General FAQs
      Back to home
      1. Support Knowledge Base
      2. FAQs
      3. General FAQs

      KeyShot Studio Minimum System Requirements

      What are the minimum system requirements for running KeyShot Studio and what type of computer should I buy?

      Minimum System Requirements

      • 64-bit platform
      • 4GB RAM
      • Quad-core CPU1
      • OpenGL 2.0 capable system2
      • Intel or AMD 64-bit processor with SSE4.1 or higher
      • 1920 x 1080 resolution or higher
      • Internet connection (to activate product)

      [1] KeyShot will utilize all available CPU cores. Therefore, more CPU cores/threads will produce faster rendering times.

      [2] While KeyShot doesn’t require GPU for rendering, certain UI elements in KeyShot require a GPU with support for OpenGL 2.0 and up.

      • Microsoft Windows:
        • Windows 10 or 11
        • Windows Server 2019 and above.
      • MacOS
        • macOS 11.7 Big Sur or newer

      What Type of Computer Should I Buy to Run KeyShot Studio?


      KeyShot has the option of GPU rendering since KeyShot 9. Rendering in GPU or CPU are independent workflows and, as a result, the hardware requirements are dependent on how to plan to render using KeyShot.

      Processor (CPU)
      The processor is the only hardware component that affects CPU render performance. The higher the number of cores, the better. The core count takes precedence over clock speed (Hz). For optimal rendering power and performance, consider processors with high core counts: Intel Xeon (except for Xeon Phi) and/or AMD Ryzen.

      Graphics Card (GPU)
      For GPU rendering, we recommend QUADRO RTX 4000 or higher. KeyShot will support any cards with the NVIDIA Maxwell microarchitecture found in the Quadro M6000 or GTX 980 and above. 
      For best results, you should have at least 8 GB of GPU memory. If you are using CPU rendering only, any graphics card that runs Open GL 2.0 or later will work with KeyShot.

      Memory (RAM)
      Your computer should have enough RAM to load all of the polys/triangles in your CAD files. Normally, 12GB of RAM is enough to load your CAD files, work in KeyShot, and multi-task with other applications.

      What Graphics Card (GPU) Should I Use for KeyShot Studio?

      For more information on using GPU Mode in KeyShot, please see the KeyShot Manual. To download the latest NVIDIA drivers, please visit nvidia.com/download.

      NVIDIA (Recommended)

      Desktop Cards:

      • QUADRO RTX 4000 or higher

      Mobile Cards:

      • QUADRO RTX 4000 Mobile or higher

      [1] Multiple GPUs are supported. NVLink is not supported in KeyShot 9.

      [2] For GPU rendering (KeyShot 9 and above), we recommend graphics cards with a minimum of 8 GB memory.

      [3] GPU mode appears on the Ribbon in KeyShot for NVIDIA GPUs built on Maxwell microarchitecture or newer and supports CUDA Compute Capability 5.0 or later found in the Quadro M6000 or GTX 980 and above.

      NVIDIA (Supported) Desktop Cards

      • RTX A6000
      • RTX A5500
      • RTX A5000
      • RTX A4500
      • RTX A4000
      • RTX A2000
      • QUADRO GV100
      • QUADRO GP100
      • QUADRO P1000 or higher
      • QUADRO P400 or higher
      • QUADRO M2000 or higher
      • QUADRO P3200 or higher
      • GeForce RTX 40-Series
      • GeForce RTX 30-Series
      • GeForce RTX 20-Series
      • TITAN RTX

      NVIDIA (Supported) Mobile Cards

      • QUADRO T1000 Mobile or higher
      • QUADRO P1000 Mobile or higher
      • QUADRO RTX 3000 Mobile
      • QUADRO P520 Mobile or higher
      • QUADRO P500 Mobile or higher
      • GeForce RTX 20-Series
      • GeForce RTX 30-Series
      • Geforce RTX 40-Series