Question Advice needed - is an i5 8400, 256 ssd + 1 tb hdd, 16 gb a good system in 2019?

[TheSwann]

This desktop will be for a student - research online, Microsoft WORD (non gaming). Also, Netflix and apps for e-books. And will add Photoshop and writing software (Scrivener) in the future.
Was wondering if I should upgrade to the i7? And whether I need different specs. Also, the graphics card is a NVIDIA GTX 1050 ti.
Thanks.

 

[TheSwann]

i would get ryzen 5 2600 like @Shektron said and also an rx580 because they are the best gpu on a budget atm, in my opinion!! +4gb more vram...

I'm guessing Dell doesn't have Ryzen. What brands have that processor?

 

[YT-CTECH]

I'm guessing Dell doesn't have Ryzen. What brands have that processor?

what country are you in??

 

[Shektron]

I was told that since I wanted to add PhotoShop in the future (for coursework) I may need higher specs.

Actually, if you want to do PhotoShop, then sticking to Intel is better because Photoshop primarily relies on single thread perfomrance and RAM performance, which currently Intel pulls off better.

 

[TheSwann]

Actually, if you want to do PhotoShop, then sticking to Intel is better because Photoshop primarily relies on single thread perfomrance and RAM performance, which currently Intel pulls off better.

Sounds good. Do you have any idea about Scrivener or should that program run well on this system as well?

 

[TheSwann]

what country are you in??

Canada.

 

[Shektron]

Sounds good. Do you have any idea about Scrivener or should that program run well on this system as well?

It doesn't look like a very demanding program - it's word processor, it'll run perfect on anything.

 

[TheSwann]

It doesn't look like a very demanding program - it's word processor, it'll run perfect on anything.

Great. Do you think I can get a 4K monitor with this system?

 

[Shektron]

Great. Do you think I can get a 4K monitor with this system?

Sure, just don't try playing games with a 1050 ti at 4K. Since you won't be playing games, you should be just fine.

 

[YT-CTECH]

Great. Do you think I can get a 4K monitor with this system?

whats the point? when you are so close to the monitor an 100p monitor will be fine!!

 

[Shektron]

whats the point? when you are so close to the monitor an 100p monitor will be fine!!

People still buy - and enjoy - 4K monitors on computers. Yes, distance does matter, but it doesn't make 4K the same as 1080p.

 

[YT-CTECH]

People still buy - and enjoy - 4K monitors on computers. Yes, distance does matter, but it doesn't make 4K the same as 1080p.

Still 1080p is more then adequate

 

[TheSwann]

Sure, just don't try playing games with a 1050 ti at 4K. Since you won't be playing games, you should be just fine.

So the GTX 1050 Ti 4GB GDDR5 is enough? I don't need to upgrade to a 1060 6gb?

 

[punkncat]

For what you are talking about doing you really don't particularly need the GPU at all. In short, the system you are spec'ing will be great for your use case.

I recently build an i5 8400 for an office build. Cost was around $500 and is likely one of the most cost effective builds for use I have ever done. Been very happy with it.

 

[jankerson]

This desktop will be for a student - research online, Microsoft WORD (no gaming). Also, Netflix and apps for e-books. And will add PhotoShop and writing software (Scrivener) in the future.
Was wondering if I should upgrade to the i7? And whether I need different specs. Also, the graphics card is a NVIDIA GTX 1050 ti
Thanks.

Your fine with what you have now.

 

[Shektron]

So the GTX 1050 Ti 4GB GDDR5 is enough? I don't need to upgrade to a 1060 6gb?

Yes it's fine. No, you don't need a 1060.

 

[deswal]

If you Have lower budget the sure go for it you said you don't wana play games on it but you can play if you want not at high settings but low and mediam settings you can play

 

[Pumalee84]

That PC is more than enough for anything you want to run on it.
Gaming benchmarks:

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BgthOqAXBK0
(8400 paired with 1050 )
For everyday use, an i5 is by far enough..

 

[Dreamevil55]

Your original topic header, would the core i5 8400, 256 GB SSD, 1TB HDD, 16GB RAM and 1050 Ti good enough for non gaming purposes in 2019 ? Answer is , Yes, pretty good enough. Since your retailer don't have Ryzen or you don't know about it, well, no need to venture there I suppose. Go with the build, and get a large decent monitor since you mentioned Netflix and Photoshop.

 

[TheSwann]

Yes it's fine. No, you don't need a 1060.

I went to a store and told a rep. about the pc specs. Person said that a 4k doesn't make sense for my pc needs. Recommended:

1. ASUS VA249HE 23.8” Full HD 1080p HDMI VGA
2. ASUS VC239H Ultra-low Blue Light Monitor - 23" FHD (1920x1080), IPS

Said that 27" doesn't work well with FHD which I thought was weird but I've been doing research and I guess around 24" is still good. My parents have an iMac 4k and I got used to the visuals and it looks way better than my current older Dell monitor.
Any general thoughts on these models? I do not know about ASUS (and I'll keep doing research) but rep. said that there's a good warranty with that brand.

 

[TheSwann]

Your original topic header, would the core i5 8400, 256 GB SSD, 1TB HDD, 16GB RAM and 1050 Ti good enough for non gaming purposes in 2019 ? Answer is , Yes, pretty good enough. Since your retailer don't have Ryzen or you don't know about it, well, no need to venture there I suppose. Go with the build, and get a large decent monitor since you mentioned Netflix and Photoshop.

Thanks! And yes, I have decided to stick with these specs.

 

[TheSwann]

That PC is more than enough for anything you want to run on it.
Gaming benchmarks:

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BgthOqAXBK0
(8400 paired with 1050 )
For everyday use, an i5 is by far enough..

Thanks for the link. I have decided that I will get a pc with these specs.

 

[TheSwann]

For what you are talking about doing you really don't particularly need the GPU at all. In short, the system you are spec'ing will be great for your use case.

I recently build an i5 8400 for an office build. Cost was around $500 and is likely one of the most cost effective builds for use I have ever done. Been very happy with it.

Thanks. Good to know you've used an i5 8400 and there are no issues.

 

[TheSwann]

If you Have lower budget the sure go for it you said you don't wana play games on it but you can play if you want not at high settings but low and mediam settings you can play

Thanks for the info.

 

[Finstar]

If you don't want to build your own pc then just get a Mac with the best features you can afford.
All prebuilt pc are trash.

 

[VIVO-US]

We use i5-8400 CPUs in almost all of our newer computers for photo and video editing as well as customer service. They've all been able to handle everything we throw at them with no problems whatsoever, from heavy processing of HD video or CAD modeling (with appropriate GPU of course) to having about 50 different browser tabs open at once. It's a great CPU, and I wouldn't be surprised if it's still decently fast 5 or even 10 years from now.