Mid - Range PC for Electronic Engineering student

[Drakomon322]

My friend just asked me to help him to build a new computer for collegue since his current computer is too old. As tittle says, he is majoring in electronic engineering and he is on a budget (400 USD to be exactly) . He has already bought a Kingston HyperX Fury Blue 8 GB (2 x 4 GB) and Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 7200 RPM.

I hope you guys can help me with this build. 

I really appreciate any help you can provide.

[Curufinwe_wins]

5 minutes ago, Drakomon322 said:

My friend just asked me to help him to build a new computer for collegue since his current computer is too old. As tittle says, he is majoring in electronic engineering and he is on a budget (400 USD to be exactly) . He has already bought a Kingston HyperX Fury Blue 8 GB (2 x 4 GB) and Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 7200 RPM.

I hope you guys can help me with this build. 

I really appreciate any help you can provide.

DDR3 or DDR4? I assume it is three.

[Drakomon322]

Just now, Curufinwe_wins said:

DDR3 or DDR4? I assume it is three.

DDR3

 

[juretrn]

From my experience, we never did anything computer intensive in all the years I've been studying. However, if his master thesis is going to include optimization problems or extensive simulation, investing in a really good CPU will be worth its weight in gold. 

[Drakomon322]

Just now, juretrn said:

From my experience, we never did anything computer intensive in all the years I've been studying. However, if his master thesis is going to include optimization problems or extensive simulation, investing in a really good CPU will be worth its weight in gold. 

His computer is too old, like from 10 or 12 years old.

He wants to build a new computer for collegue and gaming ( just Dota 2 and Overwatch)

[Curufinwe_wins]

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i3-4160 3.6GHz Dual-Core OEM/Tray Processor  ($107.99 @ SuperBiiz) 
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler  ($24.89 @ OutletPC) 
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-B85M-DS3H-A Micro ATX LGA1150 Motherboard  ($49.89 @ OutletPC) 
Storage: A-Data Premier SP550 240GB 2.5" Solid State Drive  ($56.00 @ NCIX US) 
Video Card: Zotac GeForce GTX 750 Ti 2GB Video Card  ($97.99 @ SuperBiiz) 
Case: NZXT Source 210 (Black) ATX Mid Tower Case  ($36.99 @ SuperBiiz) 
Power Supply: SeaSonic 350W 80+ Bronze Certified ATX Power Supply  ($31.99 @ SuperBiiz) 
Total: $405.74
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2016-05-14 20:55 EDT-0400

 

 

I'd highly recommend high core speed i3 as most engineering programs don't have great multi-threaded support. Also the 750ti isn't amazing, but at this price point if you want new that's about as good as it gets.

 

100% under NO CIRCUMSTANCE DO I EVER RECOMMEND SKIPPING AN SSD.

 

If this build is too much, skip the aftermarket cooler. It just makes things less loud.

[Herman Mcpootis]

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i3-4150 3.5GHz Dual-Core Processor  ($109.99 @ SuperBiiz) 
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-B85M-DS3H-A Micro ATX LGA1150 Motherboard  ($49.89 @ OutletPC) 
Storage: A-Data Premier SP550 120GB 2.5" Solid State Drive  ($33.99 @ NCIX US) 
Video Card: MSI GeForce GTX 950 2GB Video Card  ($119.99 @ Newegg) 
Case: Thermaltake VL80001W2Z ATX Mid Tower Case  ($22.99 @ Micro Center) 
Power Supply: EVGA 500W 80+ Bronze Certified ATX Power Supply  ($34.99 @ NCIX US) 
Total: $371.84
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2016-05-14 21:09 EDT-0400

[BringBackLCT]

I agree with the post above. If he needs more threads consider a X4 860k or a FX 6000

[BringBackLCT]

Also I would DEFINETLY OVERCLOCK so get a hyper 212 evo or a hyper t4

[juretrn]

6 hours ago, Drakomon322 said:

His computer is too old, like from 10 or 12 years old.

He wants to build a new computer for collegue and gaming ( just Dota 2 and Overwatch)

I am just trying to say that most new platforms will do the job.