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Ridgewater CollegeRidgewater College

Computer Requirements

Students who enroll in any of the Information Technology classes need to purchase a laptop or desktop computer with the following specifications:

Windows

Section titled “Windows”
  • Intel® Core i7 or AMD Ryzen 7 as a minimum. Core i9 or Ryzen 9 is suggested.
  • BIOS must support Virtualization
  • Windows 11 Pro
  • 16GB of RAM minimum
  • 512GB SSD or NVMe

or

MacOS

Section titled “MacOS”
  • Intel® Core i7 as a minimum. Core i9 suggested. See the note below about Apple M processors.
  • macOS Sonoma or later
  • 16GB of RAM minimum
  • 512GB SSD or NVMe

Notes:

  • There must be a minimum of 16GB of RAM
  • Bios must support virtualization and virtualization needs to be enabled. Students should verify.
  • Apple M processors are a relatively new technology. At this time Apple M processors are able to virtualize Windows 11 Pro, but not Windows Server.
  • Under NO circumstances is a Chromebook an acceptable device.

The instructors in the department use both Windows and MacOS laptops in their instruction.

Students with further questions should consult with their instructor.

Students are free to purchase any laptop or desktop that meets the above requirements.