Early planning of a business PC

[Colt_0pz]

Hello guys. I have been tasked with building a pc for my father's workplace up to a $1000 dollar budget and I wanted to see if there can be improvements made or an AMD equivalent. The primary task will be for storing documents, excel, photographs, and web browsing (generally multiple tabs open).Please let me know of what you think. This is nowhere near a final decision so, if you have suggestions, there are some things I want to point out. 1. A mini-itx case with dust filters is preferred (I haven't been able to find one). 2.The cpu or the board must have integrated graphics. 3. The cpu should have multi-threading to handle multiple tabs and programs open simeltaneously. 4. The storage is best kept as an SSD+HDD combo.

PCPartPicker Part List

CPU: Intel Core i7-8700 3.2 GHz 6-Core OEM/Tray Processor  ($404.39 @ Amazon) 
CPU Cooler: Noctua NH-L9i 33.84 CFM CPU Cooler  ($39.95 @ Amazon) 
Motherboard: ASRock Z390M-ITX/ac Mini ITX LGA1151 Motherboard  ($134.99 @ Amazon) 
Memory: Corsair Vengeance LPX 16 GB (2 x 8 GB) DDR4-3000 Memory  ($59.99 @ Newegg) 
Storage: Samsung 970 Evo 500 GB M.2-2280 NVME Solid State Drive  ($89.99 @ Newegg) 
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 2 TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive  ($64.99 @ Newegg) 
Case: Silverstone SG13 Mini ITX Tower Case  ($59.99 @ Amazon) 
Power Supply: SeaSonic FOCUS SGX 450 W 80+ Gold Certified Fully Modular SFX Power Supply  ($87.98 @ Newegg) 
Total: $942.27
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2019-12-22 00:20 EST-0500

[seagate_surfer]

It may be that you don't have to change anything around here, let's wait for the other members of the community to come to see what they think, but from what you say this machine seems to be enough.

[LienusLateTips]

Any chance a low end GPU and an AMD CPU could be utilized?

PCPartPicker Part List

CPU: AMD Ryzen 7 2700 3.2 GHz 8-Core Processor  ($149.99 @ Amazon) 
CPU Cooler: Noctua NH-L9i 33.84 CFM CPU Cooler  ($39.95 @ Amazon) 
Motherboard: MSI B450I GAMING PLUS AC Mini ITX AM4 Motherboard  ($123.99 @ Amazon) 
Memory: Team T-FORCE VULCAN Z 16 GB (2 x 8 GB) DDR4-3000 Memory  ($49.99 @ Newegg) 
Storage: HP EX900 500 GB M.2-2280 NVME Solid State Drive  ($56.99 @ Newegg) 
Storage: Seagate Barracuda Compute 2 TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive  ($49.99 @ Amazon) 
Video Card: MSI GeForce GT 710 1 GB Video Card  ($36.99 @ Amazon) 
Case: Silverstone SG13 Mini ITX Tower Case  ($57.99 @ B&H) 
Power Supply: Corsair CX (2017) 450 W 80+ Bronze Certified ATX Power Supply  ($53.98 @ Newegg) 
Total: $619.86
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2019-12-22 00:43 EST-0500

 

Otherwise:

PCPartPicker Part List

CPU: Intel Core i7-8700 3.2 GHz 6-Core Processor  ($309.99 @ Best Buy) 
CPU Cooler: Noctua NH-L9i 33.84 CFM CPU Cooler  ($39.95 @ Amazon) 
Motherboard: ASRock B365M-ITX/ac Mini ITX LGA1151 Motherboard  ($96.78 @ SuperBiiz) 
Memory: Team T-FORCE VULCAN Z 16 GB (2 x 8 GB) DDR4-3000 Memory  ($49.99 @ Newegg) 
Storage: HP EX900 500 GB M.2-2280 NVME Solid State Drive  ($56.99 @ Newegg) 
Storage: Seagate Barracuda Compute 2 TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive  ($49.99 @ Amazon) 
Case: Silverstone SG13 Mini ITX Tower Case  ($57.99 @ B&H) 
Power Supply: Corsair CX (2017) 450 W 80+ Bronze Certified ATX Power Supply  ($53.98 @ Newegg) 
Total: $715.66
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2019-12-22 00:45 EST-0500

 

some notes:

-the SG13's front panel is basically a dust filter

-an ATX PSU is fine

-cheaper, less overpriced SSD

-the AMD solution would likely be around the same or better in general performance

-if you need a bit more graphics performance on either, these are good options:

https://pcpartpicker.com/product/BjH48d/xfx-radeon-rx-460-4gb-double-dissipation-video-card-rx-460p4dfg5

https://pcpartpicker.com/product/tF648d/xfx-radeon-rx-570-4gb-rs-xxx-video-card-rx-570p427d6

[Colt_0pz]

5 minutes ago, LienusLateTips said:

Any chance a low end GPU and an AMD CPU could be utilized?

PCPartPicker Part List

CPU: AMD Ryzen 7 2700 3.2 GHz 8-Core Processor  ($149.99 @ Amazon) 
CPU Cooler: Noctua NH-L9i 33.84 CFM CPU Cooler  ($39.95 @ Amazon) 
Motherboard: MSI B450I GAMING PLUS AC Mini ITX AM4 Motherboard  ($123.99 @ Amazon) 
Memory: Team T-FORCE VULCAN Z 16 GB (2 x 8 GB) DDR4-3000 Memory  ($49.99 @ Newegg) 
Storage: HP EX900 500 GB M.2-2280 NVME Solid State Drive  ($56.99 @ Newegg) 
Storage: Seagate Barracuda Compute 2 TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive  ($49.99 @ Amazon) 
Video Card: MSI GeForce GT 710 1 GB Video Card  ($36.99 @ Amazon) 
Case: Silverstone SG13 Mini ITX Tower Case  ($57.99 @ B&H) 
Power Supply: Corsair CX (2017) 450 W 80+ Bronze Certified ATX Power Supply  ($53.98 @ Newegg) 
Total: $619.86
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2019-12-22 00:43 EST-0500

 

Otherwise:

PCPartPicker Part List

CPU: Intel Core i7-8700 3.2 GHz 6-Core Processor  ($309.99 @ Best Buy) 
CPU Cooler: Noctua NH-L9i 33.84 CFM CPU Cooler  ($39.95 @ Amazon) 
Motherboard: ASRock B365M-ITX/ac Mini ITX LGA1151 Motherboard  ($96.78 @ SuperBiiz) 
Memory: Team T-FORCE VULCAN Z 16 GB (2 x 8 GB) DDR4-3000 Memory  ($49.99 @ Newegg) 
Storage: HP EX900 500 GB M.2-2280 NVME Solid State Drive  ($56.99 @ Newegg) 
Storage: Seagate Barracuda Compute 2 TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive  ($49.99 @ Amazon) 
Case: Silverstone SG13 Mini ITX Tower Case  ($57.99 @ B&H) 
Power Supply: Corsair CX (2017) 450 W 80+ Bronze Certified ATX Power Supply  ($53.98 @ Newegg) 
Total: $715.66
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2019-12-22 00:45 EST-0500

 

some notes:

-the SG13's front panel is basically a dust filter

-an ATX PSU is fine

-cheaper, less overpriced SSD

-the AMD solution would likely be around the same or better in general performance

-if you need a bit more graphics performance on either, these are good options:

https://pcpartpicker.com/product/BjH48d/xfx-radeon-rx-460-4gb-double-dissipation-video-card-rx-460p4dfg5

https://pcpartpicker.com/product/tF648d/xfx-radeon-rx-570-4gb-rs-xxx-video-card-rx-570p427d6

Thank you for your suggestions but I prefer to not have a dedicated video card since this pc won't be used for any games. However, a small GPU only for basic video out is okay

[LienusLateTips]

Just now, Colt_0pz said:

Thank you for your suggestions but I prefer to not have a dedicated video card since this pc won't be used for any games. However, a small GPU only for basic video out is okay

Considering even a Ryzen 7 2700 + GT 710 would be cheaper than a i7 8700 with integrated, it's certainly a better option...

[DobertRownySr]

Hey, just so you know the 8700 doesn't overclock and has 6 cores.
Would you consider buying the 3700x or 3600x instead? They are a lot cheaper and will get 95% the same FPS in games and more if/when overclocked.

