General Purchasing Info for Personal Computers
Purchasing a new computer? Here's a few suggestions to get you started.
Researching your needs
- Research the coursework for your field of study and determine what types of software you will need to run.
- If these tasks comprise the entirety of your computing needs, see the recommended minimum spec sheet below. It has been crafted for your tasks. Expect to pay ~$600 for a new PC with these specs; and ~$1200 for a new Mac with the same.
- A basic software stack for students includes a web browser with around a dozen tabs open + several documents in Microsoft Office. Distance students will likely use the Zoom desktop app for Webmeetings.
- Using a search engine, enter: “Recommended laptop specifications for <your task> <current year>”.
- Before purchasing software to along with your new computer, check to see if there are free or discounted student versions available.
- The university provides free Office 365 (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, etc) to all active students!
Recommended tech specs
A set of baseline specifications which should suffice for the tasks mentioned above:
| Item | Specification |
|---|---|
| Operating System (OS) | Windows 11 or macOS (latest feature update available). Please note that Chromebooks and iPads do not support the software required for many UAS classes. |
| Processor | Intel Core i5 8th generation, AMD Ryzen 3, or equivalent. |
| Memory (RAM) | Minimum 8GB. More RAM = more browser tabs, office documents, or other apps running simultaneously. |
| Storage | SSD (solid-state) drive of at least 256GB. |
| Battery | 8 hours as advertised; actual battery life is usually about ⅔ of this. |
| Screen | Resolution of 1920x1080 or higher. |
Warranty | 3 years+ |
Computer Hardware and You
| Item | Description |
|---|---|
| Processor/CPU | The CPU is like the brains of the computer. It handles number crunching and tells everything what to do. Without it, your computer would be a potato. |
| Hard Drive | In the same way a file cabinet stores things safely for later use, hard drives are for storing applications and saved documents permanently. |
| Random Access Memory (RAM) | RAM is like sticky notes for the computer. It temporarily stores information for quicker access. RAM doesn't last forever and gets wiped clean each time the computer turns off. |
| Graphics Card | The graphics card is like the eyes of the computer. Similar to how our eyes affect the quality of stuff we see, a better graphics card will allow for high image quality. |
| Motherboard | The motherboard is like the nervous system of the computer It's connected to everything and sends messages between components. |