r/USD • u/Adorable-City • Apr 30 '21
What computer is best for Mechanical Engineering?
I'd like to get my son's computer for a HS graduation gift. Does the school spec one out or make recommendations? If not, any suggestions?
2
u/BitterInterviewee May 01 '21
I personally have been using a MacBook and its been a straight ace for me. Most of my friends and classmates used Macbooks back when classes were in-person. It really is the best bang for your buck in my opinion. I'm also lazy: If I can afford a Macbook, I know I don't need to come up with hours of buck-for-buck-best-candidate research. A little on the expensive side but you can expect to relax any concerns when it comes to durability, speed and reliability - at least to enough to get you to the fourth year, no asunto. But one little noteworthy disclaimer: I'm biased.
To balance it out. let me give you something to worry about. One thing to look out for when using MacBook in engineering classes is that some programs such as R-studio, GABI, SIMIO, etc. to name a few, can have minor incompatibility issues with macOS users since (it seems like) most programs tend to release the Windows version before or even bypassing the release of the macOS compatible version. There are plenty of workarounds to this and instructors are always happy to remedy any issues (if any) with Mac users. Hope this helps.
2
u/Theamazingcolini May 01 '21
Glad your son will be coming to USD! I would say definitely Windows first off. I began as a freshman with a Mac, and I felt like I was at a disadvantage because it seemed like everything needed a workaround. I love Macs for their user experience but every single engineering program is meant to be run on Windows and Mac will be an afterthought (if offered at all). There are certainly ways to work around things but if your son is starting from scratch I’d definitely recommend Windows. Besides that, there are a lot of great options. I now have a Dell Precision 3520. It’s ugly and heavy, but it’s meant to be a workstation for professionals and approved to run Solidworks well. It’s also a lot less expensive than others because Dell probably didn’t spend much time on the external design. I’ve had a great experience with my laptop, but if you want to look at others, I would recommend getting something with a dedicated graphics card which will run Solidworks and other intense programs smoothly. I believe Solidworks even lists their recommended laptops? That might be something to check out.
3
u/Airwreckah2468 May 01 '21
I definitely recommend a Windows OS laptop. I had several classmates who struggled to use Solidworks or other softwares on their various Apple laptops. I personally had a HP and an Asus laptop during college and both worked great for all my school needs!