College of Engineering, Computer Science & Construction Management

ECC Programs: Laptop Required

College of ECC: Laptop Requirement

Students who declare a major or minor in the College of Engineering, Computer Science, and Construction Management (ECC) are required to purchase a laptop for use in coursework. Please carefully read through the requirements listed below. If you have any additional questions regarding these requirements, please reach out to your department directly.

PC Laptop Requirements
ComponentRecommendedMinimum
CPU (no Celeron)Intel Core i7-7600 or AMD Ryzen 7Intel Core i5 or AMD Ryzen 5
RAM32 Gb or higher16 Gb
Hard Disk500Gb or better SSD256Gb or better SSD
Display15.6 inch 1080p or better14 inch 1080p
Video RAMNVIDIA GeForce RTXIntel HD Graphics or AMD Radeon Graphics
Operating SystemWindows 10 (or 11, check specifics by department below)
Major Department Laptop Requirements
Major ProgramLaptop Requirements

Engineering (Civil, Computer, Electrical, Mechanical, and Mechatronic) and Advanced Manufacturing & Applied Robotics

*PC laptop with two USB ports

*At least one USB port with a powered USB hub

Operating System - Windows 10
Computer Animation & Game Development

Hard Disk: 1 Tb or better SSD (Recommended); 512 Gb or better SSD (minimum)

Display: 17" (recommended); 15.6" (minimum)

Video RAM: NVIDIA GeForce RTX (recommended); NVDIA GeForce GTX 1050 (minimum)

Operating System - Windows 10

Computer Information Systems & Computer ScienceContact CSCI Department
Concrete Industry Management & Construction Management

PC not MAC (Dell, HP or equal)

10 key on key board

HDMI port

3 USB Ports
Apple Laptop Requirements
RecommendedMinimum
14" MacBook Pro M3 16GB RAM
512GB Storage
13" MacBook Air M1 8GB RAM
256GB Storage

Important Notes about Apple Laptops:

  • Students and faculty in Computer Science and Computer Information Systems find that Apple computers are more straightforward to use in their courses.
  • Apple products are available at a discount through the Chico State Wildcat Store(opens in new window).
  • Connecting to more than one external monitor requires Apple's Pro series chipset, e.g. M3 Pro. Two monitors are convenient but not required and add cost. 
  • Civil, Computer, Electrical, Mechanical, and Mechatronic Engineering, Concrete Industry Management, and Construction Management majors require PC Laptop.

Free Campus Resources & Technology Support

Financial Aid

If you are required to purchase a laptop and you are unable to afford the purchase out-of-pocket or with your current financial aid award, please contact the Financial Aid Office(opens in new window) directly with your estimated laptop cost on-hand. If possible, the Financial Aid Office will increase your "Cost of Attendance" to include the additional computer expenses and process a new loan for you. You MUST use these loan proceeds to purchase the required computer system. Contact the Financial Aid office for additional information at (530) 898-6451 or finaid@csuchico.edu

How to Verify Compatibility (PC or MAC)

To verify compatibility with an MS Windows laptop you currently own, open System by clicking the Start button, clicking Control Panel, clicking System and Maintenance, and then clicking System. Under System, you can view the processor type and speed, as well as a variety of other information about your laptop.

To verify compatibility with an Apple Mac laptop you currently own, open About This Mac by right-clicking the Apple button, and then clicking About This Mac. You can view additional information about your laptop by clicking the More Info... button.

Additional Questions?

Reach out to your respective Department Chair or Program Director for questions: