Virtual Consultation

If you prefer to meet with a technical expert via Zoom, we recommend this option. To schedule a virtual consultation, please visit https://go.vcu.edu/students/tech/consultation, then select a date and time that works for your schedule.

All virtual consultations are limited to 30 minutes only and will be provided on a first-come, first-served basis. Due to limited staffing resources, this option may not be available during certain times of the year such as the start of the Fall semester in mid to late August, and the start of the Spring semester in early to mid January. We recommend that you plan accordingly and try to select a consultation date at least several business day in advance.

In-Person Consultation

If you prefer in-person assistance, we recommend that you visit the RamTech technology store located within the VCU Barnes and Noble bookstore. The RamTech store carries Apple computers, a variety of accessories, and offers personalized sales assistance with selecting a computer that meets VCU's baseline requirements and additional recommendations. Located adjacent to RamTech, in-person computer hardware support is available at the VCU FixIt walk-up counter.

For more information about RamTech and FixIt, please visit our Get Help page. 

How much should you budget/plan to spend?

If you're considering purchasing a new laptop before you begin classes at VCU, you'll want to think about not just the cost of the computer but also some additional things as well such as an extended warranty (we recommend accidental damage coverage as well), and any accessories you may need. 

While your budget and/or personal preference for either Apple macOS or Microsoft Windows may be your first hunches for what laptop to buy/bring, please don't assume these are the only criteria you need to think about and please don't rush into buying a laptop or assume that your current laptop will be the right fit. You need to evaluate several different criteria (not just budget and personal preference) to determine what laptop to purchase or if your current laptop will meet the baseline requirements (or exceed them). 

Generally, you should budget/plan to spend between $1,100 and $1,600 for a laptop that meets our baseline requirements and includes an extended warranty with accidental damage coverage as well as any accessories you may need.

If you are planning to purchase a laptop that exceeds our baseline requirements (more storage space/memory, bigger screen, or additional features), you should budget/plan to spend between $1,700 to $2,500 or more in total. 

We strongly recommend that all VCU students purchase an extended warranty or service plan for your computer and consider one that includes coverage for accidental damage for laptop purchases. Most retailers and computer manufacturers offer an extended warranty program that provides coverage for hardware repairs by several years from the purchase date and in many cases may also include accidental damage coverage for when life happens to cover drops, spills, cracked screens, and other accidents. 

Apple

Apple offers AppleCare+ as an optional extended warranty for ALL MacBook products on their Education Store website. Once you add a MacBook to your cart, You can select an option for a fixed-term of 3 years, or you can select an annually-renewing option until cancelled. All AppleCare+ plans provide unlimited accidental damage coverage. 

Dell & HP, Inc.

Dell and HP, Inc. computers purchased through their respective websites offer several warranty options you should consider ranging from 1 year to 5 years. You can select these options after adding a computer to your cart, however not all plans cover accidental damage, so you will need to carefully select the correct option before adding to your cart.

Every student that enrolls at VCU and pays the Student Technology Fee is provided with access to the VCU Student Software bundle which includes access to common application software such as those listed below (not an exhaustive list):

• Adobe Creative Cloud
• Microsoft Office 365

...as well as other software that is available via VCU's software agreements or via the software producer's website at no cost

• ChemOffice Professional
• ESRI Software: ArcGIS Pro and CityEngine
• IBM SPSS
• JMP Pro
• Mathematica
• Maple
• SAS

In addition to these software titles that are downloadable and installable on your computer, VCU also provides access to a variety of cloud-based software as well, and not just the Google Workspace suite of tools. 

To learn more about the VCU Student Software bundle, please visit our Software section. 

Apple Computer Baseline Requirements

Below are the baseline requirements for Apple computers.

Extended Warranty / Accidental Damage Coverage! Apple offers AppleCare+ as an optional extended warranty for ALL MacBook products on their Education Store website. Once you add a MacBook to your cart, You can select an option for a fixed-term of 3 years, or you can select an annually-renewing option until cancelled. All AppleCare+ plans provide unlimited accidental damage coverage. We strongly recommend adding this coverage when purchasing an Apple computer. 

Windows Computer Baseline Requirements

Below are the baseline requirements for Windows computers.

Extended Warranty / Accidental Damage Coverage! Dell and HP, Inc. computers purchased through their respective websites offer several warranty options you should consider ranging from 1 year to 5 years. You can select these options after adding a computer to your cart, however not all plans cover accidental damage, so you will need to carefully select the correct option before adding to your cart.