[SOLVED] Questions on these for an Office Computer (Suggestions welcome)

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Yeldur

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Hi all,

Looking at an Office computer for a friend, it's not something that he can build himself (nor can I, as we do not live close) - So am looking at pre-builds.

So far this looks like the best candidate, but it's technically £79 over his budget.

Realistically for a £500 budget, we're not going to be looking at anything top of the line, but he is open to using a refurbished device... The question is how to pick out what's good versus what's bad.

What's peoples thoughts on these as an Office computer? (This would be used for business use, not leisure)

Dell Inspiron 3910
https://www.amazon.co.uk/HP-Desktop-Computer-Graphics-Professional/dp/B094799XQ2/ (DDR3 noted, so on a rough scale 16GB is about equivalent to 8 DDR4)

Things that will be running on this are:

Microsoft Suite (Including OneNote)
Microsoft Teams
Microsoft To-Do
Edge + Chrome

Most of these will be running at the same time, we're looking to do so smoothly in an ideal world.

Any help/support appreciated!
 
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Heat has never once been an issue for me. The PC runs cool and quiet unless windows is updating or you’re playing games or doing heavy IO

I use mine to run a Windows development virtual machine as well as a Linux dev virtual machine while connected remotely to work working on that stuff to

Never had one issue the thing is a little performance beast and it’s got some decent gaming chops

Just make sure to leave the air vents unobstructed

For the use case that you have outlined this will not be a problem the overheating not one little bit. Now if he decides to play some beefy games You will hear the fan running but I still doubt it would overheat

punkncat

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I would suggest looking a little deeper on Dell Business website and see if you can't find something more similar to the 3910 you linked first, or ask friend to skip morning coffee for a week or two. That isn't a terrible price for a modern machine.

The two mini PC with the 8th gen are "meh". The first (Amazon) one is well over the hill.

I can tell you that building a system with the spec of the first one on your own would still be pretty close and especially if you add in OS license. Of what you are looking at, it is the way to go IMO.
 
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punkncat

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The guy relates that the 79# over is asking a lot of the friend and you are going to suggest something $264 (112#) over? And in a super mini form factor?

That's some pretty terrible advice right there.
 
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Deleted member 14196

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The guy relates that the 79# over is asking a lot of the friend and you are going to suggest something $264 (112#) over? And in a super mini form factor?

That's some pretty terrible advice right there.

that is a monster of a performer. all they would ever need for office duties. AND it's modern and high performance. in fact, they can get lesser model for even lower than budget and STILL be covered.

I love these little beasts, they sit silent all day while you work, sipping power, unlike your howling and horrible HOG of a pc. anyway, you do you.
 

punkncat

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that is a monster of a performer. all they would ever need for office duties. AND it's modern and high performance. in fact, they can get lesser model for even lower than budget and STILL be covered.

I love these little beasts, they sit silent all day while you work, sipping power, unlike your horrible HOG of a pc. anyway, you do you.


Well, I mean I am doing me. Perhaps you (and someone else) missed this:

technically £79 over his budget.

Realistically for a £500 budget, we're not going to be looking at anything top of the line, but he is open to using a refurbished device

I don't disagree with you about the performance of the little machine. They are well reviewed and nifty to top, but completely outside the factor in price the OP is asking about.

Hey, can you recommend me a nice cheap Ford? Yeah! Look at this GT40!
 

Yeldur

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Thanks for all the advice guys, definitely going to dump the original ideas I had above.


I would suggest looking a little deeper on Dell Business website and see if you can't find something more similar to the 3910 you linked first, or ask friend to skip morning coffee for a week or two. That isn't a terrible price for a modern machine.

The two mini PC with the 8th gen are "meh". The first (Amazon) one is well over the hill.

I can tell you that building a system with the spec of the first one on your own would still be pretty close and especially if you add in OS license. Of what you are looking at, it is the way to go IMO.

