William Max & Co. Blog

2023 Hardware Recommendations

Max Abramowitz -

Here are the base hardware recommendations we are making for 2023:

  • Processor: Intel Core i7 or AMD Ryzen 7 or better
  • RAM: 16 GB (minimum) / 32 GB (preferred)
  • Storage: 512 GB (minimum) / 1 TB (preferred) - Solid State/NVMe
  • Form Factor: Laptop or Micro/Mini Desktop

Reasoning

  1. These specification exceed the needs of a standard office user / standard knowledge worker today. However, you should expect a productive 3-5 years for an end user workstation. Getting a lesser (i.e. cheaper) computer today will cost more over the lifecycle of a computer in consulting fees for upgrades and lost productivity. Better to spend the money now and not touch the hardware until computer is ready for retirement.
  2. Space is at a premium. Users are working from home. Laptops are more flexible in dealing with a hybrid environment. Users can more easily transition from working in the office to working at home. If laptops are not an option, then getting a micro/mini desktop that can be mounted to the back of a monitor is the next best thing. Small form factor (SFF) workstation do offer more flexibility and are easier to upgrade, but in our experience the total cost of ownership is lower for laptops and mini/micro systems.