General Laptop Recommendations
The following recommendations are for departments at CCS that do not currently have a specific requirement for laptops. Before purchasing a laptop, we recommend contacting your department to confirm your choice.
If you have any additional technical questions after speaking with your department, please email the CCS Helpdesk at helpdesk@ccsdetroit.edu.
Below are minimum suggested specs; better/faster/larger/newer is fine as long as supported by applicable application software. Information regarding software compatibility is available here: https://campus.collegeforcreativestudies.edu/its/software-requirements/
Apple MacBook Pro
Educational discount available at Apple Stores or the Apple online educational store (https://www.apple.com/us-hed/shop).
- Processor: M1 Pro or Better (M4 recommended)
- Memory: 32GB unified Memory
- Hard Drive: 512GB SSD storage or better
- AppleCare 3-year protection plan: Highly recommended
Windows PC
- Windows 10 Pro 64-bit OS or Windows 11
- Processor: 64-bit Intel® Xeon, or i-Series processor with Intel® or AMD equivalent. Highest affordable CPU speed with multiple cores recommended
- Memory: 32GB of Memory
- Graphic Card: Supported NVIDIA® or AMD graphics card with OpenGL 4.3 support and a certified driver. 8GB Memory minimum.
- Hard Drive: 512GB SSD3-yr protection plan: Highly recommended
Required Software:
- Adobe Creative Cloud: Provided through CCS for all registered students
- Microsoft Office: Available for free at: https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/education/products/office
Communication Design & Strategy
Communication Design & Strategy students enrolling at The College for Creative Studies will be required to own or purchase a laptop computer for their studies. The information below provides the minimum hardware configuration and software requirements. Any Apple MacBook purchase made beyond the minimum requirements is your choice. This investment will remain current throughout your 4-year experience at CCS. Our curricular approach blends this tool and software seamlessly into your learning experience and prepares you for working professionally. If you have any questions regarding this requirement, please contact your Department Chair.
Information regarding software compatibility is available here:
https://campus.collegeforcreativestudies.edu/its/software-requirements/
Apple MacBook Pro 16”
Educational discount available at Apple Stores or the Apple online educational store, (https://www.apple.com/us-edu/shop/buy-mac/macbook-pro)
- Processor: M1 Pro or Better (M4 recommended)
- Memory: 16GB unified Memory (24GB recommended)
- Hard Drive: 512GB SSD storage
- AppleCare 3-year protection plan: Strongly recommended
Apple MacBook Pro 14”
Educational discount available at Apple Stores or the Apple online educational store (https://www.apple.com/us-edu/shop/buy-mac/macbook-pro).
- Processor: M1 Pro or Better (M4 recommended)
- Memory: 16GB unified Memory (24GB recommended)
- Hard Drive: 512GB SSD storage
- AppleCare 3-year protection plan: Strongly recommended
Apple MacBook Air 15”
Educational discount available at Apple Stores or the Apple online educational store (https://www.apple.com/us-edu/shop/buy-mac/macbook-air).
- Processor: M4 or Better
- Memory: 16GB unified Memory (24GB recommended)
- Hard Drive: 512GB SSD storage
- AppleCare 3-year protection plan: Strongly recommended
Required Software:
- Adobe Creative Cloud: Provided through CCS for all registered students
- Microsoft Office: Available for free at:
https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/education/products/office
MacBook Laptops are Recommended to all Communication Design and Strategy Students but a PC equivalent can be used as an alternative. Here are comparable PC Laptops. Top Brands include Asus, Dell, Lenovo and Razer.
Windows Laptop Equivalent – 16” High Performance PC
Educational discounts may be available through manufacturers.
- Processor: Intel Core Ultra 7 or better (Intel Core Ultra 9 recommended)
- AMD Equivalent: AMD Ryzen 9 7940HS or newer
- Snapdragon Equivalent: Snapdragon X Elite (when available in 16” devices)
- Memory: 16GB DDR5 RAM (32GB recommended)
- Hard Drive: 512GB NVMe SSD
- Warranty/Protection: 3-Year manufacturer protection plan strongly recommended
Windows Laptop Equivalent – 14” High Performance PC
Educational discounts may be available through manufacturers.
- Processor: Intel Core Ultra 7 or better (Intel Core Ultra 9 recommended)
- AMD Equivalent: AMD Ryzen 7 7840HS or newer
- Snapdragon Equivalent: Snapdragon X Elite (when available in 14” devices)
- Memory: 16GB DDR5 RAM (24GB–32GB recommended)
- Hard Drive: 512GB NVMe SSD
- Warranty/Protection: 3-Year manufacturer protection plan strongly recommended
Graduate studies
Please see the CCS Website for the Laptop Requirements for each of the following Graduate Studies Programs:
- Color & Materials Design
- Interdisciplinary Design Studies (IDS)
- Transportation Design
- User Experience Design (UXD)