Personal Computer Purchases
General Use: Recommended Specifications
- Processor – dual core 2.4 GHz+ (i5 or i7 series Intel processor or equivalent AMD)
- RAM – 16 GB
- Hard Drive – 256 GB or larger solid state hard drive
- Graphics Card – any with DisplayPort/HDMI or DVI support – desktop only
- Wireless (for laptops) – 802.11ac (WPA2 support required)
- Monitor – 23″ widescreen LCD with DisplayPort/HDMI or DVI support – desktop only
- Operating System – Windows 11 Home or Professional editions, or Apple OS 13 or higher
- Warranty – 3 year warranty – desktop only
- Warranty – 4 year warranty with accidental damage protection – laptop only
- Backup Device – External hard drive and/or USB Flash Drive
Please note: The extended warranties listed above must be added at the enhancement page when selecting your hardware for purchase. - Clark provides students free access to many common software including
- Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook)
- Virus protection software (Sophos Home)
- Click here for more information on included software
Computer Science, and Data Science: Recommended Specifications
The recommendations below should be considered in addition to those offered above by ITS.
- Students in Computer Science and Data Science courses are encouraged to purchase laptops rather than desktops as they are used in many classes. ChromeBooks are not recommended for these courses. You should purchase a Windows, Mac or Linux device. Recommended Specifications
- 32GB of RAM is strongly recommended particularly for Data Science courses.
- 16GB is the minimum specification.
- An SSD (solid state drive) hard drive of 1TB is recommended
- 512GB SSD is the minimum specification
- A USB-C connection to use in-class docking stations
- Clark provides students free access to many common software including
- Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook)
- Virus protection software (Sophos Home)
- Click here for more information on included software
If you have additional questions, please contact the ITS Help Desk, or your admissions advisor.
Interactive Media & Game Design: Recommended Specifications
The recommendations below should be considered in addition to those offered above by ITS.
- Recommended Specifications
- Multicore Intel I9 or similar Ryzen CPU
- 16 to 32 GB of RAM
- An SSD (solid state drive) hard drive of at least 512GB
- A good stand-alone graphics card with on-board memory;
- an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070, or comparable AMD alternative are a good choice
- the new NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 card is more capable, but expensive for a novice system.
- A monitor resolution of at least 1080; ideally 1920×1080.
- Students tend to purchase HP, Lenovo, Apple, or similar devices.
- Desktop PCs often provide more value than laptops, though will require the purchase of a monitor.
- A good warranty is important for all devices
- We do not recommend spending significant amounts of money on a computer as an incoming first year student. Many students opt to upgrade devices during the program.
- Appropriate computers are available for $1,500-$2,000, though many students also have success purchasing official refurbished devices
- Generally, a computer that plays video games well, will be appropriate for making games.
- Clark provides students free access to many common software including
- Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook)
- Virus protection software (Sophos Home)
- Click here for more information on included software
If you have additional questions, please contact the ITS Help Desk, or your admissions advisor.
SPS Graduate Courses: General Advice
Students enrolled in a graduate program in the School of Professional Studies should contact their advisor to learn more about which computers are best for your courses.
Some SPS courses do require a Windows device. In those courses, students with Mac devices will be required to set-up their computer to dual-boot into Windows. If you are unsure on how to do this, or are uncomfortable doing so, you may find that a Windows device is a better choice for you.
