BestConfigs - AMD-Based Office PC

[jpishgar]

We're updating the Tom's Hardware BestConfigs and are opening the field to user recommendations! Post the best configuration you can put together for the following build category and our editorial team will pick 5 recommendations in each category to put to a public vote. The top-ranking build will go on to become one of Tom's Hardware's BestConfigs, and you'll get the credit for having put together a brilliant build with special notice in the feature article.

Post your entries to this thread for the category of AMD-Based Office PC, stay within $500 and be sure to list the following components-

Processor:
Motherboard:
RAM:
Graphics Card:
Hard Drive:
Case:
Power Supply:
DVD Burner:

Good luck, and may the best builds win!

 

[hunter315]

Athlon II X4 440 $75
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819103843&cm_re=athlon_X3-_-19-103-843-_-Product

ASUS M4A88TD-M $90
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813131649

Samsung F3 1TB $75
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822152185&Tpk=F3%201tb

Gskill eco 1600MHz CL7 $99
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231321

Antec NSK 4482 mid tower with EA380D $90
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811129071

Lite-on DVD burner $18
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16827106289

Total: $447 before $8 in shipping

An office machine can use the HD 4250 on the motherboard and doesnt need a discrete so i didnt include one.

edit: how long is this competition going to be up for?

 

[Guest]

Processor: AMD Athlon II X4 620 Propus 2.6GHz - $90
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819103706

Motherboard: MSI 890GXM-G65 AM3 AMD 890GX HDMI SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 - $100 - $10 rebate = $90
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813130269

RAM: G.SKILL Ripjaws Series 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 - $98
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231303

Graphics Card: on board ATI Radeon HD 4290

Hard Drive: HITACHI Deskstar 7K1000.C HDS721010CLA332 (0F10383) 1TB - $70
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822145304

Case: Antec Three Hundred Black Steel ATX Mid Tower Computer Case - $60+$10 shipping = $70
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811129042&nm_mc=AFC-C8Junction&cm_mmc=AFC-C8Junction-_-RSSDailyDeals-_-na-_-na&AID=10521304&PID=3463938&SID=eg7txjzlj9

Power Supply: Antec EarthWatts Green EA-380D Green 380W Power Supply - $45+$6 shipping = $51
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817371033

DVD Burner: Sony Optiarc Black 24X - $19
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16827118039

Total $488

 

[enzo matrix]

Ok here is my recommendation. For the sake of the suggestions, I ignored mail-in-rebates and special offer prices, inputting the normal prices for all items.

Processor: $106
Athlon IIx4 640
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819103871

Motherboard: $70
MSI 760G
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813130254

RAM: $78
Mushkin 4GB DDR3 essentials
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820146748

Graphics Card: $0
integrated

Hard Drive: $43
Samsung Spinpoint F4 320GB
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822152244

Case: $100
Antec VSK2450 w 450W PSU

Power Supply: $0
380W antec with case

DVD Burner: $20
LG
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16827136168

Total $417 no rebates or special offers included. Before tax. Shipping not included.

CPU can be downgraded to an Athlon IIx2 245, which is enough for most office applications for a total cost of $369:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819103687

The ram can also be reduced to 2GB, which even on windows 7 is enough for non-intensive office applications for a total cost of $329:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820146744

 

[daveg]

Processor:
AMD Athlon II X4 640 - $106
More than enough for workplace multi-tasking.

Motherboard:
Gigabyte GA-MA78LM-S2H mATX - $65
Built 5 of them. They just work great. Huge deal ($25) when combo'd with Athlon 2 X4's at MicroCenter.

RAM:
A-Data 4GB (2x2) DDR2 800 Kit - $79
No need for more.

Graphics Card:
Asus 8400GS 512MB Silent - $33
Passive cooling for silence and more than capable enough for dual monitor use.

Hard Drive:
WD 320GB - $50
Solid reliability. Small-ish capacity for easy/quick back-ups and/or cloning. Less fragile than larger capacity drives (again, because people neglect their computers (physically).

Case:
Cooler Master 341 mATX - $40
Built in dust filter on front for coworkers to neglect on their cleaning duties.

Power Supply:
Antec EarthWatts 380 - $45
Reliable, powerful enough for expansion and efficient.

