General Specifications

Many computer resources are available for general use by the campus community. It may be advantageous to wait until your first semester to decide whether to invest in a computer. Appropriate computer selection is ultimately based on a number of variables including budget, usage, and major of study. Systems meeting the minimum system requirements will work; however, other specifications may be more efficient.

College of Engineering students will receive specifications necessary for the programs installed and used during their education. Other students may wish to ask their college or departments for any specific requirements. Offers and discounts on selected hardware and software may be available to students, faculty, and staff through university partnerships.

Windows XP Requirements

• Pentium IV 2.6 GHz or AMD equivalent processor recommended; Pentium III 500MHz or AMD equivalent processor minimum
• 512 MB RAM minimum; more recommended
• 2 GB available hard disk space after operating system (OS) installation
• Windows XP Professional operating system
• Windows XP Home Edition and older versions of Windows are not supported
• Integrated or installed ethernet network card; installed network card software
• OR Integrated or installed 802.11g WIFI certified wireless netowrk card; installed wireless network card software (for use in campus and community areas where wireless access is available)
• Antivirus software required (provided at no cost by VU while you are a student; see below for details)

Windows Vista Requirements

If you are purchasing a computer with the intention of running Windows Vista, please be advised that it has more demanding hardware requirements than its predecssors. Look for PCs that indicate they are "Windows Vista Capable" to meet basic requirements of running Vista, and PCs that are "Windows Vista Premium Ready" to be able to use the more advanced features of Windows Vista.

IT recommends the following specifications for best performances of a newly purchased or upgraded system:

• 3 GHz or higher Pentium IV (or AMD equivalent) processor
• 2 GB RAM
• 80 GB hard drive
• DVD-ROM drive
• Integrated or installed audio card
• Integrated or installed ethernet card
• DirectX 9 capable video with WDDM driver support (256MB or higher graphics memory, Pixel Shader 2.0, and 32 bits per pixel for Vista Premium features)

Mac Requirements

• G4 or higher; G3 minimum
• 512 MB RAM minimum; more recommended
• 10 GB available hard disk space
• Mac OS X 10.4 recommended; Mac OS x 10.2 minimum
• Airport wireless card; installed network card software (for use in canpus and community areas wehre wireless access is available)
• Antivirus software required