Technical Support

Minimum Specifications for Personal Computers

Last Updated:September 11, 2020

These are the minimum suggested specifications. Anything newer / faster is also recommended.

If you’re uncertain, on a Mac select “About This Mac” from the Apple menu to view your system specs. On a Windows computer, right-click on the start menu (the Widows icon) and select “System” from the pop-up menu.

For New Students

Character Animation Program & Experimental Animation Program

Apple MacBook Pro

macOS 10.15 Catalina
16-inch display
Intel Core i9
32GB memory
Radeon Pro 5600M (8GB) graphics 1TB SSD storage
AppleCare+

iPad Pro (Early 2020)

12.9-inch display
256GB storage
Wi-Fi connectivity
Apple Pencil (2nd Generation)
AppleCare+

Film Directing Program & Program in Film and Video

Apple MacBook Pro

macOS 10.15 Catalina
16-inch display
Intel Core i9
32GB memory
Radeon Pro 5500M (8GB) graphics 1TB SSD storage
AppleCare+

For Continuing Students

Character Animation Program & Experimental Animation Program

Apple MacBook Pro or iMac *

macOS 10.15 Catalina 15-inch or larger display 16GB memory
512GB SSD storage

–or–

Windows Laptop or Desktop

Windows 10
15-inch or larger display 16GB memory
512GB SSD storage

iPad Pro, iPad, or iPad Air *

iPadOS 13 Apple Pencil

–or–

Wacom Cintiq

*Compatibility with Apple Sidecar required if using an iPad as a drawing surface with your Mac.

Film Directing Program & Program in Film and Video

Apple MacBook Pro or iMac

macOS 10.15 Catalina 15-inch or larger display 16GB memory
512GB SSD storage

–or–

Windows Laptop or Desktop

Windows 10
15-inch or larger display 16GB memory
512GB SSD storage

Personal Equipment Requirements for New & Continuing Students

All Programs

Logitech M535 mouse or similar Mac compatible 3-button Bluetooth mouse*
2 TB USB-C backup drive
Sony MDR-7506 headphones or similar wired headphones with an 1⁄8” mini plug

*Optional for Film Direction Program and Program in Film and Video, but required for certain software applications such as Maya or Cinema 4D

Additional Items for Character Animation Program and Experimental Animation Program

Wacom Pro Pen 2 (KP504E) **

**Required for use of Cintiqs on campus; only works with new Cintiq Pro.

If you’re concerned about running a particular piece of software, please follow these links to view system requirements for the different applications we use at CalArts.

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