Dental CAD and Scanner Computer Requirements: exocad, 3Shape, Medit, iTero and Primescan, Compared (2026)

Your technician says full-arch cases crawl near the end of the design, and someone already has a quote for a new tower. Before anyone orders, check it against the exocad system requirements and the other vendors' specs, because each asks for something different.

This guide is for the office manager or owner of a prosthodontic practice who is about to buy a design PC, a lab workstation or a scanner laptop. It covers the PC hardware only. The wider picture, from the scanner to the lab, is in our guide to the digital dental workflow, from the IT side, and the people who look after the rest of the office are on our dental IT support page.

Below you get one dated table across seven products, each vendor's tiers, a table for deciding which carts and PCs are worth keeping, a 12-point setup checklist, a short support split and a spec sheet to send before you order. Every figure comes from the vendor's own page, with the date we checked it.

What computer do dental CAD and scanner programs need? The one-table answer

Most dental CAD and scanner programs run only on Windows, want an Nvidia or AMD graphics card with its own memory, and need 16 to 32 GB of RAM for everyday work. Scanner vendors are stricter than CAD vendors: some name the exact graphics cards, ports and Windows edition, and some supply or approve the PC themselves.

Vendor pages change with each release; check the linked page before you buy. Where a vendor publishes no figure, the cell says so rather than guessing. For the practice management, server and imaging PCs around these machines, see our system requirements for practice management and imaging software.

Before you order, a Free Dental IT Assessment gives you written findings and prioritized recommendations on your computers, software, network security, backups and performance.

What are the exocad system requirements in 2026?

exocad publishes three hardware levels for any exocad product: a minimum (quad-core 2.8 GHz, 8 GB RAM, 4 GB graphics memory), a cost-effective build (i5-10400 or Ryzen 5 3600, 16 GB, RTX 2060 or RX 5600 XT) and a full workstation for running several exocad products at once (i9-14900K or Ryzen 9 9950X, 32 GB).

The exocad wiki says it documents exocad's software releases from 2025 on. It does not name a DentalCAD version number, so check the release you are licensed for with your reseller.

Which exocad level fits your practice?

• • Single crowns, inlays and short bridges, one program open: the cost-effective level.
• • Full-arch cases, implant bars, dentures, or design while another exocad module runs: the full workstation. Lab users report full upper and lower cases slowing near completion on smaller machines, which is the job this level is for.
• • The minimum: it runs, but exocad warns that older or entry-level graphics chips may perform poorly. Treat it as a floor for a spare PC, not a target for a new one.

Does exocad run on a Mac, a laptop or a virtual machine?

exocad is developed for Windows only, and the wiki says virtual machines, Parallels included, are not supported. An Intel Mac can run Windows through Boot Camp, but exocad's support does not cover that setup, and Apple Silicon Macs cannot run Boot Camp. A laptop is fine if it meets the same specification as a desktop.

The dongle, the internet and the integrated-graphics trap

Three lines on the wiki catch new buyers. A free USB slot is required for the licence dongle. "Internet connection is mandatory." Intel integrated graphics are not supported for PartialCAD, which has stricter graphics needs than DentalCAD. The processor must be Intel or AMD x64; ARM chips and x64 emulation (Qualcomm Snapdragon, Apple M series) are not supported. The wiki also asks for the latest exocad framework 2025 on the PC.

AI answers and older guides still mix 2019-era parts with the current levels, so read the wiki itself before you buy. If you plan implants in exoplan, the planning side has its own guide: implant planning computer requirements.

What are the 3Shape computer requirements?

For 3Shape Dental System 2025, the design and lab software, 3Shape asks for Windows 11 64-bit, 16 GB of RAM at minimum and 32 GB recommended, an Nvidia GeForce or Quadro card with 2 to 4 GB of memory, and a 500 GB SSD. TRIOS scanner PCs follow a separate rule: buy from 3Shape's approved PC catalog.

Two numbers need plain words. The 64 GB line is for a PC that scans and models large cases at the same time; a design-only station is fine at 32 GB. The 1 TB line applies when the PC is the only machine holding the order folder, which also makes it the machine to back up. 3Shape's 2025 table adds a server PC column for data storage and sharing only, not for design or scanning. Its page ends: "Please contact your Reseller or 3Shape support in case of questions."

