When purchasing a device, it's important to consider the 'total cost of ownership,' which includes warranty, technical support, and hardware quality that will impact the laptop's lifespan. The least expensive option may not always be the best choice in the long run. Please note that the school is not responsible for any laptop purchases or financing arrangements. Any issues related to laptop purchases or technical support should be addressed directly with the vendor or supplier.
Retailer Assistance Purchasing Sheet
Please see the document below to assist you in purchasing an appropriate device for Warrigal Roads BYOD Program. This document can be used at a retailer to assist them in finding the correct device.
Warrigal Road SS Retailer Buying Sheet 2025-2026.docx
Device Specification Guide
| | Minimum | Optimal | Above | DO NOT USE |
| Processor | AMD Ryzen (5000 series, 7000 series, 8000 or AI series) Intel i3 or i5 or i7 or Ultra (12th generation or higher) Intel N300 CPU Type: x86 | AMD Ryzen (5000 series, 7000 series, 8000 or AI series) Intel i3 or i5 or i7 or Ultra (12th generation or higher)
Intel N305 or N355 Intel Series 1 | AMD Ryzen 5 (5000 series, 7000 series, 8000 or AI series) AMD Ryzen 7 (5000 series, 7000 series, 8000 or AI series) Intel i5 (12th gen or higher) Intel i7 (12th gen or higher) Intel Core Ultra (12th gen or higher) | Celeron Snapdragon N100 N200 Athlon MTK Pentium Ryzen 2000 Series Ryzen 3000 Series Ryzen 4000 Series Copilot+ (ARM) Intel 10th Gen Intel 11th Gen 2 Core CPU's |
| Ram | 8GB | 16GB | 16GB+ | |
| Storage | 125GB | 256GB | 500GB+ | |
| Operating System | Windows 11 (Not S Mode) | Windows 11 (Not S Mode) | Windows 11 (Not S Mode) | ChromeOS, MacOS, Linux |
| Size | 12" | 12"-14" | 15" | |
| Wireless | Wi-Fi 5 (5Ghz 802.11ac) or WIFI 6 (5Ghz 802.11ax) | Wi-Fi 5 (5Ghz 802.11ac) or WIFI 6 (5Ghz 802.11ax) | Wi-Fi 5 (5Ghz 802.11ac) or WIFI 6 (5Ghz 802.11ax) | |
| Battery | 5hrs+ | 5hrs+ | 5hrs+ | |
| Other | Built in Webcam | Built in Webcam | Built in Webcam |
|
The 4 - 6 BYOD system is not compatible with:
Chromebooks, iPads, Apple Macs, Mobile Phones, Linux or any processors of the Arm family.
Buying Tips:
- Gaming Laptops often have separate/discrete graphics cards which will generally mean the laptop will only have 1-2 hours of battery when using many common educational platforms. Gaming laptops are often very heavy as well. One way to identify Gaming Laptops is that they will be branded with Nvidia or RTX.
- The 128GB minimum requirement for storage is based on the laptop only being used for school purposes. If you plan to use it for personal gaming, high school, install additional software or store any non school files on the device please ensure you have additional storage.
- The weight of the laptop should be calculated without the packaging or the charger as the student will only be transporting the laptop itself.
- Do not buy antivirus with your computer as many are not compatible with the department and you will may be required to uninstall it and revert to the recommended antivirus which is the built in Windows antivirus prior to your BYOD setup.
- Do not purchase Microsoft Office, its included free with your students Microsoft account.
Insurance/Warranty/Accidental Damage Protection:
Parents should consider the following:
- A warranty that covers device faults for the 3 years the device will be used at school.
- Accidental damage protection to cover incidents like screen damage, which can be very costly without insurance.
- Coverage for theft at home, during transit to school and at school.
We encourage parents to discuss these options with their retailers and home insurance companies to find the best solution.