New Office Build

[MJ99]

I'm building a new build for my wife's office. She uses mainly office (Micro Office and other business programs but not expected to be doing any extensive gaming or graphics editing so for now I expect the on board graphics of the Z68 will be enough. If I'm missing something or you disagree let me know.

Country: USA

Use: Mainly office (Micro Office and other business programs but not expected to be doing any extensive gaming or graphics editing

Budget: 900-1,000+/- (currently at 937.91)

Brand Preference:
Processor: Intel currently. In the past I had used AMD but it sounds like Intel is currently the better option.
Motherboard: I currently like Gigabyte but could change.

Will be re-using Keyboard, mouse and monitor and probably will not be doing any over clocking but I won't rule it out.

Here is what I have so far.

Part Cost Description
Case 69.99 Antec Three Hundred Black Steel ATX Mid Tower_with LED
Mother Board 169.99 GIGABYTE GA-Z68X-UD3H-B3 LGA 1155 Intel Z68 HDMI SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 ATX Intel Motherboard
Processor 219.99 Intel Core i5-2500K Sandy Bridge 3.3GHz (3.7GHz Turbo Boost) 4 x 256KB L2 Cache 6MB L3 Cache 95W Quad-Core BX80623I52500K
Power supply 54.99 Antec EarthWatts EA-500D Green 500W
Memory 81.99 Crucial 8GB (2 x 4GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1333 (PC3 10600) Desktop Memory Model CT2KIT51264BA1339
Hard Drive 59.99 Western Digital Caviar Black WD5002AALX 500GB 7200 RPM 32MB Cache SATA 6.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Driv
SS Drive 119.99 Crucial M4 CT064M4SSD2 2.5" 64GB SATA III MLC Internal Solid State Drive (SSD)
DVD-Writer 20.99 LG DVD Burner 24X_Model GH24NS70 - OEM
O/S 139.99 Microsoft Windows 7 Professional SP1 64-bit - OEM

 

[mvbighead]

Your memory price looks way, way OFF. Shouldn't be much more than $70 for 8GB of RAM.

Most people tend to prefer the Samsung F3 and F4 HDDs to most other drives, more space, about equal in terms of speed to the Black.

Everything else seems about right.

 

[MJ99]

Your memory price looks way, way OFF. Shouldn't be much more than $70 for 8GB of RAM.

Most people tend to prefer the Samsung F3 and F4 HDDs to most other drives, more space, about equal in terms of speed to the Black.

Everything else seems about right.

That price was for 16GB (2 sets of 2*4GB).
Is 8GB enough or is it worth spending the extra to upgraded to 16GB.

 

[mvbighead]

For office type stuff, 8GB will be more than enough. She would probably be fine with 4GB and the SSD, but 8GB isn't too unreasonable.

 

[Wizlem]

I think you're going overboard if this is for office programs only. Could easily be satisfied by dropping to 4GB a sandybridge pentium and an H61 motherboard.

Where are you getting your parts from? If its newegg might I suggest saving $25.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/ComboD...t=Combo.653332

You won't need anywhere near 500W of power and the 430W earthwatts is on sale for 40 with free shipping from newegg also.

 

[Gigantopithecus]

Total overkill unless you plan on this machine lasting 4-5 years. Hell, if you're just doing productivity & internet, go with the budget AMD system I outlined here. It'll run Office 2010 just as well in 2014 as it does now.

 

[MJ99]

I am using Newegg, thanks, for the combo and I am dropping down to the 430W Power Supply. Down to just under $900.

PS. I would like this to last for 4-5 years.

 

[Davidh373]

I am using Newegg, thanks, for the combo and I am dropping down to the 430W Power Supply. Down to just under $900.

PS. I would like this to last for 4-5 years.

Get a less expensive build.

1. Paying about $40 - $60 too much for the motherboard

2. Drop down to 4GB RAM

3. Get a 500GB Samsung instead of the overpriced Black drive

4. Why are you getting Windows Pro? Get Windows Home Premium for $40 less.

 

[mfenn]

Dude, get a Dell with a warranty. Seriously.

 

[theevilsharpie]

Dude, get a Dell with a warranty. Seriously.

This.

Building a computer is for hobbyists and people who have an atypical need. For a generic office PC, HP or Dell can sell a computer for a lower cost than what you can build, and it will probably outperform anything that you can build at that price point.

Take a look at their business PC offerings if you want a solid computer with a long warranty.

 

[MJ99]

This.

Building a computer is for hobbyists and people who have an atypical need. For a generic office PC, HP or Dell can sell a computer for a lower cost than what you can build, and it will probably outperform anything that you can build at that price point.

Take a look at their business PC offerings if you want a solid computer with a long warranty.

The actual building a computer is not a problem for me. I have built a handful in the past with good success. As far as a Dell, HP etc.. based on what "I" have seen in the past unless I'm looking for lower end PC "I" have very little faith in those lasting (mechanically and/or supporting upgraded software requirements) past a few years. Unless I spend more money on one of those then one I build.

