All undergraduate students entering Electrical and Computer Engineering are required to have a Windows laptop for use in course work. Individual courses may require that a laptop be brought to class or lab sessions.
It is the student's responsibility to ensure their laptop meets or exceeds the following requirements.
Operating System Requirements
Undergraduate students will be required to install specific software packages on their laptops. Some of the software packages used in our program are only available on the Microsoft Windows Platform. Due to this need, all students are required to have a laptop with a Windows operating system. Required software for some courses are not fully compatible with a macOS device.
PC Minimum Requirements
Some ECE courses utilize software that places significant demands upon the processor, memory and/or graphics systems of the computer. Consequently, students are advised that a new laptop may be required if their current system is more than three-years old, or fails to meet certain minimum specifications. The following table summarizes ECE recommended minimum specifications for students purchasing a new computer for the upcoming semester. If your current computer does not meet these minimum requirements, you may find that your system will need to be upgraded or replaced within three years and/or may not provide acceptable performance for some or all ECE courses. ECE does not recommend purchasing a new laptop with specifications less than those shown below.
Microsoft Windows 11 Operating System, 64-bit is the expected standard.
| Laptop Spec | Minimum (and you may struggle with these specs) | Preferred (and please exceed even these in order for performance to persist) |
|---|---|---|
| Operating System: | Windows 11 64-bit (required software for courses will NOT run under MacOS) | Windows 11 64-bit (required software for courses will NOT run under MacOS) |
| Processor: | Intel Core i5, Ultra 5, or corresponding AMD | Intel Core i7, i9, Ultra 7, Ultra 9 or corresponding AMD |
| Memory: | 16GB RAM | 32GB RAM or greater |
| Hard Drive: | 500GB SSD (Solid State Drive) | 500GB - 1TB SSD (Solid State Drive) or larger |
| GPU (Video): | Integrated Video | Discrete graphics card (Nvidia or AMD)* |
| Wireless: | 802.11ac (Wi-Fi 5) | 802.11ac (Wi-Fi 5) or 802.11ax (Wi-Fi 6 & 6E) |
| Ports: | Minimum 1 USB port; either a USB-A or USB-C with a USB-A to USB-C adapter | Minimum 1 USB port; either a USB-A or USB-C with a USB-A to USB-C adapter |
| Camera/Conferencing: | Front facing camera with mic and speakers | Front facing HD camera with privacy shutter and headset with mic |
| Backup: | Cloud file syncing service like Onedrive, or UT Box | Cloud file syncing service like Onedrive, or UT Box |
| Warranty: | An extended warranty with accidental damage coverage is HIGHLY recommended | A multi-year extended warranty with accidental damage coverage is HIGHLY recommended |
* A "discrete graphics" card is recommended if you plan to run Computer-Aided Design software. Discrete graphics models feature a dedicated graphics processor (GPU) and memory to provide superior 3D performance for graphics-intensive applications.Home bandwidth
Apple macOS
Students with macOS Operating Systems will need to obtain and install a copy of Windows for their system. The macOS device will also require additional memory and storage capacity to host a Windows virtual environment. Please also consider your time and labor to run and maintain a Windows virtual environment.
Virtualization Environments
Virtualization tools allow Apple MacBooks to run Windows as a guest operating system inside a virtual environment. A few recommendations options are:
Parallels Desktop Pro Edition purchased from the University Campus Computer Store
VMware Fusion Pro for Mac from Broadcom
Virtual Box from Oracle Corporation
Recommended Software
All computers must have an active antivirus software installed before being connected to the campus network. Systems running Windows 11 have the built-in Windows Defender. UT Information Security Office (ISO)recommended anti-virus solutions are listed on the UT-ISO Anti-Virus page.
| Software | Where To Get It |
|---|---|
| Microsoft Office | Instructions for access (Free for Students) |
| MATLAB | Site license download (Free) |
| UTPrint Drivers | Download from UTPrint page |
| Anti-Virus | Download from ITS Anti-Virus page |
Additionally the Cockrell School of Engineering provides access to various Microsoft products through the Azure Development Tools for Teaching program and to National Instruments' LabVIEW.
Financial Aid
Students that receive aid or are loan eligible may contact The Office of Student Financial Services to have their aid adjusted to include the cost of their laptop. Students not eligible for aid can apply for alternative or short-term loans through The Office of Student Financial Services.
