Requirements for computer equipment at the Faculty of Engineering and Natural Sciences

At HVL, the use of laptops in classrooms is facilitated. In many of our programs, students use their own PCs for exercises and more. Practice rooms and laboratories are also equipped with workstations for personal computers.

In your program of study, it is therefore a requirement that you have your own laptop that you bring with you to lectures and laboratory work. There are no strict specifications for the computer. If you already have a PC, you can likely use it, at least in the first part of your studies. However, there are some recommendations specific to each program, which are specified below.

Recommendations per program of study

Computer Engineering and Bachelor of Information Technology

If you need to buy a new machine now, we would recommend a mid-range or better performance, memory, and storage capacity (minimum 256 GB disk and 8 GB RAM). Most of the programs you will need for your studies are available for multiple platforms, so it's up to you whether you prefer a machine with Windows, Linux, or macOS.

Civil Engineering, Bachelor of Surveying and Property Design, Bachelor of Renewable Energy, Bachelor of Landscape Planning with Landscape Architecture, and Bachelor of Geology and Geohazards

The following specifications for a laptop are recommended. Even if your machine does not meet all the requirements on the list, it does not mean that it cannot be used. However, if you are planning to buy a new machine, this is a good list to start with.

Operating System:

We recommend Windows 10 Pro. In several courses at the Department of Building Sciences, technical software programs are used that can only be installed and run on the Windows platform. If you have a Mac, you will need to install Windows in addition to running these programs.

Memory:

We recommend a minimum of 8 GB RAM. This is sufficient for normal use, but if you know that you will be using several technical programs such as GIS, Revit, etc., we recommend 16 GB.

Hard Drive:

We recommend a minimum of 256 GB SSD disk. If you know that you will be working with large amounts of data or have many images or similar files that your computer needs to handle, you may consider a larger hard drive. A 512 GB SSD is then recommended.

Processor:

We recommend an Intel Core i5 or equivalent. This processor has multiple cores and is powerful enough for most purposes.

Display:

Most screens today are good enough. However, for graphic use, we do not recommend screens smaller than 13 inches.

Graphics Card:

Most laptops come with an integrated graphics card with limited memory. This works fine for normal use. However, for technical programs that require a lot of graphic rendering, this may be insufficient. If you know that you will be working with large amounts of data in graphic programs like GIS, Revit, and more, it would be advantageous to invest in a machine with a dedicated graphics card.

External Display:

If you need to display the content on your screen on other monitors, either at home or in group rooms, make sure that the screen supports HDMI, Display Port, or miniDisplayPort output.

Electronics, Automation, Cyber, and Electric Power Engineering

For electrical engineering courses, the computer should meet the following requirements:

  • The processor should have at least 4 cores/8 threads in the CPU and at least 16 GB RAM.
  • The hard drive should be a minimum of 256/512 GB SSD.
  • It should have an "engineer-sized" display, i.e., larger than 15 inches, and have access to at least one additional screen in addition to the built-in display.
  • It should have an RJ45 Ethernet port.
  • Wi-Fi and Bluetooth, HDMI or equivalent, 2 USB-C ports, 2 USB 3.1 ports.
  • Webcam
  • Good battery capacity

We recommend a laptop with a newer Windows operating system. Avoid Chromebooks and preferably not macOS.

Bioengineering, Fire and Chemical Engineering

If you are planning to buy a new computer, we recommend purchasing a Windows laptop. It should be a mid-range or better in terms of performance, memory, and storage capacity. This means we recommend a minimum of 256 GB disk and 8 GB RAM.

We recommend a laptop with a newer Windows operating system. Avoid Chromebooks and preferably not macOS.

Mechanical Engineering, General Mechanical Engineering, Ocean Technology, Maritime Engineering, Sustainable Production and Circular Economy, Energy Technology, and Master's in Sustainable Energy Technology

The computer should meet the following requirements:

  • The processor should have at least 4 cores/8 threads in the CPU and a minimum of 16 GB RAM.
  • The hard drive should be a minimum of 256/512 GB SSD.
  • It should have an "engineer-sized" display, meaning larger than 15 inches, and have access to at least one additional screen in addition to the built-in display.
  • Avoid Radeon graphics cards.
  • Good battery capacity.

We recommend a laptop with a newer Windows operating system. Avoid Chromebooks and preferably not macOS.