Best CPU for less then 280 USD

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Thrillogy

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Sep 28, 2013
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Hey guys,
I'm doing a build for a friend whose looking to invest about 900 USD into a powerful business PC. Specifically, it will be running accounting programs, your average MS office items, and other assorted programs- Big caveat though- it will be doing no gaming or video rendering, so I am not going to put more then a 250x into it. I can't decided on a CPU though, as I am used to gaming builds, where the CPU choice relies on the GPU choice, and vice versa. So, what would TH recommend? So far, I have looked at the FX 9590, but that's a tad old, and the classic 4690k. In general, I'd like to keep the price under 280 USD.

Thanks!
-Thrill
 
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RCFProd
I don't expect an i5-4690k to ever be more future proof than an Intel G3220 when it comes to these tasks. They use the same architecture, and they will perform exactly the same when it comes to office tasks.

Take good care of the components, such as the HDD and SSD. Take a dust-free case and a build that is not even 500 dollars should last for years and years.

They are just naming high numbers because they are not really familiar with PC systems I think. Trust me, programs like MS Office will never need to use more than 2 cores to operate!
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Best under 280 would be the 4690K. The 9590 comes with a high heat overhead and at it's core, can't keep up with the 4690K in single core performance.

For a non-gaming build, no editing, and solid all around, I'd go with the A10-7850K. Covers CPU and GPU at a fraction of the cost. Considering the generic use, this would reduce the cost of the build substantially.
 
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Depends on what the CPU is used for. I do not know what a "powerful business PC" is meant for really, but I would not spend more than $100 on a CPU unless your friend needs modern virtualization support, great encoding/decoding efficiency, and/or plans to run rather system-intensive professional software. From the software you described, I would not recommend any more than perhaps the cheapest available i5 with integrated graphics or one of AMD's new APUs. I suggest integrated graphics because heavy graphics rendering seems to not be necessary and not having a dedicated graphics card will greatly reduce power consumption.
 
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For those purposes you really don't need more than either a G3220 Pentium or an i3-4150 'if you're going all out'. However, for that purpose all you need is an Intel dual core processor:

CPU: Intel Pentium G3220 3.0GHz Dual-Core Processor ($47.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Total: $47.99
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2015-08-05 10:13 EDT-0400

Why exactly are you looking at expensive processors?

 
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Normally, I would agree with you and go with a A10-7850k. However, cash is truly not an issue- they have already expressed to me that they are willing to spend up to 1200 on this thing, and we're surprised when I mentioned the 9-8 hundred figure. Along with this, they want this thing to last upwards of 7 years, without a noticeable drop in preformance. Because of this, they are comfortable going over the top for the sake of future proofing this thing.

 
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I don't expect an i5-4690k to ever be more future proof than an Intel G3220 when it comes to these tasks. They use the same architecture, and they will perform exactly the same when it comes to office tasks.

Take good care of the components, such as the HDD and SSD. Take a dust-free case and a build that is not even 500 dollars should last for years and years.

They are just naming high numbers because they are not really familiar with PC systems I think. Trust me, programs like MS Office will never need to use more than 2 cores to operate!
 
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Solution
Then I'd go for the 4690K. It'll be the most universally supported CPU you can get in that case. It has the better optimizations, speed and reliability. Couldn't think of a better alternative that should last over 5 years easy.
 
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Future proofing, essentially. While a G3220 or similar would work, it would have to be replaced within say, 5 years. They want this to last upwards of 7-8. This is uncharted territory for me, as I am used to gaming pcs with semi-frequent hardware updates. I am assuming that if I go with a higher quality, faster processor, it will last longer then a less expensive one.

It's possible, even probable that I am wrong. Just trying to figure out what works best for them.
 
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Most office apps are better optimized for Intel and don't use a lot of CPU cores. And for a work PC, unless he is an enthusiast and can build/repair/support his own PC, I would not overclock it. I would get the fastest locked i5 you can afford along with a good H-series board build up from there.

You can likely get by with the integrated graphics.

If he uses Adobe Photoshop or creative suite apps, an i7 would be worth it. These apps benefit from HT and the extra cores.
 
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Ok I believe that a conclusion has been made- that being the g3220 is my best option, and that anything else is probably excessive. Unless anyone has anything else important to say, I think I'm good. I'll shoot for a say,600-650 build and invest heavily in a nice case and fans for dust prevention. Thanks a ton guys 😀 !
 
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PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i5-4590 3.3GHz Quad-Core Processor ($189.99 @ SuperBiiz)
CPU Cooler: CRYORIG H7 49.0 CFM CPU Cooler ($34.50 @ Newegg)
Motherboard: Asus H97M-E/CSM/C/SI Micro ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($84.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Memory: Crucial Ballistix Sport 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($44.49 @ Amazon)
Storage: Samsung 850 EVO-Series 250GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($97.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Storage: Western Digital BLACK SERIES 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($69.95 @ SuperBiiz)
Case: Cooler Master N200 MicroATX Mid Tower Case ($38.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Power Supply: SeaSonic 450W 80+ Gold Certified Semi-Modular ATX Power Supply ($68.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Optical Drive: Asus DRW-24B1ST/BLK/B/AS DVD/CD Writer ($13.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Total: $643.88
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2015-08-05 10:31 EDT-0400

This is an overkill office build 😉.
 
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If you want something to last longer, just keep it cool and clean. If you do not let the hardware atrophy, then it will perform just as well for it's entire existence. If you are looking for long lasting, consistent performance, invest more in quality storage, perhaps with a couple of good new SSDs. If the application does not rely on CPU power (which is basically all office and general use software), then you will have no notable difference in performance between a ~$300 CPU and a ~$150 CPU. I think you are putting too much emphasis on the CPU than is necessary in this case.
 
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