Buying the Right Computer

All incoming students are required to have a laptop for use during class and to access university and college network resources while on campus. We strongly advise that students purchase a laptop powerful enough to run engineering software, including simulations, that they will encounter during their four-year degree.

Mac systems are not recommended for any TTU engineering degree plan. While the Whitacre College of Engineering's virtual labs give students access to most engineering software, it's not unusual to need to run Windows freeware or student versions of software to complete courses. Most engineering software is Windows-based and running a virtual machine on a Mac will not provide the performance and stability which is required by most engineering software.

Recommended Laptop Specifications

This laptop will run engineering software, including simulations, 3D drawings, and numeric calculations which you will encounter throughout your four-year degree.

• Windows 11 Professional (Windows 10 reaches end of life October 2025)
• Minimum Intel Core i7 processor 12 Generation and Higher
• Minimum 16GB DDR4/DDR5 RAM
• 512GB Solid State Drive (SSD) (Primary drive for operating system and software)
• 500GB or higher external SSD or Hard Disk Drive (HDD) for storing data – (optional)
• Dedicated GPU: RTX A2000 - 4000 or GeForce RTX 3060 – 5090 (onboard graphics may work)
• 15" Widescreen – (recommended)

The specifications above will run engineering software, including simulations, 3D drawings, and numeric calculations which you will encounter throughout your four-year degree.

Recommended laptops will be available for purchase through the following link:

Mac and Chromebook computers should not be considered for any degree for the following reasons (except for Mac usage for the Computer Science degree):

• Almost all engineering software is Windows-based
• Running a virtual machine on a Mac will not provide the performance and stability which is required by most engineering software.
• Chromebooks are not designed to run high-performance engineering software and do not have the hardware specifications capable of supporting engineering software.

 

Webcam Recommendations:

• Logitech C920x

 

Q&A

For assistance with purchasing a laptop please contact:

Engineering IT Services at 806-742-3453