Build advise for NON-gaming computer

[welchs101]

Hi,

A friend wants to build a non-gaming computer to do work related "stuff" like excel, power point, publisher, surf net, check email, etc.

I have come here before asking for build info.........i typically build about 1 computer every 2yrs for family and friends. I am not a novice but i am NO expert. Its hard for me to stay on top of current cpus and mother boards to use for best non-gaming computer.

Could someone help me identify components to use for a good non-gaming computer?

thanks.

 

[azaran]

ok, so there is a lot of info so far and i am trying to digest it all:

Can someone post a build using an intel and also post a build using an AMD chipset?

I posted a quickie build up a bit. You can shave 90 off the price since he wont be needing the OS.

 

[azaran]

in reviewing the cpus and the information posted here by you guys.........i need to pick the cpu first and then everything else.
If i choose an intel cpu: choices are I3 or I5.......but there are so many I3 and I5 options which do i choose
If i choose an amd cpu: i was thinking about picking the amd A10 series but which one do i choose

On the intel side of things, choose between the current 6th gen skylakes LGA 1151 or the 4th gen Haswell lineup LGA 1150. From there you can look at chips. Big issue there will be budget. For the Skylake, only one i3 has been launched so far (ignore any models with "T" after their name) which makes that selection easy and only four i5's have come out. The i5-6400 is the i5 entry model and will do anything you need. The next step up would put you over 3ghz which while always nice is probably not needed.

As for the A10 series, it comes to budget again. The APU system AMD has is a really nice system with a good GPU built in, I run an A10 in my HTPC build and runs very well. I'd say go with the A10-7800 since that'll still keep you with 8 Compute Cores in the GPU. Make sure to select at least DDR3 2133 speed RAM for it. If you decide to go lower, the A8 line will still keep the same number of CPU Compute Cores but it'll lower the number GPU cores. I wouldn't recommend going down to an A6.

 

[jitpublisher]

A lot of advice in this thread appears to be from people that don't actually build computers and are just regurgitating their interpretation of various reviews and accepted misconceptions of what is required to build a good machine. I build machines frequently and I am an advocate of the correct component for the correct job and not spending money needlessly. My suggestion still stands, to suggest needing anything above an i3 for this machine you must be smoking the good stuff. It would be a huge waste of money. Using the correct components is the key, if you put an i3 in a machine with a 1TB drive and a Pentium in a machine with an SSD the Pentium will thrash the i3 in 75% of the jobs a home user would utilise a desktop for.

I don't suggest AMD in this situation, I am an advocate of AMD for the correct application but they do not make sense for an office PC. They are not as efficient as the Intel counterparts and you do not need the graphics processing power of an APU. Also FX chips really need to be reserved for enthusiasts, they have their applications but for use in a family computer they are a terrible choice.

As for 'just buying a HP/Dell' suggestion, wash your mouth out!

Normaly I'd agree with you but as one of the people thats suggested going over an i3 on the build, it do it for 2 reasons.
One, cost. the difference between the Skylake i3 and an i5 is about $50. In the life of a build that's nothing if it can give some measure of performance increase down the line that will prevent an otherwise unnecessary rebuild.

Two, like you I build and deal with system repair all the time, and included in that job is working with a few labs full of computers running the software the OP is talking about. Microsoft and other productivity software developers are increasingly putting larger burdens on the software thats running. While Windows may have gotten a bit more streamlined I can tell you that Office and other software like it have only become more bloated and resource hungry.

As for the Dell/HP thing, yeah I felt a little dirty agreeing with it but sometimes the trade off of built in tech support can be enough to offset the midrange gear you get.

