Recommended Computer Requirements - Students

Owned by Holly Steenvoorden
Last updated: Aug 07, 2024 by Marco Biermann

If you're planning to purchase a personal computer, these are the minimum requirements recommended by IT Services for optimal performance and to meet the needs of your courses. 

Please note: Your program may have specific requirements (eg. Business) so please ensure there are no specific recommendations for your course or program beyond what is listed below. 

For more information on Technology needs for Learning, click here.


Microsoft Windows Device

Processor

Memory
(More is better)

Storage
(More is better)

Graphics

GOOD - Recommended for general purpose
IntelCore i3 2-4 cores4 GB≥ 60 GBIntegrated (iGPU)
AMDRyzen 32-4 cores4 GB≥ 60 GBIntegrated (iGPU)
BETTER - Recommended for power users
IntelCore i54+ cores≥ 8 GB≥ 120 GBIntegrated (iGPU)
AMD Ryzen 54+ cores≥ 8 GB≥ 120 GBIntegrated (iGPU)
BEST - Recommended for SEG and Digital Fabrication (Dfab)
IntelCore i7 or i96+ cores≥ 16 GB≥ 250 GBnVidia Quadro or AMD Radeon Pro (Featuring 4GB+ GDDR5 or GDDR6 VRAM) compatible with DirectX 11+, OpenGL 4.6+, OpenCL and/or CUDA acceleration
AMD Ryzen 7 or 96+ cores≥ 16 GB≥ 250 GBnVidia Quadro or AMD Radeon Pro (Featuring 4GB+ GDDR5 or GDDR6 VRAM) compatible with DirectX 11+, OpenGL 4.6+, OpenCL and/or CUDA acceleration

Apple MacOS device

Processor

Memory
(More is better)

Storage
(More is better)

GOOD - Recommended for general purpose
Macbook AirDual-core Intel i3 / Apple M1 or better8 GB≥ 250 GB
BETTER - Recommended for power users
MacBook Pro 13" or 14"Quad-core Intel i5 / Apple M1 Pro, M2 or better≥ 8 GB≥ 250 GB
BEST - Recommended for high performance users
Macbook Pro 15" or 16"Hexa-core Intel i7 / Apple M1 Ultra, M2 or better≥ 16 GB≥ 500 GB

Apple MacOS device

MacOS 10.13 (High Sierra), MacOS 11 (Big Sur) and MacOS 12 (Monterey) Operating Systems should be used. Only genuine versions of Mac Operating Systems are supported. The server version of MacOS is not supported.

Microsoft Windows device
64-bit versions of Windows 10 and Windows 11 should be used. Alternate versions of Windows 10 including Windows 10 32-bit, Windows RT, and Windows 10 S are NOT supported.

Recommendations:

  • Choose an SSD (Solid State Device) for faster storage.
  • For specialized programs including SEG, Digital Arts (DA), Digital Fabrication (Dfab) and Music use better or best device configurations.
  • nVidia Quadro and AMD Radeon Pro graphics cards perform better for workstation applications than gaming graphics cards.
  • Tablet computers are consumption devices. As a student you will be creating content and not just consuming it; tablet computers without keyboards (iPads, Android devices) are not suitable for this purpose.

*GB - Gigabytes

The above minimum requirements will allow you to remotely access and run Selkirk College provided software applications.

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