RIT
Systems and Technologies

Windows Desktop

The following guidelines were developed for typical office use. In most cases, this includes word processing, spreadsheets, e-mail and web browsing.

Computing technology changes a lot, and ITS will make every effort to keep these recommendations up to date. Check back often for the latest information.

These recommendations are for new computers only--please call us for advice before upgrading an existing machine. ITS generally advises that an office computer be replaced after 5 years of service. With the cost of new equipment constantly declining, upgrades are generally not cost-effective after a machine becomes four or five years old.

IMPORTANT: Please do not order any machine that uses Windows VISTA Home, Windows 7 Home or Windows 7 Starter Edition for use at RIT. These operating systems are not intended for use on a large corporate network such a RIT's, and they lack components necessary to access resources at RIT. Further, some of the networking components which are present in these consumer editions can actually interfere with the operation of RIT's network, so your access to the network may have to be discontinued if the machine disrupts service.

Students: the information on these pages can be used to aid in purchasing decisions, however you should consult your academic department for any specific computer hardware or software you may need for your academic work.

Click here to view the standard hardware and software for the standard desktop.

Windows OS Recommended Desktop System: Dell Optiplex 980 DT

Through an agreement with Dell Computer, RIT offers a specially configured desktop machine known as the RIT Standard Desktop. When you buy an RIT Standard Desktop, it includes Microsoft Windows XP and Office 2007. The software is already installed on the machine, and an ITS Desktop Support Representative will come to your office at your request to set the machine up for you.

Complete specifications and pricing for Institute purchases are available from the Dell premier web page, http://www.dell.com/premier.

To get specifications and pricing for personal purchases, you need to go to a different site, located here.

To request an RIT Faculty or Staff account on the Dell Premier page, send an email to Elliotte Simpson from your RIT email ONLY. (Students should contact the Digital Den at 475-2211.) Faculty and staff should note whether they are selecting a "Shopper" account, which allows them to view pricing and build/save quotes, or a "Buyer" account, which also allows them to purchase directly from the site. You must have an RIT Purchasing Card to be set up as a "Buyer".

Note that there are a range of options offered with respect to video, memory, hard disk and other items. You can select from among these options, and then click "Update Price" at the bottom of the page. A custom quote will be generated, and you can simply refer to that quote number when you submit a purchase requisition to RIT Purchasing.

NOTE: using the Dell Premier page makes a cookie on your hard disk, so cookies must be enabled in your web browser in order for this page to work.

Processor Intel® Core™ i5 Quad Processor 750 (2.66 GHz, 8 M)
Operating System Windows XP Professional, Service Pack 3
File System NTFS
Memory 4 GB DDR3 Non-ECC SDRAM, 1333 MHz, (2 DIMM)
Monitor NOTE: not part of the standard image but is available as an option for additional cost
Video Card 512MB ATI Radeon HD 4550 (1 DP & 1 DVI), low-profile height
Hard drive 160 GB SATA 7,200 RPM, 2.5" SATA, 3.0Gb/s with NCQ and 16 MB Cache™
Keyboard Dell USB Keyboard, No hot keys
Mouse Dell USB 6-Button Laser Mouse
Audio Solutions Internal Dell Business Audio Speaker
Removable Media Storage Devices 16X DVD+/-RW SATA, Roxio Creator™ and CyberlinkPowerDVD™
Included Software Microsoft Office 2007, SpyBot S&D, McAfee VirusScan, Adobe Acrobat Reader, CyberLink PowerDVD, Roxio Creator™ Dell Edition, RIT VPN software
Warranty 5 year Basic Limited and NBD Onsite Service