Buying a Personal Computer

Recommended minimum specifications for computers that will meet the requirements of most academic work.

Faculty & Staff

If you decide to purchase a new computer, be sure to select one with Wi-Fi standard six or greater. The product description should include a number 6, 6e or 7 with the Wi-Fi symbol or 802.11 followed by “ac,” "ax" or "be." If you are using a computer or device you already own and are having issues, contact the Faculty/Staff Help Center.

Component Windows Desktop/Laptop MAC Desktop/Laptop Tablet
Operating System (OS) Latest 64-bit OS Latest OS Latest OS
Processor Intel Core i5 Apple M1 Latest OS for Brand
RAM or Memory 8GB 8GB 4GB to 8GB
Hard Drive 120GB/250GB Solid State or Flash Drive 120GB/250GB Solid State or Flash Drive Your Choice
Warranty Yes, get warranty Yes, get AppleCare Yes, get warranty/AppleCare

Students

For purchasing advice, see the Student Laptop Services webpage. If you are using a computer or device you already own and are having issues, contact OTS Student Computing Services. 

Make a Purchase

Apple

Purchase products and accessories at an Apple retail location or through the Apple Online Store

Dell

Get potential deals and discounts on Dell consumer computers, electronics and accessories through Dell’s Employee Purchase Program (EPP) 

Note: the business line of Dell products used at the university are different due to the demands of enterprise computing.

Support

Faculty/staff personally-owned devices: If you have issues with personally-owned computing devices (laptops, tablets, routers, cable modems, smartphones, etc.), you must seek support and service outside of the university.

Towson University, as a public university, cannot provide technical services for devices that are not owned by the university. OTS can help you connect to university systems, websites, applications and other campus-hosted resources. See the TechHelp Knowledge Base article for more info.