New PC Build Advice

greatchap

Weaksauce
Joined
Mar 22, 2012
Messages
103
Hello Everyone,

I wish to build a new pc for my work place. My work involves working with general products such as MS Office, PDF Readers, Browsing a lot. I also do development using Visual Studio 2010. Plus since I am into stock market research my task involves scanning data etc.

My current pc build is:

- i5 3470
- 8 GB DDR3
- 125 GB SSD (OCZ-AGILITY 3)
- Gigabyte B75M-D3H
- 24" Monitor
- Standard PSU
- Inbuild graphics
- Windows 10

Since its for my work I do not want to buy an external graphics card. The mother board inbuild graphics should do. My monitor is also fine and I do not wish to replace it. Rest of the components has to be replaced.

Please suggest me what should I go for. My budget is around $800. Since I won't be doing gaming suggest me a build which will do justice to my work. It should not be less powered or not an overkill.


Thank you,

Regards,
GR
 
AMD 2400G
16GB 3200+ DDR4 (G.Skill Ripjaw V series 2x8gb)
860 Evo M.2 1TB
Asrock B450M Pro 4
Corsair or Seasonic (Gold or better) (650W PSU)
Win 10 Pro 64 bit Buy on the [H]ard Forum (ickywu or others)
Case of your choice (Corsair Carbide 100R Quiet edition)
Total $668
 
I am an intel fan so I would like to go with an intel processor.

AMD 2400G - give an alternate please
16GB 3200+ DDR4 (G.Skill Ripjaw V series 2x8gb) - OK, is 8 GB RAM enough or do you think 16GB will make a difference
860 Evo M.2 1TB - > what are your views on internal ssd ?
Asrock B450M Pro 4 -> will prefer either Asus or Gigabyte
Corsair or Seasonic (Gold or better) (650W PSU) - OK
Win 10 Pro 64 bit Buy on the [H]ard Forum (ickywu or others) - OK
Case of your choice (Corsair Carbide 100R Quiet edition) - OK
 
Intel doesn't have anything that compares to the R5-2400G's onboard graphics, especially in that price range!
 
Thanks but I will go for Intel i5 8600 CPU. I detest AMD.

You did not answer my other queries. Can I try Asus or gigabyte MB. Plus should i go for PCIe SSD or SATA SSD.
 
Thanks but I will go for Intel i5 8600 CPU. I detest AMD.

You did not answer my other queries. Can I try Asus or gigabyte MB. Plus should i go for PCIe SSD or SATA SSD.


Why detest AMD? They're current products are quite competitive, especially when you consider the generally-lower pricing.

If you're fixated on Asus/Gigabyte, then do some research on what those two offer and find something that fits your needs. Optionally, check back here to see if there's any issues with it that you may have missed. We're not going to do all the work for you.

If you did any prior research through previous threads you'd probably have noted that I and many others continue to recommend SATA SSDs. NVMe/PCIe units don't offer any real-world benefit for a desktop system.

16 GB RAM is becoming the new minimum for anything but your grandparent's basic web-browsing system.

A 650 W PSU is far too large for a non-gaming system using integrated graphics. A quality 3-400 W gold-rated unit (e.g., Seasonic) is plenty.
 
@ BlueLineSwinger

Processor : No problem, but I am sticking with Intel.
Motherboard: How is Asrock H370 Pro4 ?
RAM: 16 GB is OK. But G.Skill Ripjaw V series 2x8gb costs $200 here. Any alternative.
Storage: jrweis recommended 860 Evo M.2 1TB. I think M.2 is a PCIe unit. So you are saying that I should stick with SATA SSD. How is Samsung 860 Evo then?
PSU: I will go for a 400 Watt PSU. Thanks for letting me know that.
 
