For IT Policies and Guidance for working remotely during the curtailment, please visit https://telework.lbl.gov/. All purchases are being reviewed by IT.
Computers may not be purchased on Division PCards or reimbursed. If a computer needs to be drop-shipped, arrangements will be made for asset tagging.
Table of Contents
Berkeley Lab IT makes it simple to get a new computer quickly and easily. We also have re-purposed systems available for no charge!
We provide the lowest-cost and highest-quality services available, based on Lab-Standard hardware and software, automated management systems, and many, many years of experience.
Note that some Science Divisions have internal IT groups who provide workstations. Members of these divisions should follow internal IT processes to request new workstations.
ESnet:
To purchase a new computer: Go to the ESnet Service Portal at: https://esnet.service-now.com/ess and click the Business tab and choose PurchaseNow.
CRD:
To purchase a new computer: Contact your division admin assistant. For linux system purchase consulting, contact [email protected].
NERSC:
To purchase a new computer: Contact your division admin assistants, [email protected]
Overview
IT provides the following services for all new and re-purposed workstation requests:
- Help selecting the ideal computer for your work and budget
- Procurement of hardware and accessories
- Enrolling computers in our management systems
- Pre-configuring computers with Berkeley Lab recommended software and settings
- Delivery, installation, and configuration based on customer needs
- Transfer data, settings, and applications from previous workstation
- Retrieval and salvage of previous workstation
Rates
As of June 1, 2018, IT has new rates for system configuration and refreshes.
| Lab-Standard Model | Non-Standard Model | Repurposed System | |
|---|---|---|---|
| New Install | $250 | $250 + $100/hr for speccing and procurement | $250 |
| System Refresh | $250 | $100/hr + $100/hr for speccing and procurement | $250 |
These fees ares not charged for Primary Workstations issued to personnel from Operations Divisions, as part of the Operations Desktop Support program.
How to Request A Computer
Users can request a computer through one of our Google forms. These forms will generate a service request in the askUs system.
You must be logged in to google with your LBL account as the active account (for users who sign in to multiple google accounts).
Please submit all requests for computers at least 2 weeks in advance, for standard models, and 4-6 weeks in advance for custom systems.
| Workstation Type | Request Form | Who Should Use This Form | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lab-Standard | Lab-Standard Computer Request Form | Anyone wishing to purchase a standard model of laptop, desktop, or iPad All Operations personnel will use this form, except under special circumstances. | IT highly recommends that users deploy Lab-standard models. These are readily available for quick delivery, and we have better tools and expertise available to support these systems. The Lab-standards are summarized below. |
| Re-purposed (used) | Lab-Standard Computer Request Form | Anyone who wants a zero-cost re-purposed workstation from IT's available inventory. | IT makes systems available to all Lab research groups after they have passed the end of their primary service life. The equipment is available at no cost, and the erasing, re-installation, OS license, configuration and installation costs $250 per system. The models and performance of these systems is subject to availability. |
| Custom Specification | Custom Computer Request Form | Anyone whose computing needs are not met by any of the Lab Standards. | In general it costs more to select, procure, and support custom computer equipment, and the use of standard equipment is encouraged when possible, but IT will provision and support whatever equipment is needed for a given project. |
More Information
Lab-Standards
Selecting from the standard configurations will ensure the fastest delivery of your workstation.
Any customization made to these specifications will require additional time and labor for provisioning.
