Specification buying tips for laptops
At the faculty of Engineering and Architecture some courses may be taught in laptop rooms. This implies that the students will have to bring their own laptop and UTP cable. If you want to buy a new laptop, we advise you to follow the guidelines below:
PROGRAMME |
ADVISED CONFIGURATION |
| Engineering (two year master) | |
| architecture (*) | B |
| civil (building) | B |
| other programmes | A |
| Engineering Technology (one year master) | |
| civil, land survey, industrial design, machine and production automation | B |
| other programmes | A |
(*) For the study programme in Engineering: Architecture, MacBooks are not recommended because of problems in certain courses with installing software that runs only on a Windows operating system.
A) Standard configuration
| main memory | minimum 16GB, 32GB will work faster for a limited number of exercices but is certainly not necessary |
| processor |
Intel Core i5 10th generation or AMD Ryzen 5 5000 series or more powerful. Laptops with ARM-based processors such as Macbooks or Snapdragon processors are strongly discouraged due to compatibility issues with Windows software. If you already have one of these processors that is powerful enough, you can continue to use it for other courses, but buying one of these for your studies is not recommended. |
| GPU | integrated or separate GPU |
| harddisk | min 500GB SSD, often more is needed because several virtual machines need to be connected, but this can also be done with external storage capacity |
| display size | 15" is advised (13” is too small, 17” may be too big to carry around). An extra display 21" may be handy for work at home. |
| display | 1680x1024 or higher (1920x1080 can be preferred for some programmes) |
| network | wireless but also wired Ethernet (possibly via extension) |
| operating system |
- a recent 64-bit Windows operating system will be sufficient, Linux can then easily be used in VMs on top of the host Windows - Macbooks will require a Windows installation with Boot Camp and/or in VMs additional to the macOS (configuration problems cannot be ruled out) - Linux PCs require an additional installation of Windows in VMs (configuration problems cannot be ruled out) |
| battery |
It cannot be guaranteed that a power outlet will be available for every laptop at all times, including during exams. So the student should ensure that the battery capacity of the device is sufficient. |
| cooling system |
active cooling is necessary since strictly passive cooling may limit the computing capacity |
| ports |
Students will sometimes need to connect their laptops to external lab equipment or projectors. To this end, the device must have enough suitable ports (e.g. HDMI and USB A). For devices without such ports, students will need to have the necessary dongles. |
| optional |
- preferably a numeric keypad integrated into the keyboard or an external numeric keypad - using an external keyboard, external mouse, and / or external display when using your laptop at home can prevent health issues and is sometimes better for your productivity |
| software | registered students can install MS Office for free on helpdesk.ugent.be/office365/en/ |
B) Extended configuration = standard configuration A with extra requirements
| processor |
CPU with minimal PassMark score of 12k, see www.cpubenchmark.net/ |
| GPU |
separate GPU, minimum 8GB GPU-memory with 106 GB/s bandwith (e.g. https://www.techpowerup.com/gpu-specs/ supplies the specs of all types of GPUs) |
| display | min FULL HD (1920x1080) |