One of the most common questions we receive from students is which computer best sets me up for success at MVNU.
A few simple things to keep in mind. This topic is surprisingly complex but we’ve tried to simplify it as much as possible.
While you can find computers for $200 or $300, in our experience these will last a year or two at the most as they’re made with cheaper parts or lower Quality Assurance practices. With this in mind, we would recommend spending no less than $600 for anything you hope to last through a college career.
Depending on the degree your student is wanting to pursue, some computers are more necessary than others. If they’re considering Graphic Design or Engineering, they’ll need a computer powerful enough to handle the complex software needed for the program. Degrees like English won’t require as powerful of a system. And obviously the more power the more expense. See more below.
Equipment Choices
PC vs Apple
*Also for your consideration:
When shopping for a windows computer consider these basic specifications:
Windows 10 11 – If it lists 8.1 10 or older it is probably an older model not meant to handle the full power of Windows 1011.
>6GB >8GB of Memory (RAM) – The larger this number the better, but anything less than 4GB 8GB will cause the computer to run so slowly you’ll wish you bought something better.
Storage size is only important if you have a ton of files you want to store (pictures, music, videos, etc…) that aren’t located in the cloud or on discs.
SSD over HDD – SSD technology is flash storage (like a flash-drive) which is much faster than the older spinning hard disk of HDD.
Intel i3, i5, or Core M for best processors. i7 is overkill (unless you want to be an Engineer or a gamer) and Celeron or Pentium are too slow to be worth your while.
Also consider AMD options. Terms like Ryzen are a competitor to Intel’s “i” series processors. AMD tends to be less expensive while still being a powerful processor option.
Watch out for useless add-ons that drive up the price. It may not be important to you to get a Blu-ray drive in your laptop so why pay extra for it?
One common add-on is an Antivirus software, which is somewhat less necessary than it was 10 years ago.
Another common add-on is MS Office or a trial. Neither are necessary as student automatically get the full MS Office suite included in tuition.
Program-Specific Requirements
As an added service, MotherBoard will gladly review and give suggestions or recommendations on any equipment you find. Send us a web link at motherboard@mvnu.edu and we can take a look and point out pros and cons.
For this or any other questions, please feel free to contact us at any of the below methods.