Need CPU reccomendation for office use

[Luna2]

So i'm about to build 4-5 PC's for my parents' office. What they're primarily going to be used for is word, excel, emails and some light inventory software.

 

I've never built a PC before and don't own one so I have nothing to compare specs like cores, base and boost clocks and all that to.

 

What I do know is that what they have now is AT LEAST a decade old and was about $350 at the time, is running windows 7 and takes awfully long to fire up word. So anything is an upgrade.

 

I've been watching LTT for quite some time so I at least know theoretically how to build a PC but I need help choosing a CPU.

 

These are the prices I can get locally:

Athlon 3000G - $60

Ryzen 3 2200G - $90

Ryzen 3 3200G - $108

 

I'm having a hard time deciding if the price jump is worth it in terms of performace as a Ryzen 3 2200G is only $30 more than an Athlon 3000G, but a Ryzen 3 3200G is only another $20 more. That's already almost double the cost of an Athlon 3000G!

 

To any experienced PC builders out there what do you suggest?

[geo3]

6 minutes ago, Luna2 said:

To any experienced PC builders out there what do you suggest?

I suggest not building. Get a pre-built.

7 minutes ago, Luna2 said:

parents' office.

https://www.dell.com/en-us/work/shop/desktops-all-in-one-pcs/sr/desktops-n-workstations/under-600?appliedRefinements=15397

[Akira Shimazu]

37 minutes ago, geo3 said:

I suggest not building. Get a pre-built.

https://www.dell.com/en-us/work/shop/desktops-all-in-one-pcs/sr/desktops-n-workstations/under-600?appliedRefinements=15397

PCPartPicker Part List

CPU: AMD Ryzen 3 2200G 3.5 GHz Quad-Core Processor  ($77.98 @ Walmart) 
Motherboard: ASRock B450M PRO4 Micro ATX AM4 Motherboard 
Memory: Team Vulcan 8 GB (2 x 4 GB) DDR4-3000 Memory  ($69.98 @ Amazon) 
Storage: Sabrent Rocket 256 GB M.2-2280 NVME Solid State Drive  ($44.98 @ Amazon) 
Case: Thermaltake Versa H18 MicroATX Mini Tower Case  ($54.99 @ Amazon) 
Power Supply: Corsair CX (2017) 450 W 80+ Bronze Certified ATX Power Supply  ($53.98 @ Newegg) 
Total: $301.91
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2019-12-15 02:33 EST-0500

 

yes it worth for core. dual core its starting to hard to use now. 4 core at least. 3200G is not worth if you only do office work.  there are lot of WIndows key out there. but even Win10 trial is fine tho.

Btw i pick the case random so if you found cheaper go with it. as long as it has good airflow.

[Votivee]

Yeah I'd just go pre-built, especially if you have never built before. Troubleshooting your own PC for why it won't boot is one thing, but troubleshooting 5 office PC's that employees need to do their job with zero experience is a whole other thing.

 

One thing I'd suggest trying first, maybe try replacing the hard drives in one of the current PC's with an SSD. SSDs can really breathe new life into old hardware, especially if the current hard drives are 10+ years old. You could do 5 PC's for less than $200 easily, and then add some RAM. Also could be more hassle than it's worth.

 

One thing to look out for... if these PC's are really that old make sure any old software is A) Compatible with a newer OS and B) Is compatible with newer hardware. 

[dizmo]

I agree. Prebuilt. They also include Windows, so you're going to end up spending less in the long run.

1 hour ago, Wolfycapt said:

yes it worth for core. dual core its starting to hard to use now. 4 core at least. 3200G is not worth if you only do office work.  there are lot of WIndows key out there. but even Win10 trial is fine tho.

Btw i pick the case random so if you found cheaper go with it. as long as it has good airflow.

Recommending Windows Trial or less than legitimate Windows keys for a business is absolutely ridiculous.

[Queen Chrysalis]

1 hour ago, Wolfycapt said:

PCPartPicker Part List

CPU: AMD Ryzen 3 2200G 3.5 GHz Quad-Core Processor  ($77.98 @ Walmart) 
Motherboard: ASRock B450M PRO4 Micro ATX AM4 Motherboard 
Memory: Team Vulcan 8 GB (2 x 4 GB) DDR4-3000 Memory  ($69.98 @ Amazon) 
Storage: Sabrent Rocket 256 GB M.2-2280 NVME Solid State Drive  ($44.98 @ Amazon) 
Case: Thermaltake Versa H18 MicroATX Mini Tower Case  ($54.99 @ Amazon) 
Power Supply: Corsair CX (2017) 450 W 80+ Bronze Certified ATX Power Supply  ($53.98 @ Newegg) 
Total: $301.91
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2019-12-15 02:33 EST-0500

 

yes it worth for core. dual core its starting to hard to use now. 4 core at least. 3200G is not worth if you only do office work.  there are lot of WIndows key out there. but even Win10 trial is fine tho.

