Student-Owned Computing: Buying a New Computer or Laptop

Hardware considerations when purchasing a computer for the College of Engineering

The College of Engineering recommends that all incoming students own a desktop, laptop, or similarly powerful tablet.

Many students want to install University-supplied software on their laptops for convenience.  Due to many software titles being demanding of computer resources like processing power and memory, the following table was created to aid in making decisions on purchases.

Students who instead prefer to use the Eos Virtual Lab environment or visit on campus Eos Labs may choose a machine with the minimum specifications.

Apple devices

The College of Engineering wants to make sure that its students are successful and have the tools that they need including computing resources. The college provides multiple resources including the Virtual Computing Lab and several on-campus computer labs. All of these resources have all of the software needed for the various majors offered in the college.

The following departments have said that they believe their students see no difference in experience whether they bring Apple or Windows-based personal computers.

• Biomedical Engineering (BME)
• Computer Science (CSC)
• Materials Science and Engineering (MSE)

All other engineering departments said students can be successful with either one, but there are specific software packages that require the Windows operating system. 

Students will need to purchase and run additional Windows emulator software like Parallels on their Apple device or utilize the college-provided virtual and physical labs to use these special engineering software packages.

• Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering (CBE)
• Civil Construction and Environmental Engineering (CCEE)
• Electrical and Computer Engineering (ECE)
• Industrial and Systems Engineering (ISE)
• Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering (MAE)
• Nuclear Engineering (NE)

Students choosing to use Apple computers may be directed to the Eos Virtual Lab or on campus Eos Labs for using engineering software that is problematic or incompatible with Apple operating systems. 

Consumer vs. Business Grade

Consumer grade ("home") products can be more cost effective for purchase.  Their intended usage is typically for low to midrange tasks that an average computer user will need.

However, Business grade products tend to be more durable over time with higher specification availability and robust warranty options.  These capabilities can be advantageous for the continual use of demanding software.

Discrete Graphics Cards

Discrete graphics is a GPU that is a separate from the processor. Discrete graphics has its own dedicated memory that is not shared with the CPU.

Having a computer equipped with a discrete graphics card either from AMD or Nvidia is needed for some software to run optimally.

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.

ITECS Service Desk support

Engineering students can get software installation and other computing assistance with their personal computers by making an appointment with one of the ITECS Service Desks.

ITECS Service Desks are located on the central (main) and centennial campuses to provide walk-in support, by email and phone Mondays through Fridays from 8:00AM to 5:00PM.