@ BlueLineSwinger

Processor : No problem, but I am sticking with Intel.
Motherboard: How is Asrock H370 Pro4 ?
RAM: 16 GB is OK. But G.Skill Ripjaw V series 2x8gb costs $200 here. Any alternative.
Storage: jrweis recommended 860 Evo M.2 1TB. I think M.2 is a PCIe unit. So you are saying that I should stick with SATA SSD. How is Samsung 860 Evo then?
PSU: I will go for a 400 Watt PSU. Thanks for letting me know that.


Don't know anything about that mainboard. Generally nothing wrong with Asrock AFAIK.

Current-gen Intel CPUs generally run their memory channels at max 2666 MHz, so if you're not overclocking look for something in that range.

m.2 is a form-factor, not a protocol. It can (mainboard-dependent), support either SATA or NVMe SSDs. That Samsung, a SATA unit, is a fine SSD, as are those from Crucial, SanDisk/WD, etc.
 
Don't know anything about that mainboard. Generally nothing wrong with Asrock AFAIK.

Current-gen Intel CPUs generally run their memory channels at max 2666 MHz, so if you're not overclocking look for something in that range.

m.2 is a form-factor, not a protocol. It can (mainboard-dependent), support either SATA or NVMe SSDs. That Samsung, a SATA unit, is a fine SSD, as are those from Crucial, SanDisk/WD, etc.

My final build is this:

CPU: Intel i5-8600
MB: ASRock H370M Pro4
RAM: 16 GB DDR4 (either G.SKILL Ripjaws V Series or Other)
HDD: Samsung 860 EVO SATA III
PSU: CORSAIR CX Series CX450 450W

Cheers :)
 
I recommended the 860 Evo M.2 (even though this is M.2 form factor, it is a SATA III drive) to give you a cleaner install. By making use of the M.2 port on the motherboard you don't have any power or Sata cables.
I also don't quite understand your total disdain for the AMD 2400G. Just a few points to consider: The 8600K is 6 core w/ 6 threads, the 2400G is 4 core 8 threads, both run at 3.6Ghz. The I5 has Intel 630 GPU that is half of the power of the R5's Vega RX 11GPU. The I5 has no fan/heatsink, the R5 has a good one included, and more important the R5 can be had on the egg for $120 less right now.
I don't know where you are located, but the G.Skill's are only $125 on the egg.
One of the biggest mistakes that builders make is to use cheap undersized PSU's. My 650W recommendation is based on the fact that a PSU's efficiency is the highest at a 50% load. I have bought over 50 Corsair HX series power supplies over the last 8 years and have not had a single failure. This can not be said about the cheaper lines!
 
My final build is this:

CPU: Intel i5-8600
MB: ASRock H370M Pro4
RAM: 16 GB DDR4 (either G.SKILL Ripjaws V Series or Other)
HDD: Samsung 860 EVO SATA III
PSU: CORSAIR CX Series CX450 450W

Cheers :)


That PSU is only bronze-rated. Gold or better is more efficient and recommended. Higher ratings usually carry a cost premium that isn't worth it except in the costliest markets for electricity and/or where heat generation is a special concern.


I recommended the 860 Evo M.2 (even though this is M.2 form factor, it is a SATA III drive) to give you a cleaner install. By making use of the M.2 port on the motherboard you don't have any power or Sata cables.
I also don't quite understand your total disdain for the AMD 2400G. Just a few points to consider: The 8600K is 6 core w/ 6 threads, the 2400G is 4 core 8 threads, both run at 3.6Ghz. The I5 has Intel 630 GPU that is half of the power of the R5's Vega RX 11GPU. The I5 has no fan/heatsink, the R5 has a good one included, and more important the R5 can be had on the egg for $120 less right now.
I don't know where you are located, but the G.Skill's are only $125 on the egg.
One of the biggest mistakes that builders make is to use cheap undersized PSU's. My 650W recommendation is based on the fact that a PSU's efficiency is the highest at a 50% load. I have bought over 50 Corsair HX series power supplies over the last 8 years and have not had a single failure. This can not be said about the cheaper lines!


