Home office PC build ideas?

I could use some advice on a build for a home setup—mostly just office work, streaming, browsing, and some light gaming for a middle schooler.
We’ve already got the case, the power supply, and a 24" IPS monitor ready to go. For now, we'll probably just rely on the integrated graphics from the motherboard.

We're debating between an 1151v2 or a 1200 socket setup, so here's what we're looking at:

- ASUS Prime B360M motherboard, Socket 1151v2
- Intel Core i5-9500, 3.0GHz, 9MB cache, Hexa-core
- 256 GB Kingston KC600 SSD
- Two sticks of 8 GB Kingston HyperX Fury DDR4 2666MHz memory

Or maybe this route:

- Gigabyte B460M DS3H motherboard, Socket 1200
- Intel Core i5-10500, 3.1GHz, 12MB cache, Six Core
- 256 GB Kingston KC600 SSD
- Two sticks of 8 GB Kingston HyperX Fury DDR4 2666MHz memory

We would also toss in a 1TB HDD for extra storage.

I'd appreciate any suggestions you guys might have.

What kind of power supply are you running?

Intel CPUs don't exactly have stellar integrated graphics, so calling it a "decent" gaming rig is a stretch. You might squeeze through some very light titles, but you’ll definitely want dual-channel memory (two sticks) to stand a chance.
Ideally, you'd go with a Ryzen 5 4650 g. It sits right in that sweet spot where it competes with an i5 for a similar price, but the integrated graphics actually pack a punch. Sadly, it looks like they're out of stock right now. I picked up a machine from google.com a couple of weeks ago that had one for about $500, and honestly, it's a killer deal. If you aren't in a massive rush, I'd say wait a bit.

The other route—which is actually way more cost-effective—is to grab an i3 10100 f. For the money, it’s a solid chip (basically acts like an older quad-core i7). You won't notice much difference compared to an I5 10500 for basic tasks, plus you can pair it with a dedicated GPU—new or used—for roughly the same total budget.
Think a GTX1650, or if the budget is tight, at least a GTX1050Ti. That'll be miles ahead of any integrated solution.
https://www.amazon.com/graphics-cards
https://www.amazon.com/search?q=i3+10100

Is this still relevant? If this was from a few weeks back, maybe look into a beefier GPU first, then grab a matching power supply from the same brand... or just stick a classic hard drive in for extra storage.

Intel Core i3-10100F $231
ASRock H410M-HVS motherboard $156
2x8GB Patriot Viper Steel 3200MHz $169
500GB Kingston SSD, A2000,
M.2 2280, NVMe, PCIe 3.0 $163
Corsair mid-tower case $93
EVGA 400W power supply, $111
KFA2 GTX1650 SUPER EX, 1-Click OC, 4GB $442

CNET

Bryan Taylor6 put this build together in a thread just $1333 recently, so use that as a guide... CPU, motherboard, RAM—that's the core. Everything else depends on what you want and what you can afford...

wiredotter14 said:What kind of power supply are you running?

Intel processors don't really offer much in terms of integrated graphics so calling it "decent" for gaming is a bit of a stretch. You might get through some very light titles, but you'll definitely want dual-channel memory—meaning two sticks—to make it even remotely playable.
The ideal move would be to grab a Ryzen 5 4650 g which sits right in that sweet spot alongside the i5 for a similar price, but offers significantly better graphics if you're sticking to integrated solutions. Unfortunately, it looks like they're out of stock at the moment. I picked up a PC from google.com about a week or two ago where they had one for around $500, and honestly, it’s a great value. If you aren't in a rush, I’d suggest waiting a bit.

A different route, which is actually much more cost-effective, is to go with an i3 10100 f. It’s a solid little chip for the money—essentially performing like a quad-core i7 from a few years back. You won't notice a massive difference compared to an I5 10500 for basic tasks, and if you pair it with a dedicated graphics card—whether new or used—you'll end up with a total build cost similar to the other option.
Something like a GTX1650, or if the budget is tight, at least a GTX1050Ti, which is miles ahead of any integrated solution.
https://www.amazon.com/graphics-cards-ddr5-31076711
https://www.amazon.com/search.php?q=i3+10100+

Just to clarify things here,😁 the Intel UHD630 iGPU (launched on 1.9 2017) found on chips like the i5 9500 or I5 10500, etc. This iGPU is present on most modern Intel processors built on the Skylake architecture, using that 14nm process. To put it bluntly, that Intel iGPU is pretty weak; it only "competitively" holds its own against the old AMD Veg 3 iGPU. That specific level of performance is what you find in an AMD Athlon 3000 g, which is basically the cheapest current AMD desktop APU you can find for about $60.