I am not a fan of pre-builds, as I am sure you would understand if you noticed my signature. The first and only one I ever owned was a 486 DX33 machine back in the early 90's. However, I am also in the habit of suggesting the best course of action based on what I read from the OP, with a little reading between the lines. In this case, I am going to say this once again, based on what the OP says, I still stand by my opinion and would point him towards an OEM box. He has no need what so ever for premium or even value priced mid range parts. He needs a basic office box with a decent 4 core processor (yes you do need that in an office machine if you do much real "work" at all), 8 gig of memory simply because that's a bare minimum at this point in time, a fast drive, perhaps even an SSD would make a nice touch to speed things up during multi-tasking, and on-board video. You can get this for a price you cannot build yourself, or about the same, from HP or Dell, or whatever, right out of the box ready to plug in and go, no worries, no hassle.

As for upgrading, fixing broken parts and all that nonsense, the only thing he would likely ever need to replace might be the drive, and that is no problem even on a pre-build. The box will more than likely continue to work just fine way beyond its useful lifespan, without having to haul it down to a local shop to have it "worked on". Local shops do things at a premium cost. They have to. They can't stay in business otherwise. So unless you just feel like you need to support the local PC shop down the street, and if you do feel that way, more power to you, nothing wrong if that is where you want to spend your money. It's the last place I would buy a system based on value, or longevity.

 

[azaran]

So here is a quicky AMD build with an AMD A10 APU and an Intel build with an i5. Still including an aftermarket cooler with it. The Intel and AMD APUs do come with one of their own but this one is nice and quiet and cools very well. The AMD line up have a fairly low thermal limit and since the GPU is on the same chip, you might as well get as much cooling as you can.

PCPartPicker part list: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/xzWBCJ
Price breakdown by merchant: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/xzWBCJ/by_merchant/

CPU: AMD A10-7800 3.5GHz Quad-Core Processor ($119.99 @ SuperBiiz)
CPU Cooler: CRYORIG H7 49.0 CFM CPU Cooler ($34.50 @ Newegg)
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-F2A78M-HD2 Micro ATX FM2+ Motherboard ($59.89 @ OutletPC)
Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws X Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-2133 Memory ($47.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Samsung 850 EVO-Series 250GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($79.84 @ Amazon)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($51.88 @ OutletPC)
Case: Thermaltake Versa H25 ATX Mid Tower Case ($44.99 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: EVGA SuperNOVA G2 550W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply ($89.99 @ Amazon)
Optical Drive: Asus DRW-24B1ST/BLK/B/AS DVD/CD Writer ($17.75 @ OutletPC)
Total: $546.82
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2015-11-14 10:02 EST-0500

Intel build
PCPartPicker part list: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/zxtKwP
Price breakdown by merchant: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/zxtKwP/by_merchant/

CPU: Intel Core i5-6400 2.7GHz Quad-Core Processor ($179.99 @ NCIX US)
CPU Cooler: CRYORIG H7 49.0 CFM CPU Cooler ($34.50 @ Newegg)
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-H170M-D3H Micro ATX LGA1151 Motherboard ($91.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws 4 series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR4-2133 Memory ($48.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Samsung 850 EVO-Series 250GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($79.84 @ Amazon)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($51.88 @ OutletPC)
Case: Thermaltake Versa H25 ATX Mid Tower Case ($44.99 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: EVGA SuperNOVA G2 550W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply ($89.99 @ Amazon)
Optical Drive: Asus DRW-24F1ST DVD/CD Writer ($17.89 @ OutletPC)
Total: $640.06
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2015-11-14 10:00 EST-0500

 

[welchs101]

hi all, thanks for the info.

jitpublisher, normally i would agree with you on the buy vs build but this is also a "fun" adventure for my friend and I. Your reasons for buying are valid and i agree with most of them. I dont build systems all the time only for close friends and family, only about 1 every 2yrs or so. I did compare some of the black friday deals on computers with what i wanted in my friends computer and the cost difference is only slightly better to build. However, when you start to compare the actual specs on the hardware used by dell and others this is where the rubber meets the road so to speak. While my initial comparison of prices between build vs buy only provided a small benefit to build........if you compare the buy vs build using same hardware.......price advantage of build is "better" not great but better. couple this with the "adventure" aspect of building with a close friend................i guess we would kinda like to build. Again, your reasons for buy are very valid and for most people buy would be better.

