The University of Missouri-Kansas City (UMKC) Technology Support Center recommends the replacement of campus computers between 4-5 years based on type and usage. Replacing computers within these life-cycles will ensure they remain under warranty and will provide maximum uptime. See below for specific recommendations:

• Desktop/workstations: 5 years
• Laptops: 4 years
• Mobile devices/tablets: 4 years 

For computers that fall outside of the recommended life-cycle, parts may become harder to source and the chances for hardware failures and extended outages increase. The below tables represent our minimum hardware standards for campus computers.

Minimum Standards for Windows computers

Minimum Standards for Mac computers

Minimum Standards for Mobile Devices/Tablets

Mobile devices/tablets should be capable of running the latest version of their operating system. This capability ensures they are able to receive security updates and to run current versions of applications.

Any computer that falls below the minimum recommendations set forth in the above tables or that are older than six years should not be considered a suitable candidate for the following practices:

• Hardware upgrade
• Hardware repair
• Machine transfer or "re-purposing" 

Any computer that falls below the minimum recommendations above and is older than 8 years should be removed from the network and retired. Support for computers of this age is very limited.

Notes:

• Hard drive size is contingent upon application/data size and upon usage requirements.
• Apple supports current OS + two previous versions. This support is subject to change at Apple’s discretion. Operating systems not supported should be upgraded or removed from the network.
• Computer monitor lifespans can often exceed that of the computer itself. In some cases, it may be prudent to retain a monitor for a few years longer to get additional value from that investment.