Deciding on what computer to buy for college is a personal and important decision. The School of Computing and the School of Engineering each have their respective recommendations for what works best in each program. PCEC students are considered Power Users, or students who are in frequent use of engineering software, photo or video editing software, or design software. 

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• Laptops are recommended over desktops.
• Memory: The more the better, maximize this option.
• Graphics: ATI or NVIDIA Discrete Graphics Card with 2GB+
• Hard drive: We recommend at least a 750GB hard drive OR a 256GB hard drive + SS.
• Battery life is an important factor that you need to consider in your choice.
• CPU: The faster the better. Multiple-core processors are beneficial. We recommend an i7 Processor or similar.
• Brand name or platform is up to you.  Regardless whether you choose Macintosh or Windows, you will be able to submit or transfer data files in standard text and MS-Office format.  With either Mac or Windows, you will be able to login via VPN or VM environments and access most of our computing facilities.

• Laptops are recommended over desktops.
• Memory: The more the better, maximize this option.
• Hard drive: You will need at least a 750GB HHD OR 256GB+ SS.
• Graphics: ATI or NVIDIA Discrete Graphics Card with 2GB+.
• Size: Some students prefer the larger screens and may need them for their CAD work. However, the downside is the weight of carrying such a heavy laptop around all the time. In this area, you should weigh your personal needs as you will be the one carrying the computer around.
• CPU: i7 Processor or similar. Consider multiple cores.
• Brand is up to you, but note that GVSU has agreements with Dell & Lenovo.
• If you chose to purchase a Mac, note that it will need to be able to run Windows for many of the programs used in our departments.
• Netbooks/tablets will not work.