DVD Burner:
LG Sata DVD Burner - $18
It's an optical drive.


With the $64 left, add in a swap bay, quiet case/cpu fans as needed and still have money left over. I seriously can't think of a logical reason to spend more. Maybe more hard drive capacity, but who uses that much at a legit office job anyway?

I've recently built 5 similar boxes with this mobo, X4 620's - 640's, 4GB Ram, 320GB WD's, Sony/LG/Samsung burners, and various cases for about $387 ($320 with a cheaper case/PSU) (mostly from MicroCenter - not considering the mail in rebates you'll never get back. All of which are 95% as good as my i5 $900 system (not saying my i5 is bad, just that this setup is that good).

 

[gkay09]

Here is a config -

CPU - X3 440/ X4 635

Mobo - BIOSTAR TA785G3HD AM3 AMD 785G HDMI Micro ATX AMD Motherboard
Or
MSI 880GM-E41 AM3 AMD 880G HDMI Micro ATX AMD Motherboard

GPU - The onboard graphics would suffice for office requirements...

RAM - Mushkin Enhanced Essentials 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1333

CASE - COOLER MASTER Elite 360

PSU - SeaSonicc SS-350ET Bronze 350W

HDD - Samsung F3 500GB

DVD - LITE-ON Black iHAS224-06

Total - ~$408

 

[kokoryba]

pure office PC

CPU Sempron LE1250 + GPU GeForce 6150 + Motherboard
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813138195
$64.99

CASE (mini itx, reliable) + PSU 150W
Foxconn RS233 Black+Light Silver Steel Mini-ITX Tower Computer Case 150W Power Supply
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811153099
$44.99

HARD DRIVE
SAMSUNG Spinpoint F4 HD322GJ/U 320GB 7200 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drive -Bare Drive
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822152244
$42.99

RAM
OCZ Gold 2GB (2 x 1GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 800 (PC2 6400) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory Model OCZ2G8002GK
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820227124
$39.99

DVD burner
LG 22X DVD Burner - Bulk Black SATA Model GH22LS50 LightScribe Support - OEM
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16827136168
$17.99

TOTAL exc. shipping $210.95

 

[calguyhunk]

CPU : $106 AMD Athlon II X4 640

Mobo : $50 MSI 740GM-P25 with IGP

RAM : $98 G.SKILL Ripjaws Series 4GB (2 x 2GB)

HDD : $55 SAMSUNG Spinpoint F3 500GB

ODD : $20 LG SATA DVD Burner - Bulk

PSU : $40 SeaSonic Bronze 350W

Case : $40 COOLER MASTER Elite

Total = $409 + shipping - Mail-In rebates.

 

[lp231]

CPU: AMD Athlon II X4 @ 2.6GHz
M/B: Asus M4A785TD-M Evo
RAM: A-DATA 4GB (2x2GB) DDR3 1333
GPU: PowerColor HD5450 512MB DDR3
HDD: WD Blue 500GB
Case: Apex MicroATX case
PSU: included with case (350w)
ODD: LG DVD writer
Case Fan: Antec Tri-Cool 120mm case fan

Total: $455.68

-From what I've read, the HD5450 is compatible with AMD's 785G IGP, which allows you to enable Hybrid CrossFire
-Added a case fan to be installed on the front so it will cool down the HDD as well as the GPU.
As silent GPU are quiet due to no fans, but they do get hot.
-The case fan has 3 speed settings so you can adjust it to your likings.

 

[luke904]

i write sale prices as "regular price"-"discount"="sale price"



CPU: $75- athlon x3 440 (office people just dont use 4 cores)
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819103843

Mobo: $65- Gigabyte 760g, micro atx
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813128408

RAM: $94- Kingston hyperX 4GB, ddr2 1066, cas 5
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820104073

Case: $40- CM Elite RC-103 (who says an office pc cant have a side view window?)
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811119203

PSU: $44-$4=$40 SeaSonic 350 watt, 80 plus bronze
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817371033

HDD: 110-10+50 intel 40 gig SSD + WD blue 320 gig (oh ya.. thats right)
intel- http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820167025
WD- http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822136074

DVD: $20 lite on, 24x, good reviews
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16827106333

graphics... on board



that comes to 499 with regular prices
or 485 using the sale prices
so if sale prices are allowed then the extra money would go to a bigger hard drive or an athlon x4 or shipping if that is not included in the 500



i think that by sacrificing a little in each area, a SSD would make the system much more snappy and 40 gig is plenty for an OS and office applications.. and actually could be used for everything except videos and music and maybe pictures.