Disagree on PSUs. I'd say that most tend to oversize their PSUs. It partially stems from earlier times when PSUs were generally an afterthought, cheap components that never lived up to their rating and usually had output split across multiple rails. Current higher-efficiency units with a single 12v rail make oversizing unnecessary. You're correct on 50% being around the sweet-spot for efficiency. But with no discrete GPU or other additional power-hungry hardware OP's build will pretty much be spending its life at <100 W. Therefore, a 650 W PSU is over-sized for the build.

I'd say the two additional real cores of the Intel CPU are probably worth the $120, despite its lack of hyperthreading. The non-k version includes a heatsink IIRC.
 
Thank you for your feedback guys.

@jrweis: You are recommending me Sata M.2 just to so that SATA III power and data cables are not used inside. Not recommended as M.2 costs $10 more. Plus PSU of 400 W is good enough for a non gaming pc.Since I am not from the US the prices here will be higher than what you get there. For e.g. Gskill 16 GB RAM is costing me between $170-175 here. Plus I am going for i5-8600 and not 8600K. So I am getting a heat sink.https://hardforum.com/members/jrweis.91816/

BlueLineSwinger : you are correct on the PSU front.

The only problem is motherboard. It is hard to find ASRock H370M Pro4. What is the difference between ASRock H370M Pro4 and ASRock B450M Pro4. In case I am unable to find or price is same as other brand can you recommend me something similar in Asus or Gigabyte.
 
If $10 is going to to prevent you from building this computer then I understand, but I would pay the $10 just to have a cleaner looking install!
I also need to clarify that one of the reasons I recommended the AMD R5-2400G is that unlike the Intel CPU you are considering, it is not susceptible to the Spectre/Meltdown problem!
To each his own as we all have different opinions/wants & likes. None are totally right or wrong. I feel that it is worth the extra money to use an oversize power supply where many do not. If your budget is really tight I totally understand why you would size a 400W unit. Again not wrong or right, just what fits your needs!
Good luck with your build and I hope it performs as you need it to.
PS: If you are paying that much for your memory it might be worth looking into getting someone in the USA to purchase your items and ship to you. Even including the additional shipping fees I know you could get at least the memory for way cheaper that way!
 
If $10 is going to to prevent you from building this computer then I understand, but I would pay the $10 just to have a cleaner looking install!
I also need to clarify that one of the reasons I recommended the AMD R5-2400G is that unlike the Intel CPU you are considering, it is not susceptible to the Spectre/Meltdown problem!
To each his own as we all have different opinions/wants & likes. None are totally right or wrong. I feel that it is worth the extra money to use an oversize power supply where many do not. If your budget is really tight I totally understand why you would size a 400W unit. Again not wrong or right, just what fits your needs!
Good luck with your build and I hope it performs as you need it to.
PS: If you are paying that much for your memory it might be worth looking into getting someone in the USA to purchase your items and ship to you. Even including the additional shipping fees I know you could get at least the memory for way cheaper that way!

I acknowledge what you are saying. The problem is the components here are pricy compared to the US. So I am reluctant to spend extra just for a cleaner looking cabinet contents.
Plus probably you are right about AMD too but somehow I always liked intel. Regarding the PSU, I am currently using a local 400 W PSU which is doing fine considering my current config is an i5 3rd gen. I think a branded 450 watt PSU should do okay for a normal non gaming pc. Getting components from US would save me at least 20-30%. However I do not have anyone coming right now. Lets see ...

The only problem is motherboard. It is hard to find ASRock H370M Pro4. What is the difference between ASRock H370M Pro4 and ASRock B450M Pro4. In case I am unable to find or price is same as other brand can you recommend me something similar in Asus or Gigabyte.
 
