Help needed for a non-gaming PC for home use

benvarg · May 30, 2017

Hello friends,

Can you please help me with my new system ?

Approximate Purchase Date: e.g.: In the next 2 months

Budget Range: Approx. $450 (around Indian rupees 30,000 )

System Usage from Most to Least Important: Surfing the internet, Microsoft Office, some photo editing (using the old PaintShop Pro 8 version) some office work, some programming (Java, Eclipse, Selenium etc.), watching videos, Some very low-end games

Are you buying a monitor: No

Parts to Upgrade: CPU, mobo, RAM (video card only if needed for my kind of usage)

My current system was assembled by me many years back. I'm planning reuse my PSU, SSD and monitor (at least for some time). Details below.
My current PC configuration: AMD Athlon X2 7750 CPU / Asus M3N78-EM Mobo / Kingston 4GB DDR2 / Samsung 120GB 840 EVO SSD , 1TB WD green HD / Seasonic Eco Series SS400BT 400W PSU / Circle Cabinet / Dell 19" monitor.

Do you need to buy OS: No ; (I think I can continue to use my Win10)

Preferred Website(s) for Parts: Amazon.in (India)

Location: Bangalore, India

Parts Preferences: Intel CPU

Overclocking: No (so stock cooler should be enough I think.)

SLI or Crossfire: dont know

Your Monitor Resolution: 19"

Additional Comments: No gaming (except some minor very low end games), Lots of internet browsing

And Most Importantly, Why Are You Upgrading: My current PC is very old and a bit slow. It uses 100% CPU when I open a lot of windows/tabs (like 50+) and becomes very slow. Hangs frequently.

Can you please suggest ?
Also suggest if buying a branded PC is better for my kind of needs.

Thanks,
Benny

manddy123 · May 30, 2017

This will perfectly suit your needs. Just picked the parts you said you wanted:
PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel - Core i5-7400 3.0GHz Quad-Core Processor (₹14599.00 @ Amazon India)
Motherboard: Gigabyte - GA-B250M-DS3H Micro ATX LGA1151 Motherboard (₹7774.00 @ Amazon India)
Memory: Kingston - HyperX Fury Black 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR4-2133 Memory (₹6000.00 @ Amazon India)
Total: ₹28373.00
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2017-05-30 19:27 IST+0530

Assuming that you will use your HDD/SSD, Case, PSU & Monitor, this build will easily out perform your current by a fair amount.
http://cpu.userbenchmark.com/Compare/Intel-Core-i5-7400-vs-AMD-Athlon-7750/3886vsm3774

It has also double the amount of RAM ( while still being DDR4 which is much newer and faster than your DDR2 )
As you said you won't play, or don't still intend to, games. I didn't add a GPU because that would hugely increase the overall price. The integrated graphics from the Intel CPU is still capable of running minor games easily ( As the i5 has 4 physical cores ).

benvarg · May 31, 2017

Hi manddy123,

Thank you very much for your suggestion. It is a very good configuration. And the CPU-comparison is extremely helpful.
But I have a question: for my kind of usage, an i5 is needed (or will it help) ? Or an i3 with a low-end video card will suit better ?

Also, for RAM, is there a major difference between a single 8GB stick and 2x4GB sticks in dual channel ?

Thanks,
Benny

manddy123 :

manddy123 · May 31, 2017

benvarg :

The i5 has double the amount of physical cores the i3 has, in . Therefore, applications that requires a good amount or processing power will benefit from it.As you've stated your PC's main focus is working it will come in handy., no doubt.
With that said, some games are known to only utilize one or two cores, in those cases the i3 might be better because it has a faster clock speed.
It would be easier if you list a bunch of games you're willing to play, that way i can make a better judgement.

In theory, RAMs in dual-channel are twice as fast. In reality that isn't the case. But the difference is very well perceived in benchmarks, so it's a real thing. Imagine the scenario: " A lot of things wants to read and write stuff somewhere that can do that with a fixed speed, so if there's more thing than it can handle, some will be left behind waiting even if it isn't full, it just can't process so much info at the same time."
With that said, RAM in dual-channel are capable of sharing the info between themselves, so you get 2 times the writing/reading speed, if one is full of work, the PC will automatically delegate the other to receive the new tasks while the other finishes it's work.

