Hardware Recommendations 

The following are only recommended computer hardware and are by no means required. However, those listed would best fit the needs for most educational endeavors. 

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

Office 365 Microsoft Office
Students/Faculty/Staff
Guides
Avast Icon 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 MalwareBytes Antivirus
recuva Recuva File Recovery

File Transfer Protocol (FTP)

filezilla FileZilla PC & Mac | Guides
ssh SSH File Transfer PC

Web Browsers


https://www.google.com/chrome/browser/desktop/index.html

firefox Google chrome
Edge Firefox Chrome
PC PC | Mac PC & Mac  

Media Players

VideoLan Client quicktime real player
VLC Player

QuickTime Player

Real Player
PC & Mac PC & Mac PC 

Other Software

adobe flash

adobe reader

java

Mathematica Logo

Adobe Flash

Adobe Reader

Java

Mathematica

PC & Mac

 PC & Mac

PC

Guides