Locating Your Computer's Specifications
1 Computers with ARM or Mac M1 processors are not supported. It is highly recommended that laptops have a minimum 15" screen.
2 Supported video cards include (1) dedicated video cards such as NVIDIA GeForce or AMD gaming cards or (2) Intel integrated graphics 8th Generation / Broadwell or newer.
3 Internet access required for installation, license authentication, deactivation and video & library catalog access. Internet access for license authentication is required once every 14 days.
4 Real‑time ray tracing, coming in Chief Architect X13, requires a Windows 10 computer with an NVIDIA RTX graphics card. The Mac version of Chief Architect X13 will support all of the new rendering features and perform traditional ray tracing; however, the Mac version will not support real‑time ray tracing. Chief Architect X13 is anticipated to release in the first half of 2021.
| PC | Mac | |
|---|---|---|
Walkthrough Export Formats |
.AVI / .MP4 / .WMV | .MOV / .MP4 / .M4V |
.WMF / .EMF Support |
Yes | No |
Gamepads |
Yes | No |
If you are thinking about purchasing a new computer to run Chief Architect, here are some things to keep in mind while shopping around:
Gaming cards are best suited to handle renderings in Chief Architect. A gaming card with 4 GB or more of dedicated onboard memory (RAM) can improve your 3D rendering and response times. Video cards such as NVIDIA GeForce GTX/RTX series or AMD Radeon RX series work well (workstation cards are not recommended).
If you plan to run a virtual reality headset, make sure to verify the system requirements from your VR headset manufacturer.
Ray Traces and some artistic rendering techniques (watercolor, painting) are performed by your system CPU, not your video card. The number of processor cores available is the most important factor in improving the speed of ray tracing and artistic rendering. Memory (RAM) and CPU speed are also factors that can contribute to improved performance. A multi-core system, such as a system that uses an Intel i7 or AMD Ryzen processor, are good choices.
Chief Architect's tabbed window interface allows you to take full advantage of multiple monitors to expand your workspace and increase productivity. When adding monitors, make sure that your graphics card supports multiple monitors.
For more information on hardware, you can access benchmark sites like Video Card Benchmarks. There are also frequent discussions of hardware on ChiefTalk that can be helpful.
