windows requirements Archives - Fairleigh Dickinson University

As students begin their college journey, technology will play a key role in that experience. A reliable, capable laptop computer can play a significant role in helping you achieve success. With many options available in all different price ranges, it can be daunting to select the right one. Below are general guidelines to follow. Please keep in mind that as technology changes, it is also advisable to visit the developer of any specific software you plan to use heavily and check their recommended requirements.

General Studies

Laptops from reputable companies will be capable of handling the computer needs for most coursework.

Windows Computers

Below are recommended specifications for Windows 10 based laptops for general use.

	Budget	Mainstream	High-End
CPU	Intel Core i3 or AMD Ryzen 3	Intel Core i5 or AMD Ryzen 5	Intel Core i7 or AMD Ryzen 7
Hard Drive	250GB or higher	256GB SSD or higher	512GB SSD or higher
Graphics	Integrated	Integrated	Dedicated
Memory	8GB or higher	8GB or higher	16GB or higher

Note

Chromebooks are not recommended due to hardware and software limitations.

While not required, a system with a camera and microphone are recommended.

Apple Mac

Apple laptops vary greatly in price, but below are two starting options are below to base your choice upon:

CPU	MacBook Pro 13″ with Apple M1	MacBook Pro 16″ with Intel Core i7
Hard Drive	256GB SSD or higher	512GB SSD or higher
Graphics	Integrated	Dedicated
Memory	8GB or higher	16GB or higher

Multimedia, Engineering, & Video Programs

Multimedia and Engineering students rely heavily on graphics and processor intensive software. Due to this, specifications for the laptops below are higher to satisfy the needs of such demanding software titles.

	Windows	Apple
CPU	Intel 8th Gen Core i5 (or better) AMD 3rd Gen Ryzen 5 (or better)	Intel 8th-gen Core i5 (or better) Intel 8th-gen Core i7 recommended for AutoCAD use
Hard Drive	512GB SSD or higher	512GB SSD or higher
Graphics	Dedicated video card with 2GB of video memory (or higher) (4GB recommended for extensive Premiere Pro or AutoCAD use	Dedicated video card with 2GB of video memory (or higher) (4GB recommended for extensive Premiere Pro or AutoCAD use
Memory	8GB Minimum 16GB Recommended for HD Video Editing and Adobe After Effects use 32GB Recommended for 4k Editing	8GB Minimum 16GB Recommended for HD Video Editing and Adobe After Effects use 32GB Recommended for 4k Editing
Display	1440 x 900 / 1280 x 1080 (or better) 1920 x 1080 Recommended for AutoCAD use	1440 x 900 / 1280 x 1080 (or better) 1920 x 1080 Recommended for AutoCAD use