The department of Engineering Science recommends students to have a Windows-based laptop computer.
Extensive computer usage is integrated throughout Electrical Engineering during all four years of the curricula.
Minimum Computer Specifications
Listed below are the minimum computer specifications that should be considered when choosing your laptop.
| Component | Specification |
|---|---|
| Processor | Intel Core i5, 8th Generation or AMD Ryzen 5, Gen 3 or better |
| Memory (RAM) | 16 GB minimum |
| Hard Drive | 256 GB or higher Solid State Drive (SSD) or 1 TB, 7200 rpm, SATA or better |
| Optical Drive | Not required |
| Sound Card | Any |
| Graphics Card | AMD or NVIDIA with 1 GB memory minimum |
| Screen | 13" or larger (at least 1920x1080 resolution) |
| Keyboard & Mouse | Keyboard and trackpad |
| Network Adapter | Gigabit Ethernet Adapter and 802.11c Wireless Adapter (Wireless 5) or better |
MAC Users
The new M1 and M2 Apple Silicone does not support Virtual Machine and as a result, you will not be able to run Windows or any other operating system on it. If you are still more interested in a MacBook, make sure it is an Intel-based unit and has enough space to install Windows on it. The suggested size is 512 GB with 16 GB of memory. You can either install VirtualBox and install Windows as a virtual system or use the built-in app in Mac named Bootcamp. Either way, as a student, you can have a free Windows operating system by accessing Software Download as one of the icons on Login Portal.