Q. What are the specifications of a good Windows laptop?

When you buy a laptop, it is important to remember that there are some things that will be down to personal preference. For example, the size or type of screen or the keyboard buttons and layout. You may wish to have an extra external monitor, so you will need to ensure you have the right port on the laptop or monitor (e.g. HDMI, DisplayPort, or USB-C).

It is advisable to see and try the laptop in the store before purchase. However, in terms of specifications, we have outlined a few recommendations below.

Windows Processors (CPU): 

• 2.5GHz to 4.2GHz
• Intel®Core i5 or i7
• AMD Ryzen 5 or Ryzen 7

Hard drive:

At least 256 GB (or 128GB if SSD). You can always use your DMU 1TB OneDrive cloud storage or buy an external hard drive for extra storage and backups. Remember that an external hard drive can still be damaged, whereas OneDrive is cloud-based. Depending on the work you do and the files you use, an external hard drive may be the more practical solution but remember to backup important files. If your work is not mainly with video files, 128GB should suffice for most graphics work such as Adobe Photoshop, Illustrator and Indesign.

RAMs (system memory):

A minimum of 8GB RAM will give you a good level of memory to run multiple applications simultaneously. 

The higher the RAM, the faster your programs can run.

Graphics cards:

• Integrated Intel graphics
• NVidia GeForce
• AMD Radeon

Computers can have a dedicated graphics card with dedicated memory (RAM); or an integrated (shared) graphics card (part of the CPU). An integrated system uses part of the system memory (RAM) for graphics. This means a smaller amount of RAM is available for general use. So, integrated shared is fine unless you are doing high-spec CAD or video work.

Monitor/Screen:

At least a 15" monitor or larger.

Other specs:

USB-A port:  min. 2 ports. USB-A is a standard USB. An external mouse or keyboard connects to a laptop with a USB-A.

USB-C port:  min. 1 port. USB-C is the latest type of USB to make it to the market. USB-C is seen on most new devices like smartphones, earbud cases, microphones, and newer laptops. 

HDMI: Yes

Camera: HD

Bluetooth: Yes

Anti-virus:

It is important to have anti-virus software on your laptop. There are different types of anti-virus software and some operating systems may have bulit-in anti-virus threat protection, so research a bit before you buy. Stores sometimes give you an initial deal with the laptop. Make sure to check what that entails before committing to a purchase.

MS365: 

As a DMU student, you have access to a free MS365 Office subscription which you can download and install on up to 5 devices.

You also get 1TB of OneDrive cloud storage as part of your DMU subscription. If you buy a personal copy of MS365, you only get 15GB of OneDrive cloud storage. If you set up your Windows laptop to automatically default saving your documents to your OneDrive, you may quickly run out of cloud space with a personal OneDrive subscription. You can opt not to default to save to OneDrive during the Windows setup process (one of the installation screens will prompt you to choose a preference).