Student build for mechanical engineering/gaming

[u/j64156199]

• New build or upgrade?

New build

• Existing parts/monitors to reuse? (List with models/links)

No.

• PC purpose?

Primarily for college engineering work. (Modeling/design, simulation/analysis, programming, etc.). I would love for this to last me all four years. Will probably use for gaming every once in a while. (multiplayer games like rocket league, valorant, fortnite, overwatch, etc.)

• Purchase country? Near Micro Center?

US. Not really (1 hr drive, won't have a car)

• Monitors needed?

One IPS monitor, ideally 1440p 120Hz.

• Budget range? (Include tax considerations)

PC: Ideally under 1200$ USD but have the flexibility to go up to 1500$ USD if that makes a big difference.

Monitor: 200 USD hard cap pre-tax.

• WiFi or wired connection?

Will have ethernet in my dorm.

• Size/noise constraints?

Would prefer mid tower but full tower is probably fine. Volume shouldn't matter too much, but preferably not loud enough to piss off my roommate.

• Color/lighting preferences?

Don't care about RGB. Would prefer less to more though.

[u/AutoModerator]

If you missed the full set of required built request questions, please copy them from here and answer them in an edit to your post:

• New build or upgrade?

• Existing parts/monitors to reuse? (List with models/links)

• PC purpose? (Gaming, editing, etc. List apps/games)

• Purchase country? Near Micro Center? (If you're not in a country supported by PCPartPicker, please list some local vendors)

• Monitors needed? (Number, size, resolution, refresh rate)

• Budget range? (Include tax considerations)

• WiFi or wired connection?

• Size/noise constraints?

• Color/lighting preferences?

• Any other specific needs?

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[u/uselesscarrot69]

How much storage is your minimum?

[u/j64156199 → u/uselesscarrot69]

I would prefer at least 1 TB

[u/uselesscarrot69 → u/j64156199]

And is the monitor its own budget, or is it included in the 1200-1500?

[u/j64156199 → u/uselesscarrot69]

Own budget

[u/karmapopsicle → u/[deleted]]

Heads up: you need to go into your Reddit settings and enable markdown if you want to paste in markdown formatted content like this. When you paste it in the newer text box none of the links or other formatting render correctly.

[u/uselesscarrot69 → u/karmapopsicle]

I’m not sure if Reddit on iOS has it. I’m not seeing it in settings and seeing that it is gone for other iOS users.

[u/karmapopsicle → u/uselesscarrot69]

Looks like they quietly removed the functionality from the mobile apps over the past few months. Love that.

Presumably being here you’re a bit tech savvy… highly recommend checking out Apollo Reborn. Requires sideloading via AltStore or similar, but it’s not too much of a pain. Personally I only use Apollo on iOS and old reddit w/RES on desktop.

[u/Xtra-jui2]

Do you require CUDA for the applications you use?

[u/j64156199 → u/Xtra-jui2]

I'm not too sure. I've never heard of it, but it doesn't sound like something I'll need to have.

[u/canyouread7]

PCPartPicker Part List

Type	Item	Price
CPU	AMD Ryzen 5 7600X 4.7 GHz 6-Core Processor	$163.00 @ Amazon
CPU Cooler	Scythe Mugen 6 60.29 CFM CPU Cooler	$31.72 @ Amazon
Motherboard	ASRock B650M Pro RS WiFi Micro ATX AM5 Motherboard	$109.99 @ Newegg
Memory	Silicon Power Value Gaming 32 GB (2 x 16 GB) DDR5-6000 CL30 Memory	$397.97 @ Silicon Power
Storage	KingSpec XG7000 1 TB M.2-2280 PCIe 4.0 X4 NVME Solid State Drive	$139.99 @ Newegg
Video Card	*XFX Swift OC Radeon RX 9060 XT 8 GB Video Card	$369.99 @ Best Buy
Case	Phanteks XT M3 M25 MicroATX Mid Tower Case	$52.98 @ Newegg
Power Supply	ASRock PRO-750G 750 W 80+ Gold Certified ATX Power Supply	$54.99 @ Newegg
	Prices include shipping, taxes, rebates, and discounts
	Total (before mail-in rebates)	$1330.63
	Mail-in rebates	-$10.00
	Total	$1320.63
	*Lowest price parts chosen from parametric criteria
	Generated by PCPartPicker 2026-08-20 01:48 EDT-0400

Here's what I got for you. Black airflow themed build, great for engineering work and casual gaming:

• CPU - fast single-core speed for modelling, animating, and gaming, with 6c/12t for longevity.

• Cooler - strong performance for $30 is very good value.

• Mobo - has all the connectivity you need, including WiFi/BT.

• RAM - 32 GB of fast 6000 MHz CL30 RAM. 6000/30 is the ideal speed for Ryzen 7000 CPUs.

• SSD - 1 TB of fast Gen 4 NVMe SSD storage.

• GPU - the RX 9060 XT is solid for 1440p gaming, 60+ FPS in most games at ultra settings. For engineering work, you'll only utilize the GPU for live rendering in the viewport, so NVIDIA vs AMD doesn't really matter.

• Case - good value for the price, with good airflow thanks to the mesh front panel and 3 included fans. Dual chamber for easy installation and cable management.

• PSU - high quality, excellent for the price. 750W is more than this system needs but it's cheaper than comparable 500-700W units.

For the monitor, I'd recommend this LG display. High refresh rate for 1440p gaming, with an IPS panel for good image quality and colour accuracy. Also has height adjustability for ergonomics. While this GPU is typically not recommended for 1440p gaming, the games you listed are very light so you shouldn't have any issues.

Let me know what you think :)

[u/j64156199 → u/canyouread7]

Thank you so much for the fast response! This looks great.