Equipment Standards

Members of the Mines community periodically purchase new laptops, PCs, printers, and other hardware for use in their studies or jobs. But exactly what hardware should you buy?

To make that question easier to answer, ITS put together these standards. We hope to make equipment purchases quick and painless. Our in-depth knowledge of this specific hardware should make any needed repairs simpler and faster as well.

See the links below for instructions on how to purchase particular items.

Recommended Computer Configurations for Students

The machines below will be sufficiently powerful for general use (email, web browsing, note taking, word processing, spreadsheets, presentations, and social media) at Mines. For more resource intensive technical software the school has many well-stocked computer labs available to students, sometimes 24 hours a day. In addition, many academic departments make their own extensive computer labs and lounges available to their students. There are even high-performance-computing (“supercomputer”) resources available to students. It is certainly possible to earn a degree at Mines without purchasing a computer at all.

PC:

14-inch Dell Latitude 5440: i5 Processor, 16GB RAM, 512GB SSD, 1 RJ-45 Ethernet port, 1 USB 3.2 Gen 1 port, 1 USB 3.2 Gen 1 port with PowerShare, 2 Thunderbolt™ 4 ports with DisplayPort Alt Mode/USB Type-C/USB4/Power Delivery, 1 HDMI 2.0 port
1 Universal audio port

This Computer can be purchased with our Mines/Dell discount at the link below:
https://www.dell.com/en-us/shop/laptops/new-14-5440/spd/latitude-14-5440-laptop/s111l5440usvp

Mac:

14-inch MacBook Pro: Apple M2 Pro chip with 10‑core CPU and 16‑core GPU, 16GB RAM, 512GB SSD, Three Thunderbolt 4 ports, HDMI port, SDXC card slot, headphone jack, MagSafe 3 port

Advanced:

If it is preferred to have a laptop that can perform more resource intensive tasks, these machines (or machines with equivalent or better specifications) meet the standards necessary for most software used throughout an undergraduate career.

PC:

17-inch Dell Precision 5770: Intel i7 Processor, 32GB RAM, NVIDIA® RTX™ A2000 Graphics, 512 GB SSD, 4 Thunderbolt 4 Ports, SD Card Reader, Headphone Jack

This Computer can be purchased with our Mines/Dell discount at the link below:

https://www.dell.com/en-us/shop/dell-laptops/precision-5770-workstation/spd/precision-17-5770-laptop/s101p5770usvp

Mac:

NOTE: Most engineering software used at Mines is only available on Windows. If preferred, a Mac may still be used with a virtual machine running Windows.

Available Computer Configurations for Faculty and Staff

ITS is happy to provide primary workstations for all faculty and staff. Standard PC or Mac options are available to choose from as seen below. If these devices do not meet your needs you will need to purchase a computer through your department.

PC:

14-inch Dell Precision 3480: Intel i5 Processor, 16GB Ram, NVIDIA A500 Graphics, 512GB SSD, 1 Ethernet Port, 2 Thunderbolt 4 Ports, 2 USB 3.2 Gen 1 Ports, 1 HDMI Port

dell precision 3480 laptop

Mac:

13-inch MacBook Pro: Apple M2 chip with 8-core CPU and 10-core GPU, 16GB RAM, 512GB SSD, 2 Thunderbolt 4 ports

NOTE: Please verify the software needed for your position before requesting a Mac. Some enterprise software may not be available on the Mac. If your work requires incompatible software you may not request a Mac. Common Windows Only software at Mines includes: Area Access Manager, Onbase Desktop, Solidworks, AutoCad.

Additional details:

Configuration and Software:

All Faculty and Staff Computers will come pre-configured for use on the Mines campus including standard software. Additional Mines licensed software is available in the Software Center on each device or may be added at time of requesting a computer.

Standard installations will include:

Windows 11/MacOs13
MS office
Chrome and Firefox Browsers
Zoom
Adobe Reader, Java and selected other common utilities
Global Protect VPN
Microsoft Defender Antivirus
Laptops will be encrypted

Eligibilty:

Any primary workstation currently 5 years or older is eligible for replacement with one of the computers above. You can check the age of your machine by entering your service tag here: https://www.dell.com/support/home/en-us?app=warranty

Requests:

To request one of the available computers above or for assistance in determining the age of your machine please put in a ticket at helpcenter.mines.edu

RECOMMENDED PRINTERS FOR FACULTY AND STAFF

The Mines network environment has the resources necessary to manage access to shared printers. However, not every network printer can be managed. Unmanaged network printers are visible to the entire campus, even if they’re behind locked doors. We therefore do not recommend using other than Enterprise Network class printers in any networked setting.

All recommended printers are HP LaserJet printers. Inkjet printers have low entry prices but are higher maintenance and cost to operate. Our network, monitoring & infrastructure is optimized for HP printers.

Network printers may not be configured as their own wireless network as they cause interference with the wireless network (HP calls this “Wi-Fi Direct”). For optimal reliability, printers must either be connected to the network with a wired connection, or directly connected to a computer with USB. You will still be able to print from a wirelessly connected computer through a print server, or, for an unmanaged printer, by connecting directly to the wired connection’s address.

Description	Monochrome	Color
Personal (directly attached)	HP LaserJet Pro M102w HP Part G3Q35AR#BGJ (with Wi-Ffi Direct disabled)	HP Color LaserJet Pro M254dw HP Part T6B60A#BGJ (with Wi-Fi Direct disabled)
OrePrint-Ready Printers
Small Workgroup:	HP LaserJet Pro M402DNE HP Part C5J91A#BGJ	HP Color LaserJet Pro M452DN HP Part CF389A#BGJ
High Volume/Lab:	HP LaserJet Enterprise M609x HP Part K0Q22A#BGJ	HP Color LaserJet Enterprise M653dn HP Part J8A04A#BGJ

We have streamlined the purchasing of our recommended printers through CDW-G.

Purchasing equipment for personal use

Dell offers a discount program for all employees, students, their families and friends. Discount details:

• Up to 30% off Dell PCs, Electronics and Accessories.

• Dell Advantage: 3% back + free 2nd business day shipping (Register at Checkout).

• Monthly exclusive deals.

This program is available at www.Dell.com/dellu/Mines

Apple offers discounts through their Apple Education Store at www.apple.com/us-hed/shop and at their retail stores. Be sure to bring your proof of education status, such as your BlasterCard.