azaran and others:
I am still not sure what to get regarding the cpu. I read i3 vs i5, intel vs amd, build for the future...........all of things have really just kinda made me stop and wonder what to get. i agree an I5 would probably be the "best" but should i get this? Would the AMD A10 be the better choice.......or what about the I3 skylake cpu.............more confused now then when i started..........perhaps buying is looking better now........just kidding.

thanks all who have responded........just trying to get up the learning curve again.

 

[azaran]

A big part of choosing a CPU is what you value more. Processing power or balance of power and video performance?

Care less about total CPU power but want something with a good integrated graphics to cut down on parts/size/power? Then an AMD APU is the way to go. However when you compare it to even an Intel i3, it gets its butt handed to it hand down in pure processing power. And in turn the i3 is generally going to get out performed by the i5. But neither Intels 4th gen (Haswell) or 6th gen (Skylake) i3/i5 IGP's compare to AMD's APU for integrated graphics performance. As for going to an AMD FX lineup, you'd have to get a video card since the CPU has no IGP.

For the cost difference ($20-$40 depending on the whim of the internet) of an i3 vs an i5 I have a hard time ever recommending an i3. Unless someone is truly measuring their build down to the last dime or the power consumption and heat of a more powerful CPU can cause an issue there really is no reason not to step up to the next cpu if they're building their own rig.

This is a great forum to get the ol learning curve up and running. Since Skylake is new there's a lot to take in for learning new things and getting discussions like this going. While it can bring out peoples bias, it also lets people new or coming back in to the fold see a lot more options than simple reviews and tech articles can show.

 

[welchs101]

Hi,

in talking with my friend i have learned a little more about his requirements. He wants a low cost desktop to do work related stuff but he now mentioned that he wants to be able to use chromecast or something like this to stream netflix to his tv..........

would the amd 10-5800k or amd 10 7800, or amd10 7850 be good for this?

 

[Victorion]

Hi,

in talking with my friend i have learned a little more about his requirements. He wants a low cost desktop to do work related stuff but he now mentioned that he wants to be able to use chromecast or something like this to stream netflix to his tv..........

would the amd 10-5800k or amd 10 7800, or amd10 7850 be good for this?

if work-related stuff means email, correspondence, excel etc - then basically any pc will do the job. Chromecast doesn´t have any high requirements either. Then you´d be under 400 dollars.

 

[Poprin]

Hi,

in talking with my friend i have learned a little more about his requirements. He wants a low cost desktop to do work related stuff but he now mentioned that he wants to be able to use chromecast or something like this to stream netflix to his tv..........

would the amd 10-5800k or amd 10 7800, or amd10 7850 be good for this?

Once you initiate the stream on the Chromecast from anywhere, PC / Phone / Tablet all the graphical requirements are handled by the Chromecast. So therefore it does not increase the graphical requirements of the PC at all.

So I would still strongly recommend a Skylake Pentium as I mentioned at the top of the post because you want a 'low cost' office PC. The Pentium (here in the UK) is half the price of the i3 and the i3 is half the price of the i5. So roughly £50 Pentium, £90 for i3 and £145+ i5.

If you want to go with an AMD APU then go for a 65w part like the A8-7600. The A8-7600 is within a tiny percentage as fast as the A10-7800. The A10-7800 is arguably the best APU on the market (performance per watt) currently but it only makes sense over the A8 if you need the extra graphical grunt.. The A8 again is almost half the price.