My suggestion for an intel motherboard is Gigabyte H370 AORUS GAMING 3 WiFi. It has the ALC1220 120dB(A) SNR HD Audio and intel LAN, usb 3.1 connectors.
 
My suggestion for an intel motherboard is Gigabyte H370 AORUS GAMING 3 WiFi. It has the ALC1220 120dB(A) SNR HD Audio and intel LAN, usb 3.1 connectors.

The motherboard you have recommended costs $185 here. Thats is a lot of money for a non gaming pc motherboard.
 
Where do you live? I'm in the UK and it's £126.49 ($161.15 according to XE). I guess it's more expensive because of the higher end audio, LAN and Wifi. I would consider those worth paying for but I guess we disagree.

If you don't care about features on the board you could buy an H310 chipset board from any of the manufacturers and I'm sure it would be fine. The ASUS PRIME Intel H310M-E is the cheapest one I could find at £50. Although it has only 1 chassis fan connector so u may need a splitter cable or something.
 
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I personally have had really bad experiences with Gigabyte boards, but I know others like them. If you want to go Asus either the Prime H370M-Plus/CSM or the Prime H370A/CSM would do you fine for a reasonable price and the CSM stands for ASUS Corporate Stable Model that includes complimentary advance replacement if you ever have a problem.
Good luck with your build!
 
Where do you live? I'm in the UK and it's £126.49 ($161.15 according to XE). I guess it's more expensive because of the higher end audio, LAN and Wifi. I would consider those worth paying for but I guess we disagree.

If you don't care about features on the board you could buy an H310 chipset board from any of the manufacturers and I'm sure it would be fine. The ASUS PRIME Intel H310M-E is the cheapest one I could find at £50. Although it has only 1 chassis fan connector so u may need a splitter cable or something.

You misunderstood me. I am not looking for the cheapest or most expensive. I am looking for the right motherboard. Since my PC is an office pc and not a gaming board, plus since I use a LAN cable to access internet and not wifi, I think the board you had recommended earlier was a waste for me. Now since you have given me the cheapest option I think it may not go with my setup of i5-8600 and an expensive RAM. Thus I wanted a board which is suitable to my build. By the way, I am from India.
 
I personally have had really bad experiences with Gigabyte boards, but I know others like them. If you want to go Asus either the Prime H370M-Plus/CSM or the Prime H370A/CSM would do you fine for a reasonable price and the CSM stands for ASUS Corporate Stable Model that includes complimentary advance replacement if you ever have a problem.
Good luck with your build!

I think Asus Prime H370M-Plus costs more than Asrock H370M Pro4. Whats the diff between H370M Pro4 and Asrock B450M Pro 4.
 
You misunderstood me. I am not looking for the cheapest or most expensive. I am looking for the right motherboard. Since my PC is an office pc and not a gaming board, plus since I use a LAN cable to access internet and not wifi, I think the board you had recommended earlier was a waste for me. Now since you have given me the cheapest option I think it may not go with my setup of i5-8600 and an expensive RAM. Thus I wanted a board which is suitable to my build. By the way, I am from India.

So you want a H370 board thats cheap and doesn't have the word gaming in its title? What about a B360 board they are a little cheaper than H370. One of these perhaps would be suitable:

ASRock B360 Pro4
https://www.scan.co.uk/products/asr...-way-crossfire-intel-gbe-usb-31-gen2-aplusc-a

ASUS PRIME B360-PLUS
https://www.scan.co.uk/products/asu...-m2-2-way-crossfire-realtek-gbe-usb-31-gen2-a

Gigabyte B360 HD3
https://www.scan.co.uk/products/gigabyte-b360-hd3-intel-b360-s-1151-ddr4-atx-motherboard
 
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So you want a H370 board thats cheap and doesn't have the word gaming in its title? What about a B360 board they are a little cheaper than H370. One of these perhaps would be suitable:

ASRock B360 Pro4
https://www.scan.co.uk/products/asr...-way-crossfire-intel-gbe-usb-31-gen2-aplusc-a

ASUS PRIME B360-PLUS
https://www.scan.co.uk/products/asu...-m2-2-way-crossfire-realtek-gbe-usb-31-gen2-a

Gigabyte B360 HD3
https://www.scan.co.uk/products/gigabyte-b360-hd3-intel-b360-s-1151-ddr4-atx-motherboard

Except ASRock B360 Pro4 the price of the other two boards is same/similar as ASRock H370M Pro4. I am getting H370M Pro4 for $150. Is it worth it?
 