I chose triple core because office pcs rarely do more than 2 cpu intensive tasks at a time

it is am2+ but you really dont gain much by going am3 and ddr3 except for maybe upgrade ability

the psu is 80+ bronze so it will be quiet and cool, 350 watt is plenty of power and you could easily add a low level gpu if you wanted

the case is quiet and good looking with ample airflow, but most 40 dollar cases would be fine


thats my build
Its not designed for regular office people though... lets be honest those people would be fine with dual core 2 gig systems... but its what you can do for 500

 

[luke904]

[quotemsg=5071397,1,323958]We're updating the Tom's Hardware BestConfigs and are opening the field to user recommendations! Post the best configuration you can put together for the following build category and our editorial team will pick 5 recommendations in each category to put to a public vote. The top-ranking build will go on to become one of Tom's Hardware's BestConfigs, and you'll get the credit for having put together a brilliant build with special notice in the feature article.

Post your entries to this thread for the category of AMD-Based Office PC, stay within $500 and be sure to list the following components-

Processor:
Motherboard:
RAM:
Graphics Card:
Hard Drive:
Case:
Power Supply:
DVD Burner:

Good luck, and may the best builds win![/quotemsg]



You need to say whether or not we use sale prices or regular prices.. and if combo deals are allowed.. and if we include shipping.. and if we include mail in rebates

also...
is this "best office pc under 500" or "best office pc that stays under 500" cause one person did a cheap 250 ish build... are they judged on best performance? or best value that stays under 500?

 

[enzo matrix]

[quotemsg=5072340,11,255121]You need to say whether or not we use sale prices or regular prices.. and if combo deals are allowed.. and if we include shipping.. and if we include mail in rebates

also...
is this "best office pc under 500" or "best office pc that stays under 500" cause one person did a cheap 250 ish build... are they judged on best performance? or best value that stays under 500?[/quotemsg]
Very good questions that I would like to hear the answer to also!

 

[Mr Pizza]

Well, the community manager guy isnt talking soo..

 

[eloric]

A build is temporal. Today's best PC will be eclipsed by the technology of tomorrow. So go for the absolute best parts you can at the moment of assembly.

 

[eloric]

This is business. No 4th core unlocking, no overclocking, no heatsink, no fun. Make it useful for at least three years until it is written off. Bonus points if you can you put it together fast, because time is money. One other thing – make sure it is reliable and comes from a reputable company who will likely back their products if they should fail.

Processor: AMD Athlon II X4 635 for $100. No nonsense, quad core to last through at least two rounds of upgrades.

Motherboard: MSI K9N6PGM2-V2 for $53. Onboard graphics make this especially attractive.

RAM: Kingston 4GB (2 x 2GB) for $89. Highly rated memory from a very reliable company.

Graphics Card: None needed (integrated graphics come with motherboard)

HDD: Samsung Spinpoint F3, 1 TB for $60. Will watch WD for competitive prices in the future.

SSD: Tough decision. Expensive, and barely within reach. Was it mentioned that time is money? Pull the trigger: OCZ Onyx 2.5" 32GB for $65 , after rebate. Oh, the risks we take in business.

Case: Rosewill R101-P-BK MicroATX Tower Computer Case for $40. 5 eggs on Newegg. Plain so it is not distracting or offensive. Small so it does not take up to much office space. Sweetest of all to a businessman’s ears: inexpensive and trouble free.

PSU: SeaSonic 400W for $52. In business 8 years. Company well known for critically acclaimed products.

DVD Burner: ASUS for $20. 5 eggs from Newegg. Meets standard.

Total: $479, showing positive budget variance of 4.2 percent.

Edit: Corrected description on case.

