Recommended Technologies

Hardware Recommendations 

PC Recommendations 

Processors:

• Should be rated medium to high; anything lower is not recommended
• Intel: i5 or i7
• AMD: Ryzen 7 1700 or Ryzen 7 1800X

Memory (RAM):

• Minimum: 16GB
• Recommended: Up to your discretion: the more memory your PC has, the faster it will run

Storage:

• At least 500GB if HDD (hard disk drive/spinning platter)
• At least 250GB if SSD (solid state drive)

Wireless:

• Minimum: 802.11ac or Wireless-AC
• Recommended: 802.11ax or WiFi-6

Type of Computer:

• Desktop PC with monitor, keyboard & mouse
• Laptop Type: Windows and Apple are sufficient choices, but familiarity with the operating system you choose is most important
• Hybrid Tablets, such as the Microsoft Surface Pro, are great for multipurpose use
• Chromebooks or Netbooks are NOT recommended due to hardware limitations
• Manufacturing Brand: HP, Acer, Asus, Dell, Lenovo, etc.
• Vendors: Best Buy, Amazon, Wal-Mart, Office-Max, New Egg, etc.; or directly from manufacture

Software Recommendations 

The following are only recommendations for use on your personal devices. You may use whatever software, free or paid, that best meet your needs. Students, faculty and staff should not need to install software on institutional equipment since this process is centrally managed by VSU Information Technology.

Popular Downloads

	Microsoft Office Students/Faculty/Staff	Guides
	Avast Free Antivirus*	PC & Mac|Android|Guides

*During Avast installation, please be sure to click the Customize Installation link and uncheck SecureLine VPN, as it may cause conflicts with our campus network.

Computer Protection and Recovery

	MalwareBytes	Antivirus
	Recuva	File Recovery

File Transfer Protocol (FTP)

	FileZilla	PC & Mac | Guides
	SSH File Transfer	PC

Web Browsers

Edge	Firefox	Chrome
PC	PC | Mac	PC & Mac

Media Players

VLC Player	QuickTime Player	Real Player
PC & Mac	PC & Mac	PC

Other Software

Adobe Flash	Adobe Reader	Java	Mathematica
PC & Mac	PC & Mac	PC	Guides