Is the ASRock H370M Pro4 worth buying? If it does what you need it too do then yes. It's a lot cheaper here than India though.
 
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Is the ASRock H370M Pro4 worth buying? If it does what you need it too do then yes. It's a lot cheaper here than India though.

I am considering Gigabyte H310M-H Motherboard. It costs half of H370M or Z series board. What do you think? I am okay with same type of board in ASROCK OR ASUS series but I don't know if they have it.

Do you think there will be a significant performance difference if I go for Gigabyte H310M-H Motherboard compared to ASRock H370M Pro 4 or similar.
 
I am considering Gigabyte H310M-H Motherboard. It costs half of H370M or Z series board. What do you think? I am okay with same type of board in ASROCK OR ASUS series but I don't know if they have it.

Do you think there will be a significant performance difference if I go for Gigabyte H310M-H Motherboard compared to ASRock H370M Pro 4 or similar.

No I don't think that the motherboard really impacts stock performance of the system. It's more about overclocking potential and ram speeds and such. Also, the more expensive boards have nice extra features like more port headers/fan headers, higher quality components and stuff. I think the H310 would work fine it is a no frills board designed for office pc's. I personally wouldn't buy such a budget board, but I don't live in India where the prices are much higher.
 
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No I don't think that the motherboard really impacts stock performance of the system. It's more about overclocking potential and ram speeds and such. Also, the more expensive boards have nice extra features like more port headers/fan headers, higher quality components and stuff. I think the H310 would work fine it is a no frills board designed for office pc's. I personally wouldn't buy such a budget board, but I don't live in India where the prices are much higher.

So what I understand is that for some extra fans and ports you would pay more for another board. That too for a office pc and not a gaming pc. Thats interesting, so i think there is no mid way. Either this one or the 370 series. Most people I spoke to prefer Asus or ASRock over gigabyte. Do you have a recommendation for that brand for a round in this range or slightly higher.
 
So what I understand is that for some extra fans and ports you would pay more for another board. That too for a office pc and not a gaming pc. Thats interesting, so i think there is no mid way. Either this one or the 370 series. Most people I spoke to prefer Asus or ASRock over gigabyte. Do you have a recommendation for that brand for a round in this range or slightly higher.
For me personally the next board I buy I want the best on board audio, networking and ability to do some overclocking so I will have to pay for that. For you it makes sense to buy a cheap board thats why I suggested the H310 chipset board.

I don't really know which brand is best more than the next guy, I think at the low end it doesn't make much difference perhaps? The low end boards don't tend to get reviewed much so I think any of the major manufacturers such as Asrock, Asus, Gigabyte or MSI would be fine.

I use an MSI board now and not had any problem with it for 6 years or so. I did have an Asus board P5B-E still got it in a box somewhere, can't remember what I had before that it may have been Abit but they are out of business now I think. I remember now it was Asrock 939Dual, the Abit must have been before that one.
 
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I don't really know which brand is best more than the next guy, I think at the low end it doesn't make much difference perhaps? The low end boards don't tend to get reviewed much so I think any of the major manufacturers such as Asrock, Asus, Gigabyte or MSI would be fine.

It varies chipset to chipset.

For example, MSI is quite good for Ryzen right now.

As for which is best in regards to Intel 370's.... I'm not really sure.

I want to say Asus and MSI are the go-to's all-around ATM.

