Student Computer Purchasing
Below is our campus recommendation for purchasing a laptop for classes at WCU. If
your college has a recommendation that exceeds ours, find it below.
* Dell & Apple laptops receive on-site software and hardware support (service subject to warranty status). Other devices receive limited support.
* All students receive a free copy of Microsoft Office 365.
*Once you purchase a computer, log in and follow our setup guide to get it ready for the semester!
| Program/College | Apple Recommendation | Dell Recommendation |
|---|---|---|
| Campus Recommendation | - MacBook Air with M3 Chip or higher - 16GB unified memory - 500GB SSD - 3 years of AppleCare+ warranty |
- Dell Latitude or Precision Series Laptop with Windows 11 - Intel Core Ultra 7 - 16GB RAM - 512GB SSD - 4-year Dell ProSupport Plus |
| School of Business | - Dell Latitude or Precision Series Laptop with Windows 11 - Intel Core Ultra 7 - 16GB RAM - 512GB SSD - 4-year Dell ProSupport Plus |
|
| College of Engineering | - Dell Pro Max or Precision Series Laptop with Windows 11 - An advanced graphics card to handle 3d graphics processing (Nvidia or AMD) - 32GB RAM - 512GB SSD - 4-year Dell ProSupport Plus |
|
| Graphic Design | - MacBook Pro 16" - Discrete graphics card (Pro or Max chip) - 32GB unified memory or greater - 500GB SSD or greater - 3 years of AppleCare+ warranty |
- Dell Latitude or Precision Series Laptop with Windows 11 - 15" screen or greater - Discrete graphics card - 32GB RAM or greater - 500GB SSD or greater - 4-year Dell ProSupport Plus |
| Interior Design |
*Interior Design student must use a Windows Laptop. - Dell Latitude or Precision Series Laptop with Windows 11 |
Windows Recommendation:
- Dell Latitude or Precision Series Laptop with Windows 11
- Intel Core Ultra 7
- 16GB RAM
- 512GB SSD
- 4-year Dell ProSupport Plus
Mac Recommendation
- MacBook Air with M3 Chip or higher
- 16GB unified memory
- 500GB SSD
- 3 years of AppleCare+ warranty
Only Windows PC's (like the recommended Dell machines) can run some business programs like Microsoft Access database application among others directly/natively.
Laptop Recommendation:
- Dell Latitude or Precision Series Laptop with Windows 11
- Intel Core Ultra 7
- 16GB RAM
- 512GB SSD
- 4-year Dell ProSupport Plus
Laptop Recommendation:
- Dell Pro Max or Precision Series Laptop with Windows 11
- An advanced graphics card to handle 3d graphics processing (Nvidia or AMD)
- 32GB RAM
- 512GB SSD
- 4-year Dell ProSupport Plus
Laptop Recommendation
*Students pursuing hte BFA withe emphasis in Graphic design are required to have a
laptop that meets the system requirements for the current Adobe Creative Cloud software
applications and an Adobe CC software license. Students use a range of Adobe applications
throughout the program. Adobe offers educational discounts for its licenses.
Mac Recommendation:
- MacBook Pro 16"
- Discrete graphics card (Pro or Max chip)
- 32GB unified memory or greater
- 500GB SSD or greater
- 3 years of AppleCare+ warranty
Windows Recommendation
- Dell Latitude or Precision Series Laptop with Windows 11
- 15" screen or greater
- Discrete graphics card
- 32GB RAM or greater
- 500GB SSD or greater
- 4-year Dell ProSupport Plus
*Interior Design student must use a Windows Laptop.
Laptop Recommendation:
- Dell Latitude or Precision Series Laptop with Windows 11
- Intel Core Ultra 7
- 16GB RAM
- 512GB SSD
- 4-year Dell ProSupport Plus