Since the 6/12 AMD Renoir APU isn't readily available right now, we're in a bit of a holding pattern. AMD AM4 B450 and X470 motherboards are still waiting on what was supposedly promised: official BIOS support for the 4000 series Renoir APU. In reality, the Renoir APU still feels like an OEM product. There's even a chance a formal Desktop Renoir Apa might never officially launch.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motherboard_chipsets

Right now, I'm running an Athlon 3000 g + B450 setup. If the Ryzen 3 Pro 4350 G were actually available here, you could pick one up and drop it into a new AMD B520 or B550 motherboard. I'm specifically eyeing the Ryzen 3 Pro 4350 G, and I would buy it in a heartbeat if the motherboards had the necessary BIOS support. I just hope Lisa doesn't leave us hanging with no BIOS updates for the Renoir APU.😵

One final note: if you ever plan on hooking up an APU-based computer or HTPC PC to a 4K TV at 60Hz, or a 4K monitor, keep this in mind. While both Intel UHD and AMD iGPU support 4K at 60Hz, the PC must be connected via the HDMI 2.0 standard using a high-quality HDMI 2.0 cable.

Most older, budget-friendly motherboards simply don't support HDMI 2.0. It's the same story whether you go with AMD or Intel; cheap boards usually only offer the older HDMI 1.4 standard. A decent exception would be certain AMD B450 boards, or maybe those two specific budget Gigabyte models that actually feature HDMI 2.0. Almost every other B450 board in that price bracket—and even some slightly more expensive ones—unfortunately only provides HDMI 1.4.

https://www.amazon.com/motherboards...-ddr4-92851891

https://www.gigabyte.com/Motherboard...-S2H-rev-10#kf

https://www.amazon.com/search.php?q=Gigabyte+B450M+H

https://www.gigabyte.com/Motherboard/B450M-H-rev-10#kf

Getting 4K at 30Hz is honestly a disaster, which is pretty much what you're looking at when you pair a motherboard using the HDMI 1.4 standardwith an APU iGPU combo.Whether you're hooking this up to a 4K TV or a high-res monitor, that 30Hz refresh rate is just going to give you a massive headache.🍿

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HDMI#Version_1.4

wiredotter14 said:What kind of power supply are you running?

My current setup:
- Intel Core 2 Duo E8600 3.33 GHz
- Power supply is an EVGA 500W Power Supply
- Silver Corsair Triton 180 case
- Nvidia GeForce 9600 GT
- 6GB RAM

I guess this build is just too weak for "Fortnite," which lists these requirements:

Minimum System Requirements

Video Card: Intel HD Graphics 4000 on PC or Intel Iris Pro 5200 or equivalent AMD GPU on Mac
Processor: Core i3-3225 3.3 GHz
Memory: 4 GB RAM
OS: Windows 7/8/10 64-bit

@tirox: Hey, it’s been a while since we last caught up.

Joshua Garcia3 said:Current setup:
- Intel Core 2 Duo E8600 3.33 GHz
- EVGA 500W Power Supply
- Silver Dell Inspiron case
- Nvidia GeForce 9600 GT
- 6GB RAM

This current rig is too weak for "Fortnite," which requires:

Minimum System Requirements

Video Card: Intel HD 4000 on PC or Intel Iris Pro 5200 or equivalent AMD GPU on Mac
Processor: Core i3-3225 3.3 GHz
Memory: 4 GB RAM
OS: Windows 7/8/10 64-bit

@tirox: Hey, long time no see. It's been a while.

Power supply should be fine. Check what Mahun wrote; you could probably grab those without the PSU. You don't need a beast to run Fortnite on low settings, but playing on integrated graphics? Forget about it. What Mahun suggested—or even a weaker GTX 1050 Ti listed below $333—is a massive upgrade over this.

I'm still waiting on an update regarding the status of this particular matter. Andrew Miller102 says:
Here is my current setup:
Intel Core 2 Duo E8600 running at 3.33 GHz.
The power supply is an EVGA 500W Power Supply.
Corsair Triton 180 case, silver.
Nvidia GeForce 9600 GT
6GB of RAM.

This current setup just isn't going to cut it if you're planning on running Fortnite, given its requirements:

If you're looking at what it takes to actually get this running without your rig catching fire, here are the minimum system requirements you'll need to hit.

Video Card: Intel HD Graphics 4000 Running it on a PC. You could go with the Intel Iris Pro 5200 or an equivalent AMD GPU if you're running on a Mac.
The processor here is an Intel Core i3-3225 running at 3.3 GHz.
Memory: 4 GB RAM
Operating System: Windows 7/8/10 64-bit

Andrew Miller102: It’s been quite a while since we last crossed paths or even caught up.

