Picking a new computer

This information was updated Spring 2023 for the 2023-24 academic year, you can see a list of course specific information on the Recommended Kit List page.

❌ Chromebook, Android Tablet, Netbook

We do not recommend students purchase these products because they areusually usuallyhave quite low specspecs and do not have access to most open open-source software available for Windows, LinuxLinux, and macOS devices.

❌ iPad

We do not recommend students purchase an iPad because it does not give youryou proper access to the operating system needed for software developmentdevelopment, which will be a core part of most courses at CCI.

✅ Mac

If you are you are looking to purchasewant a new MacMac, we recommend an any M1Apple Silicon laptop such as M1, M2 or M2 laptop from Apple,M3. Intel Macs are not recommended any more.

At the time of writing, Apple is still selling the previous MacBook Air and Pro 13" with the M1 chip which is a good option if you need to save money.

The main difference between the MacBook Pro and MacBook Air is that the Air has no cooling fansfans, which means as it gets hotterhotter, the computer will slow down to avoid overheating, wherewhereas the Pro can turn on fans to keep running cool and at full performance.

Memory: Make sure you buy a computer with at least 16GB RAM.

MacBook Pro 13" with M2M3

	A	B	C
Chip	M3	M3 Pro	M3 Pro
Processor	108 core	1211 core	12 core
Graphics	1610 core	1914 core	1918 core
Neural	16 core	16 core	16 core
Memory	16GB	16GB18GB	16GB36GB
Storage	512GB	512GB1TB	1TB
Price with discount	£1,989769	£2,299119	£2,479649

MacBook Air 13" with M2

	A	B
Chip	M2	M2
Processor	8 core	8 core
Graphics	8 core	10 core
Neural	16 core	16 core
Memory	16GB	16GB
Storage	256GB512GB	512GB1TB
Price with discount	£1,329429	£1,629709

We also recommend purchasing AppleCare+ or a similar warranty and insurance scheme for repairs.

AppleCare+ 3 years	MacBook Air 13" with M1M2	MacBook Pro 13" with M1
Price with discount	£175179	£183249

Around August/September each yearyear, Apple will run the Apple Back to School deal whichwhich, in addition to the discounted prices aboveabove, will include some kind of freea giveaway, this has beenincluded gift cards or AirPods in the past.

✅ PC

If you are specifically looking at a Windows or Linux computercomputer, you may get better value from purchasing a desktop computer for home use,use then taking advantage of the large number of PCs and MacBook Pro laptops that are available on campus during and between classes.

PC Laptop

GenerallyGenerally, we're pretty big fans of Dell (Precision, XPS, G Gaming, or Alienware), Razer HP Z and HPOMEN brand computers,computers. howeverHowever, there is a large marketmarket, and you should pick whats best for you,you. theThe following specs give you an idea of what to look for...

Check for USB-C charging and display connection as plug plug-in stations at CCI all use this.

	Minimum	Recommended
Processor	Intel i5 10th,12th, 11th13th or 12th14th generation processor	Intel i7 12th13th or 13th14th generation processor
Graphics	See info below!	Any NVIDIA RTX 3xxx or 4xxx series GPU
Memory	16GB	32GB
Storage	512GB	1TB2TB or better
Display	13" 1080p	27"13-16" 1440p (QHD) or 2160p (4K)

Minimum graphics
The minimum graphics required will depend on the course,course. ifIf you are studyingstudy areas including machine learning, data science or 3D3D, you should try to obtain any NVIDIA RTX 3xxx series GPU or higher.

PC Desktop

At CCICCI, we primarily use Dell desktop computers, with some HP and Viglen computers used elsewhere at UAL.

	Minimum	Recommended
Processor	Intel i5 10th,12th, 11th13th or 12th14th generation processor	Intel i7 12th13th or 13th14th generation processor
Graphics	Any NVIDIA RTX 3xxx series GPU	NVIDIA RTX 4xxx series GPU
Memory	16GB	32GB
Storage	512GB	1TB or better
Display	24" 1080p (FHD)	27" 1440p (QHD) or 2160p (4K)