[LienusLateTips]

Just now, DobertRownySr said:

Hey, just so you know the 8700 doesn't overclock and has 6 cores.
Would you consider buying the 3700x or 3600x instead? They are a lot cheaper and will get 95% the same FPS in games and more if/when overclocked.

The PC won't be used for games. Read it over.

The 2700 would be a better option, at $150.

[DobertRownySr]

Just now, LienusLateTips said:

The PC won't be used for games. Read it over.

The 2700 would be a better option, at $150.

My bad, yeah if you're not gaming. Go with AMD. Intel's only advantage is gaming. 2700 would be very good.
If you live near a microcenter, they currently have the 1600 (6 core 12 thread) for $80.

[dizmo]

Uh...is it just storing photographs?
If so, unless he's trying to max out his deductions, there's absolutely no need to spend anywhere near $1,000.

 

6 minutes ago, LienusLateTips said:

The PC won't be used for games. Read it over.

The 2700 would be a better option, at $150.

To be fair, he doesn't need the 2700 either.

[Colt_0pz]

5 hours ago, dizmo said:

Uh...is it just storing photographs?
If so, unless he's trying to max out his deductions, there's absolutely no need to spend anywhere near $1,000.

 

To be fair, he doesn't need the 2700 either.

The processor needs to be something that can handle multiple tabs of various programs and tabs of chrome without slowing down. Storage is mostly the same with an ssd/hdd combo. I tried to specifically find a motherboard with an m.2 ultra slot for an SSD. It is not absolutely necessary to reach $1000, just has to be quick and store a ton of files (hence the ssd/hdd combo)

[Colt_0pz]

6 hours ago, DobertRownySr said:

Hey, just so you know the 8700 doesn't overclock and has 6 cores.
Would you consider buying the 3700x or 3600x instead? They are a lot cheaper and will get 95% the same FPS in games and more if/when overclocked.

Someone did state earlier that this is not a gaming pc, but also the fact that overclocking voids warranty, something that I can't do for this build

EDIT: I also want to mention that dust filters are necessary for this PC due to the type of workplace

Edited December 22, 2019 by Colt_0pz

[Herman Mcpootis]

1 hour ago, Colt_0pz said:

Someone did state earlier that this is not a gaming pc, but also the fact that overclocking voids warranty, something that I can't do for this build

intel/AMD can't actually tell if you've overclocked their parts unless you outright tell them about it, but the tasks listed doesn't really care that much about overclocking anyway.

[Colt_0pz]

I made an AMD equivalent to see how it would compare. The board choice was for the m.2 port for a fast SSD

PCPartPicker Part List

CPU: AMD Ryzen 7 2700 3.2 GHz 8-Core Processor  ($149.99 @ Amazon) 
Motherboard: Asus ROG STRIX X470-I GAMING Mini ITX AM4 Motherboard  ($195.00 @ Amazon) 
Memory: Corsair Vengeance LPX 16 GB (2 x 8 GB) DDR4-3200 Memory  ($64.98 @ Amazon) 
Storage: Samsung 970 Evo 500 GB M.2-2280 NVME Solid State Drive  ($87.99 @ Amazon) 
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 2 TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive  ($64.99 @ Newegg) 
Case: Cooler Master Elite 110 Mini ITX Tower Case  ($55.98 @ Newegg) 
Power Supply: EVGA SuperNOVA GM 550 W 80+ Gold Certified Fully Modular SFX Power Supply  ($87.47 @ Amazon) 
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 10 Pro OEM 64-bit  ($142.99 @ Amazon) 
Total: $849.39
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2019-12-23 16:12 EST-0500

[boggy77]

I think this would be the best value

PCPartPicker Part List

Type	Item	Price
CPU	AMD Ryzen 5 3400G 3.7 GHz Quad-Core Processor	$134.99 @ Walmart
Motherboard	ASRock Fatal1ty B450 Gaming-ITX/ac Mini ITX AM4 Motherboard	$89.99 @ Newegg
Memory	OLOy 16 GB (2 x 8 GB) DDR4-3000 Memory	$47.99 @ Newegg
Storage	HP EX920 1 TB M.2-2280 NVME Solid State Drive	$114.99 @ Newegg
Storage	Seagate Barracuda Compute 2 TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive	$49.99 @ Amazon
Case	Silverstone SG13 Mini ITX Tower Case	$57.99 @ B&H
Power Supply	Corsair CX (2017) 450 W 80+ Bronze Certified ATX Power Supply	$53.98 @ Newegg
Operating System	Microsoft Windows 10 Pro OEM 64-bit	$139.99 @ Other World Computing
	Prices include shipping, taxes, rebates, and discounts
	Total (before mail-in rebates)	$709.91
	Mail-in rebates	-$20.00
	Total	$689.91
	Generated by PCPartPicker 2019-12-23 16:35 EST-0500

