AskAIC

These recommendations should serve as guidelines for new PC purchases but are not absolute. Feel free to send any questions you have to aicservicedesk@op.ac.nz

PC VS. MAC

Some of our students prefer Mac over PC, and that is completely fine! All software required is accessible and can be installed on a PC or MAC.

PROCESSOR

Intel i5 or i7 processors or their AMD equivalents are recommended but an i7 processor is the best choice. Otherwise an i5 processor is sufficient. Battery life is an important trade-off to consider when selecting a processor; a more powerful processor will reduce a laptop’s overall battery life.

MEMORY

8GB are suggested for robust performance; more and more computers now ship with 16GB of memory, so go with more if it fits your budget.

HARD DRIVE

We have seen significant performance improvements when we upgraded our campus computers to solid-state drives (SSDs). We highly recommend purchasing a computer with 256 SSD which is sufficient space.

GRAPHICS CARD

This will be dependent on your PC’s intended use, but generally speaking at least a 1GB card for a laptop or a 2GB card for a desktop are suggested.

SOFTWARE

All Otago Polytechnic students have access to the Microsoft Office suite free of charge.  See the Microsoft Office 365 Download page for details.

https://studentservices.op.ac.nz/it-support/office-365/