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Purchasing Rules
The University has five contracted suppliers of desktop PCs. There is a legal obligation for all parts of the University to use these suppliers unless there is a clear, documented reason to purchase elsewhere. See Purchasing Rules – Details at the end of this page for more information.
Laptop or notebook computers are subject to a separate agreement; see the laptop purchasing page.
Not all of these manufactures models are recommended for use in a corporate environment. Most PCs commonly advertised in the press and through mail advertising are designed for home use and should be avoided for use on the University network. You should only purchase a model approved by CiCS. More information regarding this can be found under the Approved Models section.
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Approved Models
CiCS tests and approves specific models from approved suppliers. These can be found on the Prices and Supplier page (see link on top right). You should only purchase these models which are selected on a number of criteria. A standard specification has been developed around these models but can be customised in various ways such as faster processors or more memory.
If you want to purchase a different model which has not been approved (termed an Unapproved model) you should only do this after If ydiscussion with CiCS.
Unapproved models will probably not have been tested by CiCS. As a result of this CiCS does not warrant they will be compatible with University IT systems. Further if an unapproved model is causing disruption to other systems CiCS may disconnect it without warning and accept no liability for any consequences of this. CiCS at its discretion may refuse to provide any support at all regarding unapproved models. There may be a surcharge for buying an unapproved model.
If you want to or may want to use the Managed Desktop Service now or in the future you must purchase an approved model that is listed as approved for the Managed Desktop Service on the Prices and Supplier page (see link on top right)
Please also note the section on expansion (add-in) cards.
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Energy Consumption
Energy consumption is an important issue given concerns over the environment and rising electricity prices.
Certain models are more energy efficient than others but there may be a price premium to pay for this. CiCS recommends the purchase of the most energy efficient equipment.
Energy efficient computers generate less heat and therefore give a secondary benefit in that area they are being used in requiring less cooling, giving a more pleasant working environment and further reducing costs.
In most cases and wherever possible approved models use efficient 80+ power supplies.
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Case Style
| In most cases you can purchase the same computer in different case styles and sizes. You may also want to consider purchasing an ‘all-in-one’ computer that has the monitor and computer either in an integrated unit or that the computer can attach to the back of the monitor. |
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Mainboard
| The mainboard (or motherboard) is the base that other components of your computer are built on. You should only buy a mainboard that has been approved by CiCS. Buying an approved model ensures this. |
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Processor
| The Intel Core range of processors has replaced the Intel Celeron/Pentium range. CiCS do not recommend higher end clock speed or quad core processors unless there is a specific reason for purchasing them. The increase in performance for most computing tasks does not justify the extra cost. |
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Memory
| All recommended PCs come with at least 2GB of RAM. |
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Hard Disk
The size of a standard hard disk is usually 80GB, which is adequate for most current purposes. Larger disks can be supplied for little more cost; you might want to consider this if you are working with photos, videos, music or large datasets.
It is your responsibility to keep files on your hard disk backed up. CiCS provides network disk space that is backed up daily and you should use this for important information.
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Removable Storage
Floppy disks drives are no longer recommended and will soon be unavailable for new PCs. ZIP disks are becoming increasingly rare as well.
All recommended models have a DVD writer. These have the ability to read and write to both DVDs and CDs. The software to perform some or all of these tasks is normally pre-installed by the supplier. Depending on the software provided you may need additional software to perform certain tasks.
You can downgrade to a DVD-ROM/CD-RW drive which allows you to only read DVDs but read and write to CDs. Subject to the design of the case of your computer you may be able to specify more than one CD/DVD drive.
Please note only the built in Windows XP CD writing functionality is available on the Managed Desktop Service. If you need the ability to write to DVDs or create disks from ISOs you can attempt to install additional software if you have an appropriate application installer’s account and subject to the normal application installation conditions.
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Expansion (or add in) cards
At one time you would need to purchase a sound, network and video card in your computer. Mainboards in approved models normally have integrated sound, network and video cards. This reduces costs and energy consumption.
For most applications the integrated cards provide more than acceptable performance. However, the integrated video card will normally share resources with other parts of the mainboard which can cause performance issues with intense graphics applications. For very intense graphics applications it may be worth considering purchasing a PCI express graphics card assuming the mainboard support this. Other expansion cards may be purchased if required for a specific reason.
In general, CiCS do not support the use of expansion cards on the Managed Desktop Service. Any exceptions to this are documented on the prices and suppliers page. You can attempt to install drivers using an appropriate application installer account. However, CiCS can not offer support other than general advice regarding this.
CiCS may instruct you to remove an expansion card in the event of it causing disruption to other systems and accept no liability for the consequences of this.
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External connectivity
| All models come with sufficient USB ports for most users needs. If you have devices that require other ports such as parallel or serial ports check these are included on the model you are purchasing. |
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Display Screens
| Flat screens are now standard and are available in various sizes from 17" upward. Anyone with particular eyesight issues should consult CiCS for advice on larger displays, or larger text on standard displays. CRT monitors are not recommended as they use much more energy. |
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Warranty
| All approved computers come with three years on site warranty included in the price. The warranty for unapproved models may be different. |
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Purchasing rules - details
If you have problems with the contracted suppliers or the purchasing rules, please contact CiCS or the Procurement office.
The University spends public money and is a single "body governed by public law". We are therefore required by law to set up formal agreements based on EU tendering rules for major purchasing. The value of our PC purchasing puts it into that category.
Our supply agreements for PCs are based on a European tendering exercise carried out by three HE consortia on behalf of all HE institutions. We cannot legally ignore these agreements without clear reasons. Any such reasons should be documented for future reference in case of audit. They might include compatibility with specific lab equipment or the need for something significant that the main suppliers cannot provide.
Under the Financial Directives, IT purchasing is the responsibility of the Directors of CiCS (technical and service-related approval) and of Procurement (purchasing rules). Their approval is implied in these recommendations, but should be sought if buying desktop PCs from other suppliers. See Financial Regulations (on the Finance website) Level 2, sections 3.18 and following.
Network connections may be refused or removed for non-approved equipment that causes problems.
The building of PCs from kits of parts is not an approved purchasing route for the University. It can lead to reliability issues and operating system (Microsoft) licensing problems.
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