This is again, a bit overbudget, but a possibility:
https://www.dell.com/en-uk/work/sho...10/spd/vostro-3910-desktop/n7519vdt3910emea01
But there's also this which hits pretty much right on the mark:
https://www.dell.com/en-uk/work/sho...pd/vostro-3910-desktop/n3559_m2cvdt3910emea01

For basic stuff like MS Office and internet browsing, I'd suggest getting something like an Intel NUC. The only downside is that you have to provide your own operating system, but the price and functionality for what you need them for is definitely better than anything you can get pre-owned.

https://www.newegg.com/intel-rnuc11pahi70001/p/N82E16856102275?Description=intel nuc&cm_re=intel_nuc--56-102-275--Product&quicklink=true
Given the recent issues that came out as per Gamers Nexus I can't say I trust them as a platform, however I've had a look down the line of a NUC on the same line of the specs on the link you sent but sadly wasn't able to find anything in the UK that was within price range (as he would need a Windows OS as well) - I'll keep my eyes peeled though in case a deal pops up on a website. Thanks for the suggestion!

Those are all old desktops not worth what they are selling them for. Something like this is much more modern, although its a laptop.
This is a cheaper although half the ram version.

I'll keep these in mind in case he wants to opt for a Laptop, from what he's told me he's no longer mobile and when he is, he has an alternate device for this purpose, so is mostly looking to have something static for his office.
Thanks for that! I'll take a look!


Appreciate the suggestion but as some other guys have stated above; it's well over my budget. If you can suggest something similar that fits within budget, then I'm totally open to looking!
 
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punkncat

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I would avoid the Vostro line from Dell. It is their budget line and just isn't as good down the road. I would suggest sticking with Optiplex and or Inspiron for something you want to keep around. Optiplex is by far my favorite. You don't see so many of these old machines available as a refurb because they suck or don't last. I (had) a side hustle doing easy refurb/reboots on 3rd and 4th gen Optiplex 7 and 9000 series machines with the i5 and i7. They sold well and none of them have come back to bite me in the ass either. Unfortunately W11 release seems to have shaken the markets desire for things that won't upgrade to it and my last batch sat around longer than I wanted. I am currently using a 7020 (IIRC) with the 3770 on my TV in the living room while doing some build reshuffling. It performs commendably, even still.
 

g-unit1111

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Given the recent issues that came out as per Gamers Nexus I can't say I trust them as a platform, however I've had a look down the line of a NUC on the same line of the specs on the link you sent but sadly wasn't able to find anything in the UK that was within price range (as he would need a Windows OS as well) - I'll keep my eyes peeled though in case a deal pops up on a website. Thanks for the suggestion!

Yeah the bad thing with an NUC is that buying your own OS can be a deal breaker. But they're light years ahead of the refurbished "office" systems that Dell and HP resell until they can't resell them anymore. Think of that like buying a car from a shady used car dealership - you don't know where that system has been, but you can tell that it's been resold and repaired enough times that you would not want to use it.
 
For basic stuff like MS Office and internet browsing, I'd suggest getting something like an Intel NUC. The only downside is that you have to provide your own operating system, but the price and functionality for what you need them for is definitely better than anything you can get pre-owned.

https://www.newegg.com/intel-rnuc11pahi70001/p/N82E16856102275?Description=intel nuc&cm_re=intel_nuc--56-102-275--Product&quicklink=true
Unfortunately it's more than just providing the OS. NUCs come without storage or memory by default and that additional cost has to be taken into account.
 

Yeldur

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I would avoid the Vostro line from Dell. It is their budget line and just isn't as good down the road. I would suggest sticking with Optiplex and or Inspiron for something you want to keep around. Optiplex is by far my favorite. You don't see so many of these old machines available as a refurb because they suck or don't last. I (had) a side hustle doing easy refurb/reboots on 3rd and 4th gen Optiplex 7 and 9000 series machines with the i5 and i7. They sold well and none of them have come back to bite me in the ass either. Unfortunately W11 release seems to have shaken the markets desire for things that won't upgrade to it and my last batch sat around longer than I wanted. I am currently using a 7020 (IIRC) with the 3770 on my TV in the living room while doing some build reshuffling. It performs commendably, even still.
Hmmm okay, noted.