 

[trevb0t]

On 12/21/2019 at 10:32 PM, Colt_0pz said:

Hello guys. I have been tasked with building a pc for my father's workplace up to a $1000 dollar budget and I wanted to see if there can be improvements made or an AMD equivalent. The primary task will be for storing documents, excel, photographs, and web browsing (generally multiple tabs open).Please let me know of what you think. This is nowhere near a final decision so, if you have suggestions, there are some things I want to point out. 1. A mini-itx case with dust filters is preferred (I haven't been able to find one). 2.The cpu or the board must have integrated graphics. 3. The cpu should have multi-threading to handle multiple tabs and programs open simeltaneously. 4. The storage is best kept as an SSD+HDD combo.

PCPartPicker Part List

CPU: Intel Core i7-8700 3.2 GHz 6-Core OEM/Tray Processor  ($404.39 @ Amazon) 
CPU Cooler: Noctua NH-L9i 33.84 CFM CPU Cooler  ($39.95 @ Amazon) 
Motherboard: ASRock Z390M-ITX/ac Mini ITX LGA1151 Motherboard  ($134.99 @ Amazon) 
Memory: Corsair Vengeance LPX 16 GB (2 x 8 GB) DDR4-3000 Memory  ($59.99 @ Newegg) 
Storage: Samsung 970 Evo 500 GB M.2-2280 NVME Solid State Drive  ($89.99 @ Newegg) 
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 2 TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive  ($64.99 @ Newegg) 
Case: Silverstone SG13 Mini ITX Tower Case  ($59.99 @ Amazon) 
Power Supply: SeaSonic FOCUS SGX 450 W 80+ Gold Certified Fully Modular SFX Power Supply  ($87.98 @ Newegg) 
Total: $942.27
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2019-12-22 00:20 EST-0500

Do you want to max out the performance at that budget? Or is saving a portion something you'd like to consider?

PCPartPicker Part List

Type	Item	Price
CPU	AMD Ryzen 7 3700X 3.6 GHz 8-Core Processor	$309.99 @ Best Buy
Motherboard	Gigabyte X570 I AORUS PRO WIFI Mini ITX AM4 Motherboard	$219.99 @ Amazon
Memory	Team T-FORCE VULCAN Z 16 GB (2 x 8 GB) DDR4-3200 Memory	$59.99 @ Newegg
Storage	Intel 660p Series 2.048 TB M.2-2280 NVME Solid State Drive	$189.99 @ B&H
Video Card	MSI GeForce GT 710 1 GB Video Card	$36.99 @ Amazon
Case	Fractal Design Node 202 HTPC Case	$68.98 @ Amazon
Power Supply	EVGA SuperNOVA GM 550 W 80+ Gold Certified Fully Modular SFX Power Supply	$87.47 @ Amazon
	Prices include shipping, taxes, rebates, and discounts
	Total	$973.40
	Generated by PCPartPicker 2019-12-23 17:29 EST-0500

• Node 202 is among the best Mini ITX cases on the market. Great airflow and a GPU expansion.
• I broke your APU rule, since the 3700X is a huge boost in many ways to the 8700. I included an inexpensive GPU to provide both an HDMI and a DVI output option. (If the monitors used need something different, there are other options.

