Laptop and Desktop Recommendations

IT Services recommends these laptop and desktop computers, based on a number of factors including price-performance ratio, reliability, and customer service. The specifications below are the minimum recommended build; prices may vary depending on the options. While this site is updated on a regular basis, prices and options on manufacturer sites may change without notice. All prices are approximate and include tax and free ground shipping.

Windows 7 Ultimate operating system includes native encryption technology which is recommend when dealing with prohibited or restricted data. Please go to the data classifications page for more information.

If you have any questions, please contact IT Services.

View a glossary of computer terminology.

Need help picking a computer? Use the CompuPicker below.

CompuPicker

Platform

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Form Factor

Desktop Laptop   |  Help Me Choose
 

Configuration

Core Extended Ultraportable   |  Help Me Choose

 

Core Windows laptop

Dell Latitude E6430S

  • 14.0" HD Anti-Glare w/ LED Backlight Display (1366x768)
  • 2.90GHz Core i7-3520M Processor (Dual Core)
  • 8GB RAM
  • 256GB Solid State Drive
  • 8x CD/DVD-RW
  • Intel HD Graphics 4000
  • Wireless Included
  • Bluetooth Included
  • Integrated 2 Megapixel Camera
  • 6-Cell Battery
  • Windows 7 Ultimate 64-bit OS
  • 3-year On-site Warranty
  • EPEAT Gold rating, Energy Star 5.0, & ClimateSavers

Approximate price with tax: $1,636

Note: Choose Customizeand select Windows 7 Ultimate, select Intel Core i7-3520M Processor, 8GB DDR3-1600MHZ SDRAM 2DIMMs, Light Sensitive Webcam and Noise Cancelling Digital Array Mic, No Out-of-Band Systems Management, 256GB Solid State Drive, 8X DVD+/-RW, Intel Centrino Advanced-N 6205 802.11n, Dell Wireless 380 Bluetooth 4.0 LE Module, Bluetooth, 6-cell (65WH) Primary Lithium Ion Battery (3.0Ah) ExpressCharge Capable, 65W A/C Adapter (3-pin) (BFR-PVC Free), 3 Year Basic Hardware Service with 3 Year NBD Limited On-site Service After Remote Diagnostics.

Visit dell.stanford.edu for more information.

 

Lenovo ThinkPad T430S

  • 14.0" HD+ Anti-Glare w/ LED Backlight Display (1600x900)
  • 2.6GHz Core i5-3320M0m Processor (Dual Core)
  • 8GB RAM
  • 500GB Hard Drive
  • 8x CD/DVD-RW
  • 1GB nVidia NVS 5200M Graphics
  • Wireless Included
  • Bluetooth Included
  • Integrated 720P HD Camera
  • 6-Cell Battery
  • Windows 7 Ultimate 64-bit OS
  • 3-year On-site Warranty
  • EPEAT Gold rating, Energy Star 5.0, & ClimateSavers

Approximate price with tax: $1,980

Note: Choose Customize & Buy then Select   Intel Core i5-3320M Processor, Windows 7 Professional (64-bit), 14.0" HD+ (1600x900) LED Back-lit Anti-Glare Display, Nvidia NVS 5200M Graphics with Optimus Tech, 8GB PC3-12800 DDR3 (2 DIMM) , 720P HD Camera Mic,  500GB 7200RPM hard drive, DVD Recordable, Express Card Slot & 4 in 1 Card Reader, Bluetooth 4.0 with Antenna, Intel Centrino Advanced-N 6205AGN.Under Warranty and Software select 3-year on-site warrantymanually in SmartMart.

Optional: CD/DVD-RW can be replaced by a 2nd hard disk (1TB size 5400RPM) for ~$235

Visit lenovo.stanford.edu for more information. 

Extended Windows laptop

Dell Latitude E6530

  • 15.6" FHD Anti-Glare w/ LED Backlight Display (1920x1080)
  • 2.70GHz Core i7-3740QM Processor (Quad Core)
  • 8GB RAM
  • 256GB Solid State Hard Drive
  • 8x CD/DVD-RW
  • 1GB nVidia NVS 5200M Discrete Graphics
  • Wireless Included
  • Bluetooth Included
  • Integrated 2 Megapixel Camera
  • 6-Cell Battery
  • Windows 7 Ultimate 64-bit OS
  • 3-year Onsite warranty
  • EPEAT Gold rating, Energy Star 5.0, & ClimateSavers

