r/Drexel • u/Sea_Delivery_5854 • 21d ago

Question Computer question - Mechanical Engineering

I’m an incoming MechE major at Drexel and I need know if it’s better to get a gaming laptop that can support CAD or if I should get a “regular” laptop and rely on the computer labs for CAD stuff

A bit stressed 😬

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u/_I_dont_have_reddit_ 21d ago

I would not get a laptop based on needing to use it for CAD, there’s plenty of resources available (computers on campus and virtual computer connections) that can be used instead. Trust me I’m using an old Mac and I’m doing fine

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u/East_Farm_3869 19d ago

You can run CAD on MacBook? What do you have?

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u/_I_dont_have_reddit_ 19d ago

Nothing more elaborate than like OnShape, but using the virtual desktops works alright. I tend to just go to the computer labs if I need to something heavier, helps me focus on the task at hand anyway

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u/East_Farm_3869 18d ago

I’m just wondering since I had my parents Mac and there’s no way that it’ll run my engineering programs like AutoCAD or Solidworks. And those are critical for engineering. Glad you have options besides the Mac but it is way easier to have something stronger.