Hey there.😁 It’s been quite a while since we last caught up in person. I hope you're doing alright, or at least that we can finally put this damn COVID-19 business behind us so things can get back to normal.

Fortnite probably requires at least a GPU that supports DirectX 11. That ancient Intel iGPU technically handles the DirectX 11 standard, but honestly, everything else about it isn't even worth mentioning.🍿

If you’re planning on playing Fortnite, my advice is to budget for a dedicated graphics card. It’s not exactly a lightweight title; honestly, I think even the most powerful AMD APUs would struggle to keep up.
Right now isn't the best time to be shopping for hardware. We’re dealing with shortages and price hikes—though SSDs and RAM are at an all-time low, which is a silver lining. Plus, many retail sites haven't updated their stock, so some of the advice floating around online might be outdated.

Looking at the current market, the real "best buy" is the i3 10100f (the version without integrated graphics). You can snag it for under $233, and it performs right up there with the old flagship i7 7700. Pair that with a budget-friendly H410 motherboard and 16GB of DDR4 RAM. Make sure you get two 8GB sticks; they are incredibly cheap right now, and you really need that dual-channel setup. Buying just 8GB is a waste of money given current prices, and since H410 boards only have two slots, you don't want to clog them up with smaller sticks.

For your first serious GPU, look at the gtx 1650 super (which is a noticeable step up from the standard GTX 1650). Or, as Timothy Kim60 pointed out, you can find a GTX 1050Ti 4GB for around $333 lately. Either way, you'll have a smooth gaming experience, provided you don't dream about turning on ray tracing settings 😁

So, less is more, just like the other guys have been saying.

I wouldn't touch a new GTX 1050 Ti for $333. I'd much rather grab a used RX 580 or a GTX 1060 for around $233
. Since we saved some cash on the CPU and motherboard, maybe we could swing a new GTX 1660 Ti for 2000-$760
...

It’s hardly a massive upgrade compared to a nearly identical GTX 1660 super

Besides, I don't see much of a budget being discussed here; he only mentioned a CPU, motherboard, 8GB of RAM, and a smaller SSD, so there isn't really room in that price range for a GPU of this caliber

Andrew Miller102 said:Getting 4K at only 30Hz is pretty terrible, and that’s basically what you end up with when you're running an HDMI 1.4 standard motherboard+an APU and integrated graphics combo.Whether you're using a 4K TV or a monitor, it's all the same story—trying to deal with 30Hz is just going to give you a massive headache.🍿

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HDMI#Version_1.4

If we are talking about something like The New York Times, HDMI 1.4 might or might not be an issue depending entirely on what you're actually watching. If you're settling in for a movie, 24Hz is perfectly fine—in fact, it's often preferred—because whether you have a 24Hz or a 60Hz display, the source material is still filmed at 24 fps, which can lead to that annoying pull-down judder on a 60Hz screen anyway. Since 30Hz isn't really a standard, whereas 50/60Hz is typically used for sports, news broadcasts, or certain series, it seems a bit unfair to claim 30Hz causes headaches while 24Hz doesn't. I mean, movies have been shot at 24 or 25 fps since the beginning of time, so why is it suddenly a problem now? Looking at your link, I think it's misrepresenting a few things; if you slow down 30 fps by 50%, you get 15 fps, which obviously stutters heavily, but otherwise, 30 fps shouldn't be that bad (just like how 60 fps slowed by 50% becomes 30 fps). Besides, almost all high-action movies are filmed at 24 fps, with the rare exceptions being The Lord of the Rings at 48 fps or some of the newer films by Ang Lee.

Sent from my iPhone

wanderingbison9 said:Look, if we're talking about The New York Times, HDMI 1.4 might be an issue, or maybe it isn't—it all depends on what you're watching. If you're into movies, 24 Hz is plenty; honestly, it's preferred. Whether you're running at 24 or 60 Hz, the source material is still 24 fps, so on a 60 Hz display, you're just going to get pull-down judder regardless. 30 Hz isn't even a real standard. You want 50/60 Hz for sports, news, or certain TV shows. But it's not like 30 Hz gives you a headache while 24 doesn't. Movies have been shot at 24/25 fps since forever, so why is everyone acting like it's suddenly a massive problem? That link you posted is wrong on a few counts. When they slowed down 30 fps by 50%, you end up with 15 fps, which obviously stutters like crazy. Otherwise, 30 fps isn't that big of a deal (like slowing 60 fps by 50% gets you a smooth 30 fps). Besides, 99% of high-action movies are at 24 fps. The exceptions are The Hobbit at 48 fps and some newer stuff by Ang Lee.