So, if you're willing to grab the best for the money, 2x4GB will be the wiser choice IMO. That's because RAM aren't a single solid immutable thing, they're made different, even if they are the from the same brand,model and etc. Therefore, if you grab a 8GB stick now and a another 8GB later, they may not work in dual-channel as you'd expect. RAMs sold in kits are already tested to work together, so it's a much safer bet. But if you need to cut costs, a single 8GB stick will suit your needs as well, just won't be as fast as you could get. That's up to you.

Lemme know if you need some more info.

benvarg · Jun 21, 2017

Hi,

I was hospitalised with viral fever and so couldn't proceed on this. I'm discharged; but extremely tired. I've decided to go ahead with your suggestions and so far I've ordered i5 7400 and Gigabyte - GA-B250M-DS3H. They are on the way. Regarding RAM, I can see the one suggested by you (HyperX Fury Black 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR4-2133) is available on Amazon.in for around INR 6000. But I can also see a slightly faster RAM (HyperX FURY 2666MHz DDR4 Non-ECC CL15 2 x 4GB) available for a slightly lower price INR 5416. Should I go ahead with this instead of the 2133 speed RAM?
Link : http://www.amazon.in/gp/aw/d/B013H7QBTG/ref=pd_gwm_simh_0?pf_rd_p=c50c5e47-64d2-4808-8303-19d8eef1eb60&pf_rd_s=blackjack-personal-1&pf_rd_t=Gateway&pf_rd_i=mobile&pf_rd_m=A1VBAL9TL5WCBF&pf_rd_r=BA7Y8PMN24ZS3T17ZREP&pd_rd_wg=wgMSR&pd_rd_r=BA7Y8PMN24ZS3T17ZREP&pf_rd_r=BA7Y8PMN24ZS3T17ZREP&pf_rd_p=c50c5e47-64d2-4808-8303-19d8eef1eb60&pd_rd_w=2aMS3&pd_rd_i=B013H7QBTG

Thanks,
Benny

manddy123 · Jun 21, 2017

benvarg :

Gosh, that's terrible. Get well soon there friend.

Yeah, no problem. It won't work with that 2666MHz speed tho, 'cause your mobo can only hold up to 2400 with XMP on, or 2133 without. But it's completely safe, no worries as well. The reason the slower one is more expensive is because is more common therefore people tend to buy more from it. IF you can grab the faster one cheaper, go ahead.

benvarg · Jul 25, 2017

Hi,

I finally upgraded my PC. (Manddy123, the exact same configuration as you suggested)
CPU: Intel - Core i5-7400, Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-B250M-DS3H, Memory: HyperX Fury 8GB (2x4GB) DDR4-2133. All other components remains the same as the old PC except the new monitor (Dell 22") I bought because the old one died.

It is working fine. I haven't tried any games except some very old games that I had in my PC. But I think I may play some low-end games. Also I may do some minimal photo and video editing (handbrake). Not sure if I may need a video card in the future.

In the 2nd week of August, I might be travelling to US for a week related to work. Should I buy a video card from US as they might be cheaper there ? Do you recommend any video card under $100 which may make sense ?

Thanks,
Benny

manddy123 · Jul 25, 2017

benvarg :

Good to hear everything is working properly

What's the resolution of the newer monitor?
GPU prices right now aren't the best as they could be due to ethereum miners, they're more expensive than they should.

Therefore, if you're really willing to spend a bit(And your monitor is 1080p or less) on a GPU i'd suggest trying to get a GTX 1050, they are around $100 and are probably the best you can get at that money tbh, those will also let you play older and current games with decent fps at medium settings.

If you wish solely to play low-end games a GT 1030 will do the trick and it's below $100.
Just make sure your current monitor has HDMI input as both these cards requires it.

Bench for the GT 1030 and GTX 1050

aHR0cDovL21lZGlhLmJlc3RvZm1pY3JvLmNvbS9MLzcvNjg4OTM5L29yaWdpbmFsL2JhdHRsZWZpZWxkLTEtRlBTLTE5MjB4MTA4MC1sb3cucG5n

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Help needed for a non-gaming PC for home use

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