The College of Sciences at NC State has adopted the standard university-developed computer recommendations for students in the college. The Tech Den recommends the models below to meet the needs of College of Sciences students.
Dell Latitude 5440
Intel i7 13th generation CPU
16GB RAM
512GB SSD Drive
14" FHD Screen
3 year Dell ProSupport Plus warranty coverage + accidental damage, onsite service, and keep-your-hard-drive coverage
$1,499
Lenovo Thinkpad P14S Gen 3
Intel i7 12th generation CPU
16GB RAM
512GB SSD Drive
14" WUXGA Screen
3 year Lenovo warranty coverage including accidental damage, battery and keep-your-hard-drive coverage
$1,399
Lenovo Thinkpad X1 Carbon Gen 9
Intel i7 11th generation CPU
16GB RAM
512GB SSD Drive
14" WXUGA Screen
3 year Lenovo warranty coverage including accidental damage, battery, and keep-your-hard-drive coverage
$1,599
(If viewing the recommended specification table on a phone, please view in landscape mode for easiest access to both PC and MacBook recommendations)
Item | PC | Mac |
---|---|---|
Type of machine | Business-class | Any Apple Silicon (M1 or M2) based |
Mobile device (e.g., iPad Pro, tablet, Chromebook, Pixel Book) | Not recommended; Cannot adequately substitute for PC laptop or desktop | Not recommended; Cannot adequately substitute for Mac laptop or desktop |
CPU | Minimum: Intel i5 or i7, 11th generation Recommended: Intel i5 or i7, 12th generation or later | Minimum: Apple Silicon M1 Recommended: M1 Pro or later
|
RAM | Minimum: 8 GB if upgradeable otherwise 16 GB Recommended: 16 GB | Minimum: 8 GB Recommended: 16 GB |
Storage | 256 GB or greater SSD | 256 GB or greater SSD |
Operating System | Windows 11, 64-bit Recommended: Pro or Educational NC State Students can download the Educational Upgrade for free. You will need to use your Unity ID and password access the upgrade | macOS 13 or later |
Wireless | Yes | Yes |
Camera & Microphone | Yes | Yes |
Warranty Service (very highly recommended) | 3 or more years | 3 or more years |
Accidental Damage Coverage (for drops and spills) | Yes | Yes |
Theft Coverage (may be included in homeowner’s policy) | Yes | Yes |