Challenge : Used parts 3D CAD workstation under 200$USD

Hi,

I'm not a computer oriented guy. I'm a new mechanical engineer who have no money because it is the beginning of my professional life. I'd like to build a used parts 3d Cad workstation for PTC Creo or another 3d cad. The requirements are :

• Every thing is in US$ currency
  
  
• Everything must be under 200$ US (yes it is difficult, this is why I post a challenge on reddit!)
  
  
• Everything is used (no new items)
  
  
• No cases are needed because I will not enclose the build (saving money)
  
  
• All parts must be there for it to work except Screen, mouse and keyboard
  
  
• So I need a used rig with : motherboard, not integrated GPU, CPU, ram, hard drive, DVD drive, PSU , etc.
  
  
• Do not hesitate to use previous generation items because they also can be good...
  
  
• I do not video game very much (Ages of Empires and retro emulators sometimes)
  

Thank you for your help!

Joel Lapointe

Look for refurbished pro stuff on Newegg/Microcenter?

You're going to be limited to four cores, and I doubt any of them come e with discrete GPU worth talking about.

The dream of building an older performance system with 6 cores for pennies is complete BS, because by the time those used Xeons are plentiful, the motherboards are rare. So, by the time you buy the overpriced motherboard (and add ram+storage +psu + GPU), it's cheaper to buy a refurb desktop, and pop in your own used GPU IF YOU NEED IT.

Just make sure you pick up Haswell, and the integrated graphics experience will not be terrible.

This one looks decent, and even comes with an SSD!

https://www.microcenter.com/product/610798/hp-prodesk-600-g1-sff-desktop-pc-(refurbished)

It has dual DisplayPort outputs, so plenty for basic multitasking. It has a second drive bay if you need more storage space.

If you don't video game much, I don't understand why you can't run modern Intel integrated? Those DisplayPort outputs both support up to 4k@60!

Check out Goodwill / Computer Works resell shop if you have one locally... saw a good deal on a 6 core 1650 dell precision full setup with some quadro card for $150. Is 3d cad just a hobby or are you using it for projects to generate $, at some point you will make money in saving yourself time with a faster pc.

Something like this would probably work for you https://www.ebay.com/itm/Dell-Preci...GB-RAM-NO-HDD-NVIDIA-Quadro-4000/254414223486


You just need a hard drive

Look for old computers at your local recycling center, local college or work place. You can be surprised at what you find. Note: sometimes local recycling centers can be lame and prevent you from taking stuff for BS reasons. I found a lot of stuff in ewaste bins in college. It's worth a shot. Good luck!

P.S. This is my first post on this account, I have another [H] account with 1000+ posts, but this one matches nicely with my website and the such.