It’s not hard to find a cheap motherboard with HDMI 2.0 anyway. The ones Tirox mentioned have it. The Gigabyte DS3H has it too, and it’s only about $45. But whatever, clearly there's a strict budget for this i3 + GPU build.

Timothy Kim60 said:Joshua Garcia3's advice is to just get a dedicated GPU if you're planning on playing Fortnite. It's not exactly a lightweight game; I think even the beefiest AMD APU would struggle with it.
Right now isn't exactly the best time to be buying hardware—we've got shortages and prices are climbing (though SSDs and RAM are cheaper than ever, which is a plus). Plus, most sites aren't updated, so our suggestions might not always reflect current reality.

Anyway, looking at things as they stand, the current best value is the i3-10100F (the one without integrated graphics)—it’s under $233 and performs roughly on par with the old i7-7700 flagship. You could grab a cheap H410 motherboard for it and 16GB of DDR4 RAM—definitely go with two 8GB sticks since they're incredibly cheap right now. Buying 8GB seems like a waste given the prices, and dual channel is becoming more important. There aren't really any 4GB DDR4 sticks anyway, and it'd be a shame to waste both slots on them, especially since H410 boards only have two slots.

For a GPU, the first decent option is the GTX 1650 super (which is noticeably better than the standard 1650) or, like someone else mentioned, there's been a GTX 1050 Ti 4GB floating around for about $333 lately. You can play pretty comfortably with those, though you shouldn't even dream of touching ray tracing settings. 😁

So, less is more, as the guys already pointed out.

So, I've narrowed my choices down to these parts:

Gigabyte H410M-H Motherboard, Intel H410, LGA1200, micro ATX - $166
Intel Core i3-10100F CPU, 3.6GHz (Turbo 4.3 GHz), LGA1200, boxed, no graphics - $231
Patriot Viper Steel PVS416G320C6K Memory, 16GB DDR4 3200MHz, CL16, (2x8GB) - $185
480 GB CRUCIAL BX500 SSD, CT480BX500SSD1, SATA3, 2.5", max up to 540/500 MB/s - $139
Seagate 1TB 3.5" 7200rpm, 64MB, Barracuda, ST1000DM010 - $99

Now I'm just left with the graphics card. So, was the suggestion a GTX 1650 super or a GTX 1050 Ti?

Joshua Garcia3 said:So I've narrowed my list down to these parts:

ASUS Prime H410M-E Motherboard, Intel H410, LGA1200, micro ATX - $166
Intel Core i3-10100F CPU, 3.6GHz (Turbo 4.3 GHz), LGA1200, boxed, no integrated graphics - $231
Corsair Vengeance DDR4 RAM, 16GB DDR4 3200MHz, CL16, (2x8GB) - $185
480 GB CRUCIAL BX500 SSD, CT480BX500SSD1, SATA3, 2.5", max up to 540/500 MB/s - $139
Seagate Barracuda 1TB HDD 3.5" 7200rpm, 64MB, ST1000DM010 - $99

Now I just need a GPU. My options are either the GTX 1650 Super or the GTX 1050 Ti?

The 1050Ti would be a solid pick if it was sitting at $600... $233But right now it's $1000, which is actually $100-$67 cheaper than when it first launched three years ago. Honestly, that's an insane deal to be

That being said, the 1650Super would definitely be the way to go for about ~$433 CLICK

Joshua Garcia3 said:So, I've narrowed my choices down to these parts:

ASUS Prime H410M-E Motherboard, Intel H410, LGA1200, micro ATX - $166
Intel Core i3-10100F CPU, 3.6GHz (Turbo 4.3 GHz), LGA1200, boxed, no integrated graphics - $231
Corsair Vengeance DDR4 Memory, 16GB DDR4 3200MHz, CL16, (2x8GB) - $185
480 GB CRUCIAL BX500 SSD, CT480BX500SSD1, SATA3, 2.5", max up to 540/500 MB/s - $139
Seagate Barracuda 1TB HDD 3.5" 7200rpm, 64MB, ST1000DM010 - $99

Now all that's left is the GPU. My options are basically GTX 1650 Super or GTX 1050 Ti?

The 1050Ti would be a solid pick if it was around $60-$233... But right now it's sitting at $100, which is actually $100-$67 cheaper than when it first launched three years ago. That's honestly a crazy deal.

That said, the 1650Super is definitely the way to go. For about $433 CLICK another $40, you get a card that's over 50% more powerful—to me, that's a total no-brainer.

