Student Computer Requirements

The ECU College of Business requires that students enrolled in the College of Business degree programs or courses acquire a laptop or mobile computer to be used in and out of the classroom. This computer must run Windows 10 and Microsoft Office 365. Depending on the major, other specialty software may be required.

Minimum requirements for College of Business laptop

  • Intel Core i5 processor
  • 16 GB memory
  • 256 GB hard drive
  • Microsoft Windows 10 / 11 (Microsoft 10 to be phased out in 2025)
  • Microsoft Office 365
  • Required specialty software

Preferred requirements for a College of Business laptop

  • Intel Core i7 processor
  • Neural Processing Unit (NPU) – Recommended
  • 32 GB memory
  • 512 GB hard drive
  • Microsoft Windows 10 / 11 Professional (Microsoft 10 to be phased out in 2025)
  • Microsoft Office 365

Note that any device not running Windows 10/11 natively does not meet the requirements of the College of Business. Apple laptops, iPads, Android based systems, Linux, and Windows RT devices do not satisfy the laptop requirement as they do not provide the array of functionality and tools needed for students to create content, write papers, and manipulate advanced financial and mathematical tools required for success in College of Business courses.

Webcam Requirement (for virtual exam proctoring)

  • Records at a minimum resolution of 1080p
  • Must have either auto or manual focus capability
  • Must have a built-in microphone

Recommended Laptops

The following laptops represent a good combination of price, processor power, memory, features, size, and weight. These are computers that would deliver enough functionality to last through a four-year undergraduate program without becoming outdated. These systems are offered as examples only. There are many alternatives that will meet or exceed the requirements of the College.

Yoga Pro 9i (16” Intel)

  • 13.3″ 2.8K (2880 x 1800)
  • Intel® Core™ Ultra 7 155U Processor
  • 512 GB SSD M.2280 PCIe Gen4 TLC
  • 16 GB LPDDR5X-7467MT/s (Soldered)
  • NVIDIA® GeForce RTX™ 4050 Laptop GPU 6GB GDDR6

Dell Precision 3590 Workstation

  • 15.6″ FHD 1920×1080, 60Hz
  • Intel® Core™ Ultra 5 135H, vPro® Enterprise
  • 512GB, M.2 2230, Gen4 PCIe NVMe, SSD, Class 35
  • 16 GB: 1 x 16 GB, DDR5, 5600 MT/s, non-ECC
  • NVIDIA GeForce MX570/570A graphics

Microsoft Surface Laptop for Business

  • 15” (2496 × 1664) Display
  • Intel® Core Ultra 7 processor 266V (Intel AI Boost with 48 TOPS NPU)
  • 16GB LPDDR5x RAM
  • (Gen 4 SSD) 512GB
  • Intel® Arc Graphics