TRIOS in the clinic: the approved PC catalog

3Shape is direct about the scanner PC: "Using a PC from the approved PC catalog is crucial when using the 3Shape TRIOS intraoral scanner." Talk to your reseller before buying a TRIOS PC yourself. 3Shape also publishes a separate requirement for Dx on Unite III (32 GB of RAM, 8 GB of Nvidia video memory, a six-logical-core i5 or better); that table is labelled for Dx users, so do not read it as the rule for every TRIOS install.

The 3Shape rules office PCs break

• • Third-party software: 3Shape warns that it "may block and decrease the performance of your TRIOS scanners." Keep the scanner PC clear of extra programs.
• • USB: a desktop lab scanner should be the only device on its USB host controller; other peripherals go on free USB 3.0 ports.
• • Ethernet: the design PC needs internet plus a separate Ethernet connector for the scanner.
• • Updates: 3Shape says to install all Windows updates and to keep Nvidia graphics drivers updated.

What about Medit, iTero, Shining 3D and Primescan scanner laptops?

Scanner laptops are where vendor rules get specific. Medit's scanning software excludes AMD Radeon graphics and needs USB-C Power Delivery for the i900; Shining 3D bans its own list of entry-level cards and names one driver; Align lists the exact CPUs and GPUs for iTero Lumina; Dentsply Sirona's Primescan and CEREC PCs are its own products and are upgraded only its way.

Medit: the strictest page to read before buying

Medit's Scan for Clinics page sets 16 GB as the minimum and recommends "24 GB or higher" for a desktop and "32 GB or higher" for a laptop. Recommended graphics are an RTX 5060 (Medit Scan for Clinics 1.13.3 or later), RTX 4060, RTX 3070 or RTX A3000 with 8 GB; the minimum is an RTX 4050, 3060 or A2000 with 6 GB. On ports, the page is plain: "If PD is not supported, the i900 scanner cannot be used." The i600, i700 and i700w still work without Power Delivery, but lose the Plug & Scan feature. Medit also asks for a PC and monitor certified to IEC 60950, IEC 55032 and IEC 55024, and for its own USB 3.0 cable. It warns that a fanless MacBook Air may slow down from heat rather than specifications. The Medit Link app has its own, lower listing: 16 GB and Windows 10 64-bit or later, or an Apple M1 Mac on Sonoma 14 or later.

iTero: the Lumina spec is the current US page

Align now publishes a US PC configuration page for iTero Lumina. It lists compatible Intel Core i5, i7 and i9 (14th gen) and Core Ultra processors, Nvidia-only graphics, "Minimum: 32 GB" of RAM, a 512 GB SSD, a 15.6-inch 1920×1080 display (touchscreen recommended), one USB 3.2 Type-C port, a webcam and Windows 11 Pro. The Element Flex page no longer appears on Align's US site, so if you run an older iTero, ask Align which figures apply to your model.

Shining 3D: the example of driver pinning

Shining 3D's page is the most specific we found: an i7-11700H at minimum, 32 GB in dual channel, an RTX 3060 or better, and a named Nvidia driver, 581.57. It warns that driver 595.79 makes the scanning screen lag. That is the reason a scanner PC should not take graphics driver updates automatically.

Primescan and CEREC: leave the PC to Dentsply Sirona

Dentsply Sirona says upgrading its products to Windows 11 "is not possible through the upgrade options offered directly by Microsoft." The route is its Windows 11 Security Package, a USB drive with a customised Windows 11 image and a licence sticker, one per system, through your dealer or Dentsply Sirona representative. Do not reimage these PCs yourself.

Network speed, Wi-Fi and uploads are a separate topic, covered in our guide to scanner upload and Wi-Fi requirements.

Graphics card, processor or RAM: where should the money go?

Put the money into the graphics card and RAM the vendor names for your heaviest job, then an SSD. A dental CAD workstation is a Windows PC dedicated to designing restorations, appliances or guides in software such as exocad or 3Shape Dental System; unlike a front-desk PC, it depends on a dedicated graphics card, more memory and fast local storage.