 

[welchs101]

Hi, its been a few days since my last post. My friend and i came up with the following build and i wanted to get some feedback from you all:

CPU: AMD A10-7850K 3.7GHz Quad-Core Processor ($114.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-F2A88XM-D3H Micro ATX FM2+ Motherboard ($47.98 @ Newegg)
Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws X Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($29.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Kingston SSDNow V300 Series 240GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($69.70 @ SuperBiiz)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($49.98 @ OutletPC)
Case: Corsair 200R ATX Mid Tower Case ($44.99 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: Corsair Builder 430W 80+ Bronze Certified ATX Power Supply ($13.99 @ Newegg)
Optical Drive: Asus DRW-24B1ST/BLK/B/AS DVD/CD Writer ($14.99 @ Newegg)
Wireless Network Adapter: TP-Link TL-WDN4800 802.11a/b/g/n PCI-Express x1 Wi-Fi Adapter ($34.00 @ SuperBiiz)
Total: $409.61


Any suggestions you all have would be appreciated...........

 

[Mxhawthy]

This build looks fine. It's got everything needed to perform very well as a work-based PC, with the ability to play the odd game when desired.

 

[azaran]

Hi, its been a few days since my last post. My friend and i came up with the following build and i wanted to get some feedback from you all:

CPU: AMD A10-7850K 3.7GHz Quad-Core Processor ($114.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-F2A88XM-D3H Micro ATX FM2+ Motherboard ($47.98 @ Newegg)
Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws X Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($29.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Kingston SSDNow V300 Series 240GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($69.70 @ SuperBiiz)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($49.98 @ OutletPC)
Case: Corsair 200R ATX Mid Tower Case ($44.99 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: Corsair Builder 430W 80+ Bronze Certified ATX Power Supply ($13.99 @ Newegg)
Optical Drive: Asus DRW-24B1ST/BLK/B/AS DVD/CD Writer ($14.99 @ Newegg)
Wireless Network Adapter: TP-Link TL-WDN4800 802.11a/b/g/n PCI-Express x1 Wi-Fi Adapter ($34.00 @ SuperBiiz)
Total: $409.61


Any suggestions you all have would be appreciated...........

Couple of suggestions.
RAM: Bump up to DDR3 1866 if you can, The APU can make good use of it speed bump. 2133 would be nice too but you get a bit more of a price bump than its probably worth.
Storage: Go for the Samsung Evo 850. Way more recent and much better performance for equal to or better price (depending on the moment online). Also the Samsung has a 5yr warranty vs the 3yr warranty of the Kingston.
Storage: Went to the Seagate instead of Western Digital, offsets the price by $10 and the WD Blues and the Seagate Desktops models perform and last about the same. The Seagates tend to have a bit lower noise which is always nice.
Power Supply: Please, dear god, never spend $14 on a PSU. The PSU is what powers everything, go cheap on that and you can affect everything else in the build. The CX line is Corsairs bottom rung PSU, one step above a PSU you should just trash. The XFX TS series (made by Seasonic), or the Seasonic S12-II series is a much better series, has a bit more power and is only slightly more expensive.

Threw together a sample build, it does bring you up by about $50 but it also gives you better parts. Of the changes I listed I'd say the RAM, depending on system use, is something you may or may not notice the performance difference. But the other suggestions I'd really recommend going with.

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: AMD A10-7850K 3.7GHz Quad-Core Processor ($109.99 @ Micro Center)
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-F2A88XM-D3H Micro ATX FM2+ Motherboard ($56.10 @ SuperBiiz)
Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws X Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1866 Memory ($45.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Samsung 850 EVO-Series 250GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($77.99 @ Amazon)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($39.10 @ SuperBiiz)
Case: Corsair 200R ATX Mid Tower Case ($52.99 @ Micro Center)
Power Supply: XFX 550W 80+ Bronze Certified ATX Power Supply ($47.60 @ SuperBiiz)
Wireless Network Adapter: TP-Link TL-WDN4800 802.11a/b/g/n PCI-Express x1 Wi-Fi Adapter ($34.00 @ SuperBiiz)
Total: $463.76
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2015-11-26 07:18 EST-0500
PSU:

 

[welchs101]

quick question........the MOB i selected will this work ok with the case i picked..........the MOB says its a "Micro ATX" but i dont think the case is micro-ATX.......will it work.............is a micro-ATX MOB ok to use?

