1. Home
  2.  → 
  3. Technology Resources for Students
  4.  → Laptop Requirements for Students

Laptop Requirements for Students

Digital tools are a key part of your course materials. We have gathered laptop standards as well as information for computer discounts to help you reach your academic goals and stay connected.

Minimum laptop requirements for UCI students

  • No Chromebooks or tablets
  • Operating system: Windows 10 or one of the latest three versions of Mac OS X
  • Processor: Core i5 processor or higher
  • RAM: 8 Gigabytes or more
  • Hard drive: 256 GB Solid State Drive or larger solid-state drive
  • Webcam: Built-in
  • Graphics card: On-board video will work for most use cases, but please consult with your school for any special cases which would require a discrete graphics card. Examples include photo/video editing and CAD software.
  • Warranty and accidental damage protection are not required but are highly encouraged.

School of Engineering – Minimum requirements

Engineering students have different laptop requirements. Please, refer to the Engineering website for details.

Note that Mac laptops are not suitable for engineering students. For any questions related to engineering student laptops, contact Lisa Preble at lpreble@uci.edu

Donald Bren School of Information & Computer Sciences – Minimum requirements

ICS students have different laptop requirements. Please, refer to the ICS website for details.

Discounts for students are available through a variety of vendors and resellers

The Hill

Place your orders through shopuci.com. We are offering free ground shipping on orders placed over $49.00 or you can contact SM8206@bncollege.com to arrange curbside service at The Hill.

Direct to students

Resellers

Updated on
October 19, 2023