Recommended & Minimum Computer Configurations for Students
Our recommendations and minimum system requirements are meant to provide general guidelines on which computer configurations work best in the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences for students. They focus on hardware specifications of the device. If you have declared a major, we recommend checking with the relevant department to see if it requires specific computer configurations.
You can follow this guide if you are going to buy a new computer or planning to upgrade your existing hardware.
Note: We recommend to purchase a laptop with the below specifications or specification exceeding them. If you are targeting on high performance computing, please consult with your departmental IT professional or CDEPD Staff, before purchasing computer.
Component
Processor
Memory
Operating System (OS)
Storage
Display
Network Adapter
Other
Specification
Intel Core i5 (8th generation or newer) or equivalent
8 GB RAM
Microsoft Windows 10 Professional x64
500 GB (or higher) Internal Storage
13" LCD monitor, resolution of 1600 x 900 or better.
802.11ac 2.4/5 GHz wireless adapter
Internal or external Webcam Lock (Only if necessary) Carrying case External hard drive for backups (Only if necessary)
Minimum Specifications
Note: The following lists minimum requirements that allow for network connectivity and other basic functions. If you are planning on purchasing a new computer, please use the recommended configurations above.
If you are still having issues deciding the correct specifications, Please consult with your departmental IT professional or CDEPD Staff, before purchasing computer.
Component
Processor
Memory
Operating System (OS)
Storage
Display
Network Adapter
Other
Specification
Intel Core i3 (9th generation or newer)
4 GB RAM
Microsoft Windows 10 Professional x64
500 GB Internal Storage
13" LCD monitor, resolution of 1600 x 900 or better.
802.11ac 2.4/5 GHz wireless adapter
Internal or external Webcam Lock (Only if necessary) Carrying case External hard drive for backups (Only if necessary)
Desktop Computers
Recommended Specifications
Note: We recommend to purchase a desktop PC with the below specifications or specification exceeding them. If you are targeting on high performance computing, please consult with your departmental IT professional or CDEPD Staff, before purchasing computer.
Component
Processor
Memory
Operating System (OS)
Storage
Display
Network Adapter
Other
Specification
Intel Core i5 (8th generation or newer) or equivalent
8 GB RAM
Microsoft Windows 10 Professional x64
500 GB (or higher) Internal SSD
24" LED monitor
802.11ac 2.4/5 GHz wireless adapter
Internal or external Webcam Lock (Only if necessary) External hard drive for backups (Only if necessary)
Minimum Specifications
Note: The following lists minimum requirements that allow for network connectivity and other basic functions. If you are planning on purchasing a new computer, please use the recommended configurations above.
If you are still having issues deciding the correct specifications, Please consult with your departmental IT professional or CDEPD Staff, before purchasing computer.
Component
Processor
Memory
Operating System (OS)
Storage
Display
Network Adapter
Other
Specification
Intel Core i3 (9th generation or newer)
8 GB RAM
Microsoft Windows 10 Professional x64
500 GB Internal HDD Storage
17" LCD monitor
802.11ac 2.4/5 GHz wireless adapter
Internal or external Webcam Lock (Only if necessary) External hard drive for backups (Only if necessary)