 

[welchs101]

one more question......the PSU i originally selected was way more than $14 but with the rebates and coupon code that made it $14.......but you would still use another? can you tell me why again...........i thought this was a good one...........

 

[welchs101]

also, thanks for the info...........my questions are to try and learn why you suggested what you did........

question: why the 1866 over the 1600 memory.........what will i gain with the 1866?

 

[welchs101]

one more question. the dvd player i selected is a blue ray player but not a burner........is this right? i think it is.........should i get this or should i get just a regular dvd burner? thoughts?

 

[azaran]

quick question........the MOB i selected will this work ok with the case i picked..........the MOB says its a "Micro ATX" but i dont think the case is micro-ATX.......will it work.............is a micro-ATX MOB ok to use?

No worries on the mobo fitting in the case. You can always put a smaller mobo in a case meant for a larger one. Just cant do it the other way around. Well not without a hacksaw, an engineering degree and a fair amount of tears when it sets itself on fire.

 

[azaran]

one more question......the PSU i originally selected was way more than $14 but with the rebates and coupon code that made it $14.......but you would still use another? can you tell me why again...........i thought this was a good one...........

The company Corsair makes a wide range of products ranging from bargain basement budget, to top of the line sell a kidney to buy one budget. The CX is in the former end of the line up. Typically PSU's of that caliber well have legal but lousy capacitors, shoddy soldering work, can be prone to coil whine, low life expectancy, etc.

You pay for what you get. Now you dont need to buy a PSU that costs and arm and a leg, but you do want to buy one that costs more than the 3am trip to taco bell after you've been drinking all night

*edit, got my XFX ans EVGA mixed up. XFX right now is pricing out fantastic PSU units that are considered tier one and two units. The 50-60 range of the one I listed is a good tier 2 unit if not lower than normal price and will do everything you need it to do.

 

[azaran]

also, thanks for the info...........my questions are to try and learn why you suggested what you did........

question: why the 1866 over the 1600 memory.........what will i gain with the 1866?

Short story, the APU relies heavily on memory bandwidth for graphics. The faster/tighter timings the better.

The APU uses your system memory for its memeory so the faster the better for it. Now if you'd notice the difference, thats hard to say since this is a non gaming computer. But if you watch a lot of movies/youtube/streaming/netflix/ you may see this be a welcome kick in the butt for the APU.

 

[azaran]

one more question. the dvd player i selected is a blue ray player but not a burner........is this right? i think it is.........should i get this or should i get just a regular dvd burner? thoughts?

The player you listed, the Asus DRW-24B1ST/BLK/B/AS DVD/CD Writer, is purely a DVD-RW model.

Now if you want a Blue ray player, by all means pick one up. You can get a writer or a reader. Most readers will still be set to burn DVD's just not Blueray disks. Keep in mind, if you get a Blue ray reader/writer you'll want to get software for it. The software, if it even comes with any which most don't, is often outdated and may not work if you're planning on a Windows 10 install.

Really the only deciding factor of DVD vs Blue Ray is, do you want to watch blu rays? If the answer is yes, then I can help you pick one up. If the answer is no, then stick with the drive you've already selected.

 

[Mxhawthy]

one more question......the PSU i originally selected was way more than $14 but with the rebates and coupon code that made it $14.......but you would still use another? can you tell me why again...........i thought this was a good one...........

It doesn't change the fact that your previous PSU is a low quality, poor-choice PSU. It's a Corsair CX series, which are built very cheaply. You should always choose a good quality PSU in order to avoid damaging your components through voltage spikes, etc.

As stated above, XFX PSUs are a very good choice.