Workstation Class | General Purpose | Mid-Tier | Graphics Performance | High-Power | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Purpose and Use Cases | Common computing tasks including office applications, browser-based applications, and light-duty analysis. Recommended for: Most non-scientific users and scientists using terminal emulation (SSH) | Mid-range computing, such as large spreadsheets, ECAD design, software development, and CPU-intensive applications Recommended for: Scientists analyzing small local data sets and Developers | Graphic-intensive applications, including 3D modeling, CAD design work, and graphic and video editing Recommended for: Mechanical Engineers, Graphic Artists, 3D modelers | Computation-intensive applications, including modeling, data analysis, software development, and running virtual machines Recommended for: Intensive data processing and analysis | ||
| PC Desktop | DELL Precision 3440 SFF Processor: 6-core i5-10500 - 3.1GHz up to 4.5GHz | DELL Precision 3440 SFF Processor: Intel Core i9-10900 (10 Core, 20M cache, base 2.8GHz, up to 5.2GHz) DDR4-2933 (338-BVOH) | Dell Precision 5820 Tower Processor: Intel Xeon Processor W-2225 (4C 4.1GHz 4.6GHz Turbo HT 8.25MB 105W DDR4-2933) (338-BUOB) | Dell Precision 5820 Tower Processor: Intel Xeon Processor W-2235 (6C 3.8GHz 4.6GHz Turbo HT 8.25MB 130W DDR4-2933) (338-BUOF) | ||
| PC Laptop | Dell Latitude 5420 14-inch Processor: Intel® Core™ i5-10310U (QC, 10th Gen, 6M cache, base 1.7GHz, up to 4.4GHz, vPro) | Dell Latitude 7420 Processor: I7-1185G7 (4 Core, 12M cache, base 3.0GHz, up to 4.8GHz) | Dell Latitude 7420 Processor: I7-1185G7 (4 Core, 12M cache, base 3.0GHz, up to 4.8GHz) | Dell Precision 5550 Processor: Intel Xeon W-10855M (6 Core, 12MB Cache, 2.80 GHz to 5.10 GHz, 45W) | Dell Precision 5750 Processor: Intel Xeon W-10855M (6 Core, 12MB Cache, 2.80 GHz to 5.10 GHz, 45W, vPro) | |
| Desktop | Apple Mac Mini (MXNF2LL/A) Processor: 3.6GHz quad‑core 8th‑generation Intel Core i3 | Apple Mac Mini (Z0ZT0002K) Processor: 3.2GHz 6‑core 8th‑generation Intel Core i7 (Turbo Boost up to 4.6GHz) | Apple iMac (Z0ZX002XU) Processor: 3.6GHz 10-core 10th-generation Intel Core i9 processor, Turbo Boost up to 5.0GHz | |||
| Mac Laptop | Apple MacBook Air 13" - Space Gray | Apple MacBook Pro 13" - Space Gray Processor: 2.3GHz quad-core 10th-generation Intel Core i7 processor, Turbo Boost up to 4.1GHz | Apple MacBook Pro 16" - Space Gray (MVVK2LL/A) Processor: 2.3GHz 8-core 10th-generation Intel Core i9 processor, Turbo Boost up to 4.8GHz | Apple MacBook Pro 16" - Space Gray (Z0Y0005UF) Processor: 2.4GHz 8‑core 9th‑generation Intel Core i9 processor, Turbo Boost up to 5.0GHz | ||
| Chrome Desktop | Intel i3 processor 8GB RAM 16GB SSD HD approx. $300-$500 | Intel i5 processor 8GB RAM 64GB SSD HD approx. $500-$750 | Intel i7 processor 16GB RAM 64GB SSD HD approx. $750-$1500 | |||
| Chrome Laptop | Processor: AMD A4-9120C Dual Core 1.60 GHz approx. $300-$600 | |||||
| Virtual Machine (Windows Server or Linux) | 2 Core Xeon $900/3 years | 4 Core Xeon $1800/3 years | ||||
ChromeOS
Berkeley Lab IT strongly recommends that all users consider using ChromeOS devices. These systems are very inexpensive, and require little-to-no configuration and management. With a wide range of extensions and Android applications available, as well as integration with the Lab's Google tools, these can be an excellent choice for many users. They are ideal for providing remote access to applications and services running on other desktops, servers, and VMs. Please see the ChromeOS FAQ.
Virtual Machines
Berkeley Lab IT also provides on-demand VM hosting for scientific applications. See the Science VM FAQ for more information.
Standard Software
PC Desktop | PC Laptop | Mac Desktop | Mac Laptop | Chrome Desktop/Laptop | Linux Desktop |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Windows 10 Professional | Windows 10 Professional | MacOS 10.13 (High Sierra) | MacOS 10.13 (High Sierra) | Google Apps | Ubuntu |
Backup Software
Protect your data! Use Druva InSync to backup your workstations.
Please see the Druva InSync FAQ for details, or sign up at software.lbl.gov.
For other backup questions, please see the Backups page.