Btw i pick the case random so if you found cheaper go with it. as long as it has good airflow.

Does he really need a sebrent rocket for office use?  Keep in mind its general office use, not HEDT workstation stuff.  I'd just get a cheapo 120 for windows and pother programs, and  add an old HDD from some other computer (or just do the whole thing as a tiered storage volume in StoreMI).

[Akira Shimazu]

25 minutes ago, dizmo said:

I agree. Prebuilt. They also include Windows, so you're going to end up spending less in the long run.

Recommending Windows Trial or less than legitimate Windows keys for a business is absolutely ridiculous.

yeah forgot its for business. thx u

 

3 minutes ago, Queen Chrysalis said:

Does he really need a sebrent rocket for office use?  Keep in mind its general office use, not HEDT workstation stuff.  I'd just get a cheapo 120 for windows and pother programs, and  add an old HDD from some other computer (or just do the whole thing as a tiered storage volume in StoreMI).

it's $44? you can change it like 120GB Adata SU650 with HDD tho.

[Queen Chrysalis]

Just now, Wolfycapt said:

yeah forgot its for business. thx u

 

it's $44? you can change it like 120GB Adata SU650 with HDD tho.

Yeah, yeah, just alot of little things here and there add up.  $44 for a240gb ssd is actually pretty steep considering basic 500gb ssds can be had for that or less.  Like how were going with a corsair  (moderately respectable gaming PSU) for a system that would totally be fine with an antec VP or the like for another 20 dollars less.  Or the $55 dollar case that could just as well be a simple rosewill ranger for $30 less.  All that could go towards getting a legitimate 16gb of RAM for heavy multitasking (which a lot of people do at work).  Also, who in there right mind is paying $70 for 8gb of ram in december 2019 when 16gb aegis kits (totally fine for this case, I've gamed on these dimms) can be had for $50.

[Akira Shimazu]

1 minute ago, Queen Chrysalis said:

Yeah, yeah, just alot of little things here and there add up.  $44 for a240gb ssd is actually pretty steep considering basic 500gb ssds can be had for that or less.  Like how were going with a corsair  (moderately respectable gaming PSU) for a system that would totally be fine with an antec VP or the like for another 20 dollars less.  Or the $55 dollar case that could just as well be a simple rosewill ranger for $30 less.  All that could go towards getting a legitimate 16gb of RAM for heavy multitasking (which a lot of people do at work).  Also, who in there right mind is paying $70 for 8gb of ram in december 2019 when 16gb aegis kits (totally fine for this case, I've gamed on these dimms) can be had for $50.

hm... interisting. can you make the part list then? it would be help for the Person tho.

[Queen Chrysalis]

Just now, Wolfycapt said:

hm... interisting. can you make the part list then? it would be help for the Person tho.

yeah sure gimme a minute

 

[Queen Chrysalis]

PCPartPicker Part List

CPU: AMD Ryzen 3 2200G 3.5 GHz Quad-Core Processor  ($77.98 @ Walmart) 
Motherboard: Gigabyte B450M DS3H Micro ATX AM4 Motherboard  ($63.98 @ Newegg) 
Memory: Team T-FORCE VULCAN Z 16 GB (2 x 8 GB) DDR4-3200 Memory  ($54.99 @ Newegg) 
Storage: ADATA SU635 240 GB 2.5" Solid State Drive  ($25.99 @ Amazon) 
Storage: Hitachi Ultrastar 2 TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive  ($34.95 @ Amazon) 
Case: Rosewill SRM-01 MicroATX Mini Tower Case  ($29.99 @ Amazon) 
Power Supply: Corsair CX (2017) 450 W 80+ Bronze Certified ATX Power Supply  ($53.98 @ Newegg) 
Total: $341.86
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2019-12-15 04:39 EST-0500

 

Wow, was there a run on PSUs or something?  Nothing is available and prices are up.  For shame.

 

I include a hard drive because it was only 35 bucks for a 2tb.  You can definitely remove it from the build and be fine, but it would be helpful to have all of your personal files on a separate drive from your system, as SSDs slow down when they get too full, and if something goes wrong with windows, you can reinstall it on the SSD without having to move your personal files.

 

EDIT:  The price discrepancy between this and the originally suggested build is larger than it appears, as the originally suggested build does not include the price of the motherboard, something must have gone wrong with the hyperlink other Wolfy's hyperlink.

