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Computer Technical Recommendations

QCC does not require students to own a laptop or desktop computer, however most students find that it is much easier to have one. The following list is our recommended minimum configurations. If you are planning on purchasing a computer, consider taking this list with you. Certain programs have special requirements -they are listed separately. If you are in a healthcare program, please review the notation at the bottom indicated by an asterisk (*).

2023-2024 Computer Technical Recommendations

 
Minimum and Recommended Specs
 

Requirements for Specific Majors

Minimum
Recommended
Computer Science(Laptop Required)
Computer Systems Engineering
Electronic Engineering Technology
Interactive Media and Design

Operating System
We do not recommend Chromebooks as they do not support some required components

Windows 10 Pro/Education,
64‐bit , Mac OSX 10.9 or higher
Windows 10 Pro/Education, Mac OSX 10.9 or higher
Windows 10 Pro/Education/Enterprise
Win 10 Pro or
Education
Windows 10 Pro/Edu, 64 bit
Windows 10 Pro/Edu, 64 bit, Mac OSX 10.9 or higher
CPU
Quad-core Atom, Dual‐core Celeron, AMD 11 GHz
E‐300, Intel i3 or higher
Intel i5 or AMD
Dual‐core or higher
Intel i7 Quad‐core or AMD Quad-core or higher
Intel i7 Quad-core or
AMD Quad-core or higher
Quad‐core Intel or AMD
processor with 64‐bit Support, 3.0 GHz minimum speed
Intel Core i3, 8th Gen. or higher or AMD Ryzen 3
or higher
RAM
8 GB RAM
8 GB RAM
16 GB RAM
16 GB RAM minimum. If class requires creation of multiple virtual machines (such as CSC241), 32 GB RAM is recommended
16 GB RAM or higher
8 GB RAM (16 GB highly recommended)
Hard Drive
64 GB eMMC or more
500 GB 5400 RPM Hard Drive or 128 GB SSD (256 GB SSD highly recommended)
or greater
500 GB SSD or 1TB SSD Drive 

recommended

500 GB SSD. 1TB SSD recommended
500 GB 7200 RPM or 
256 GB SSD or greater
500 GB (1TB highly recommended) 7200 RPM,
SSD recommended
Graphics (GPU)
Integrated Graphics
Integrated Graphics
Minimum VRAM 4 GB
Minimum VRAM 2GB
Integrated Graphics
Minimum VRAM 2 GB
CD/DVD Drive
Not Required
Not required
Not required, but useful
Not required, but useful
Not required, but useful
Not required, but useful
Interface
1 USB 3.0
3 USB (at least 1 USB 3.0)
3 USB (at least 1 USB 3.0)
3 USB (at least 1 USB 3.0)
3 USB (at least 1 USB 3.0)
3 USB (at least 1 USB 3.0,
and 1 USB-C)
Network
Wireless 802.11a/b/g/n/ac, Bluetooth 4.2
Wireless (802.11g/n or 802.11ac)
Wireless (802.11g/n or 802.11ac), Wired LAN
Wireless (802.11g/n/ac),
Wired LAN recommended
Wireless (802.11g/n or 802.11ac)
Wireless (802.11g/n or 802.11ac)
Browsers
Chrome, Firefox, or
Microsoft Edge
Chrome, Firefox, or
Microsoft Edge
Chrome, Firefox, or
Microsoft Edge
Chrome, Firefox, or
Microsoft Edge
Chrome, Firefox, or
Microsoft Edge
Chrome, Firefox, or
Microsoft Edge
Audio & Webcam
Speaker & Microphone (embedded or external), Camera or webcam
Speaker & Microphone (embedded or external), Camera or webcam
Speaker & Microphone
(embedded or external),
Camera or webcam
Speaker & Microphone (embedded or external),
Camera or webcam
Speaker & Microphone (embedded or external),
Camera or webcam
Speaker & Microphone
(embedded or external),
Camera or webcam
Additional Software:
Office 365 Education is available to students for free through QCC
Office 365
Office 365 (including Microsoft Access for CIS students)
Office 365, Office 2019, Open Office, Acrobat Reader, CLion, MINGW, VirtualBox
Office 365 or Office 2019
Office 365 or Office 2019
Office 365 or Office 2021

All computers that connect to the QCC Wireless network must have up-to-date antivirus protection.
We also recommend a product such as Lojack for PCs.

* Students enrolled in healthcare programs should also have a tablet type display and a stylus.

We are pleased to offer basic technical support for your personal devices through our BlackBelt support services, available 24x7. They can be reached by calling 508.854.4427 and follow the prompts. We recommend that at the time of purchase you understand your warranties and how you can receive technical assistance.