Computer purchase and support

Desktop PCs

CSG currently support the following PC-compatible desktop computers, installations of which can be found throughout the department:

• Dell Optiplex 780 and 980.

• HP Compaq 7X00 and 8000 series.

Older model computers (Shuttles and earlier Dell/HP Compaq desktops) may also be found in the department but these are end-of-life. The currently-available models are the Optiplex 980 and HP Compaq 8000 range.

If you wish to purchase a Dell Optiplex 980, CSG has a limited stock of these models 'in-house'. The Dell Optiplex 980 Mini-Tower (MT) with an Intel Core i5-650 processor (3.2Mhz dual-core with hyper-threading) with 8GB of DDR3 RAM, a 1GB NVIDIA GeForce GT330 graphics card and a 250GB hard-drive. This costs 668.47 pounds + VAT and includes a twenty-three inch Dell P2311H adjustable flat-panel display. A three-year, on-site, next business day warranty is also included in this price. You can purchase one of these computers through a journal transfer: please e-mail help@doc.ic.ac.uk for further inquiries.

If you wish to purchase an HP Compaq 8000 series computer, you can do so by visiting the ICT purchasing page (college log-in required). The 'Products' link on the left-hand side of that page allows one to choose specifications on HP desktops and other related hardware. Prices are listed on the web-site. You can purchase these computers via I-Procurement: please contact the departmental finance team (Teresa Ng and Chandy Edirisinghe).

CSG support the departmental versions of Windows Vista/7 and Ubuntu Linux 8.04/9.04/10.04 on the Optiplex 780, 980 and HP Compaq 7900 and 8000 series computers. In principle, any modern PC-compatible should work with the DoC OS installs but please note that we can only provide support for the computers listed above. It would not be realistic for us to either test or support all existing PC models. We strongly recommend, therefore, that you purchase conventional desktop PCs through us or ICT if you want guaranteed support.

Notebook PCs

The DoC OS installs are primarily for desktop computers. If you wish to purchase a notebook computer for college use (that is, using grant or research funding), please note that HP is the preferred supplier for all such equipment. If you want to buy a notebook from a non college-approved supplier, college central purchasing may ask you to demonstrate that the equivalent configuration is not available through the ICT purchasing page. CSG cannot help you make such cases: if you have in mind a particular laptop, you should have the facts to hand in order to justify the purchase. Please note that Apple Macintosh computers do not fall under this rule (see below).

It is still possible to buy notebooks from college-approved suppliers such as BT Business Direct and Dell. Simply obtain a Quicklinx code or quote for the product in question and then contact the departmental finance team with this information (along with a cost-code to which the purchase should be charged).

In terms of Windows support, most laptops have certified support for Windows OSes. If you want to put a different Windows OS on a purchased laptop, please use DoC MSDNAA: all current members of the department should have access to this. If you have any queries about the MSDNAA service, e-mail help@doc.ic.ac.uk. You can also download and install software (such as an anti-virus client and Microsoft Office) from the ICT Software Shop. You can install this software yourself: CSG do not have sufficient resources to do software installations on arbitrary user laptops.

In terms of Linux support, please check the laptop manufacturer's web-sites and more general web-pages and wikis.

The key features in terms of notebook use in the department are Wi-Fi, 10/100Mbs Ethernet and disk-space. Most modern notebooks include these features so you need only check that they work under your OS of choice.

Wi-Fi can be obtained automatically: please use either the Imperial-WPA SSID or the deprecated IC-DoC SSID. If you wish to register a laptop for use through wired Ethernet, please e-mail help@doc.ic.ac.uk.

Apple Macintoshes

If you wish to buy an Apple Macintosh (desktop, laptop or accessories), please visit the Apple UK store web-page, and select the 'Education store' link on the left-hand side of the page. After selecting the 'Choose your university' button, choose 'London' for region and 'Imperial College' for institution. You will then get educational prices on items. Once you have chosen your desired Apple items, you should obtain a quote (you may need to sign up for an Apple ID). You should then send the item specification and quote information to the departmental finance team (along with a cost-code to which the purchase should be charged).

Rack servers

If you wish to purchase rack-mount computers for installation in the departmental machine room (Huxley 221), please e-mail help@doc.ic.ac.uk beforehand. This will not only allow us to ensure that the machines can be properly accommodated but also enable us to get competitive quotes through our supplier contacts.