At Georgia Gwinnett College (GGC), all students taking junior and senior Information Technology (ITEC 3000 and 4000 level courses) are required have their own laptop computing device.

The following lists summarize the minimum and recommended configurations. These lists are platform agnostic; they apply to Mac, Windows and Linux systems. The choice of operating system and hardware vendor is left to the student as a matter of personal and professional preference.

The motivation behind this requirement is based on economic arguments, equity concerns and widespread interest in education reform. Several studies of laptop initiatives in schools report increased student engagement, improved technology skills and positive effects on student writing. As the research suggests, ITEC faculty believe that this laptop initiative is central to a quality ITEC program.

For the 2022-2023 academic year, GGC strongly recommends that all students have a personal laptop computer powerful enough to support the demanding video and computational requirements necessary for coursework, as well as adequate storage to accommodate new software releases. The ITEC Department provides and maintains high-end computer labs for hardware, networks, digital media and some peripherals (VR headsets, 3-D printers, etc.) that are available to all students taking ITEC courses. Additionally, GGC provides ample computing power throughout campus, including a GGC laptop loaner program through the GGC Helpdesk. Some advanced ITEC courses provides access to cloud computing resources while others require the adequate laptop specifications and configuration to support the course requirements.

Minimum Specs

  • 64-bit Multicore Processor 2.1 GHz or better. (Example Processors: Intel-I5, AMD Ryzen 5, or any Equivalent ARM” processor (MAC) or better)
  • RAM 8 GB
  • Hard drive: 500 GB hard drive
  • Webcam and microphone (built-in or standalone)
  • Card reader
  • Hardwired ethernet connectivity (onboard or via adapter)
  • WIFI and Bluetooth

Recommended Specs

  • 64-bit multicore processor 3.0GHz or higher, 8th generation or higher (example: Intel-core i7, AMD Ryzen 7 (quad-core, 4MB Cache), or any equivalent Advanced RISC Machine (ARM) processor or better)
  • RAM 16 GB (recommended 32 GB) 
  • Hard drive: 500 GB SSD or hybrid 
  • Webcam and microphone (built-in or standalone)
  • Card reader
  • Hardwired ethernet connectivity (onboard or via adapter) 
  • Wi-Fi and Bluetooth
  • Touchscreen and pen (per specific course requirements)

Updated Sept. 21, 2022