(For the record, the Gigabyte board in my sig has been rock-solid for 9 years as of last month!!)
 
It varies chipset to chipset.

For example, MSI is quite good for Ryzen right now.

As for which is best in regards to Intel 370's.... I'm not really sure.

I want to say Asus and MSI are the go-to's all-around ATM.

(For the record, the Gigabyte board in my sig has been rock-solid for 9 years as of last month!!)

I think people who wish to overclock, add high end graphics cards or run memory at high speeds should go for high end boards. My CPU (i5-8600) cannot be overclocked in the first place. So I guess I will go for Gigabyte H310M H board.
smile.png

Plus at this range most companies like Gigabyte, Asus and ASRock produce similar quality. Maybe for high end boards one should either go for Asus or ASRock.
 
Hello Guys,

Sorry to repost again. I was going ahead with the purchase but I found out that the price of i5-8600K and i5-8600 is almost the same here. However i5-9600K is also available by paying $70 extra.

1) Is it worth going for i5-9600K ?
2) If not then I will go for i5-8600K
3) If I go for i5-8600K then will H310M board support it. If it does then I cannot overclock it. So now should I go for MB that allows OC.
4) If I go for i5-9600K then what board should I buy?

Thank you,

Regards,
GR
 
1) The 9600k is a little faster than the 8600k. Maybe 5% or less. It runs a little cooler and is easier to overclock due to better thermal material. It does have hardware fixes for meltdown variant 3 and variant 5.
3) The H310M board does support i5 8600k as far as i'm aware, but doesn't support overclocking. You would need a z370 or z390 to overclock it.
4) You would need a z390 board for the 9 series chips
 
Is the following true if I go for Intel i5-9600K instead of Intel i5-8600 :

1) Have to purchase a CPU cooler separately
2) Need to go for Z390 series board

Thus extra for CPU ($70) + MB (Z390) (compared to H310) ($110) + Cooler ($40) = $220 EXTRA

Is it worth it for non gaming PC ?
 
1) the stock intel cooler is loud so you will want to buy one anyway
2) AFAIK the z390 boards are the only ones that support 9th series processors.

Is it worth it? I can't answer that for you it's for you to decide.
 
My recommendation is to buy what you can afford. The better the product you buy now the longer it will be serviceable for your long term needs!
 
Thank you.
If I have spare money I will go for I5-9600K along with Z390 MB. Otherwise I will stick to I5-8600 and H310 MB. In case I go for i5-9600K can you recommend me a CPU Heat Sink.
 
I would strongly advise putting the extra money that you’re considering for the 9600k and z390 into 32 GB of RAM (2x16GB sticks) instead. I regularly do your stated use case - browser, Word, and IDE open, and easily exceed 16GB of usage. Of course I’m a fairly heavy user - several Word instances, 2+ Visual Studio instances, and tons of browser tabs so if you’re a lighter user 16GB might be enough to scrape by. A developer friend of mine started with 16GB and is now adding another 16 because he realized he was hitting the page file too heavily. If you can’t swing 32GB, then at least do 24Gb (2x16 plus 2x8)
 
The NH-U12S is a great cooler and would serve you well unless you are building an ITX set-up. Then the NH-L12S would be your best bet!
 
I would strongly advise putting the extra money that you’re considering for the 9600k and z390 into 32 GB of RAM (2x16GB sticks) instead. I regularly do your stated use case - browser, Word, and IDE open, and easily exceed 16GB of usage. Of course I’m a fairly heavy user - several Word instances, 2+ Visual Studio instances, and tons of browser tabs so if you’re a lighter user 16GB might be enough to scrape by. A developer friend of mine started with 16GB and is now adding another 16 because he realized he was hitting the page file too heavily. If you can’t swing 32GB, then at least do 24Gb (2x16 plus 2x8)

I do not need 32 GB of RAM. I think 16 GB will be enough for me. :)
 
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