OCAD U 2024 Laptop Recommendations
Already Own a PC?
We encourage you use the laptop you already own if it generally meets the specifications below.
- 11th Generation Core i7 Processor or Better
- Discrete Graphics (AMD or NVidia GTX)
- 8 GB Recommended Minimum, 16GB is better
- 256 GB SSD or better
If you do not own a laptop, or if your laptop is struggling to perform curriculum work, consider the options below.
Most Programs: Recommended PC Laptops
- Faculty of Art: Photography, Drawing & Painting, Printmaking & Publications, Criticism & Curatorial Practice, Sculpture/Installation, Cross-Disciplinary Art: Life Studies
- Faculty of Design: Graphic Design, Advertising, Illustration
- Faculty of Arts & Science: Creative Writing, Indigenous Visual Culture, Visual and Critical Studies
- Graduate Studies: Design for Health
Minimum: Dell XPS 13
- Intel Core Ultra 7
- 16GB RAM
- 512GB SSD
- Intel Arc Graphics
- Full HD+ Display
Good: New Dell XPS 14 with NVidia 4050 Graphics
- Intel Core Ultra 7
- 16GB RAM
- 512GB SSD
- NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4050 Graphics
- Full HD+ Display
Advice for Industrial Design, Environmental Design and Digital Futures: Programs Requiring Windows
These programs require more powerful laptops running Windows.
- Faculty of Design: Industrial Design (for Solidworks), Environmental Design (for Autocad and Revit)
- Faculty of Arts & Science: Digital Futures (for VR)
- Graduate Studies: Digital Futures (for VR)
Better: New Dell XPS 14 with NVidia 4050 Graphics
- Intel Core Ultra 7
- 16GB RAM
- 1TB SSD
- NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4050 Graphics
- Full HD+ Display
Best: Dell XPS 16 with NVidia 4070 Graphics
- Intel Core Ultra 7
- 32GB RAM
- 1TB SSD
- NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 graphics
- 3.2k OLED display
Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2
- 13th Gen Intel Core i7
- 16GB RAM
- 512GB SSD
- NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4050
Dell G15 Gaming Laptop
- 13th Gen Intel Core i7
- 16 GB RAM
- 1TB SSD
- NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 graphics
- Full HD display
Dell G16 Gaming Laptop
- 13th Gen Intel Core i9
- 32GB RAM
- 1TB SSD
- NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 graphics
- Quad HD+ Display