[SOLVED] i3 9100 PC build review

[Tamil.t7]

I'm going to build myself a new secondary PC. It's going to be mostly used for surfing kinds of stuff. Here's the build. Any suggestion on the build before ordering the components would be really helpful.

i3-9100 with stock cooler
ASUS PRIME H310M-D R2.0
CorsairVengeance LPX 8GB 3000MHz - (No dual 4GB module in our region since going for single stick)
Crucial BX500 120GB 3D NAND SSD
A Seagate/Toshiba 500GB HDD 5400RPM
Silverstone 500W PSU (SST-ST50F-ES230)
Samsung S19F350HNW 18.5-inch AH IPS LED Monitor

Still thinking on the case. RGBs or TGs can be left out. Any cheap case with decent airflow would be suffice. Any suggestions from you guys would be great!

Thanks a lot in advance

 

[julienruc]

It's slightly overkill for a surfing PC IMO, but if your fine spending that much for a browsing/office PC then it looks good to me.

For cases you might want to look into these:
https://pcpartpicker.com/product/KPw323/fractal-design-case-fdcacore1000usb3bl

https://pcpartpicker.com/product/rnGxFT/cooler-master-masterbox-q300l-microatx-mini-tower-case-mcb-q300l-kann-s00

https://pcpartpicker.com/product/Pdprxr/deepcool-matrexx-30-microatx-mini-tower-case-matrexx-30

https://pcpartpicker.com/product/vPp323/fractal-design-focus-g-mini-black-microatx-mini-tower-case-fd-ca-focus-mini-bk-w

 

[Tamil.t7]

It's slightly overkill for a surfing PC IMO, but if your fine spending that much for a browsing/office PC then it looks good to me.

For cases you might want to look into these:
https://pcpartpicker.com/product/KPw323/fractal-design-case-fdcacore1000usb3bl

https://pcpartpicker.com/product/rnGxFT/cooler-master-masterbox-q300l-microatx-mini-tower-case-mcb-q300l-kann-s00

https://pcpartpicker.com/product/Pdprxr/deepcool-matrexx-30-microatx-mini-tower-case-matrexx-30

https://pcpartpicker.com/product/vPp323/fractal-design-focus-g-mini-black-microatx-mini-tower-case-fd-ca-focus-mini-bk-w

Thanks for the response!!

Those case options are really great. Will see which one is available in my region.

Yeah you're right. I also thought of downgrading the components. But, For me, it looks like the only components that could be compromised is the processor and the PSU. Because I really don't want to compromise on the quality. Mostly this system will be used by my sibling and she isn't that much into the hardware. So, stability and quality matters more than performance.

For the processor I could go with 3200G, 2200G or even a pentium G5400. But, It's gonna cost the same for the motherboard and other components. The practical performance gain on this i3 chip was so much more for reasonably little money.

For the PSU, I'm not sure if there are any cheaper but good quality options available. Is it okay if I go with cheaper options? I mean, does it affect the lifetime of the system if we go for cheaper psu's?

Also I'm open to any other downgrade options (if any) without compromising the quality.

 

[julienruc]

Thanks for the response!!

Those case options are really great. Will see which one is available in my region.

Yeah you're right. I also thought of downgrading the components. But, For me, it looks like the only components that could be compromised is the processor and the PSU. Because I really don't want to compromise on the quality. Mostly this system will be used by my sibling and she isn't that much into the hardware. So, stability and quality matters more than performance.

For the processor I could go with 3200G, 2200G or even a pentium G5400. But, It's gonna cost the same for the motherboard and other components. The practical performance gain on this i3 chip was so much more for reasonably little money.

For the PSU, I'm not sure if there are any cheaper but good quality options available. Is it okay if I go with cheaper options? I mean, does it affect the lifetime of the system if we go for cheaper psu's?

Also I'm open to any other downgrade options (if any) without compromising the quality.

You make a pretty fair point about the motherboard. I think I would also find it weird to buy a Pentium/Celeron CPU that's cheaper than the motherboard.

For the PSU it would really depend on what you're purchasing as this one is already bottom of the barrel stuff that's meant for iCPU systems. Where do you live?

 

[SkyNetRising]

i3-9100 with stock cooler
ASUS PRIME H310M-D R2.0

Choose B365 board instead. H310 will require BIOS update before i3-9100 can be used with it.

 

[Tamil.t7]

You make a pretty fair point about the motherboard. I think I would also find it weird to buy a Pentium/Celeron CPU that's cheaper than the motherboard.

For the PSU it would really depend on what you're purchasing as this one is already bottom of the barrel stuff that's meant for iCPU systems. Where do you live?

I live in India. Most of the famous brands like Corsair, CM, Deepcool, antec can easily be found here.

