Minimum Recommended Computer Hardware for Students

Question:

What are the Minimum Recommended Computer Hardware for Students?

Answer:

Please review the minimum recommendations below. Your particular course of study may have additional requirements to consider.  Contact your academic advisors or college regarding specific applications and requirements.

Note: Due to space limitations in residence halls or apartments, and to provide mobility when studying outside of your room, we recommend you consider a laptop.

Also, the OIT provides Computer Labs with a variety of specialized software (Windows or Macintosh) that may be useful for completing coursework that can supplement your own computer.

Recommendation for Windows Computers

Operating System: We encourage use of Enterprise, Ultimate or Professional versions of Windows 10 or above

Older versions of the Windows operating system have reduced functionality and may limit your access to some central services and applications. 

When running Windows, additional available RAM (memory) and video RAM will improve your experience.

Hardware Configuration

• I5 Gen 7 or better
• 16 GB of RAM or higher
• 256 GB (or more) hard disk space total, preferably SSD (solid state drive)
• Support for DirectX 9 graphics with 128MB or higher
• Windows 10

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Recommendation for Apple Macintosh

Operating Systems: We encourage use of Mac OS 10.14 or above

Older versions of the Macintosh operating system have reduced functionality and may limit your access to some central services and applications. 

Hardware Configuration

• Intel based Mac
• 16 GB RAM or higher
• 256 GB (or more) hard disk space total, preferably SSD (solid state drive)

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