 

[Victorion]

one more question......the PSU i originally selected was way more than $14 but with the rebates and coupon code that made it $14.......but you would still use another? can you tell me why again...........i thought this was a good one...........

It doesn't change the fact that your previous PSU is a low quality, poor-choice PSU. It's a Corsair CX series, which are built very cheaply. You should always choose a good quality PSU in order to avoid damaging your components through voltage spikes, etc.

As stated above, XFX PSUs are a very good choice.

I don´t really get the massive hatred against the CX series tbh.
The CX line isn´t a terrible line of PSU, neither is it a great line. But at the pricepoint, it´s a very wellpriced PSU

Now the CX series is marketed with the following description:

CX Series power supply units are an excellent choice for basic system builds and desktop PC computer upgrades. CX Series PSUs are available in a variety of power configurations, and include features that are normally found only on premium power supplies.

Corsair themselves rates it for full power at 30°C, and that isn´t not gaming temperature. However I heard many reports of people using it at above 50 and 60°C without faults. That makes it impressive, not bad.

People constantly repeats that they have bad capacitors from China and Taiwan. Corsair describes the capacitors to be of japanese manuafactor, and those usually last longer than the cheap ones from China or Taiwan - perhaps people are just burning them at too high temps?

Bottomline is, the CX series is a wellpriced PSU series for light gaming, desktop pc and other builds that doesn´t require to be pushed to the max - and it´s priced accordingly.
If you want a highend gaming rig, you would expect to get a highend PSU like the AX series, which are some of the very best on the market today - also from Corsair.

XFX is a strong brandname and they design some excellent products, but it doesn´t mean all their products are rock-solid. There are numerous reports of coil whine and noisy fans @ 50% load on some of the cheaper versions.

 

[azaran]

Yep the cheaper versions of anyones product line will have issues. The CX is the bottom of the line and is priced for it. Unless you absolutely need to pinch that last penny, why bother with a series that is known for being the lowest of their line and get one that is much higher rated for not a lot more?

 

[Victorion]

Yep the cheaper versions of anyones product line will have issues. The CX is the bottom of the line and is priced for it. Unless you absolutely need to pinch that last penny, why bother with a series that is known for being the lowest of their line and get one that is much higher rated for not a lot more?

First of all, the VS series is worse than CX.

And did you even read what I said?

If you read the Corsairs own instructions with the CX line, there´d be no need to fear burnt capacitors. The voltage regulation is within acceptable margins and also the ripple suppression is good. And they come with 3-10 years warranty depending on the model, so even in worst case, you can get an RMA.

Apologies if I sound bitter, but it feels alot like one of these statements that just get repeated enough times that people just think it´s true without doing their own research first.

There are lots of good reviews for the CX line, from reputable sources.
TechpowerUP - Rating 8.3/10.0
Guru3D.com - Recommended Stamp
Legit Reviews - Value Award
TweakTown Rating: 90%
kitguru - Must Have Award

 

[Mxhawthy]

I love how you always seem to quote me when others in the same thread have said the same thing... You've done it a few times before... I don't know what your problem is and to be perfectly honest, I don't really care.

"XFX is a strong brandname and they design some excellent products, but it doesn´t mean all their products are rock-solid. There are numerous reports of coil whine and noisy fans @ 50% load on some of the cheaper versions."

"it feels alot like one of these statements that just get repeated enough times that people just think it´s true without doing their own research first."

You are right about repeating the same statements.
I am the first to admit that I have learnt 99.9% of what I know, from this site. But this site is one of the biggest, (if the not the biggest) tech sites in the world. There are lots of experts here that have 20+ years of experience, so when articles like this (http://www.tomshardware.co.uk/forum/id-2547993/psu-tier-list.html) are written on a website like this, it is trustworthy information. (If it wasn't it would be corrected by said experts)

I trust the information given to me, by people who have more experience and more knowledge than me, because how else do people learn?