 

[Tamil.t7]

Choose B365 board instead. H310 will require BIOS update before i3-9100 can be used with it.

I have an i7 8700 chip running on my gaming machine. Can i use it to update the BIOS?
Because, in my region, the B365 costs 50% more when compared to the H310 boards.

 

[SkyNetRising]

I have an i7 8700 chip running on my gaming machine. Can i use it to update the BIOS?

Sure.

 

[julienruc]

I have an i7 8700 chip running on my gaming machine. Can i use it to update the BIOS?
Because, in my region, the B365 costs 50% more when compared to the H310 boards.

Yes, you can use your 8700 to update the BIOS. Although in my case, I purchased an ASrock H310CM that was compatible with 9th Gen out-of-the-box.

 

[julienruc]

I live in India. Most of the famous brands like Corsair, CM, Deepcool, antec can easily be found here.

How much is that Silverstone PSU? Let me see if I can find you an alternative. Although it will do the job just fine.

 

[Tamil.t7]

How much is that Silverstone PSU? Let me see if I can find you an alternative. Although it will do the job just fine.

Thanks for all your suggestions🙂

It costs around 3000 bucks in my place which translates to 35-40 USD.

 

[julienruc]

The only other alternative for around 3000rupees are these Corsair VS units:
https://mdcomputers.in/corsair-vs450-cp-9020170-uk.html

Amazon.in: Buy Corsair VS550 550W Active PFC 80 Plus Power Supply (Black) Online at Low Prices in India | Corsair Reviews & Ratings

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www.amazon.in

I couldn't even find anything decent at about 4000rupees that's in stock. The next best thing was at 5000+.

I'd be more comfortable recommending the Corsair PSU as I'm familiar with them. However, it seems as the Strider Essential unit should do fine.

Happy building!

 

[Tamil.t7]

The only other alternative for around 3000rupees are these Corsair VS units:
https://mdcomputers.in/corsair-vs450-cp-9020170-uk.html

Amazon.in: Buy Corsair VS550 550W Active PFC 80 Plus Power Supply (Black) Online at Low Prices in India | Corsair Reviews & Ratings

Buy Corsair VS550 550W Active PFC 80 Plus Power Supply (Black) online at low price in India on Amazon.in. Check out Corsair VS550 550W Active PFC 80 Plus Power Supply (Black) reviews, ratings, features, specifications and browse more Corsair products online at best prices on Amazon.in.

www.amazon.in

I couldn't even find anything decent at about 4000rupees that's in stock. The next best thing was at 5000+.

I'd be more comfortable recommending the Corsair PSU as I'm familiar with them. However, it seems as the Strider Essential unit should do fine.

Happy building!

Thanks much for your suggestions . They were really helpful.

I would pick between the corsair and silverstone ones based on the price value on the store.

 

[ocer9999]

Choose B365 board instead. H310 will require BIOS update before i3-9100 can be used with it.

That would be my advice as well, there are some Asrock B365 like the phantom that can "overclock" with their BFB tech I believe. Nothing like free performance

 

[Tamil.t7]

That would be my advice as well, there are some Asrock B365 like the phantom that can "overclock" with their BFB tech I believe. Nothing like free performance

Thanks for sharing your thoughts.
But, I'm sorry. Not able to understand your point.

I'm getting an i3-9100 which turbos upto 4.3Ghz when used with supported motherboards. And it is a locked chip and hence cannot be overclocked.

As per the technical sheets, the ASUS prime H310M supports TurboBoost 2.0. Hence, it should be enough to get the most out of this i3 chip. [Please let me know if I'm wrong here]

The Asrock B365 phantom costs almost twice the price of H310 boards. And I'm not sure how the B365 can boost up performance.

 

[logainofhades]

As the socket is a dead end, with regards to upgrade path, I would probably consider a Ryzen 3200g, instead, if those are reasonably priced, where you live. What is the budget, for this system?

 

[Tamil.t7]

As the socket is a dead end, with regards to upgrade path, I would probably consider a Ryzen 3200g, instead, if those are reasonably priced, where you live. What is the budget, for this system?

As the socket is a dead end, with regards to upgrade path, I would probably consider a Ryzen 3200g, instead, if those are reasonably priced, where you live. What is the budget, for this system?

The budget for is like 30-35k INR (including all I/O devices) which translates to around 400 USD.

3200G is a good option but the 9100 performs at least 10-15% better. It even beats the 3400G in many scenarios.

If I have to consider the socket support, I could only go for an X570 (which costs almost 70-80% of my entire build) or a B550 (which costs twice when compared to the H310s). Because as per AMD's announcement, all the AM4 chipsets prior to X570 and B550 will be dead when Zen 3 arrives.

