-accelerated processing. |
| Storage | 1 TB NVMe SSD + additional storage | 512 GB NVMe SSD | ArcGIS Pro requires 32 GB free. Drone2Map projects consume 40–240 GB each. An SSD is essential for acceptable performance with large datasets. |
| Display | 15.6″ or larger, 1920 × 1080 or higher | 15.6″, 1920 × 1080 | ArcGIS Pro requires 1024 × 768 minimum and recommends 1080p. Larger displays improve productivity in GIS and remote sensing workflows. |
Example Laptop Models
The following models are representative examples available as of 2026. The department does not endorse or guarantee any specific product and has not tested these models. Prices are approximate and subject to change. Any laptop meeting the specifications above will work; you are not limited to these models. When purchasing, confirm that the specific configuration includes an NVIDIA RTX GPU and at least 16 GB of RAM (upgradeable to 32 GB).
| Model | Approximate Price |
|---|---|
| High Option | |
| ASUS ROG Strix G16 (Core i9, RTX 5070, 32 GB RAM, 1 TB SSD) | $1,800–$2,000 |
| Lenovo Legion Pro 5 16 (Core i9, RTX 5070, 32 GB RAM, 1 TB SSD) | $1,900–$2,100 |
| MSI Raider 16 HX (Core i9, RTX 5070, 32 GB RAM, 1 TB SSD) | $2,000–$2,200 |
| Basic Option | |
| ASUS TUF Gaming A16 (Ryzen 7, RTX 5060, 16 GB RAM, 512 GB SSD) | $1,100–$1,300 |
| Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3 16 (Core i7, RTX 5060, 16 GB RAM, 512 GB SSD) | $1,000–$1,200 |
| Dell G16 (Core i7, RTX 5060, 16 GB RAM, 512 GB SSD) | $1,100–$1,300 |
A Note About Apple Computers
If you are planning to enroll in GIS, remote sensing, or drone mapping courses, a Windows laptop is strongly recommended. The table below summarizes macOS compatibility for each software title used in the department.
| Software | macOS Compatibility |
|---|---|
| ArcGIS Pro | Windows only. Esri publishes a guide to running ArcGIS Pro on a Mac using Parallels Desktop, but with significant limitations (see below). |
| ArcGIS Drone2Map | Windows only. No vendor-supported method exists to run it on a Mac. |
| ERDAS IMAGINE | Windows only. No vendor-supported method exists to run it on a Mac. |
| ENVI | Windows only. No vendor-supported method exists to run it on a Mac. |
| Agisoft Metashape | Runs natively on macOS, including Apple Silicon. |
Apple Silicon Limitations for ArcGIS Pro
Students running ArcGIS Pro on an Apple Silicon Mac (M1, M2, M3, M4, or later) via Parallels Desktop should be aware of several limitations documented by Esri. This configuration requires Parallels Desktop 18 or later, Windows 11 on ARM, and macOS Ventura or later. The Apple Silicon CPU does not support the AVX instruction set, so some geoprocessing tools that depend on AVX will not work. The GPU is virtualized as a basic DirectX 11 display adapter with no CUDA support and no DirectX 12, so GPU-accelerated workflows will run slowly or not at all. Deep learning tools in ArcGIS Pro have not been tested or certified under Parallels on Apple Silicon. Esri will troubleshoot issues reported under this configuration, but only certifies ArcGIS Pro against native Windows x64 hardware.
If you already own a Mac and plan to use it for coursework, verify that your specific hardware and virtualization setup meets the software requirements before the start of the semester. For more detail, see Esri’s Run ArcGIS Pro on a Mac page.
Questions?
If you do not have access to a computer that meets the requirements for the software used in your course, contact the Department of Earth, Environment and Planning to ask whether alternative arrangements such as the Virtual Computing Lab may be available. The department can also help with general questions about computer requirements or choosing a laptop.