Student Computer Specification Recommendations


Students at Auburn have access to several computer labs across campus to help with projects, assignments, tests, and other academic needs. Click here to view a list of available computing labs across campus. We understand, however, that many students opt to bring laptops or other personal computing devices when they come to campus. 

The university as a whole does not suggest any specific computers, but certain academic units have recommendations based on various software programs you will be running while in those courses. If you know the course of study you want to pursue, please click the link below to see that unit's recommendations to help guide your purchase. 

To be prepared for the possibility of remote instruction, if they do not purchase a laptop, students are still strongly encouraged to have reliable and regular access to a Windows or Macintosh computer, a webcam (built-in on the computer or as an additional USB accessory), and off-campus access to reliable Internet. 

 

Please contact the ACES/Ag IT department for more information at (334) 844-9660.

Please visit the CADC Laptop Requirements page for computer specifications by program area. 

Please contact the Harbert College IT Services Department at cobtech@auburn.edu for more information.

The College of Education expects students to be able to use the following programs: Zoom, Canvas, Office, OneDrive, Chrome, Firefox, Panopto, and Respondus. As a result, here are the minimum recommendations.

Mac Laptop Minimum Requirements

  • Intel Core i5, Apple M1, or Apple M2 processor
  • MacOS 12 (Monterey) or higher
  • Minimum 8GB, 16GB recommended
  • Minimum 256GB SSD, 512GB SSD recommended
  • Webcam
  • Integrated wireless card
  • Antivirus Software

Windows Laptop Minimum Requirements

  • Intel Core i5 processor or AMD equivalent
  • Minimum Windows 10, Windows 11 recommended
  • Minimum 8GB, 16GB recommended
  • Minimum 256GB SSD, 512GB SSD recommended
  • Webcam
  • Integrated wireless card
  • Antivirus Software

Engineering students who wish to bring their own computers are encouraged to purchase IBM-compatible devices. The minimum specifications are listed below. Additional recommendations are available here. 

Windows Laptop Minimum Requirements

  • Intel Core i5 processor (8th gen & up) or AMD Ryzen processor (2nd gen & up)
  • Minimum 16GB of memory+
  • 500GB+ SSD Hard Disk
  • 13"+ LCD screen
  • On-board Graphics Media Accelerator
  • Webcam
  • 802.11 ac wireless card

The College of Forestry, Wildlife and Environment offers a list of recommended specs as well as a list of bare minimum specifications for running the necessary systems. For Windows devices, the Windows 10 operating system is required.

  • Processor recommended: Core i7 12th generation or higher or Ryzen 5 5000 series or higher
  • Processor minimum: Core i5 12th generation or higher
  • Hard drive recommended: 1 TB SSD/NVMe
  • Hard drive minimum: 500GB SSD/NVMe
  • Memory recommended: 32GB
  • Memory minimum: 16GB

Forestry uses ArcGIS software which does not run native on Mac operating systems, so they do not recommend the purchase of Mac devices. If you do use a Mac, make sure it has the most updated operating system, 16GB of RAM, and 512GB hard drive for running parallels. 

All College of Human Sciences students are required to have a laptop computer. Please visit the CHS Computer Specifications site for additional information.

Mac Laptop Minimum Recommendations

  • M1 or M2 Apple Silicon processor
  • Minimum 8GB of memory, 16GB recommended
  • Minimum 256GB SSD storage, 512GB recommended
  • 13" LCD screen
  • Webcam
  • 802.11ax Wi-Fi 6 wireless networking

Windows Laptop Minimum Recommendations

  • Intel Core i7 processor
  • Minimum 8GB of memory, 16GB recommended
  • Minimum 256GB SSD storage, 512GB recommended
  • 13" LCD screen
  • Webcam
  • 802.11 g/n/ac wireless card

Minimum Recommendations for Media Studies & Animation Majors

  • M2 Max Apple Silicon Processor
  • Minimum 16GB of memory, 32GB Recommended
  • Minimum 512GB SSD storage, 1TB recommended
  • 16" LCD screen
  • Webcam
  • 802.11ax Wi-Fi 6 wireless networking

Mac 13" Laptop Minimum Requirements

  • 1.4GHz Intel Core i5 processor
  • Minimum 8GB of memory
  • 256GB SSD Storage
  • Integrated video card
  • Webcam
  • Integrated wireless card
  • Mac OS Ventura or later

Mac 16" Laptop Minimum Requirements

  • 2.6GHz Intel Core i7 processor
  • Minimum 16GB of memory
  • 512GB SSD Storage
  • Integrated video card
  • Webcam
  • Integrated wireless card
  • Mac OS Ventura or later

Windows Laptop Minimum Requirements

  • Intel Core i5 processor
  • Minimum 8GB of memory
  • 256GB Hard Disk
  • Integrated video card
  • Webcam
  • Integrated wireless card
  • Windows 10 OS or later

HCOP students are required to have a laptop throughout their time as a student, as they are used for a variety of tasks such as exams and assignments. Additional information, including HCOP IT contact information, can be found here.

Mac Laptop Minimum Requirements

  • Operating System: Mac OS 10.15 (Catalina) or newer
  • Microsoft Office 365 (Provided to AU enrolled students)
  • Processor: 64 bit Intel Core i5 or higher
  • Ram: 8 GB minimum
  • Storage: 250 GB SSD or higher
  • Camera and Microphone (integrated or separate component)
  • HDMI or Thunderbolt display ports
  • Install Palo Alto GlobalProtect (VPN Client) from AU Install website

Windows Laptop Minimum Requirements

  • Operating System: Windows 10
  • Microsoft Office 365 (Provided to AU enrolled students)
  • Processor: 64 bit Intel Core i5 or higher
  • Ram: 8 GB minimum
  • Storage: 250 GB SSD or higher
  • Camera and Microphone (integrated or separate component)
  • HDMI or Thunderbolt display ports
  • Install Palo Alto GlobalProtect (VPN Client) from AU Install website

COSAM does not have any mandatory computer requirements. Most, if not all, of their specialized software is available via windows virtualized desktop (WVD) for students. It's really the preference of the student as to what type of computer to purchase, Windows, Apple, Linux, Chromebook, or Tablets. The best support on campus will be mostly Windows and Mac, and there is an Authorized Apple Store located at the AU Bookstore in Haley Center on campus. Discounted Apple hardware is available to students. Students also get free access to software like Microsoft Office (O365) and Adobe Creative Cloud Suite, so there is no need to purchase those. A student can also access the windows virtual desktop (WVD) environment from a Chromebook as well. See more about the COSAM Recommendations here. 

NOTE: Although Chromebook is compatible with most of our systems, ProctorU and Respondus Lockdown Browser to take online tests are not fully supported on Chromebook. If you need to take an online test, please have access to a different computer architecture (Windows or Mac) to take your test.

When you're accepted into the College of Veterinary Medicine, you can acquire a Windows or Mac device from the college, or you can bring your own device. If you choose to bring your own, the college recommends a device with a minimum of 8GB or RAM and at least 512GB of disk space. They do not recommend Chromebooks since they are not compatible with the Lockdown browser which may be necessary for some courses.