Computer and Calculator Requirements and Recommendations

All Electrical and Computer Engineering (ECE) students must have a laptop capable of handling the computational, graphical, and software demands of their coursework (e.g., MATLAB, Quartus, Keil, virtual machines). Gaming laptops, such as MSI GP66, Razer Blade, Alienware, Asus ROG, Dell G7, are generally not recommended due to their heavy weight, short battery life, and large fan noise, which can be impractical for academic use. Below are the minimum and recommended specifications to ensure optimal performance throughout your undergraduate studies.

Minimum System Requirements

  • Operating System: Windows 11 or above is required. 
  • Processor: 3.3 GHz or higher
  • Memory (RAM): 16 GB
  • Storage: 256 GB (Hard Drive or SSD)

Recommended System Requirements

  • Operating System: Windows 11 Pro
  • Processor: Intel Core Ultra 7 (or equivalent)
  • Memory (RAM): 16 GB or more
  • Storage: 500 GB or larger Solid State Drive (SSD)
  • Graphics: Dedicated graphics card (4 GB or more) such as an NVIDIA Quadro/RTX or AMD Radeon Pro
  • Mouse: 3-button mouse with scroll wheel
  • Warranty: 4-year onsite coverage with accidental damage protection
  • Connectivity: Wireless Ethernet (WLAN)

Software Requirements

Students will extensively use:

  • MS Office (free, provided by the University)
  • MATLAB (free, provided by the University)
  • Quartus (for FPGA design – free version, only available for Windows, No MAC version)
  • Keil (for embedded system design – free version)
  • KiCAD (free, available for all major OSs)

Example Recommended Laptop

The following example meets and exceeds the recommended specifications, and is available for purchase through the Tech Center in the UMaine Bookstore:

High-Budget Example: Dell Precision 3591

Price: $2,249 quoted on February 7, 2025

  • Intel Core Ultra 7 165H vPro Enterprise Processor (24 MB cache, 16 cores, 22 threads, up to 5.0 GHz, 45W)
  • NVIDIA RTX 1000 Ada Generation, 6 GB GDDR6 Dedicated Graphics
  • 15.6″ FHD (1920×1080), 60Hz, 250 nits, Non-Touch Display
  • 16 GB DDR5 (2 × 8 GB, 5600 MT/s, non-ECC)
  • 512 GB M.2 Gen4 PCIe NVMe SSD (Class 35)
  • 4-Year Accidental Damage Service
    *Note: A mouse is not included with this computer.

Low-Budget Example: Dell Inspiron 16 Plus 16GB 1TB

Price: $1,499 quoted on February 7, 2025

  • Intel(R) Core(TM) Ultra 7 processor 155H
  • Intel(R) Arc(TM) Graphics
  • 16GB, 2x8GB, LPDDR5X, 6400MT/s Memory
  • 1TB M.2 PCIe NVMe Solid State Drive
  • 16.0-inch 16:10 2.5K(2560×1600) Anti-Glare Non-Touch 300nits WVA Display w/ ComfortView Plus Support
  • Intel(R) Wi-Fi 6E AX211, 2×2, 802.11ax, Bluetooth(R) wireless card
  • Accidental Damage Service, 4 Years

For guidance on selecting a suitable laptop, contact the UMaine Bookstore Tech Center at (207) 581-2580

Calculator Requirement

The ECE Department requires students to have a basic scientific calculator. Graphing, programmable, and advanced engineering calculators are not necessary. Instead, students must use one of the following approved models:

  • Casio: All fx-115 and fx-991 models (Any Casio calculator must have “fx-115” or “fx-991” in its model name.)
  • Hewlett Packard: The HP 33s and HP 35s models, but no others
  • Texas Instruments: All TI-30X and TI-36X models (Any Texas Instruments calculator must have “TI-30X” or “TI-36X” in its model name.