Recommended laptop specifications
While having a laptop is a requirement as a CCAD student, it can be confusing knowing which one will best fit your needs. Use the table of recommendations below to help you purchase the right laptop for your intended area of study. You can purchase Mac laptops at the Apple Education Store, PC laptops at the Dell University Store, and Wacom MobileStudio Pro systems at the Wacom Student Discount page.
If you have any information about our recommendations, please reach out to the Chair of your intended major.
MFA Visual Arts students should refer to major in the table below that most closely relates to their discipline. For example, MFA students whose work is photography-focused should refer to Photography, etc.
Mac
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Major
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OS
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Memory
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Processor
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Storage
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Video
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Battery
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Suggested model
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How much will this cost me?*
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| Photography |
macOS 1.14 or newer |
8GB RAM |
Intel Core i5 1.1GHz quad-coure 10th-gen |
512GB |
Intel Iris Plus Graphics |
standard battery (not customizable) |
MacBook Air |
$1,199.00 |
| Comics, Illustration, Advertising & Graphic Design |
macOS 1.14 or newer |
16GB RAM |
Intel Core i5 2.0GHz quad-core 10th-gen |
512GB |
Intel Iris Plus Graphics |
standard battery (not customizable) |
13-in MacBook Pro |
$1,699.00 |
| Film & Video |
macOS 1.14 or newer |
16GB RAM |
Intel Core i7 2.6GHz 6-core 9th-gen |
1TB** |
AMD Radeon Pro 5300M with 4GB of GDDR6 memory |
standard battery (not customizable) |
16-in MacBook Pro |
$2,199.00 |
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PC
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Major
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OS
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Memory
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Processor
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Storage
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Video
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Battery
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Suggested model
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How much will this cost me?*
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| Interior Design |
Windows 10, 64-bit |
8GB RAM |
Intel Core i5 9th-gen or AMD Ryzen 5 2500X |
256GB*** |
Integrated 2Gb Video with 1080p display |
4-cell or higher |
Dell XPS 13 Touch Laptop |
$900.00 |
| Fashion Design |
Windows 10, 64-bit |
16GB RAM |
Intel Core i5 9th-gen or AMD Ryzen 5 2500X |
512GB*** |
Integrated 4Gb Graphics Card with 1080p display |
4-cell or higher |
Dell XPS 13 Laptop |
$1,029.00 |
| Animation, Industrial Design, Game Design |
Windows 10, 64-bit |
16GB RAM |
Intel Core i7 9th-gen or AMD Ryzen 7 2700X |
2TB*** |
Discrete 4Gb Graphics Card with 1080p display |
4-cell or higher |
Dell Precision 5540 OR Wacom MobileStudio Pro 16 |
$1,835.00, $3,324.95 |
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Either Mac or PC
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Major
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OS
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Memory
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Processor
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Storage
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Video
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Battery
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Suggested model
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How much will this cost me?*
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| Fine Arts, Art History |
macOS 1.14 or newer |
8GB RAM |
Intel Core i5 1.1GHz quad-coure 10th-gen |
512GB |
Intel Iris Plus Graphics |
standard battery (not customizable) |
MacBook Air |
$1,199.00 |
| Fine Arts, Art History |
Windows 10, 64-bit |
8GB RAM |
Intel Core i5 9th-gen or AMD Ryzen 5 2500X |
256GB |
Integrated 2Gb Video with 1080p display |
4-cell or higher |
Dell XPS 13 Touch Laptop |
$900.00 |
*Based are based on "student" or "educational" discounted rates. Prices listed are subject to change, and do not include additional, external storage or accessories such as a mouse, adapters, or extra charge cables.
**additional 1TB external hard drive recommended
***upgrade internal storage or additional external drive recommended
Adobe Creative Cloud
CCAD BFA and MFA students have full access to Adobe Creative Cloud apps using their CCAD email address. Click here for instructions to download and install the Creative Cloud apps.
Antivirus software
Our IT Help Desk can recommend software to keep your files safe. Contact us by emailing helpdesk@ccad.edu, or by calling 614.222.6174
Backing up your files
You will have access to unlimited storage on your Google Drive as part of your CCAD account. Store important files here to make sure they are safely backed up in the cloud.
A USB flash drive
Or some other form of external storage to move your files between classroom stations and your laptop. Make sure not to keep the only copy of your files on your external storage in case it is lost or damaged.
A digital drawing tablet
Tablets are available at the CCAD Supply Store. Funds for this are included in the Freshman Supply Kit.