[LienusLateTips]

3 hours ago, Colt_0pz said:

I made an AMD equivalent to see how it would compare. The board choice was for the m.2 port for a fast SSD

PCPartPicker Part List

CPU: AMD Ryzen 7 2700 3.2 GHz 8-Core Processor  ($149.99 @ Amazon) 
Motherboard: Asus ROG STRIX X470-I GAMING Mini ITX AM4 Motherboard  ($195.00 @ Amazon) 
Memory: Corsair Vengeance LPX 16 GB (2 x 8 GB) DDR4-3200 Memory  ($64.98 @ Amazon) 
Storage: Samsung 970 Evo 500 GB M.2-2280 NVME Solid State Drive  ($87.99 @ Amazon) 
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 2 TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive  ($64.99 @ Newegg) 
Case: Cooler Master Elite 110 Mini ITX Tower Case  ($55.98 @ Newegg) 
Power Supply: EVGA SuperNOVA GM 550 W 80+ Gold Certified Fully Modular SFX Power Supply  ($87.47 @ Amazon) 
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 10 Pro OEM 64-bit  ($142.99 @ Amazon) 
Total: $849.39
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2019-12-23 16:12 EST-0500

-the 2700 has NO iGPU. you will NEED a GPU

-you do know boards like the ASRock B450 Fatality ITX and MSI B450I Gaming Plus AC have M.2 for ~$110?

-overpriced SSD and RAM

-overpriced hard drive

-again, you don't need a SFX PSU

 

PCPartPicker Part List

CPU: AMD Ryzen 7 2700 3.2 GHz 8-Core Processor  ($149.99 @ Amazon) 
Motherboard: MSI B450I GAMING PLUS AC Mini ITX AM4 Motherboard  ($124.99 @ Amazon) 
Memory: Team T-FORCE VULCAN Z 16 GB (2 x 8 GB) DDR4-3000 Memory  ($49.99 @ Newegg) 
Storage: HP EX900 500 GB M.2-2280 NVME Solid State Drive  ($56.99 @ Amazon) 
Storage: Seagate Barracuda Compute 2 TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive  ($49.99 @ Walmart) 
Video Card: MSI GeForce GT 710 1 GB Video Card  ($36.99 @ Amazon) 
Case: Cooler Master Elite 110 Mini ITX Tower Case  ($54.98 @ SuperBiiz) 
Power Supply: Corsair CX (2017) 450 W 80+ Bronze Certified ATX Power Supply  ($53.98 @ Newegg) 
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 10 Pro OEM 64-bit  ($139.99 @ Other World Computing) 
Total: $717.89
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2019-12-23 19:44 EST-0500

[Colt_0pz]

54 minutes ago, LienusLateTips said:

-the 2700 has NO iGPU. you will NEED a GPU

-you do know boards like the ASRock B450 Fatality ITX and MSI B450I Gaming Plus AC have M.2 for ~$110?

-overpriced SSD and RAM

-overpriced hard drive

-again, you don't need a SFX PSU

 

PCPartPicker Part List

CPU: AMD Ryzen 7 2700 3.2 GHz 8-Core Processor  ($149.99 @ Amazon) 
Motherboard: MSI B450I GAMING PLUS AC Mini ITX AM4 Motherboard  ($124.99 @ Amazon) 
Memory: Team T-FORCE VULCAN Z 16 GB (2 x 8 GB) DDR4-3000 Memory  ($49.99 @ Newegg) 
Storage: HP EX900 500 GB M.2-2280 NVME Solid State Drive  ($56.99 @ Amazon) 
Storage: Seagate Barracuda Compute 2 TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive  ($49.99 @ Walmart) 
Video Card: MSI GeForce GT 710 1 GB Video Card  ($36.99 @ Amazon) 
Case: Cooler Master Elite 110 Mini ITX Tower Case  ($54.98 @ SuperBiiz) 
Power Supply: Corsair CX (2017) 450 W 80+ Bronze Certified ATX Power Supply  ($53.98 @ Newegg) 
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 10 Pro OEM 64-bit  ($139.99 @ Other World Computing) 
Total: $717.89
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2019-12-23 19:44 EST-0500

The reason I keep choosing an sfx modular psu is to have more space to work with and not have to deal with a lot of wires as opposed to the cx450. Also I keep choosing the 970 evo for its reliability. I don't know how that HP ssd will perform. A $30 video card is fine for basic video out. I also restrict my merchant lists to not have to buy from too many locations.

EDIT: For ram, 16GB with good warranty is fine. Warranty and reliability are important for this build so I'm willing to put in more expensive parts even if there is no performance benefit.

Edited December 24, 2019 by Colt_0pz