[Queen Chrysalis]

Its also worth noting that if you live near a microcenter, they have CPUs cheaper than anyone else and they give you a discount when you bundle one with a motherboard in store.  You can aslo get SSDs pretty cheap there, as their generic Inland Pro SSDs actually perform quite well.  I bought a couple of 120gb models for my parents laptops for $15 each last month, honestly, thats all you would need if you had a HDD in the system for file storage.

[LienusLateTips]

PCPartPicker Part List

CPU: AMD Ryzen 3 2200G 3.5 GHz Quad-Core Processor  ($77.98 @ Amazon) 
Motherboard: ASRock B450M Pro4-F Micro ATX AM4 Motherboard  ($74.49 @ SuperBiiz) 
Memory: GeIL EVO POTENZA 8 GB (2 x 4 GB) DDR4-3000 Memory  ($34.99 @ Newegg) 
Storage: Silicon Power Ace A55 256 GB 2.5" Solid State Drive  ($27.99 @ Amazon) 
Case: Deepcool MATREXX 30 MicroATX Mini Tower Case  ($34.98 @ Newegg) 
Power Supply: Corsair CX (2017) 450 W 80+ Bronze Certified ATX Power Supply  ($53.98 @ Newegg) 
Total: $304.41
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2019-12-15 05:29 EST-0500

 

 

grab windows off ebay for $3. 

 

 

[Luna2]

Thank you for all the replies! I'll definitely look into pre-built systems first. I'm not from the US so there are some price differences here and there.

2 hours ago, Votivee said:

Yeah I'd just go pre-built, especially if you have never built before. Troubleshooting your own PC for why it won't boot is one thing, but troubleshooting 5 office PC's that employees need to do their job with zero experience is a whole other thing.

What I actually meant was that I've never built a PC from scratch so I'm not too sure about picking out the parts. I have had experience in fixing PC's for my friends and family though. So i'm fairly confident in my abilities to build them.

(Fixing = trying to find what component isn't working and replacing it with whatever they had gotten)

 

2 hours ago, Votivee said:

One thing I'd suggest trying first, maybe try replacing the hard drives in one of the current PC's with an SSD. SSDs can really breathe new life into old hardware, especially if the current hard drives are 10+ years old.

Pretty sure this is out of the question cause those PC's are running pre 2009 low end intel CPU's.

 

2 hours ago, Wolfycapt said:

3200G is not worth if you only do office work.

I guess its agreed that 2200G is sufficient for office use? I'll try to come up with a build in a sec with your suggestions.

 

+ Is it safe to continue using the 10 year old hard drives from the old PC's as additional storage?

[Queen Chrysalis]

29 minutes ago, LienusLateTips said:

PCPartPicker Part List

CPU: AMD Ryzen 3 2200G 3.5 GHz Quad-Core Processor  ($77.98 @ Amazon) 
Motherboard: ASRock B450M Pro4-F Micro ATX AM4 Motherboard  ($74.49 @ SuperBiiz) 
Memory: GeIL EVO POTENZA 8 GB (2 x 4 GB) DDR4-3000 Memory  ($34.99 @ Newegg) 
Storage: Silicon Power Ace A55 256 GB 2.5" Solid State Drive  ($27.99 @ Amazon) 
Case: Deepcool MATREXX 30 MicroATX Mini Tower Case  ($34.98 @ Newegg) 
Power Supply: Corsair CX (2017) 450 W 80+ Bronze Certified ATX Power Supply  ($53.98 @ Newegg) 
Total: $304.41
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2019-12-15 05:29 EST-0500

 

 

grab windows off ebay for $3. 

 

 

Leinus, I know the Pro4 is great, but I doubt its worth the extra 12 dollars for an office pc, not to mention you cut the ram down to 8gb.  Righto about the ebay keys though.  $3 is, however, a steep price to pay.  $1.75 TOPS not a cent more.

[Luna2]

Just now, Queen Chrysalis said:

$1.75 TOPS not a cent more.

