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Minimum Laptop Requirement

While undergraduate students are not required to purchase a laptop through the Carolina Computing Initiative, they are required to have a laptop that meets the or exceeds the minimum laptop specifications for their class. Please note that while best efforts will be made to support students with non-CCI laptops, the highest level of support can only be extended to students who purchase a CCI laptop package. Specifically, hardware support and access to the pool of loaner laptops are provided only for students who own a CCI model laptop.

Minimum Laptop Specifications for First Year Students/Freshman

Students in the class of 2027 are required to have a laptop that meets or exceeds the following minimum specifications. All CCI models meet or exceed the specifications below:

  • Processor:
    • PC: 12th Generation Intel Core i5 or better
    • MAC: Apple Silicon M2 or better
  • Memory: 8 GB Minimum
  • Hard Disk Drive: 256 GB SSD
  • Display: 13 inches or larger
    • 1920 x 1080 Resolution or better
  • Media Capabilities:
    • Speaker
    • Microphone
    • WebCam
  • Network: Wireless (802.11a/b/g/n compliant)
  • Expansion Ports: USB 2.0/3.0 and/or USB-C
  • Operating System:
    • PC: Microsoft Windows 11 Enterprise or Pro
    • MAC: macOS 12 or later

Minimum Laptop Specifications for Second Year Students/Sophomore

Students in the class of 2026 are required to have a laptop that meets or exceeds the following minimum specifications. All CCI models meet or exceed the specifications below:

  • Processor:
    • PC: 11th Generation Intel Core i5 or better
    • MAC: 10th Generation Intel Core i5 or better or M1 Apple Silicon or better
  • Memory: 8 GB Minimum
  • Hard Disk Drive: 256 GB SSD
  • Display: 13 inches or larger
    • 1920 x 1080 Resolution or better
  • Media Capabilities:
    • Speaker
    • Microphone
    • WebCam
  • Network: Wireless (802.11a/b/g/n compliant)
  • Expansion Ports: USB 2.0/3.0 and/or USB-C
  • Operating System:
    • PC: Microsoft Windows 10 Enterprise or Pro
    • MAC: macOS 10.15 or later

Minimum Laptop Specifications for Third Year Students/Junior

Students in the class of 2025 are required to have a laptop that meets or exceeds the following minimum specifications. All CCI models meet or exceed the specifications below:

  • Processor: 10th Generation Intel Core i5 or better
  • Memory: 8 GB Minimum
  • Operating System:Microsoft Windows 10 Enterprise or Pro
  • Hard Disk Drive: 256 GB SSD
  • Display: 12 inches or larger
    • 1440 x 900 Resolution or better
    • Integrated graphics
  • Audio: Built-in audio capabilities
    • Speaker
    • Microphone
  • Communication devices:
    • Wireless (802.11a/b/g/n compliant)
  • Expansion Ports: Two USB 2.0/3.0 and/or USB-C