Central Michigan University: recommended laptop specification

No — this is a recommendation, not a requirement. Central Michigan University (Students entering the Department of Computer Science program, College of Science and Engineering) publishes a suggested configuration: 16GB RAM, 512GB storage. You are not obliged to buy a machine that matches it.

💡 Recommended only. Central Michigan University publishes this as guidance. An existing laptop that does the job is usually fine — do not buy a new machine on the strength of this page alone.

The published specification

Operating system: "Windows 11 - Windows 11 is installed by default on the majority of new computers sold today. Windows 10 will no longer be supported by Microsoft as of October 2025. The Computer Science Department allows the latest Mac and Linux OSes as well, but some software such as Unity may have some compatibility issues with out Windows labs"

Processor: Minimum: "Intel i5, 13th gen. or better" / "AMD Ryzen 7000 series 5 or better" / "Apple M3 or better". Recommended: "Intel i7, 13th gen. or better" / "AMD Ryzen 7000 series 7 or better" / "Apple M3 pro or better"

Memory (RAM): Minimum 16 GB; Recommended "32 GB or more"

Storage: Minimum 512 GB; Recommended "1 TB or more (solid state drive preferred)"

Graphics: "Students planning to focus on multimedia projects, machine learning, or artificial intelligence development should consider a laptop with a discrete graphics card (dedicated GPU) for better performance."

What this specification rules out

"The Office of Information Technology will not support Apple laptops, and some specialized software may not be supported. Use of Apple laptops can be cone with most software and virtualization but will require a knowledgeable student to support the device."

Also listed on the same page

Webcam: minimum "720p", recommended "1080p". USB Storage: minimum "64 GB, USB 3.0 or better", recommended "256 GB".

Source

Taken from Central Michigan University's own published page: https://www.cmich.edu/academics/colleges/college-science-engineering/departments-schools/computer-science/resources/laptop-recommendations. Verified 2026-08-25. Specifications change every intake, so confirm against that page before you buy.

Laptops that meet this specification

Product links go to Amazon search — as an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases, at no extra cost to you. Links never change the checklist.

Search Amazon for laptop 16GB RAM 512GB SSD →

The search is built from the capacities Central Michigan University actually prints, so compare each result against the published specification above before ordering — listings change and this page does not track stock or price.

Packing for Central Michigan University

A laptop is one line on a longer list. See the full Central Michigan University dorm packing list for bedding, storage and the rest of move-in.

Laptop requirements at other schools: Claremont McKenna College · Clemson University · Colorado State University · DePaul University · Drexel University · East Carolina University