Purchasing
Which kind of computer do I need?
In general OxCIN recommend Apple Mac computers. We have a lot of experience with Apple equipment and our infrastructure is geared towards a Mac eco-system. Having said that our HPC equipment is based on non-Apple computers running Linux; we can certainly support non-Apple desktop/laptop environments, would recommend Linux, and could even be persuaded to support Windows use-cases. Most OxCIN researchers are using Mac as their primary device but you may find your PI group requires a Windows computer to satisfy software requirements in the lab.
When deciding to buy a Mac it is important to select a model adequate for your needs as it is not possibe to upgrade CPU, memory or storage later.
Oxford University have academic purchasing agreements with preferred suppliers offering discounts and additional warranty. We are currently purchasing Apple devices from Albion Computers and the University's preferred PC supplier is Dell.
Platform sections: - Apple Mac options - Windows options - Linux options
Most people at OxCIN can make a use-case for getting a laptop but this is expensive and requires additional accessories (keyboard, mouse and full-size monitor) to complete the work-place environment. Please consider this when selecting a device.
The cheapest and most eco-friendly solution would be a desktop configuration. There are more configuration options and these devices are often more powerful, have more disk space, support GPU add-ons (non-Apple), have more varied connectivity and display options, etc.
Keep in mind that it may be better for you to run analysis and processing remotely on the centre's centrally provided computing resources if you have an OxCIN HPC account or an BMRC account. These clusters offer high-performance batch (cluster) computing and remote desktops and include specialised hardware and software to support GPU-enabled code and AI/Machine Learning. This may mean you make do with a less expensive laptop. You may send your jobs to a cluster allowing you close down your laptop and resume at your convienience.
Apple Mac options
Laptop options
MacBook Neo range
| Model | Chip(s) | CPU cores | GPU cores | RAM | Storage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 13" | A18 Pro | 6 (2+4) | 5 | 8GB | 256/512GB |
Apple's lowest-cost MacBook option. Suitable for: - Office 365; - email, Teams and web browsing; - lightweight document editing; - users who need a simple portable Mac at the lowest price.
The MacBook Neo is not recommended for local AI inference, data analysis, software development or heavy multitasking. Its 8GB memory and small SSD options are limiting, and the MacBook Air or Pro will be a better long-term purchase for most OxCIN users.
MacBook Air (M5) range
| Model | Chip(s) | CPU cores | GPU cores | RAM | Storage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 13" | M5 | 10 (4+6) | 8/10 | 16-32GB | 512GB-4TB |
| 15" | M5 | 10 (4+6) | 10 | 16-32GB | 512GB-4TB |
Good general purpose laptop. Plenty powerful enough for: - Office 365; - light-weight processing (e.g. Python, Julia, R, FSL or Matlab) - visualisation tools - email and web browsing, etc.
For sustained heavy processing the Air's fanless design can still throttle performance under long loads. If you need the power go "Pro" instead.
MacBook Pro range
| Model | Chip(s) | CPU cores | GPU cores | RAM | Storage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 14" | M5 | 10 (4+6) | 10 | 16-32GB | 1-4TB |
| 14" | M5 Pro/Max | 15/18 | 16-40 | 24-128GB | 1-8TB |
| 16" | M5 Pro/Max | 18 | 20-40 | 24-128GB | 1-8TB |
Note: MacBook Pro models with an M5 Pro chip do not include a power adapter in the box. Add a USB-C Power Adapter as a separate line item when purchasing: at least 70W for the 14" model, or 140W for the 16" model.
Suitable for some heavier weight processing tasks. Best option if you wish to do perform research and analyis ad development tools on your laptop.
Completing the Office Environment
If you choose to buy a laptop computing solution then you must consider the rest of your desktop. For ergonomic reasons you should avoid dependence on laptop keyboards, touchpads and displays. A separate, decent quality, keyboard, mouse and display is essential. OxCIN has been equipping some shareable desks with suitable devices but if these aren't going to be available then you need to keep some money back to buy these essential accessories too.
Screens
Dell has an academic purchasing arrangement with the university and offers excellent value. We strongly recommend a Dell screen with usb-c upstream link as this will allow you to connect keyboard, mouse, Ethernet networking etc to screen and link them to your laptop over a single usb-c cable. This single cable can also supply power to your laptop. 24" screen size is now considered entry-level. 27", 32" and larger screens are also available.
Desktop options
All the desktop options could be useful for mid-weight processing. Apple Silicon desktop processors are multi-core, have built-in GPUs and Neural Engine cores1 and can be configured with plenty of unified memory if needed.
Apple Desktop range
| Model | Chip(s) | CPU cores | GPU cores | RAM | Storage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| iMac 24" | M4 | 8/10 | 8/10 | 16-32GB | 256G-2TB |
| Mac mini | M4 | 10 | 10 | 16-24GB | 256G-2TB |
| Mac mini | M4 Pro | 12/14 | 16/20 | 24-48GB | 512G-8TB |
| Mac Studio | M4 Max | 14/16 | 32/40 | 36-64GB | 512G-8TB |
| Mac Studio | M3 Ultra | 28/32 | 60/80 | 96GB | 1-16TB |
iMac: All in one desktop solution. Good for someone wanting a compact desktop system with an integrated 24" display.
Mac Mini: Relatively cheap device2 Suitable where you intend to re-use existing accessories. The M4 model is a good general purpose desktop; the M4 Pro model gives more CPU, GPU, memory and display headroom for development or mid-weight local processing.
