<p>I’m a MechE. and my thinkpad has always been able to run the engineering programs I have had to use. I’m not a big gamer so I can’t comment on that but, as for performance the thinkpad is great. I know other MechE’s that went to a macbook and then came back to the thinkpad. If you really want to be a MechE go for the thinkpad i right now have a T61, works great.</p>