I can get one for RM4 which is less than a dollar

[boggy77]

PCPartPicker Part List

Type	Item	Price
CPU	AMD Athlon 3000G 3.5 GHz Dual-Core Processor	$49.99 @ B&H
Motherboard	ASRock B450M Pro4-F Micro ATX AM4 Motherboard	$74.49 @ SuperBiiz
Memory	GeIL EVO POTENZA 8 GB (2 x 4 GB) DDR4-3000 Memory	$34.99 @ Newegg
Storage	TCSunBow X3 240 GB 2.5" Solid State Drive	$27.99 @ Amazon
Case	Thermaltake Versa H18 MicroATX Mini Tower Case	$54.99 @ Amazon
Power Supply	Corsair CX (2017) 450 W 80+ Bronze Certified ATX Power Supply	$53.98 @ Newegg
	Prices include shipping, taxes, rebates, and discounts
	Total	$296.43
	Generated by PCPartPicker 2019-12-15 07:13 EST-0500

This should be enough

[Akira Shimazu]

51 minutes ago, boggy77 said:

PCPartPicker Part List

Type	Item	Price
CPU	AMD Athlon 3000G 3.5 GHz Dual-Core Processor	$49.99 @ B&H
Motherboard	ASRock B450M Pro4-F Micro ATX AM4 Motherboard	$74.49 @ SuperBiiz
Memory	GeIL EVO POTENZA 8 GB (2 x 4 GB) DDR4-3000 Memory	$34.99 @ Newegg
Storage	TCSunBow X3 240 GB 2.5" Solid State Drive	$27.99 @ Amazon
Case	Thermaltake Versa H18 MicroATX Mini Tower Case	$54.99 @ Amazon
Power Supply	Corsair CX (2017) 450 W 80+ Bronze Certified ATX Power Supply	$53.98 @ Newegg
	Prices include shipping, taxes, rebates, and discounts
	Total	$296.43
	Generated by PCPartPicker 2019-12-15 07:13 EST-0500

This should be enough

NO DUAL CORE. we already discuss it.

[boggy77]

37 minutes ago, Wolfycapt said:

NO DUAL CORE. we already discuss it.

2c/4t is going to be similar to 4c/4t. I don't think it's worth the extra cost

[Akira Shimazu]

46 minutes ago, boggy77 said:

2c/4t is going to be similar to 4c/4t. I don't think it's worth the extra cost

its just 30$ difference. and its not similiar. 

[Luna2]

CPU: Ryzen 3 2200G - $90

Motherboard: MSI B450M Pro VDH MAX - AM4 $87

                        or ASRock B450M-HDV $75 (Is there a difference between these?)

Memory: Patriot Viper Elite DDR4 16GB (2x8GB) 2400MHz Kit $68 (Damn is RAM expensive here..)

               or V-GeN Tsunami DDR4 8GB (2x4GB) 3200Mhz $43 (This is a local brand and has a life time waranty. Is it ok to get questionable RAM?)

Storage: SSD Adata SU650 240GB $28

Case: Thermaltake Versa H18 MicroATX Mini Tower Case $43

Power Supply: Corsair VS450 450W $40

Total: $319 - $356

 

How's this? These are the prices I get in Indonesia

[LienusLateTips]

7 hours ago, Luna2 said:

CPU: Ryzen 3 2200G - $90

Motherboard: MSI B450M Pro VDH MAX - AM4 $87

                        or ASRock B450M-HDV $75 (Is there a difference between these?)

Memory: Patriot Viper Elite DDR4 16GB (2x8GB) 2400MHz Kit $68 (Damn is RAM expensive here..)

               or V-GeN Tsunami DDR4 8GB (2x4GB) 3200Mhz $43 (This is a local brand and has a life time waranty. Is it ok to get questionable RAM?)

Storage: SSD Adata SU650 240GB $28

Case: Thermaltake Versa H18 MicroATX Mini Tower Case $43

Power Supply: Corsair VS450 450W $40

Total: $319 - $356

 

How's this? These are the prices I get in Indonesia

Everything looks good. I'd go for the HDV for such a low end build, and spend the cash on a better PSU. Can you find something like Corsair CX or Pure Power 10?

[Queen Chrysalis]

33 minutes ago, LienusLateTips said:

Everything looks good. I'd go for the HDV for such a low end build, and spend the cash on a better PSU. Can you find something like Corsair CX or Pure Power 10?

I second the HDV.  With ram prices as they are, you should have no issue getting 16gb for ~$55 (or less) so a board with 4 dimm slots is worthless because the amount you would spend to have expansion room could just go towards having 16gb now, and not having to worry about expansion (-$12 for getting a 2 slot board, +12 for going from 8gb to 16gb of ram).  Its a net zero exchange that results in having twice as much ram now, and not even having to think about buying more later.

 

Also, a small upgrade fee for the CX is not a bad idea.  Personally, I think the current tier list is very accurate in its teirings, but it borders on paranoia with it's assessment of the usability of lower tier PSUs.  Think about the the absolute garbage that HP and Dell OEM from china for 90% of the desktops on the marklet.  Are they exploding in office buildings across the country?  No.  So for low power systems, I personally would feel fine with literally anything antec, corsair, cooler master, EVGA, seasonic, superflower etc.. have made in the last ~5 years.