Rules of thumb, each taken from vendor text:

• • Nvidia unless your vendor names AMD. exocad accepts both; Medit's scanning software (Scan for Clinics) does not support AMD Radeon; 3Shape names GeForce or Quadro; iTero Lumina lists Nvidia only.
• • Graphics memory: 4 GB is exocad's floor; scanner vendors want 6 to 8 GB.
• • RAM: 32 GB for heavy design (exocad full workstation, 3Shape recommended); 64 GB only for simultaneous large-case scanning and modelling (3Shape).
• • Storage: an SSD, sized for the order folder if this PC holds it.

We give no benchmarks or speed figures here; the vendors publish none, and a number from a gaming review does not tell you how a full-arch case behaves.

Which scanner PCs and carts are still worth buying or keeping?

Keep a scanner PC the vendor still lists for current Windows, plan to replace one it says cannot be upgraded, and ask the reseller before buying used. Windows 10 support ended on October 14, 2025 (Microsoft), so the question for each cart is what its vendor says about the upgrade.

What a cart that cannot be upgraded means day to day, and who to call about it, is covered with the scanner network topics in our scanner IT guide. For the rest of the office, see what Windows 10 end of support means for a dental practice.

Laptop, desktop or Mac for dental CAD?

Use a tower on the lab bench and a laptop where the scanner moves between chairs. A Mac works only where the vendor lists macOS, which today means Medit's M-series support and Shining 3D's Mac line; exocad and 3Shape design run on Windows.

How should IT set up a CAD or scanner PC?

Set it up as a single-purpose machine: bought against the vendor's current page, kept free of other software, patched on a schedule that respects the vendor's driver notes, on a battery backup, and backed up beyond the practice management database. The checklist below is the order to work in.

Who supports a CAD workstation: the reseller, the vendor or IT?

The reseller you bought the software from usually handles first-line CAD software and licence questions, the vendor stands behind the application, and your IT provider owns the PC, Windows, the network, backup and accounts around it. Writing the split down before the PC arrives saves the first support call from turning into three.

Forum users describe 3Shape and exocad first-line support as running through the reseller you bought from, and 3Shape's own requirements page points readers to "your Reseller or 3Shape support". Scanner, printer, mill and lab portal rows are in the full matrix in the digital workflow guide. When you do open a ticket, what to put in a support ticket keeps it short.

The buy checklist: the spec sheet to send before you order

Before you order, fill in one sheet and send it to whoever buys the PC, whether that is your reseller, your IT provider or both. It turns a vague "we need a faster computer" into a specification each party can check against the vendor's page.

Worked example (an example, not a quote). A prosthodontist's in-house technician designs full-arch cases in exocad while a desktop lab scanner runs on the same PC. That maps to exocad's full-workstation level (i9-14900K or Ryzen 9 9950X, 32 GB DDR5, RTX 4080 or 5070 class) and, if the scanner is 3Shape's, to 3Shape's 64 GB note for simultaneous scanning and modelling. The sheet then adds a 1 TB SSD if the PC holds the order folder, a UPS, wired Ethernet with a separate connector for the scanner, and a named owner for the dongle.

How Legend helps practices with CAD and scanner PCs

exocad, 3Shape, Medit, iTero and Primescan are systems your practice runs: the vendor or reseller supports the application, and we keep the PC, network, backup and accounts around them working, to the vendor's published requirements.

This guide comes from Ian Lynch, who has 22 years in dental IT and oversees the NOC, onsite dispatch and client technology roadmaps. For how we handle the PCs and servers themselves, see our workstation and server setup page.

What to ask your IT provider before the CAD PC arrives

• • Will you check the spec sheet against the vendor's current requirements page before we order?
• • Who images the PC, and do you follow the scanner vendor's driver note?
• • How will Windows updates be scheduled so they do not break a validated scanner setup?
• • Which folders on this PC will you back up, and when did you last test a restore?
• • Is the PC on a UPS, and does it shut down safely in an outage?
• • What do you need from our reseller when the CAD software and the PC disagree?