Approximate price with tax: $1,748

Note: Choose Customizeand select Windows 7 Ultimate, select Intel Core i7-3720QM Processor, 15.6" FHD (1920x1080) Wide View Anti-Glare WLED Back-lit, 8GB DDR3-1600MHZ SDRAM 2DIMMs, Light Sensitive Webcam and Noise Cancelling Digital Array Mic, No Out-of-Band Systems Management, 256GB Solid State Drive, Opal Encrypted, 8X DVD+/-RW, Intel Centrino Advanced-N 6205 802.11n, Dell Wireless 380 Bluetooth 4.0 LE Module, Bluetooth, 6-cell (60WH) Primary Lithium Ion Battery (2.8Ah) ExpressCharge Capable, 90W A/C Adapter (3-pin), 3 Year Basic Hardware Service with 3 Year NBD Limited On-site Service After Remote Diagnostics.

Visit dell.stanford.edu for more information.

 

Lenovo ThinkPad T530

  • 15.6" FHD Anti-Glare Display with LED Backlight (1920x1080)
  • 2.70GHz Core i7-3820QM Processor (Quad Core)
  • 8GB RAM
  • 256GB Solid State Drive, OPAL Encryption Ready
  • 8x CD/DVD-RW
  • 1GB nVidia NVS 5400M Graphics
  • Wireless Included
  • Bluetooth Included
  • Integrated 720P HD Camera
  • 6-Cell Battery
  • Windows 7 Ultimate 64-bit OS
  • 3-year On-site warranty
  • EPEAT Gold rating, Energy Star 5.0, & ClimateSavers

Approximate price with tax: $2,185

Note: Choose Customize & Buy then Select Intel Core i7-3820QM processor, Genuine Windows 7 Professional (64-bit),15.6" FHD (1920x1080) LED Back-lit Anti-Glare Display, 8GB PC3-12800 DDR3 (2 DIMM), 720p HD Camera with Microphone, 256GB Solid State Drive, OPAL SATA3, DVD Recordable, Bluetooth 4.0 with Antenna, Intel Centrino Advanced-N 6205 AGN. Under Warranty and Software select 3-year on-site warrantymanually in SmartMart.

Optional: CD/DVD-RW can be replaced by a 2nd hard disk (1TB size 5400RPM) for ~$235

Visit lenovo.stanford.edu for more information. 

Windows Ultraportable

Dell Latitude E6230

Latitude E6220

  • 12.5" HD Anti-Glare w/ LED Backlight Display (1366x768)
  • 2.9 GHz Core i7-3520M Processor (Dual Core)
  • 8 GB RAM
  • 256GB Solid State Drive
  • 8x CD/DVD-RW (External)
  • Intel HD Graphics 4000
  • Wireless Included
  • Bluetooth Included
  • Integrated 2 Megapixel Camera
  • 6-Cell Battery
  • Windows 7 Ultimate 64-bit OS
  • 3-year On-site Warranty
  • EPEAT Gold rating, Energy Star 5.0

Approximate price with tax: $1,768

Note: Choose Customizeand select Windows 7 Ultimate, select Intel Core i7-3520M Processor, 8GB DDR3-1600MHZ SDRAM 2DIMMs, Light Sensitive Webcam and Noise Cancelling Digital Array Mic, No Out-of-Band Systems Management, 256GB Solid State Drive, 8X DVD+/-RW (External), Intel Centrino Advanced-N 6205 802.11n, Dell Wireless 380 Bluetooth 4.0 LE Module, Bluetooth, 6-cell (65WH) Primary Lithium Ion Battery (3.0Ah) ExpressCharge Capable, 65W A/C Adapter (3-pin) (BFR-PVC Free), 3 Year Basic Hardware Service with 3 Year NBD Limited On-site Service After Remote Diagnostics.

Visit dell.stanford.edu for more information.

Lenovo ThinkPad X230

lenovo thinkpad

  • 12.5" Premium HD w/ LED Backlight Display (1366x768)
  • 2.9 GHz Core i7-3520M Processor (Dual Core)
  • 8GB RAM
  • 256GB Solid State Drive - OPAL Encryption ready
  • 8x CD/DVD-RW slim burner (be sure to select option in accessories)
  • Intel HD Graphics 4000
  • Wireless Included
  • Integrated 720P HD Camera
  • 6-Cell Battery
  • Windows 7 Ultimate 64-bit OS
  • 3-year On-site Warranty
  • EPEAT Gold rating, Energy Star 5.0

Approximate price with tax: $1,930

Note: Use Customize & Buy then under System Components select Intel Core i7-3520M processor, Genuine Windows 7 Professional (64-bit), 12.5" Premium HD (1366x768) LED Back-lit Display, Mobile Broadband Ready, 2x2 Antenna, 8 GB PC3-12800 DDR3 (2 DIMM), 720P HD Camera,256 GB Solid State Drive, Opal SATA 3, 6 Cell Thinkpad Battery X44+, 65W AC Adapter - US (2-pin), Bluetooth 4.0 with Antenna, Intel Centrino Advanced-N 6205 AGN. Under Warranty and Software select  3-year on-site warrant. Under Accessories in Storage and removable storage section select Lenovo Slim USB Portable DVD Burner manually in SmartMart.

