Student-Owned Computing: Buying a New Computer/Laptop
Created:
by Tony Baumann
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Last Modified:
by rneby
The College of Engineering expects all incoming students to own a desktop, laptop, or similarly powerful tablet. If you are planning to purchase one, we’d like to offer the following advice and guidance.
Recommended Specs for New Computers/Laptops
| CPU | Intel i3/i5/i7 processor |
| Minimum RAM | 8 GB |
| Recommended RAM | At least 16GB |
| Optical Drive | Optional |
| Minimum Hard Drive | 256 GB |
| Recommended Hard Drive | 256GB or larger Solid State Drive (SSD) |
| Operating System | Windows 10 (64-bit) MacOS 10.14 “Mojave” |
| Wireless | 802.11ac |
| Warranty | 3-year |
Warranty Information
We recommend warranties that are backed by the manufacturers themselves (as opposed to third-party warranties offered by retailers) so you can get service no matter where you are when a problem occurs.
There are repair technicians on-campus at the OIT Walk-In Center who can provide hardware repairs for computers and laptops from Dell, Apple, and Lenovo that are under manufacturer warranty or CPS warranty.
If you purchase a device well above the recommended specifications, you might consider a 4-year warranty.