NON-DESIGN STUDENTS
A variety of laptop and desktop computers including Apple, Lenovo, Dell, Acer, Asus, MSI, Toshiba, Samsung, Sony, and HP computers can be purchased at a student discount through the Campus Computer Store. The different models available can be compared to the hardware recommendations page.
DESIGN STUDENTS
Dell Direct Purchase Program
The Office of Information Techology is recommending the Dell M3800 Mobile Workstation for all design students.
To visit Dell's student purchase portal and see more details, go to: http://dell.com/UTSOA and then click on the "UTSOA's Recommended Systems" link near the top of the page.
Other options available through the Campus Computer Store.
Although the school uses primarily Dell hardware, we do not endorse Dell exclusively and in addition to the M3800, we have identified some appropriate laptops from other manufacturers that are available through the Campus Computer Store.
The main differences between purchasing the Dell M3800 from Dell directly versus buying it through the Campus Computer Store are:
- The Dell direct purchase is configured with the recommended specifications of 512GB SSD and 16GB memory, whereas the Campus Computer Store option has a 256GB SSD and 8GB memory (memory can be upgraded with aftermarket parts, which does not void the warranty).
- The Dell direct purchase includes a 3-year warranty + accidental damage (customizable to 5 years) from Dell, whereas the Campus Computer Store offers a 4-year warranty & accidental coverage through a 3rd party (Safeware).
The Lenovo ThinkPad W540 is Autodesk certified. It is a 15.6” laptop weighing a little over 6lbs.
The HP ZBook 15 (15.6” screen, ~7 lbs.), & ZBook 17 (17.3” screen, ~8 lbs.) are Autodesk certified (the ones with the NVIDIA Quadro video card).