 

[mvbighead]

This.

Building a computer is for hobbyists and people who have an atypical need. For a generic office PC, HP or Dell can sell a computer for a lower cost than what you can build, and it will probably outperform anything that you can build at that price point.

Take a look at their business PC offerings if you want a solid computer with a long warranty.

This is not always true.

Most commonly, users that are looking for performance parts on a reasonable budget can usually do better than Dell. People can spout off all they want that a user doesn't need X, Y, or Z for their office machine. But the thing is, performance parts make an end user's experience that much better.

I challenge any one of you to find a Dell that matches or beats the OP's specs for what he plans to build.

Personally, I build every machine in my house. Usually, my wife gets hand downs but because they are generally all performance parts, she's quite happy with the performance she gets out of the systems.

Dell is the answer for machines that are outside of your home, that you don't want to support. Custom builds are for people that enjoy doing that sort of thing. It is also usually more cost effective when putting together a performance box. Not to mention, finding a Dell with a Z68, i5 2500k, etc. etc. just isn't likely too happen for less than 1000 bucks.

To me, if a guy wants to build a performance box (for himself or otherwise), and the money makes sense... there is no reason to harp on him for wanting to do so.

 

[theevilsharpie]

As far as a Dell, HP etc.. based on what "I" have seen in the past unless I'm looking for lower end PC "I" have very little faith in those lasting (mechanically and/or supporting upgraded software requirements) past a few years.

That certainly hasn't been my experience. I've got customers that are using HP machines between 4-7 years old that are still going strong. Indeed, my own office PC is a dc5750, which is a 6-year-old model. Our receptionist PC? A dx5150, an 8-year-old model. One of my associates in another organization just replaced about 300 HP desktops (whose name escapes me ATM) that were about 8 years old, and the biggest reason they were replaced was the performance just couldn't keep up with expectations.

I don't work with Dell PCs much, but I'm sure their newer PCs have the same experience (the older PCs were crap).

Keep in mind that I'm referring to each respective company's business PC lineup, not the bottom-dollar trash that's sold at Best Buy and Office Depot.

 

[theevilsharpie]

I challenge any one of you to find a Dell that matches or beats the OP's specs for what he plans to build.

Better "performance" doesn't necessarily imply faster parts.

 

[theevilsharpie]

To follow up on my previous post, a high-performance "office" computer is one that not only meets the speed expectations of the user, but that runs quiet, generates as little heat and noise as possible, is reliable, and doesn't require a lot of tweaking to get it to work right. In other words, I need a computer that gets out of my way and lets me do my job.

Custom-built PCs obviously have the speed part down, but they're hit or miss in the other areas.

 

[mvbighead]

To follow up on my previous post, a high-performance "office" computer is one that not only meets the speed expectations of the user, but that runs quiet, generates as little heat and noise as possible, is reliable, and doesn't require a lot of tweaking to get it to work right. In other words, I need a computer that gets out of my way and lets me do my job.

Custom-built PCs obviously have the speed part down, but they're hit or miss in the other areas.

If you know what you're building, you can usually take care of the sound part.

Heck, the wife's system is in a CoolerMaster MicroATX case (341 something I think) that was purchased as it had a nice 120mm fan that could run slow but keep the system cool. No tweaking required... just buy the right parts, and maybe flip a switch on a TriCool fan to the low or medium setting, and you're set.

 

[mfenn]

Dell is the answer for machines that are outside of your home, that you don't want to support. Custom builds are for people that enjoy doing that sort of thing. It is also usually more cost effective when putting together a performance box. Not to mention, finding a Dell with a Z68, i5 2500k, etc. etc. just isn't likely too happen for less than 1000 bucks.

I read "my wife's office" as being somewhere outside of the house, but I could be wrong.

Anyway, I agree that you can generally build a faster PC for the same money as Dell or HP. That being said, for a "workhorse" machine, I find having a single source for warranty replacements to be invaluable. I've started buying my family 1-year old Optiplexs from the Dell outlet with 3 years additional warranty and have been happy as a clam.

 

[MJ99]

I read "my wife's office" as being somewhere outside of the
house, but I could be wrong.

It's a PC for her home business office. She uses Microsoft Office, generally the latest (most power hungry) version, and several other business and person software packages. Some that some that are pretty mild and some that do require a decent amount of processing power. None that require extensive graphics though.

Anyway, I agree that you can generally build a faster PC for the same money as Dell or HP. That being said, for a "workhorse" machine, I find having a single source for warranty replacements to be invaluable. I've started buying my family 1-year old Optiplexs from the Dell outlet with 3 years additional warranty and have been happy as a clam.

For any that have had good luck buying from Dell, HP,etc good for them. However my person experience is the PC's I build are much more stable and reliable and upgradable. So buying a pre-built PC from one of the big guys is not an option I'm even going to consider right now.