Visit lenovo.stanford.edu for more information. Part number in SmartMart:

Core Windows desktop

Dell OptiPlex 9010 Small Form Factor

OptiplexDell Monitor

  • 24" LCD Display (1920x1200)
  • 3.4GHz Core i7-3770 Processor (Quad Core)
  • 8GB RAM
  • 500GB Hard Drive
  • 8x DVD-RW/CD-RW
  • 1GB AMD Radeon HD 7570
  • Windows 7 Ultimate 64-bit OS
  • 3-year On-site warranty
  • EPEAT Gold rating, Energy Star 5.2

Approximate price with tax: $1,334 including monitor

Note: Choose Customizeand select Windows 7 Ultimate, select Intel Core i7-3770 Processor, Optiplex 9010 Small Form Factor w/ up to 90% Efficient PSU, 8GB NON-ECC 1600MHZ DDR3 2DIMM, 8X Slimline DVD+/-RW, 1GB AMD Radeon HD 7570 LP w/VGA, Dell Professional P2412H 24in HAS widescreen monitor, 500 GB 3.5 SATA 6Gb/s with 16 MB DataBurst Cache, No Out-of-Band Systems Managment, Energy Star 5.2 Category C, No Trend Micro Security, monitor is approximately $210 of cost.

Visit dell.stanford.edu for more information.

 

Lenovo ThinkCentre M92p Small Form Factor

  • 23" LCD Display (1920x1080)
  • 3.4GHz Core i7-3770 Processor (Quad Core)
  • 8GB RAM
  • 500GB Hard Drive
  • 16x DVD-RW/CD-RW
  • 1GB AMD RADEON HD 7450
  • Windows 7 Ultimate 64-bit OS
  • 3-year On-site warranty
  • EPEAT Gold rating, Energy Star 5.0 Category D

Approximate price with tax: $1,520 including monitor

Note: Choose Customize & Buy then Select Intel Core i7-3770 Process, Genuine Windows 7 Professional 64 - English, 4GBx2 PC3-12800 DDR3 UDIMM, ATI HD 7450 1GB (DVI+DP) Low Profile, DP to DVI Dongle, 500GB 7200 RPM SATA,DVD Recordable W7 and Lenovo 23.6inch White LED Monitor (Monitor is added after the M92P-SFF is added to cart, on the right side in Quick Order Add to cart part number 4015LS1, this is the Model No LT2452p wide 24in LED monitormanually in SmartMart (monitor is approximately $190 of total cost)

Visit lenovo.stanford.edu for more information. Part number in SmartMart: 

Extended Windows desktop

Dell OptiPlex 9010 Mini Tower

OptiplexMonitor

  • 24" LCD Display (1920x1200)
  • 3.4GHz Core i7-3770 Processor (Quad Core)
  • 16GB RAM
  • 128GB Solid State Drive + 500GB Hard Drive
  • 16x DVD-RW/CD-RW
  • 1GB AMD RADEON HD 7570
  • Windows 7 Ultimate 64-bit OS
  • 3-year On-site warranty
  • EPEAT Gold rating, Energy Star 5.2

Approximate price with tax: $1,794

Note: Choose Customizeand select Windows 7 Ultimate, select Intel Core i7-3770 Processor, Optiplex 9010 mini tower w/ up to 90% Efficient PSU, 16GB NON-ECC 1600MHZ DDR3 4DIMM, 16X Slimline DVD+/-RW with 19-in-1 Card Reader, 1GB AMD Radeon HD 7570 FH w/VGA, Dell Ultrasharp U2412M 24in HAS widescreen monitor, 128GB 2.5" SATA 6Gb/s Dell Solid State Drive, 500GB 2.5 SATA 6Gb/s with 16 MB DataBurst Cache, No Out-of-Band Systems Management, Energy Star 5.2 Category C, No Trend Micro Security, monitor is approximately $260 of cost.

Visit dell.stanford.edu for more information.

