Flagstaff Tech Net

Recommended Technology Standards

When people ask what is the best computer equipment to buy you are likely to get a different response from every person you ask. People will likely emphasize their desired screen size, the amount of RAM it has, the processor speed, or even the style of the keyboard.

When our company makes a recommendation we will consider the preferences of the user, but overall will recommend a set of computer components that will, if maintained properly, last many more years than a consumer-oriented PC, and have motherboard features such as the number and type of adapter slots, processor type, security chips on the motherboard, capabilities of the graphics processor, and other technical considerations. It will very likely be more expensive than the commodity computers you see on sale at the big box retailers and Amazon. Our specifications will vary by your intended use of the machine.

Our minimum requirements to participate in a Managed Service contract are specified because despite the likely cost increase, and the time and money wasted waiting for computational processes to complete, money is almost always saved on labor costs resulting in higher user productivity.

The other factor in recommending a computer is the “technology stack” or combination of software and hardware components plus accessories that make your end-users most productive. The technology stack components get along with each other and minimize conflicts among file types, and security settings, plus add ease of use.

Don’t be put off by these minimal requirements. If the cost is too expensive at the time of purchase we will recommend a strategy to slowly transition all your end-users to the optimal computer configuration.

System Requirements: Minimum and Recommended Computer Specifications:

The following description shows the minimum and recommended hardware and software for small businesses and non-profit organizations. Investing in hardware that will last many years is a better strategy than buying cheap, off-the-shelf consumer IT products.

Minimum Hardware Component Accessories To Computers and Networks:

  1. All devices must have Windows 10/11/or 12, 64-bit, Professional Operating System
  2. All devices must be under a current manufacturer warranty
  3. Firewalls / Routers must meet our quality minimum
  4. Wi-Fi Management must meet our quality minimum of WPA2 protocol, gigabit ethernet, and/or 802.11ac
  5. All devices must be “current” and licensed appropriately for business use. All newly provisioned devices must have a processor that is within 2 generations of the latest revision.
  6. All existing provisioned devices must have a processor that is within 4 generations of the latest revision.
  7. All devices must be set up with our provided security suite
  8. All devices must be encrypted upon provisioning to an end user
  9. Local Admin access is strictly prohibited on all devices and systems.

PLUS:

  • Wireless (Battery powered) keyboard and mouse combo for improved ergonomics
  • 24-27’ Computer Monitor, FHD 1920 x 1080p resolution, adjustable positioning
  • Surge protector strip with 4000 joules of surge protection
  • Gigabit or faster network switch
  • Ergonomic rolling chair, sized to the end-user
  • 8 gigabytes of memory (RAM); 16GB or more highly recommended
  • 100+ gigabyte hard Solid-State Drives (SSD), preferably NVMe types
  • For graphics work, a pen stylus
  • A processor with a Trusted Platform Module (TPM) and Intel vPRO-enabled

Minimum Recommended Mac (IOS) Hardware:

  • Items 1-9 above, PLUS
  • Wireless (battery-powered) keyboard and mouse combo for improved ergonomics
  • 24-27 Inch Computer Monitor, 1920 x 1080p resolution, adjustable positioning
  • Surge protector strip with 4000 joules of surge protection
  • Gigabit or faster network switch
  • Ergonomic rolling chair, sized to the end-user, 8 gigabytes of memory (RAM)
  • 100+ gigabyte hard drive
  • For graphics work, a pen stylus

Minimum Intel (PC) Hardware:

  • Items 1-9 above, PLUS
  • GPU that is compatible with OpenGL 3.2. (integrated graphics cards Intel HD 4000 or above).
  • Small graphics-intensive projects (under 100 images at 14 MP): 4 GB RAM, 10 GB HDD Free Space.
  • Medium graphics-intensive projects (between 100 and 500 images at 14 MP): 8 GB RAM, 20 GB HDD Free Space.
  • Large graphics-intensive projects (between 500 and 1000 images at 14 MP): 16 GB RAM, 40 GB HDD Free Space.
  • Very Large graphics-intensive projects (1000 -2000 images at 14 MP): 32 GB RAM, 80 GB HDD Free Space.

Additional Recommended Hardware Core Components & Accessories:

  1. Wireless (battery-powered) keyboard and mouse combo for improved ergonomics
  2. 27 Inch Computer Monitor, 1920 x 1080p resolution, adjustable
  3. Uninterruptible Power Supply
  4. 5 Gigabit network switch
  5. 1000 gigabyte SSD hard drive, NVMe

Recommended Business PC Components:

  • Items 1-9 above, PLUS
  • CPU 4-core or 6-core Intel i9/Threadripper/Ryzen 9.
  • GeForce GTX GPU compatible with OpenGL 3.2 and 2 GB RAM.
  • Hard disk: SSD, preferably NVMe format.
  • Small projects (under 100 images at 14 MP): 8 GB RAM, 15 GB SSD Free Space.
  • Medium graphical business case needs (between 100 and 500 images at 14 MP): 16GB RAM, 30 GB SSD Free Space.
  • Large graphical business case needs (over 500- 1000 images at 14 MP): 32 GB RAM, 60 GB SSD Free Space.
  • Very Large graphical business case needs (1000 – 2000 images at 14 MP): 64 GB RAM, 120 GB SSD Free Space.
  • A Linux-based operating system is suitable if the user is willing to learn the intricacies of usually command line-based instructions. Most Linux software packages also offer a robust graphical interface.

High-End Build PC Components:

  • Items 1-9 above, PLUS

CPU:

  • 32-64 gigabytes of memory (RAM)
  • Core i7 8700K (Good)
  • Ryzen 9 5950x (Better)
  • AMD Threadripper 3970X 32-core (Best)

GPU:

  • NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 SUPER (Good)
  • NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 (Better)
  • NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 ti (Best)

Additional Hardware Notes:

Compared to traditional spindle-based hard, Solid-State Drives (SSD) can speed up processing. Even better, adopt NVME storage devices that are 5-7 times faster than standard SSD drives or legacy spindle-based hard drives.

  • The graphics card may have an improvement in the processing speed if the graphics card is compatible with CUDA (NVIDIA Graphic Cards). The processing time of step 2 and step 3 are not affected by the GPU.
  • For more information about computer processing speed: Processing speed.

Software Packages:

Flagstaff Tech Net recommends software that is preferably, but not always, “open source[1]”.  Open-source applications are often, but not always, more affordable while still ensuring interoperability and reliability over the long term.

  • We make the exception in recommending Microsoft Office 365 for Business or selected applications from within the Microsoft Office Suite.
    • Alternatively, open-source software such as LibreOffice 7.5 or Thunderbird is acceptable
  • Deep Instinct or BitDefender brand End-Point Protection (highly recommended)
  • Adobe Acrobat Reader or Pro for form and document production
    • Alternatively, Foxit PDF Editor Suite
  • 7 ZIP File compression tool
  • 1Password –  An and easy-to-use password manager
  • Canva – Graphics Intensive Document Creation

[1] Open-source software is computer software that is released under a license in which the copyright holder grants users the rights to use, study, change, and distribute the software and its source code to anyone and for any purpose. Open-source software may be developed in a collaborative, public manner.

These specifications will be updated as technology offerings improve.

Last Update 101/21/2024

(1) Open-source software is computer software that is released under a license in which the copyright holder grants users the rights to use, study, change, and distribute the software and its source code to anyone and for any purpose. Open-source software may be developed in a collaborative, public manner.