Laptop Requirements

Students entering Engineering are required to have a laptop for use in course work, to include testing scenarios.

Laptops do not need to be brought to campus on a daily basis, but individual courses may require that a laptop be brought to class or lab sessions.
The Microsoft Windows 10 Operating System, 64-bit, is the de facto standard
 

Hardware Required Recommended 
  • CPU processor
 Intel i5 Intel i7
  • Screen
 Resolution 1920×1080 Resolution much higher than 1920×1080
  • RAM, memory
 8GB 16GB or more…
  • Hard Drive
 300GB  (100 GB free for coursework) 500GB or larger, ideally SSD
  • GPU (video)
 Integrated Discrete graphics card, examples:

·         NVIDIA GeForce GTX 960M

·         AMD Radeon HD 7970M

·         NVIDIA Quadro K500M
  • Wireless
 802.11ac or better, until 6e 802.11ac or better, until 6e
  • Ports
 1 free USB >1 free USB
  • Navigation
 A wired or wireless mouse with at least 2 buttons and a scroll wheel (needed for classes using CAD software) A wired or wireless mouse with at least 2 buttons and a scroll wheel (needed for classes using CAD software)

Touch-screen/Pad

Stylus
  • Video conferencing
 Front-facing SD camera with mic and speakers Front-facing HD camera with privacy shutter

Headset with microphone

IR Camera for facial login

 
Please anticipate classes via Zoom and online testing too, possibly using Proctorio &/or other tools
home bandwidth: sufficient for classes and testing, at least 2 Mbps up and down
Warranty: An extended warranty with accidental damage coverage is HIGHLY recommended
 

Financial Aid

Students receiving aid and that are loan eligible may contact the Office of Student Financial Services to have their aid adjusted to include the cost of their laptop. Students not eligible for aid can apply for alternative or short-term loans through the Office of Student Financial Services.
 

Apple Macintosh Notes:

  • Some required software for courses will NOT run under MacOS
  • If you choose not to get a Windows-based PC, a Mac will require additional memory, drive capacity, and time/labor to run a Windows virtual environment
  • Macs, using dual-boot Bootcamp, may suffice at significantly more hardware and effort cost, which the Student may choose to bear.
  • Virtual Environments for Macs may also work in many situations, yet not all and not in some required scenarios.
  • Not recommended due to likely combined required use of Proctorio with SolidWorks and/or other Windows-only applications during a testing scenario
  • And hardware &/or licensing requirements that will not work in a virtualized environment

Software

  • Microsoft Office 
  • Virus protection software required
  • Microsoft Updates Your laptop must be updated to the most current patch level before connecting to the campus network.  Configure this through your control panel.     

Updated: May 27, 2020

Posted on: