[SOLVED] 3 office builds

vmavr001

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Replacing 3 computers in my office that I built more than 6 years ago. Would like these new replacements to last just as long. Any advice is helpful.

Approximate Purchase Date: Immediately

Budget Range: $500-700 USD.

System Usage from Most to Least Important:
General office use. Web browsing, microsoft office products, quickbooks, etc.

Are you buying a monitor: Yes, can cost additional to the above budget. If there are any recommendations for the best monitor for the above use, around 100-150$ that would be great.

This is the build I came up with. Since I'm used to putting together components for gaming rigs I hope someone can tell me if I'm doing this justice for the office.

PCPartPicker Part List: https://pcpartpicker.com/list/DYvPtg

CPU: AMD Ryzen 5 2400G 3.6 GHz Quad-Core Processor ($119.99 @ Newegg)
Motherboard: MSI B450 TOMAHAWK ATX AM4 Motherboard ($114.99 @ Best Buy)
Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws V Series 16 GB (2 x 8 GB) DDR4-3200 Memory ($77.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Western Digital Blue 500 GB M.2-2280 Solid State Drive ($60.95 @ OutletPC)
Case: Fractal Design Define C ATX Mid Tower Case ($85.98 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: SeaSonic FOCUS Plus Gold 550 W 80+ Gold Certified Fully Modular ATX Power Supply ($83.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Total: $543.89

Thanks!
 
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WildCard999

Titan
Moderator
This would perform identically to your build but be in a much smaller form factor. The aftermarket cooler is smaller to fit into the case but much quieter which would be ideal for office work.

PCPartPicker Part List

CPU: AMD Ryzen 5 2400G 3.6 GHz Quad-Core Processor ($119.99 @ Newegg)
CPU Cooler: Noctua NH-L9a-AM4 33.84 CFM CPU Cooler ($39.90 @ Amazon)
Motherboard: ASRock Fatal1ty B450 Gaming-ITX/ac Mini ITX AM4 Motherboard ($119.89 @ OutletPC)
Memory: Team T-Force Vulcan 16 GB (2 x 8 GB) DDR4-3200 Memory ($74.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Intel 660p Series 512 GB M.2-2280 NVME Solid State Drive ($59.89 @ OutletPC)
Case: Inwin Chopin HTPC Case w/150 W Power Supply ($99.00 @ Amazon)
Total: $513.66
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2019-08-09 13:28 EDT-0400


And with the money saved including the budget you should be able to get some nice VA or IPS monitors.
 
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vmavr001

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There's not going to be any issue with the PSU?
This would perform identically to your build but be in a much smaller form factor. The aftermarket cooler is smaller to fit into the case but much quieter which would be ideal for office work.

PCPartPicker Part List

CPU: AMD Ryzen 5 2400G 3.6 GHz Quad-Core Processor ($119.99 @ Newegg)
CPU Cooler: Noctua NH-L9a-AM4 33.84 CFM CPU Cooler ($39.90 @ Amazon)
Motherboard: ASRock Fatal1ty B450 Gaming-ITX/ac Mini ITX AM4 Motherboard ($119.89 @ OutletPC)
Memory: Team T-Force Vulcan 16 GB (2 x 8 GB) DDR4-3200 Memory ($74.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Intel 660p Series 512 GB M.2-2280 NVME Solid State Drive ($59.89 @ OutletPC)
Case: Inwin Chopin HTPC Case w/150 W Power Supply ($99.00 @ Amazon)
Total: $513.66
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2019-08-09 13:28 EDT-0400


And with the money saved including the budget you should be able to get some nice VA or IPS monitors.
No issue with this PSU? I like the small form factor, but we arent hurting for space at the office. I personally wouldnt mind a slightly larger case and modular PSU for ease of build and all, but reliability is my main concern.
 

vmavr001

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There's not going to be any issue with the PSU?

No issue with this PSU? I like the small form factor, but we arent hurting for space at the office. I personally wouldnt mind a slightly larger case and modular PSU for ease of build and all, but reliability is my main concern.
Did some additional research. Sounds like a solid build, i might go for it, just got to make sure we dont need any cd drives for any reason. Thanks!
 

punkncat

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Ambassador
Before even making a recommend I would ask what your previous office builds are?

Then, I would suggest you consider refurb Dell like OptiPlex, or the like (HP 2nd) as they will be more than adequate for the job and include OS for a fraction of the cost of the above.

Then...
Mini ITX will cost you more than a comparable Micro ATX and you lose future upgradability. I would not even consider a board without 4 RAM slots, just in regard to that. I think the R5 xxxxG series will be a great choice for productivity as well as the onboard graphics. Consider an "el cheapo" PSU. Your systems are pulling nearly nothing and even the budget 600W EVGA units will perform well, commonly available for $35-ish.
I would consider having one large shared HDD in one machine available as a shared network drive, that way you don't have to mess with syncing, etc...perhaps even a mirror setup for redundancy. If you utilize QB and DB it eliminates a lot of that as well.

Edit- Another thing to consider in a case like this would be one system with virtual machines.
 

vmavr001

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Before even making a recommend I would ask what your previous office builds are?

Then, I would suggest you consider refurb Dell like OptiPlex, or the like (HP 2nd) as they will be more than adequate for the job and include OS for a fraction of the cost of the above.

Then...
Mini ITX will cost you more than a comparable Micro ATX and you lose future upgradability. I would not even consider a board without 4 RAM slots, just in regard to that. I think the R5 xxxxG series will be a great choice for productivity as well as the onboard graphics. Consider an "el cheapo" PSU. Your systems are pulling nearly nothing and even the budget 600W EVGA units will perform well, commonly available for $35-ish.
I would consider having one large shared HDD in one machine available as a shared network drive, that way you don't have to mess with syncing, etc...perhaps even a mirror setup for redundancy. If you utilize QB and DB it eliminates a lot of that as well.

Edit- Another thing to consider in a case like this would be one system with virtual machines.
The computers I plan to replace are I3-2100 with 8gb's of ram. The rest of the computers in my office are actually Refurbished Dell OptiPlex's, I've had a fair experience with them. We currently use a NAS, but some of the employees have a bad habit of storing some documents locally.

Do you have any suggestions on a good MATX to use? Or a suggested build at that? It seems only Mini atx can fit in the Chopin suggested above.
 

punkncat

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The computers I plan to replace are I3-2100 with 8gb's of ram. The rest of the computers in my office are actually Refurbished Dell OptiPlex's, I've had a fair experience with them. We currently use a NAS, but some of the employees have a bad habit of storing some documents locally.

Do you have any suggestions on a good MATX to use? Or a suggested build at that? It seems only Mini atx can fit in the Chopin suggested above.


Lol, yup, I would agree with you on the time to replace. Those 2100 have got to be pretty tired by now.

Where I would not say "good" and suggest this case in the same sentence....they are cheap, and super small for a Micro case. I have used them a couple of times for budget builds. They are sturdy enough once together but would warn that they have the rigidity of a disposable turkey pan when apart and enough sharp edges to send you to the hospital.

https://www.newegg.com/p/N82E16811353050?Item=N82E16811353050
 
In what way are the current pc's not doing the job?

Do you need more ram?

Do you need different monitor connectivity?

If they are just sluggish, changing a hard drive to a ssd will make all the difference in the world.
I would suggest doing that first and see how you do.
A ssd can be carried forward to a new build if you need to.
Buy a Samsung evo of sufficient capacity, perhaps 250gb and use the Samsung ssd migration app to move your windows c drive to the ssd. $60 will do it.

If you are not yet using dual monitors, look into that.
Dual monitors is a great thing for productivity.

If you are going to do a new build, here are my thoughts on an Intel build:

1. No need for a full sized ATX motherboard with 7 expansion slots.
M-ATX with 4 expansion slots is probably all you would ever need. Two ram slots is sufficient for dual channel operation. One thing to check is that the integrated adapter has outputs compatible with your monitors. HDMI and dvi are usual.
I might suggest any B360 motherboard which will start around $70..
I would have no issue with a ITX motherboard if you want to use a more compact case.

2. Ram is cheap today. buy 2 x 8gb DDR4 ram. Speed is not important to intel processors. Plan on about $60.

3. Buy only a top quality psu. A psu included with a case will be junk(possibly excepting Antec)
Without a discrete graphics card, you only need about 300w.
I suggest a Seasonic focus gold 450w for $67. It is compact, semi modular and has a 7 year warranty.
https://www.newegg.com/seasonic-focus-450-gold-ssr-450fm-450w/p/N82E16817151204

4. Buy a ssd for windows.
I recommend Samsung for performance and reliability.

m.2 is a nice format requiring no psu cables or data cables.
It comes as a sata device in the form of 860 evo or as a pcie device such as the 960 evo.
Truthfully, the faster sequential speeds of the pcie devices will not be apparent to a desktop user.
You also have the option of a conventional 2.5" SSD.
250gb is minimum and you can go up from there
a 500gb 970 evo is $90

5. Most any case will do. If you need a dvd drive, check that.
One thing I suggest is that the case have a accessible washable front air filter.
I used a Silverstone ps-07 case for my son's pc.
https://www.newegg.com/p/N82E16811163186
I visit yearly and the filter is always clogged with dust.
Your parts will generate minimal heat so cooling will not be an issue with any modern case.

so far, I total about $300 for psu/mobo/ram/ssd.
Add in $50-$100 for a case and you have $150 left for a processor.
I see no need to spend it all on the processor.
A $75 G5400 would do the job. G5500 at $120 would be marginally faster and give you a stronger HD630 graphics. My suggestion is to build one pc with a minimal processor before you roll out the rest.

See how that works out.
If you truly need more, then all options up to a 9900K are available on the same B360 based motherboard.
 

vmavr001

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I did forget to mention that these computers im replacing that have 2100's already do also have much older 2.5" SSD's, but they only have a capacity of about 60gb's. Windows is taking most of that already. I dont need that much hard drive space as most documents are saved on our NAS. I was Considering going for 256gb vs 512gb, but with the previously suggested one, theres not all that much price difference. As for connectors for monitors, I plan to purchase some additional monitors, and i personally will be dual screening with one of these new builds. My current monitor is connected by dsub in, but has an HDMI port. Any additional suggestions for good cheap monitors would be great. This was one of the last sets i bought for the office:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0773ZY26F/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o08_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

I myself am using this:
https://www.lg.com/us/monitors/lg-24M47H-P-led-monitor which works ok as well.
 
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One thing to check on your 60gb ssd devices is how full they are.
If they are 90% full, they will start to lose performance and endurance.
Close to full, the devices need to work very hard to find or make room for a free nand block to do an update or delete.
 

vmavr001

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One thing to check on your 60gb ssd devices is how full they are.
If they are 90% full, they will start to lose performance and endurance.
Close to full, the devices need to work very hard to find or make room for a free nand block to do an update or delete.

They are currently under 90% capacity. The previous self builds that are on the office actually run just as well as the refurbished Optiplex's we have, but it's just time for an upgrade from these I3's. Like previously suggested, im trying to setup up dual monitors, and the current motherboards we have arent capable of this. I appreciate the advise, but I'm not looking to patch up the problems any further, just want a clean new build.
 

vmavr001

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Does this look any better?


PCPartPicker Part List: https://pcpartpicker.com/list/QGTBQZ

CPU: AMD Ryzen 5 2400G 3.6 GHz Quad-Core Processor ($119.89 @ Amazon)
Motherboard: Asus PRIME B450M-A/CSM Micro ATX AM4 Motherboard ($77.89 @ OutletPC)
Memory: Team T-Force Vulcan 16 GB (2 x 8 GB) DDR4-3200 Memory ($74.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Intel 660p Series 512 GB M.2-2280 NVME Solid State Drive ($59.99 @ Newegg)
Case: Thermaltake Versa H15 MicroATX Mid Tower Case ($29.99 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: Corsair CXM (2015) 450 W 80+ Bronze Certified Semi-modular ATX Power Supply ($54.99 @ Newegg)
Total: $417.74
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2019-08-12 12:24 EDT-0400
 
The LG monitor has a tn panel.
The scepter seems to have an IPS type panel with a wider 178/178 viewing angle.
Usually, the better image quality of a ips panel will be better.
Also, when using dual monitors, a wider 178/178 viewing angle is helpful.
Make each pair identical to minimize any color and size differences when dragging an image from one to another.
Possibly using vga on the scepter is compromising the image quality.
I would avoid the use of vga if I could it is an analog output, not as good as digital.
I would think you would want some sort of sound output on the monitor, and that will need hdmi or displayport outputs.

The connectivity of the monitors you will use will be tied to the motherboard you buy.
For example, the MSI B450 TOMAHAWK ATX AM4
Has only one hdmi output and a dvi port.
You can change that by adding a discrete graphics card, but that seems like a waste since the 2400G comes with graphics. adapters are also a possibility.

Also, if the desk position allows wall mount, you will want to check the vesa mount capabilities.
Wall mount is nice to clear up desk space.

Consider your whole monitor setup carefully.
 
I do not much like a couple of things on your proposed build.

1. Intel 660 is a cheap low performing device.
compare the specs with the Samsung 970 evo plus:
https://www.newegg.com/samsung-970-evo-plus-250gb/p/N82E16820147741
660p
https://www.newegg.com/intel-660p-s...&ranSiteID=8BacdVP0GFs-2Mz82pFYKIQvXUcpN8yhTA

2. The top quality part of any pc should be the psu.
Spend $10 for the Seasonic I referenced above.
Here is one list of psu quality tiers:
 
Here is the list:

PCPartPicker Part List

CPU: AMD Ryzen 5 2400G 3.6 GHz Quad-Core Processor ($119.89 @ Amazon)
CPU Cooler: be quiet! Shadow Rock Slim 67.8 CFM Rifle Bearing CPU Cooler ($48.39 @ OutletPC)
Motherboard: Gigabyte B450M DS3H Micro ATX AM4 Motherboard ($73.99 @ Amazon)
Memory: Crucial Ballistix Sport LT 16 GB (2 x 8 GB) DDR4-3200 Memory ($69.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Intel 660p Series 1.02 TB M.2-2280 NVME Solid State Drive ($94.99 @ Amazon)
Case: Fractal Design Define C ATX Mid Tower Case ($85.98 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: EVGA SuperNOVA G2 550 W 80+ Gold Certified Fully Modular ATX Power Supply ($70.98 @ Newegg)
Monitor: Dell S2419HN 23.8" 1920x1080 60 Hz Monitor ($109.99 @ Newegg)
Keyboard: Logitech MK320 Wireless Standard Keyboard With Optical Mouse ($23.95 @ Walmart)
Total: $698.15
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2019-08-12 13:20 EDT-0400


Including decent monitor and Keyboard as well. Complete package at $700
 

g-unit1111

Titan
Moderator
Here is the list:

PCPartPicker Part List

CPU: AMD Ryzen 5 2400G 3.6 GHz Quad-Core Processor ($119.89 @ Amazon)
CPU Cooler: be quiet! Shadow Rock Slim 67.8 CFM Rifle Bearing CPU Cooler ($48.39 @ OutletPC)
Motherboard: Gigabyte B450M DS3H Micro ATX AM4 Motherboard ($73.99 @ Amazon)
Memory: Crucial Ballistix Sport LT 16 GB (2 x 8 GB) DDR4-3200 Memory ($69.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Intel 660p Series 1.02 TB M.2-2280 NVME Solid State Drive ($94.99 @ Amazon)
Case: Fractal Design Define C ATX Mid Tower Case ($85.98 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: EVGA SuperNOVA G2 550 W 80+ Gold Certified Fully Modular ATX Power Supply ($70.98 @ Newegg)
Monitor: Dell S2419HN 23.8" 1920x1080 60 Hz Monitor ($109.99 @ Newegg)
Keyboard: Logitech MK320 Wireless Standard Keyboard With Optical Mouse ($23.95 @ Walmart)
Total: $698.15
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2019-08-12 13:20 EDT-0400


Including decent monitor and Keyboard as well. Complete package at $700

Do you really need the extra cooler here? The 2400G includes the Wraith Spire which you could easily use and not have to spend the $50 if you don't need it. I might suggest a smaller rig:

PCPartPicker Part List

CPU: AMD Ryzen 5 2400G 3.6 GHz Quad-Core Processor ($119.89 @ Amazon)
Motherboard: Gigabyte B450 I AORUS PRO WIFI Mini ITX AM4 Motherboard ($119.93 @ Amazon)
Memory: Corsair Vengeance LPX 16 GB (2 x 8 GB) DDR4-3200 Memory ($84.99 @ Best Buy)
Storage: Intel 660p Series 1.02 TB M.2-2280 NVME Solid State Drive ($94.99 @ Amazon)
Case: Fractal Design Core 500 Mini ITX Desktop Case ($60.70 @ Amazon)
Power Supply: SeaSonic EVO Edition 620 W 80+ Bronze Certified Fully Modular ATX Power Supply ($66.98 @ Newegg)
Total: $547.48
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2019-08-12 16:50 EDT-0400


That is $547 not including monitor / keyboard / mouse.
 
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vmavr001

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Nov 26, 2018
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Do you really need the extra cooler here? The 2400G includes the Wraith Spire which you could easily use and not have to spend the $50 if you don't need it. I might suggest a smaller rig:

PCPartPicker Part List

CPU: AMD Ryzen 5 2400G 3.6 GHz Quad-Core Processor ($119.89 @ Amazon)
Motherboard: Gigabyte B450 I AORUS PRO WIFI Mini ITX AM4 Motherboard ($119.93 @ Amazon)
Memory: Corsair Vengeance LPX 16 GB (2 x 8 GB) DDR4-3200 Memory ($84.99 @ Best Buy)
Storage: Intel 660p Series 1.02 TB M.2-2280 NVME Solid State Drive ($94.99 @ Amazon)
Case: Fractal Design Core 500 Mini ITX Desktop Case ($60.70 @ Amazon)
Power Supply: SeaSonic EVO Edition 620 W 80+ Bronze Certified Fully Modular ATX Power Supply ($66.98 @ Newegg)
Total: $547.48
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2019-08-12 16:50 EDT-0400


That is $547 not including monitor / keyboard / mouse.

Thanks for the suggestions. I'm probably going to go for a smaller ssd (512), and a micro atx board instead of a mini. Are there any mATX boards that you could suggest with multiple HMDI or HMDI/DP inputs?
 

g-unit1111

Titan
Moderator
Thanks for the suggestions. I'm probably going to go for a smaller ssd (512), and a micro atx board instead of a mini. Are there any mATX boards that you could suggest with multiple HMDI or HMDI/DP inputs?

I don't know of any boards that have multiple HDMI inputs. Most only have one and maybe a DVI or VGA port. If you require multiple HDMI ports you will need to add a GPU.
 

King_V

Illustrious
Ambassador
Extra small, also went with lower end CPU, as I'm not sure how much processing power you really need for the tasks listed.

And, I'll admit, this little A300W kinda holds a warm place in my heart. The A300W is case, motherboard, wifi card, and external power brick all included. It has no PCIe slot, so it MUST use an AMD with integrated graphics. Hence, 200GE, 220GE, 240GE, 2200g, or 2400g. I don't know if it's had a BIOS update to support 3200g or 3400g, though.

Note as well, this thing uses laptop RAM.

RAM and SSD are both from the QVL list for the system. The case provides a DP, an HDMI, and, interestingly, even a VGA output.


PCPartPicker Part List

CPU: AMD Athlon 200GE 3.2 GHz Dual-Core Processor ($54.30 @ SuperBiiz)
Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws Series 16 GB (2 x 8 GB) DDR4-2666 Memory ($69.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Intel 660p Series 512 GB M.2-2280 NVME Solid State Drive ($59.99 @ Amazon)
Custom: ASRock DESKMINI A300W AMD Socket AM4 1 x HDMI Barebone System ($153.98 @ Newegg)
Total: $338.26
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2019-08-12 17:44 EDT-0400
 
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I do not much like a couple of things on your proposed build.

1. Intel 660 is a cheap low performing device.
compare the specs with the Samsung 970 evo plus:

Intel's 660P, being only a 2x PCI-e lanes capable device, is naturally only capable of half of the flashy 'benchmark numbers', i.e., sequential reads/writes....but calling it a 'cheap, low performing device' would likely be better replaced with the phrase 'excellent value with still very good performance for less than half the cost of the 970 EVO Plus for folks who would like 1 or 2 TB options....'

Yes, the EVO Plus is better....but, for 2 TB drives, ...$220 vs. $470?