Device Recommendations for Undergraduates
All Western Engineering students have full access to dedicated 24/7 lab environments that provide all the software and hardware that they will require for course material. As well, students have access to educational software at no charge, including Microsoft products and course software. This software may be installed on personal computers where licenses permit.
General guidelines for personal devices are listed below.
|
Specification |
Minimal Performance / Entry Level Specifications |
Better Performance / Longer Term Specifications |
|
CPU |
3.3 Ghz |
Intel i9 or AMD Equivalet |
|
Memory |
16GB |
16GB+ |
|
Graphics Processing Unit |
Integrated |
NVIDIA GPU with 4GB VRAM or AMD Equivalent |
|
Hard Drive |
250GB SSD |
512GB+ SSD |
|
HD Webcam |
800 x 600 resolution |
800 x 600 resolution or better |
|
To ensure compatibility with Solidworks, please ensure the video card within your device is listed here. http://www.solidworks.com/sw/support/videocardtesting.html |
||
Windows vs. Mac
Course software is Windows-based in almost all instances. A Mac is acceptable, however students may encounter some issues depending on the software package required. Students who choose to use a Mac computer will need to find a way to run Windows on their computer, either through Virtual Machine software or the Mac Boot Camp assistant.
As a result of these complications, ITG recommends that Engineering students use a Windows computer.