 

Lenovo ThinkCentre M92p Mini-Tower

  • 24" LCD Display (1920x1200)
  • 3.4GHz Core i7-3770 Processor (Quad Core)
  • 16GB RAM
  • 128 GB Solid State HD + 1TB Hard Drive
  • 16x DVD-RW/CD-RW
  • 1GB AMD RADEON HD 7450
  • 9-in-1 memory card reader
  • Windows 7 Ultimate 64-bit OS
  • 3-year On-site warranty
  • EPEAT Gold rating, Energy Star 5.0 Category D

Approximate price with tax: $2,240 including monitor

Note: Choose Customize & Buy then Select Intel Core i7-3770 Processor (3.4ghz), Genuine Windows 7 Professional 64 - English, 4GBx4 PC3-12800 DDR3 UDIMM, ATI Radeon HD 7450 1GB(DVI+DP), DP to DVI Dongle, 1st Hard drive - 128GB Solid State 2.5" SATA, 2nd Hard Drive - 1TB 7200rpm SATA,  9 in 1 Card Reader,  DVD Recordable for W7,Thinkvision LT2452P wide 24in LED Monito. Monitor is approximately $390 of total cost.

Visit lenovo.stanford.edu for more information. Part number in SmartMart

Core Macintosh laptop

Apple Macbook Pro 13" w/Retina Display

  • 13.3" Display
  • 2.5GHz Intel Core i5 (Dual Core)
  • 8GB RAM
  • 256GB Solid State Drive
  • Intel HD Graphics 4000
  • Apple Thunderbolt to Gigabit Ethernet Adapter
  • Wireless and Bluetooth Included
  • Built-in iSight Camera
  • Apple 3-year AppleCare Protection Plan
  • EPEAT Gold rating, Energy Star 4.0

Approximate price with tax: $1,853

Note: Note: External optical drive ($80) not included. Select AppleCare Protection Plan manually in SmartMart.

Visit apple.stanford.edu for online purchasing.

Extended Macintosh laptop

Apple Macbook Pro 15" w/Retina Display

  • 15" Retina Display (2880x1800)
  • 2.6GHz Intel Core i7 (Quad Core)
  • 8GB RAM
  • 256GB Solid State Drive
  • 1GB Nvidia GT650M
  • Apple Thunderbolt to Gigabit Ethernet Adapter
  • Wireless and Bluetooth Included
  • Built-in iSight Camera
  • Apple 3-year AppleCare Protection Plan
  • EPEAT Gold rating, Energy Star 5.0

Approximate price with tax: $2,335

Note: External optical drive ($80) not included. Customize lower end Macbook Pro 15" Retina and choose 2.6GHz i7 processor. Select AppleCare Protection Plan manually in SmartMart.

Visit apple.stanford.edu for online purchasing.

Macintosh Ultraportable

Apple 13" Macbook Air

Apple 13

  • 13" Display
  • 2.0GHz Intel Core i7 (Dual Core)
  • 8GB RAM
  • 256GB Solid State Drive
  • Intel HD Graphics 4000
  • Apple Thunderbolt to Gigabit Ethernet Adapter
  • Wireless and Bluetooth Included
  • Built-in iSight Camera
  • Apple 3-year AppleCare Protection Plan
  • EPEAT Gold rating, Energy Star 4.0

Approximate price with tax: $1,905

Note: External optical drive ($80) not included. Select AppleCare Protection Plan manually in SmartMart.

Visit apple.stanford.edu for online purchasing.

Core Macintosh desktop

Apple Intel iMac

  • 21.5" display
  • 2.7GHz Intel Core i5 (Quad Core)
  • 8GB RAM
  • 1TB Hard Drive
  • External Apple USB SuperDrive
  • 1GB NVidia GeForce GT640M
  • Wifi & Bluetooth Included
  • Built-in iSight Camera
  • Wireless Keyboard & Mouse Included
  • Apple 3-year AppleCare Repair Agreement
  • EPEAT Gold rating, Energy Star 5.0

Approximate price with tax: $1,510 online

Note: Select AppleCare Protection Plan manually in SmartMart.

Visit apple.stanford.edu for online purchasing.

Extended Macintosh desktop

Apple Intel iMac

  • 27" display
  • 3.2GHz Core i5 (Quad Core)
  • 16GB RAM
  • 1TB Hard Drive
  • External Apple USB SuperDrive
  • 1GB NVidia GeForce GTX 675MX
  • Wifi & Bluetooth Included
  • Built-in iSight Camera
  • Wireless Keyboard & Mouse Included
  • Apple 3-year AppleCare Protection Plan
  • EPEAT Gold rating, Energy Star 5.0

Approximate price with tax: $2,370 online

Note: Select 16GB memory and AppleCare Protection Plan manually in SmartMart.

Visit apple.stanford.edu for online purchasing.