 

[enzo matrix]

[quotemsg=5075342,14,353191]A build is temporal.[/quotemsg]
I think you need to check your definition of the word "temporal"
http://www.merriam-webster.com/netdict/temporal

 

[eloric]

[quotemsg=5075506,16,304376]I think you need to check your definition of the word "temporal"
http://www.merriam-webster.com/netdict/temporal[/quotemsg]

From your reference, referring to definition 3 b), where a build is associated with a particular time. Kind of a simple point that builds vary over time, in that the combination of a set of components and their related prices right now are less likely to be available at any other particular time. For an extreme example, see the daily Shell Shocker on Newegg. Chances are when you read this that is not an AMD Quad-Core+880G Chipset SuperCombo.

 

[angel0fmars]

Hopefully Newegg combos are allowed

DVD Burner: Lite-On CD/DVD Burner (picked because it's the cheapest on Newegg and it has free shipping)
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16827106289

Power Supply: Antec EarthWatts 380W (80+ Bronze certified and plenty of power for such a computer)
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817371033

Memory: G.SKILL 4GB DDR3 1333MHz RAM
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231190

Case + HDD: Rosewill MicroATX case and Western Digital 640GB Caviar Black
http://www.newegg.com/Product/ComboDealDetails.aspx?ItemList=Combo.493010

CPU + Motherboard: AMD Phenom II X4 955 and MSI 890GXM-G65 (probably has way too much power for office use, but it's nice to have I guess. The motherboard also has USB 3.0 and SATA 6.0GB/s, which is just something nice to have. Would probably be more useful if USB 3.0 USB sticks become more popular. Also includes eSATA to expand your storing capabilities even more without too much of a hassle.)
http://www.newegg.com/Product/ComboDealDetails.aspx?ItemList=Combo.480286

Graphics Card: Integrated

If it weren't for combos, this would probably go way past the $500 mark. But it's sitting at $489.93 after combo savings, not including taxes (if applicable), shipping, or rebates.

 

[Guest]

Processor: AMD Athlon II X2 250:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819103681

Motherboard: MSI 785GM-E51:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813130247

RAM: Mushkin Enhanced Blackline 4GB (2 x 2GB) 1333MHz CL7:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820226113

Graphics Card: Integrated ATI Radeon HD 4200

Hard Drive: Western Digital Caviar Blue 500GB:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822136073

Case: Cooler Master Elite 330:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811119115

Power Supply: Corsair 450VX:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817139003

DVD Burner: Lite-On 24x:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16827106289

Total: $412.93 at time of writing.

 

[techie_guy]

Anyone here built a phenom x4 , 6GB RAM(DDR2 ), 500GB , HDMI motherboard in around $400, Please share.

In tigerdirect.com , I see refurbished PCs arround $450 from asus,hp,gateway but most of them are amd athlon x4 and I want to go for phenom x4.

Thanks..

 

[Pijoto]

[quotemsg=5072031,7,404646]pure office PC

CPU Sempron LE1250 + GPU GeForce 6150 + Motherboard
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813138195
$64.99

CASE (mini itx, reliable) + PSU 150W
Foxconn RS233 Black+Light Silver Steel Mini-ITX Tower Computer Case 150W Power Supply
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811153099
$44.99

HARD DRIVE
SAMSUNG Spinpoint F4 HD322GJ/U 320GB 7200 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drive -Bare Drive
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822152244
$42.99

RAM
OCZ Gold 2GB (2 x 1GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 800 (PC2 6400) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory Model OCZ2G8002GK
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820227124
$39.99

DVD burner
LG 22X DVD Burner - Bulk Black SATA Model GH22LS50 LightScribe Support - OEM
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16827136168
$17.99

TOTAL exc. shipping $210.95[/quotemsg]


Honestly, for an OFFICE PC this is all you need....why the heck do I need a quad-core to run spreadsheets?

 

[jabbrun]

I think this would be ok for an office PC for several years to come:

CPU
AMD Athlon II X3 440
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819103843

Mainboard
ASRock M3A785GM-LE

DVD
LITE-ON 24X SATA CD/DVD Burner
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16827106289

PSU
SILVERSTONE ST40F-ES 400W Power Supply
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817256060


Case
COOLER MASTER Elite 330
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811119115

HDD
SAMSUNG Spinpoint F3 500GB 16MB Cache
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822152181

RAM
CORSAIR 2GB DDR3 1333 Model VS2GB1333D3
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820145246

 

[jpishgar]

This topic has been desticky in top of the forum by Jpishgar