Student Device Purchasing Advice

Buying the right laptop for your studies in UCC is something that we feel is more important than ever. The following information should guide you in making that choice.  

Before purchasing a laptop for college, you should consider the following:

• What modules are you taking? If there are statistics or data modelling as part of your course, a higher specification would be beneficial.
• How will you use your device - web browsing, email, office, or will it be heavier work for a computer like video editing?
• Weight - you will be carrying the device between lectures.

Please note that certain Schools/departments might have specific device requirements for your course, and it may mean that a higher specification is required or that only Windows devices should be bought.

Windows Laptops

Most standard windows devices are sufficient and if you are purchasing a Windows laptop, these are the minimum specifications you should consider:

• Budget device (€0 - €499): for light use like email, browsing and document creation.

What to look out for: Try to get at least 8GB of memory. Make sure to have a screen that is of reasonable quality and that the mouse trackpad is responsive. More than 4 cores would be preferable for the processor (you can ask in the store). 128 GB solid state storage would be the minimum. 

• Mid-range (€500-€999): for general work but you might have need for discipline specific applications in your course.

What to look out for: Aim for 16GB of Memory and good quality screen, that is sized well for you. For Intel processors Intel i5 or Intel Core Ultra 5 minimum. For AMD processors the Ryzen 5 or 7. 

• High Performance (€1000+): for heavy data analysis or modelling as well as video editing or 3D rendering. 

What to look out for: For any devices just over the €1000 mark you'll get the higher specifications you need, but if you do need an additional graphics processor (GPU) to better the performance, the price can go up significantly. 

• Storage : The size of the storage on any device is less significant as most of your data will be stored in cloud services during your time in UCC. This also reduces the risk of loss if your device is damaged or missing. If you are working with large data or media files that need to be accessed regularly, then go for larger storage.    

Chromebooks

Chromebooks are good for light work and integrate well with UCC's Google services. They can be limited in their functionality as certain applications might not be available, but useful for writing up your work or general access to the internet.

Apple Devices

Apple laptops, the MacBook Air or MacBook Pro, would be more expensive than most Windows devices, but they are reliable and have good longevity. There may however be a requirement to use specific applications in your course that might not be compatible with Apple Macs so do check this out with your course contacts.

For lighter work an iPad with a keyboard could suffice and be the perfect lightweight device to bring around to lectures. 

If you are planning on upgrading an Apple device, September/October tend to be when they refresh their models. Visit this site which is a good reference as to when Apple are likely to release the next models : MacRumors Buyer's Guide: Know When to Buy iPhone, Mac, iPad

Where to buy?

In all scenarios, calling into your local reseller can be beneficial and use the advice above to direct you to the best device for you. If you are renewing an existing device keep an eye out for sales.

You can also visit www.heanet.ie/store to see discounts available to students for purchasing from Dell and Apple directly.

Warranty

In all the above cases do see if you can keep part of your budget aside to pay for additional warranty, and if you can, get accidental damage cover. You never know what could happen.  

Additional resources.

UCC also provides Chromebook Laptop loan services which can be accessed from the Boole Library. See here for details: Laptop Loans - Library Services - UCC Library at University College Cork

There are also longer-term loan solutions provided to support students that may not be in the position to purchase a sufficient laptop themselves. See here for details: Laptop Scheme | University College Cork (ucc.ie)

For general advice on understanding the various elements to a laptop that you need to think about, you should read the breakdown here: https://edtl.blog/for-students-campaign/buyers-guide/