Laptop Requirements & Recommendations | College for Creative Studies

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General Laptop Requirements

The following recommendations are for departments at CCS that do not currently have a specific requirement for laptops. Before purchasing a laptop, we recommend contacting your department to confirm your choice. Email questions regarding laptop build requirements should be directed to the CCS Helpdesk at helpdesk@collegeforcreativestudies.edu

Below are the minimum suggested specs; better/faster/larger/newer is fine as long as supported by applicable application software. Information regarding software compatibility is available here: https://campus.collegeforcreativestudies.edu/its/software-requirements/

Apple MacBook Pro

Educational discounts are available at Apple Stores or the Apple online educational store (https://www.apple.com/us-hed/shop).

Processor: M1 Pro or Better
Memory: 32GB unified Memory
Hard Drive: 512GB SSD storage or betterAppleCare 3-year protection plan: Highly recommended

Windows PC

Windows 10 Pro 64-bit OS or Windows 11
Processor: 64-bit Intel® Xeon, or i-Series processor with Intel® or AMD equivalent. Highest affordable CPU speed with multiple cores recommended
Memory: 32GB of Memory
Graphic Card: Supported NVIDIA® or AMD graphics card with OpenGL 4.3 support and a certified driver. 8GB Memory minimum.
Hard Drive: 512GB SSD3-yr protection plan: Highly recommended

Required Software:

Adobe Creative Cloud: Provided through CCS for all registered students
Microsoft Office: Available for free at: https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/education/products/office

Advertising Design & Communication Design

Advertising Design and Communication Design students enrolling at The College for Creative Studies will be required to own or purchase a laptop computer for their studies. The information below provides the minimum hardware configuration and software requirements. Any Apple MacBook purchase made beyond the minimum requirements is your choice. This investment will remain current throughout your 4-year experience at CCS. Our curricular approach blends this tool and software seamlessly into your learning experience and prepares you for working professionally. If you have any questions regarding this requirement, please contact your Department Chair.

Information regarding software compatibility is available here:
https://campus.collegeforcreativestudies.edu/its/software-requirements/

Apple MacBook Pro 16”

Educational discount available at Apple Stores or the Apple online educational store
(https://www.apple.com/us-hed/shop/buy-mac/macbook-pro/16-inch).

Processor: M1 Pro or Better
Memory: 32GB unified Memory
Hard Drive: 512GB SSD storage
AppleCare 3-year protection plan: Strongly recommended

Apple MacBook Pro 13”

Educational discount available at Apple Stores or the Apple online educational store
(https://www.apple.com/us-hed/shop/buy-mac/macbook-pro/13-inch).

Processor: M1 Pro or Better
Memory: 32GB unified Memory
Hard Drive: 512GB SSD storage
AppleCare 3-year protection plan: Strongly recommended

Required Software:

Adobe Creative Cloud: Provided through CCS for all registered students
Microsoft Office: Available for free at: https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/education/products/office