HBS provides every faculty member with a single desktop or laptop computer that is upgraded on a three-year cycle (some faculty members may have access to additional funding for technology purchases). We are pleased to support both Windows and Mac OS machines to meet your needs; see Standard Systems for New Faculty for more detail.

All HBS computers include a standard software suite for office productivity and security. Computers placed for 20201 starts will feature Windows 10 or a recent version of Mac OS depending on whether you choose Dell or Apple hardware. Microsoft Office, including Outlook, is used on both platforms for document creation/editing and for e-mail and calendar collaboration across the school.

Current HBS standard hardware configurations are below (technical specifications do change over time; this list is meant to highlight differences between platforms):

Windows Desktop Standard: Dell OptiPlex 7090

• Standard specifications:
  • Intel Core i7 8-core processor
  • 16 GB of RAM
  • 512 GB solid state drive
  • Internal optical drive
• Comes with accessories:
  • Keyboard and mouse, speakers
  • Dell 24", 1920 x 1080 external display

Windows Laptop Standard: Dell Latitude E7420

• Standard specifications:
• Intel® Core i7 quad core processor
• 16 GB of RAM
• 512 GB solid state drive
• 14.0", 1366 x 768 internal display
• ~3.6 lbs.
• Comes with accessories:
• Dell 24", 1920 x 1080 external display
• External optical drive (on request)
• Docking station, keyboard, mouse, speakers, cable lock
• Choice of carrying bag: neoprene sleeve (default), backpack, briefcase, or none

Apple Laptop Standard - Apple MacBook Pro 13"

• Standard specifications:
• Apple M1 chip with 8-core CPU, 8-core GPU, and 16-core Neural Engine
• 16 GB of RAM
• 512 GB solid state drive
• (no optical drive)
• 13.3", 2560 x 1600 internal Retina display
• Comes with accessories:
• Dell 24", 1920 x 1080 external display
• Apple wireless keyboard and mouse, speakers, cable lock
• Choice of carrying bag: neoprene sleeve (default), backpack, briefcase, or none
  

Notice: Due to technology transitions within the Apple model line, Apple desktops and 16'' MacBook Pros are not presently available as HBS standards

Technology Exceptions

Some faculty members may have research needs that cannot be met by the standard desktop computer offerings. Together, HBS IT and Research Computing Services can help you find the right blend of resources to address these needs, including:

• The HBSGrid research compute cluster: for larger compute problems that require more RAM, disk space, or CPU power than found on a typical desktop/laptop; or High Risk Confidential Information storage, or collaborations with others, including persons not at HBS. The HBSGrid features 850+ processor cores, 11 Terabytes of RAM, 5 high-end GPUs, and half a Petabyte of storage.
• The RCS MariaDB relational database server, for storing, retrieving, and merging structured or semi-structured data from one to many data sources.
• The Harvard FAS Research Computing Cannon compute cluster: for larger compute problems too big for the local HBS compute cluster.
• A more powerful or expandable desktop computer. HBS IT and Research Computing Services have configured workstation-class Windows and Mac OS systems for faculty whose needs are confirmed as unable to be met via the available Harvard/HBS network- and cloud- based resources. Faculty who, after consultation with Research Computing Services, are deemed as eligible may receive one as part of their onboarding setup. Partial funding for such a system must be drawn from the individual's Discretionary Research Fund.
• Windows: Dell Precision 5820 Workstation
  • Standard specifications (fixed and not re-configurable):
  • Intel Xeon W-2245 3.9GHz, 4.7GHz Turbo, 8 core, 16.5M Cache, Hyperthreaded, (155W) DDR4-2933
  • 1x 1TB PCIe NVMe Class 50 Solid State boot drive
  • 1x 2TB 7200rpm SATA storage drive
  • 64GB 2933MHz DDR4 RDIMM ECC RAM
  • Nvidia Quadro RTX4000, 8GB, 3DP, VirtualLink (XX20T) graphics card
• Comes with accessories: keyboard and mouse; speakers; Dell 24" 1920 x 1080 external display
• Mac OS: iMac 27'' with Retina 5K display
  • Standard specifications (fixed and not re-configurable):
  • 3.6GHz 8‑core 9th‑generation Intel Core i9 processor, Turbo Boost up to 5.0GHz
  • 64GB 2666MHz DDR4 memory
  • Radeon Pro Vega 48 with 8GB of HBM2 memory
  • 2TB SSD storage
• Comes with accessories: keyboard and mouse, speakers.

After you arrive at HBS, Technology Support Services (TSS) can respond to all standard technology requests or questions at ithelp@hbs.edu or 617.495.6600.