Would something like this work? It's on budget, but I can see we're 10th gen and the storage space is pretty low, I'd need to compare to his current system and see if that's a downgrade or an upgrade ;o
https://www.dell.com/en-uk/shop/des...90-sff/spd/optiplex-3090-desktop/s005o3090sff

Yeah the bad thing with an NUC is that buying your own OS can be a deal breaker. But they're light years ahead of the refurbished "office" systems that Dell and HP resell until they can't resell them anymore. Think of that like buying a car from a shady used car dealership - you don't know where that system has been, but you can tell that it's been resold and repaired enough times that you would not want to use it.
Hahahaha, that totally makes sense, if the budget weren't so tight I'd certainly be recommending above cut, but for him it's a business expense for the most part on his side and sadly he just can't afford to go over the margin. I think I could maybe prod him slightly over £500 but short of that it's not likely to be feasible.

Unfortunately it's more than just providing the OS. NUCs come without storage or memory by default and that additional cost has to be taken into account.
Oof! Noted! Had no idea that was the case as well. With storage and memory factored in that makes things significantly more difficult.
 
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That’s why I would buy a Beelink. it comes with windows pro and it comes with storage it’s a complete PC. I would never buy a Nuc

Just get the model that fits your budget. This is a complete PC with operating system storage and memory

This translates to £368

Limited-time deal: Beelink Mini PC SER3 Windows 11, AMD Ryzen 7 3750H(up to 4GHz), 16GB DDR4 RAM, 500GB NVME SSD, 4K@60Hz Triple Display Dual HDMI Type-C, 57W High Performance Business Office Gaming Computer HTPC https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09HCCVSJR/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_dl_20DZ2WPBCXSTG3C6S54W

It is a very high performance little machine that will sit quietly on your desktop while you work and it’s a complete PC not a rip off like a NUC

And this little PC will out perform anything that you are considering it is completely modern and efficient. It is also upgradable and has a second SSD nvme slot as well as a sata slot for a hard drive you could put in with an SSD later. it’s upgradable you can also upgrade the ram and storage as budget allows

If you didn’t want to open it up and add a sata SSD you could always use an external drive USB for cheap

I’ve got one of these and I use it to run development virtual machines and it’s a little high-performance workhorse. Your friend will have no problems whatsoever with this machine over its lifetime as far as performance goes
 
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punkncat

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Hmmm okay, noted.

Would something like this work? It's on budget, but I can see we're 10th gen and the storage space is pretty low, I'd need to compare to his current system and see if that's a downgrade or an upgrade ;o
https://www.dell.com/en-uk/shop/des...90-sff/spd/optiplex-3090-desktop/s005o3090sff

Where this is within budget, the 3910 you linked first is a 12th gen i5 which is multiples more powerful than the i3 10105 linked in the above machine. Where I don't feel like it would be 'deal-breaking' at this point, the 12400 is going to be better for much farther into the future. Aside from that aspect, might consider the size of the location for install, IE are they wanting a tower or a SFF for the spot it will sit.
 

Eximo

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Very similar to the MSI Pro desktop I found on Newegg. That seems to be the going rate for these slightly older business machines with an 10th gen i3.

I don't have issues using a much older 4th gen i7 quad core as a daily driver, and a 10th gen i3 is more like a 6th or 7th gen i7.

Up until a few months ago I was handling complex excel, powershell, SQL, and other stuff on a 7th gen dual core i5 laptop at work.

https://www.cpubenchmark.net/compar...vs-Intel-i7-7700/4259vs4677vs3441vs2006vs2905
 

Yeldur

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That’s why I would buy a Beelink. it comes with windows pro and it comes with storage it’s a complete PC. I would never buy a Nuc

Just get the model that fits your budget. This is a complete PC with operating system storage and memory

This translates to £368

Limited-time deal: Beelink Mini PC SER3 Windows 11, AMD Ryzen 7 3750H(up to 4GHz), 16GB DDR4 RAM, 500GB NVME SSD, 4K@60Hz Triple Display Dual HDMI Type-C, 57W High Performance Business Office Gaming Computer HTPC https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09HCCVSJR/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_dl_20DZ2WPBCXSTG3C6S54W