Mac Studio: Heavy weight processing option2. Best Apple desktop option for larger local AI inference, heavier development workflows and users who need more memory, storage or display connectivity than the Mac mini provides.
Windows options
Windows machines are mainly recommended where a PI group or lab has a specific Windows-only software or hardware requirement. We can support Windows use-cases, but please discuss these with OxCIN IT before ordering so we can check the device can be managed, secured and supported. The University's preferred supplier, DELL, has an extensive catalogue of Oxford configurations available. If there isn't a suitable standard option then OxCIN IT can help you investigate a custom build for your needs.
Linux options
Linux is the preferred non-Apple laptop/desktop environment for OxCIN work. It also matches the operating system used by our HPC equipment, which can make it a good choice for users who want a local environment similar to the centrally provided compute clusters. The University's preferred supplier, DELL, has an extensive catalogue of Oxford configurations available. If there isn't a suitable standard option then OxCIN IT can help you investigate a custom build for your needs.
Recommendations
Here are a few examples of what we'd suggest depending on your use-case.
Mainly for Communications
If your needs are simple: document production, presenting, email, web, Teams, etc., then an iMac or a MacBook Air would be a good choice. Opt for 16GB of RAM and 512GB of Storage as a minimum.
Software Development
An iMac, non-Apple desktop, MacBook Air/Pro would suit you. Again, 16GB RAM and 512GB Storage as a minimum.
Serious Number Crunching
A Mac Studio/non-Apple desktop machine would be best. Get >32G RAM (contact OxCIN IT to see if cheap after-market RAM is available). Consider if you should be using a more modest (Communications) machine instead -- after all, you're probably going to be better off interacting with one of the HPC compute clusters and only need SSH/VNC viewer on your local machine.
Local, offline AI model inference
Mac laptops are currently the best default choice if you want to run local, offline AI models. You may wish to do this for off-line AI access perhaps whilst travelling on a long flight. Apple Silicon combines efficient intergrated CPU, GPU and neural engine hardware with unified memory pool. LLM performance is usually RAM memory bound. Mac Mini's are a popular choicd for AI model's as memory is comparatively good value. The model must fit in RAM or it won't run. RAM determines whether a model works. The chip determines how fast it runs. Buy the most RAM you can afford — you can't upgrade it later. A Mac Mini draws ~30W under AI load. If you're running models 24/7, the electricity savings alone pay for the Mac Mini within a year.
For regular local AI model inference, we suggest a 14" MacBook Pro with an M5 Pro chip, 48GB unified memory and at least 1TB SSD as a sensible minimum. If you expect to work with larger models, multiple models, long contexts or development workflows, choose 64GB or more unified memory and consider 2TB storage. A 32GB MacBook Air can be useful for occasional small models, but the fanless design and lower memory ceiling make it less suitable for sustained work.
Training, fine-tuning and large batch inference are still better suited to OxCIN HPC, BMRC or other centrally managed GPU resources.
Ordering My Computer
All orders should be placed via OxCIN IT. Please make sure you have obtained a suitable grant code, cost centre and expense category from the grant holder.
New Macs and iPads will be enrolled in OxCIN IT's Orchard Apple management suite ensuring compliance with OxCIN IT policies. Orchard user documentation will be provided to users. An overview of Orchard can be found on the following page. https://help.it.ox.ac.uk/orchard New Apple computers are sourced from Albion Computers. We should be able to obtain academic pricing slightly cheaper than the prices shown on the Apple website. The main benefit of purchasing from Albion is that the purchase price includes an additional four years of warranty provided directly by Albion on a return to base arrangement. It is important to note that the standard Apple and Albion warranties DO NOT include accidental damage cover or insurance from theft. If wanted damage and theft cover can be arranged with an AppleCare+ purchase at the time of MacBook purchase.
Examples of current supplier pricing are shown in the table below. Prices exclude VAT and are accurate as of June 2026.
| Supplier | Model | Product code / SKU | Key specification | Price (ex VAT) | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Albion Computers | 13-inch MacBook Neo, Citrus | MHFD4B | Apple A18 Pro chip with 6-core CPU and 5-core GPU, 8GB unified memory, 256GB SSD, macOS Tahoe | £436 | 5 years warranty |
| Albion Computers | 13-inch MacBook Neo, Blush | MHFJ4B | Apple A18 Pro chip with 6-core CPU and 5-core GPU, 8GB unified memory, 512GB SSD, Touch ID, macOS Tahoe | £486 | Includes 5 years warranty |
| Albion Computers | MacBook Air 13-inch M4 | Z1CX_1417_GB_CTO | Apple M4 chip with 10-core CPU and 10-core GPU, 16GB unified memory, 25GB SSD | £695 | 5 years warranty |
| Albion Computers | MacBook Pro 14-inch M5, Space Black | MDE14B/A | Standard glass, Apple M5 chip with 10-core CPU, 10-core GPU and 16-core Neural Engine, 16GB unified memory, 1TB SSD | £1248 | 5 years warranty |
| Albion Computers | MacBook Pro 16-inch M5 Max, Silver | Z1MY_2199_GB_CTO | Standard glass, Apple M5 Max chip with 18-core CPU and 40-core GPU, 64GB unified memory, 2TB SSD | £3200 | 5 years warranty |
| Dell | Pro 14 Plus | PB14250 | Ultra 7 processor, 32GB RAM 512GB M.2 SSD | £945 | 3 years warranty |
| Dell | Pro 27 Plus QHD USB-C Hub Monitor | P2725DE | £180 | 3 years warranty |
Accessories are usually purchased from Insight.