Moreover, this is a home PC (zero gaming) and I don't foresee any CPU upgrade on this one at least for the next 5-6 years. To be honest, I expect this to last for a decade. I don't want to pay extra or compromise performance just for the sake of some uncertain upgrade that I'm going to do after one decade.

 

[mdd1963]

I'd shy away from any 120 GB SSD...

Go for the MX500 , at least 250 GB...

 

[Tamil.t7]

I'd shy away from any 120 GB SSD...

Go for the MX500 , at least 250 GB...

Yeah.. You're right.. Initially I also had planned for a 500GB SSD instead of a HDD. Was targeting the Samsung 860's. But for this budget, that was too much amount to spend. I have compromised the storage for accommodating a better processor.

I already have this in mind and will get a 1TB SSD after few months or a year. But for now, in order to keep the budget within limits, I have planned the 120GB SSD only for the Windows drive which should keep the system smooth enough for browsing and other basic stuffs.

To be honest, in order to upgrade the SSD, IDK which other component should i compromise. This is the max budget of the build. In order to upgrade one, I have to downgrade some other.

Because I have a feel like spending more than this for a home PC is not a good thing to do. It will be more beneficial if I spend that extra money on my gaming rig like adding more fans or something like that..

 

[julienruc]

The budget for is like 30-35k INR (including all I/O devices) which translates to around 400 USD.

3200G is a good option but the 9100 performs at least 10-15% better. It even beats the 3400G in many scenarios.

If I have to consider the socket support, I could only go for an X570 (which costs almost 70-80% of my entire build) or a B550 (which costs twice when compared to the H310s). Because as per AMD's announcement, all the AM4 chipsets prior to X570 and B550 will be dead when Zen 3 arrives.

Moreover, this is a home PC (zero gaming) and I don't foresee any CPU upgrade on this one at least for the next 5-6 years. To be honest, I expect this to last for a decade. I don't want to pay extra or compromise performance just for the sake of some uncertain upgrade that I'm going to do after one decade.

That seems a little pricey to me for a build like this. Are you planning on purchasing online or at a physical shop? Will you build this yourself or will you buy it from a shop that will build it for you?

I live in Indonesia where prices are usually pretty high as well compared to the US and I managed to make a very similar build like this for a friend for ~25k INR and it included a used RX580.

The specs I got was:
i3 9100F
ASRock H310CM
2x4GB 2666MHz CL18
GX1 120GB SSD
RX 580 4GB (used)
WE Blue 500GB HDD
Corsair CV450
Case (local brand)
2 additional case fans

I feel like you should be able to build this for much cheaper since yours doesn't include a graphics card.

I also don't know where to compromise to get your desired Samsung SSD.
If you're looking to get a larger model to start with, a good place to start is to drop the SSD to a model, which doesn't use cache. Something like a Team GX1, Adata SU635, PNY CS900, Kingston A400, Kingmax SMV, which still offer 3 years of warranty.
Though it is slower than the BX500, which has a dedicated DRAM chip, I personally don't feel much of a difference when it comes to everyday browsing/surfing unless I put them side-by-side and run them simultaneously.
This should allow you to bump up to a 240GB SSD, which can provide more leeway to install apps or upgrade the HDD to a 1TB model if that's what you prefer. Or at least buy you more time until you can afford the 1TB SSD.
Also, if you're not storing a bunch of pictures and videos directly. You might also consider dropping the HDD entirely to get a larger/better SSD. You can then purchase the HDD later on in several months, and add it when you actually need the extra space.

If you can list some websites you trust, we could help you put something together within your budget maybe? Could be worth having a look.

 

[logainofhades]

The budget for is like 30-35k INR (including all I/O devices) which translates to around 400 USD.

3200G is a good option but the 9100 performs at least 10-15% better. It even beats the 3400G in many scenarios.

If I have to consider the socket support, I could only go for an X570 (which costs almost 70-80% of my entire build) or a B550 (which costs twice when compared to the H310s). Because as per AMD's announcement, all the AM4 chipsets prior to X570 and B550 will be dead when Zen 3 arrives.

Moreover, this is a home PC (zero gaming) and I don't foresee any CPU upgrade on this one at least for the next 5-6 years. To be honest, I expect this to last for a decade. I don't want to pay extra or compromise performance just for the sake of some uncertain upgrade that I'm going to do after one decade.

AMD reversed course on that. B450 is still a viable option, for Zen 3. Still from what I am seeing, why bother building? Just go buy a Dell, Lenovo, or HP, and call it a day. I am not sure if dell outlet is a thing, in your country. You are never intending to upgrade, or game, with this machine, so there is little advantage of building your own.