It is a very high performance little machine that will sit quietly on your desktop while you work and it’s a complete PC not a rip off like a NUC

And this little PC will out perform anything that you are considering it is completely modern and efficient. It is also upgradable and has a second SSD nvme slot as well as a sata slot for a hard drive you could put in with an SSD later. it’s upgradable you can also upgrade the ram and storage as budget allows

If you didn’t want to open it up and add a sata SSD you could always use an external drive USB for cheap

I’ve got one of these and I use it to run development virtual machines and it’s a little high-performance workhorse. Your friend will have no problems whatsoever with this machine over its lifetime as far as performance goes
Thanks for that, I found the equivalent on the UK site and it was £449 https://www.amazon.co.uk/Beelink-Windows11-Processor-Bluetooth-1000Mbps/dp/B09HGMQLPG/ - Which is in range of budget. Could cooling become an issue? I know SFF are likely to face the same problems as a Laptop in that they're very compact and thus more susceptible to heating up. I know that his office is a lot of glass, so it can get very hot inside, would this be a point of concern?

Where this is within budget, the 3910 you linked first is a 12th gen i5 which is multiples more powerful than the i3 10105 linked in the above machine. Where I don't feel like it would be 'deal-breaking' at this point, the 12400 is going to be better for much farther into the future. Aside from that aspect, might consider the size of the location for install, IE are they wanting a tower or a SFF for the spot it will sit.
Mm, I figured as much.

I don't think they particularly mind whether SFF or Tower really; it's mostly just a case of finding something that works properly. I think the aim is to avoid Laptops from what he told me, but other than that I think he's fine with whatever. The only potential point of concern with SFF is what I mention above with Mandark.

Very similar to the MSI Pro desktop I found on Newegg. That seems to be the going rate for these slightly older business machines with an 10th gen i3.

I don't have issues using a much older 4th gen i7 quad core as a daily driver, and a 10th gen i3 is more like a 6th or 7th gen i7.

Up until a few months ago I was handling complex excel, powershell, SQL, and other stuff on a 7th gen dual core i5 laptop at work.

https://www.cpubenchmark.net/compar...vs-Intel-i7-7700/4259vs4677vs3441vs2006vs2905
Hmm okay, thanks for that, the comparison definitely seems to place the 12th gen a few cuts above all the rest, but I'm less looking for pure raw power and more for "This will work, and this will do me better than what I've got currently whilst lasting me a long time."

For comparison, he's running a i5-4210U, the computer being approx 6 years old at this stage, so I'm pretty sure we're hitting stages where it's just going to be upgraded by almost anything (short of buying a brick) at this stage.
 
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Heat has never once been an issue for me. The PC runs cool and quiet unless windows is updating or you’re playing games or doing heavy IO

I use mine to run a Windows development virtual machine as well as a Linux dev virtual machine while connected remotely to work working on that stuff to

Never had one issue the thing is a little performance beast and it’s got some decent gaming chops

Just make sure to leave the air vents unobstructed

For the use case that you have outlined this will not be a problem the overheating not one little bit. Now if he decides to play some beefy games You will hear the fan running but I still doubt it would overheat
 
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Yeldur

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Jan 28, 2017
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Heat has never once been an issue for me. The PC runs cool and quiet unless windows is updating or you’re playing games or doing heavy IO

I use mine to run a Windows development virtual machine as well as a Linux dev virtual machine while connected remotely to work working on that stuff to

Never had one issue the thing is a little performance beast and it’s got some decent gaming chops

Just make sure to leave the air vents unobstructed

For the use case that you have outlined this will not be a problem the overheating not one little bit. Now if he decides to play some beefy games You will hear the fan running but I still doubt it would overheat
Gotcha.

I think of all the above this does sound like the best option to proceed forwards with; I liked the Newegg suggested PC's but with Newegg being the way they are (and the fact that they would ship from the US, which from memory has worse consumer rights than the UK, it's probably not a safe choice.) I've pushed that recommendation across and he likes the idea, so I think we've found a winner.

Thanks for the support/assistance everyone! Your time and support are heavily appreciated!
 
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