 

[mvbighead]

It's a PC for her home business office. She uses Microsoft Office, generally the latest (most power hungry) version, and several other business and person software packages. Some that some that are pretty mild and some that do require a decent amount of processing power. None that require extensive graphics though.


For any that have had good luck buying from Dell, HP,etc good for them. However my person experience is the PC's I build are much more stable and reliable and upgradable. So buying a pre-built PC from one of the big guys is not an option I'm even going to consider right now.

The ability to upgrade is key. Can't tell you how many times I have dealt with a customer EMachine, HP, Dell, etc. and the powersupply is some non-standard type. Sometimes that means a new case, and everything else gets slid over. Sometimes that can mean new board if the manufacturer has a sub standard pin layout for power/reset/hdLED/pwrLED pins. All depends really.

You rarely ever see that with a custom built machine.

 

[MJ99]

Thanks for all your assistance. With the comments/advise I have made a few changes and the parts have now been ordered.

 

[Ghiddy]

I know OP already ordered his stuff, but I am responding in case others in the same boat read this in the future.

By the time you want to upgrade a custom made PC the only parts you can reuse are the hard drive and case. Possibly PSU if it's not a gaming PC that required a lot of power. Often you want to also upgrade the hard drives too, because after 4-5 years the hard drive tech has improved.

I will never again offer to build a PC for someone. I finished doing that when I was in my very early 20's. Dells these days are pretty good, but a little overpriced. They don't have any problems with stability. Those machines are tested very thoroughly, and are deployed in hundreds of thousands of corporate environments across the globe. I say if you can get one with an SSD that's within 10% of what you would pay for your custom build, just get the Dell and be done with it. That way you will not have to be your wife's tech support, and the entire thing will be warranteed.

 

[mvbighead]

That way you will not have to be your wife's tech support, and the entire thing will be warranteed.

I will point it out every time someone says something like this...

A warranty does NOT pull you out of the tech support business. Do you think Dell really gives a hoot if Microsoft Office won't open? Or if her network adapter won't get an IP? You're going to be handling all of that stuff yourself.

As to buying a prebuilt... well, three to five years down the road, should the motherboard up and die on you, you can very likely look to newegg or other and find a similar 1155 socket MB that accepts DDR3 and replace it for somewhere around $50, most likely. With a Dell, sometimes it just ain't that easy. I would post an ebay link, but that's frowned upon, so I'll just go ahead and say that a board for a GX620 is selling for about $90. And that's always going to be a used/refurbed type of board.

Custom built machines are simply easier to work with, because you know exactly what the insides look like. What ports it has, etc. etc.

 

[mfenn]

I will point it out every time someone says something like this...

A warranty does NOT pull you out of the tech support business. Do you think Dell really gives a hoot if Microsoft Office won't open? Or if her network adapter won't get an IP? You're going to be handling all of that stuff yourself.

Actually, if you buy the ProSupport warranty (standard on business-class machines), they do "give a hoot".

As to buying a prebuilt... well, three to five years down the road, should the motherboard up and die on you, you can very likely look to newegg or other and find a similar 1155 socket MB that accepts DDR3 and replace it for somewhere around $50, most likely. With a Dell, sometimes it just ain't that easy. I would post an ebay link, but that's frowned upon, so I'll just go ahead and say that a board for a GX620 is selling for about $90. And that's always going to be a used/refurbed type of board.

I really really beg to differ on this one. You've got to remember that socket 775 is an anomaly with how long-lived it was. Try to find a socket 423 board now. 1156 will be the same in a few years.

 

[mvbighead]

Actually, if you buy the ProSupport warranty (standard on business-class machines), they do "give a hoot".

This costs money though, and usually a fair amount.

I really really beg to differ on this one. You've got to remember that socket 775 is an anomaly with how long-lived it was. Try to find a socket 423 board now. 1156 will be the same in a few years.

As to this, the point remains, with a custom built machine, you have a plethora of options. All you need look for is socket type, memory type, and a suitable number of slots. In a prebuilt machine, you are looking for a replacement board for a Dell GX620 (or whatever the model may be). If that board runs $95, you're spending $95.

For custom built machines, you can usually find a few options around 30-50 bucks brand new. Whether it is socket A, AM2, AM3, 775, 478, or others.

Heck, here is a prime example:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16813138302

 

[theevilsharpie]

If the motherboard of your custom-built PC fails three years after the PC was built, your odds of finding the same model motherboard for a replacement are low. Sure, you could get another model, but that could potentially have a different chipset, different storage controller, a different network controller, different quantity and layout of expansion slots, different audio controller, etc.

The GX620 mobo might cost a bit more, but at least I know it's the same motherboard, meaning I won't have to reconfigure the OS to work with the new hardware. If you were to replace a whitebox motherboard with a diffferent model, you could be screwing with the OS for hours trying to get everything working again.