Computer Requirements
SEAS COMPUTER REQUIREMENTS
(all majors except CE, CM, EE, and ME)
Systems that do not meet the minimum requirements may be slower. These computers are not to be substituted to run advanced software used in some courses and disciplines.
| Minimum Requirement: | Recommendation: | |
|---|---|---|
| OS | Windows 11 | Windows |
| Processor | Intel 12th Gen i5 or i7 | Intel 13th Gen i7 |
| Memory | 16 GB RAM | 32 GB RAM |
| Hard Drive | 500 GB Solid State Drive (SSD) | 1TB Solid State Drive (SSD) |
| Accident Protection | Recommended | |
| Graphics Card | Integrated Graphics | Discrete/dedicated (such as NVIDIA or AMD) |
ENGINEERING AND CONSTRUCTION MANAGEMENT COMPUTER REQUIREMENTS
The Construction Management (CM), Civil Engineering (CE), Electrical Engineering (EE),
and Mechanical Engineering (ME) programs require computers. Due to the nature of their
usage environment, laptops might need a damage protection plan as well.
Operating System
- Microsoft Windows 11
- Mac laptops will NOT run many software programs used
RAM Memory
- At least 16 GB of RAM required
- 32 GB or more RAM preferred for best performance with engineering software
Graphics Card
- Integrated graphics WILL NOT WORK with engineering software
- Discrete dedicated graphics card preferred for maximum performance
- NVIDIA graphics card preferred, 4 GB or more of video card memory (Quadro cards are superior for CAD but hard to find and drivers may not be supported as long; NVIDIA RTX cards are acceptable)
Hard Drive
- 1 TB Solid State Drive is recommended
Default Software
- Microsoft Office Suite is recommended and available to all WKU students
Security Software
- Windows Defender/built-in anti-virus
- Packages such as Norton, McAfee, or Webroot must be uninstalled to run engineering software
Pointing Device
- External mouse is required
- Logitech Trackball M570 is preferred and recommended (ME program)
If you have questions, please contact:
- Joel Lenoir (joel.lenoir@wku.edu) for Mechanical Engineering
- Mark Cambron (mark.cambron@wku.edu) for Electrical Engineering
- Jason Wilson (jason.wilson@wku.edu) for Civil Engineering and Construction Management
Some of the links on this page may require additional software to view.