Get the GTX 1650 Super, there's really no question about it...

If your power supply is more than five years old, you might want to grab a new one too.

wanderingbison9 said:Regarding HT, HDMI 1.4 might but it doesn't necessarily have to be an issue, depending on what you're watching. If you're watching movies, 24 Hz is perfectly sufficient—actually preferable—because whether you're running at 24 or 60 Hz, the source material is still 24 fps, which leads to pull-down judder on a 60 Hz display. 30 Hz isn't really a standard; 50/60 Hz is intended for sports, news broadcasts, or certain series. It's far from being true that you'll get a headache from 30 Hz while 24 Hz remains fine. I think the link you provided is mistaken on several counts; when they slowed down 30 fps by 50%, they ended up with 15 fps, which obviously results in heavy stuttering, whereas 30 fps itself isn't usually that bad (like slowing 60 fps by 50% gives you 30 fps). Furthermore, 99% of high-action movies are shot at 24 fps, with the exceptions being things like Hobbit at 48 fps or some of the newer Ang Lee films.

At any resolution, 30Hz is a problem. :D And I'll say it again: it looks terrible and you'll notice it immediately or very soon after. There’s nothing more to say there, unless you want to look at that lower link regarding the issues with 30Hz at 4K resolution. Simply put, the guy ran into a problem he didn't know how to fix. Most people realize right away that something is off with a 30Hz image, so they come looking for help to deal with that 30Hz nuisance. Scroll four posts back and you'll see that I solved that specific problem myself, and the 30Hz nuisance is gone. ☕

wiredotter14 said:It clearly shouldn't be difficult to find a cheap motherboard with HDMI 2.0 anyway. The ones @Tirox mentioned have it. The Gigabyte DS3H has it too, and it costs around $50 or so. But regardless, there's clearly a budget set aside for an i3 plus a GPU.

Even that slightly more expensive Gigabyte model is expected to have HDMI 2.0.:D I intentionally pointed out the cheapest Gigabyte B450 motherboards. That's the main point, or rather, the point should be that you can get a decent motherboard if you spend just a little extra money. The DS3H is basically the same story as the S2H—identical voltage regulation and passive heatsinks on the VRM. Having one extra PCI-E slot for a graphics card isn't much worth mentioning. While the DS3H does have four memory slots, that isn't even a significant advantage for most buyers. Most people building their own rigs typically just buy 2 x 8GB of RAM and call it a day. 👍

https://www.gigabyte.com/Motherboard...DS3H-rev-10#kf

https://www.amazon.com/motherboards...-ddr4-92851951

Joshua Garcia3 said:So, I've finally narrowed my list down to these specific parts:

ASUS Prime H410M-E Motherboard, Intel H410, LGA1200, micro ATX - $166
CPU Intel Core i3-10100F, 3.6GHz (Turbo 4.3 GHz), LGA1200, boxed, no integrated graphics - $231
Memory Corsair Vengeance DDR4, 16GB DDR4 3200MHz, CL16, (2x8GB) - $185
480 GB CRUCIAL BX500 SSD, CT480BX500SSD1, SATA3, 2.5", max up to 540/500 MB/s - $139
1TB Seagate Barracuda HDD 3.5" 7200rpm, 64MB, ST1000DM010 - $99

The only thing left is picking a GPU, so the choice is between a GTX 1650 Super or a GTX 1050 Ti?

I wouldn't go with that standard SSD, because if $17 speed isn't an issue for you anymore, then the Kingston m2 NVMe model is incomparably faster. It's basically the current best buy on the market with zero competition, plus you get five years of warranty.

https://www.nabava.net/search.php?q=...A2000M8%2F500G

That Intel motherboard doesn't even have HDMI 2.0 if you ever end up needing it, which is just a case of "let's cut corners on the Intel components to save a buck." :ban:

@Cilim If you can swing the cash, the GTX 1650 Super is a massive upgrade over the GTX 1050Ti. Definitely worth it.
If the 1650 Super is out of reach, grab the 1050Ti. It’s way better than integrated graphics and will actually let you play stuff decently.

@Andrew Miller102/">@@Andrew Miller102, take it easy. The guy's just trying to buy a GPU.

Bryan Taylor6 said:Just get the GTX 1650 Super. There isn't much to think about there.

If your power supply is over five years old, I guess you might want to look into getting a new one.

The PSU is a Fortron Blue Storm II 500W. It’s probably been sitting around for about six years, but it was just used in a backup rig and maybe turned on maybe twenty times total, so it hasn't really seen much action. You think it's not reliable enough and needs replacing?

LINK