Budget-friendly PC build for a low-maintenance home setup

Hi everyone. I’ve learned quite a bit from reading through this forum, which has led me to abandon the idea of an all-in-one system, and even the idea of buying a big-name brand machine...
Now, I am looking for some specific configuration advice—I need recommendations for everything.

The computer will be based in San Francisco, so I’m wondering who I should reach out to locally. Micro Center has a location nearby, but since others don't, should I look into LinkedIn for leads?

One thing is absolutely critical: the system needs to be quiet. Specifically, I'm worried about the cooling fan.
I suffer from tinnitus, and whenever I have an older laptop running in front of me, the noise starts driving me insane within thirty minutes.

It also needs to look good. Now, I’m sure you experts 🤦 have thoughts on this, but since it’s going in the living room, I don't want something bulky or industrial. It will sit on a standard desk, so the monitor doesn't need to be massive either.

We mainly need it for web browsing (with wireless connectivity), viewing photos, and listening to CDs (so, not just cheap little desktop speakers). The TV antenna cable is close by, so I'd like to connect that to the PC as well. We do have a satellite cable too, but we probably won't bother with an extra receiver since we rarely watch satellite TV.

The setup is for my home office. I don't play games myself, though someone else might start playing soon—nothing heavy, though, so I don't think I need to blow the budget on a high-end graphics card.

Price is always a factor. It doesn't have to be the absolute cheapest option available, but I don't want to pay for premium features I'll never use.

I look forward to your suggestions. Thanks, everyone!🙂

Look, the shop doesn't even have to be in San Francisco—you just order everything online and they ship it right to your doorstep.

G1840
GIGABYTE H81M S2V
CRUCIAL 4GB 1600 MHZ
TOSHIBA P300 1TB SATA 3
LG DVD-RW EXTERNAL
XILENCE R7 400W
NAVIATEC Z1 MATX/ITX
BENQ GW2255 VA LED 1080p
GENIUS SW 5.1 1020
GENIUS SLIMSTAR 8000ME TIP+MIS
TP LINK WIFI

= $1167 including delivery & assembly.

I was thinking about San Francisco because of the warranty and potential issues—not wanting to have to ship things back up north or deal with installation headaches if I need to swap something out... or am I missing something here?

In San Francisco, you're pretty much stuck with LinkedIn, and they aren't exactly cheap. You’d probably end up with a way worse PC for the same amount of money.

So, I guess just think about it—if you've got the cash, it’s probably better to just order online and have it shipped to your door.

It doesn't matter if you ordered through LinkedIn or went down to a shop in Chicago, you're still stuck waiting two weeks for the repair.

DDR3 RAM, 8GB, NVIDIA Radeon R5, Entertainment series R538G1601U2S, DDR3 1600MHz
1TB Western Digital Blue hard drive, WD10EZEX, SATA3, 64MB cache, 7200rpm, 3.5" desktop drive
ASROCK FM2A78M-DG3+ motherboard, AMD A78 FCH, DDR3, audio, Gigabit LAN, SATA, RAID, PCI-E, DVI, D-SUB, USB 3.0, mATX, FM2+ socket Motherboard
21.5-inch monitor LED BenQ GW2255, Full HD, 6ms, 250cd/m2, 3000:1, D-Sub, DVI, black
400W power supply, Office Series LC500-12, ATX v2.31, 120mm fan, PFC
LOGITECH MK120 Desktop keyboard + mouse combo, black, USB
ANTEC VSK-3000B case, mATX, black, no power supply included
USB 2.0 wireless network adapter, TP-LINK TL-WN722N, 802.11b/g
LG GH24NSD1 DVD±RW, 24x, SATA, Dual layer, black, bulk
AMD A8 x4 7600 processor, FM2+ socket, 3.8GHz, 4MB cache, AMD Radeon R7, Quad Core total

Total: $1232 Links

crimsonstag84, I’m having a hard time wrapping my head around this. And sorry if this sounds silly... for an extra $30, it feels like I'd be getting a better, faster processor and more memory. I assume the sound quality will stay the same? And I won't need separate speakers? For the TV, I can just plug in an antenna somewhere, right?

Is this going to hold up over the long haul? I'm not looking to buy something that only lasts three or four years. Is that what you guys mean by "upgrade potential"?

I've never actually used an AMD processor before... I've always stuck with Intel Celeron on my old desktops and laptops...

Regarding the 4G upgrade, we're all on tablets now 🙂 .....and if I may point out, you haven't even upgraded your own Intel Celeron yet

For $67, you get a great Quad Core total processor with decent integrated graphics and 8GB of RAM

If you feel the computer is getting too loud, just swap the CPU cooler for $25 something like this

And the problem is solved

If you need speakers, just pick some cheap ones. You won't miss out with Genius, anything up to $33 is fine... Logitech is also good

To watch TV or cable, you'll need something like this

Here’s how the Intel Celeron G1840 stacks up against the AMD A8 x4 7600 processor... basically, the AMD wins out overall here...

http://cpuboss.com/cpus/Intel-Celero...vs-AMD-A8-7600

You guys are awesome, thank you... I'm still learning the ropes here...

While the latest option is definitely higher quality, the second suggestion actually ends up being $167 more expensive because the first one includes speakers from $100, whereas the second doesn't include any speakers at all.

That’s what led me to this pre-built bundle found in the Links.
Motherboard: Intel Socket 1150, DDR3, audio, SATA, Gigabit LAN, PCI-E
Processor: Intel Pentium G3250 (3.2 GHz)
Memory: 4 GB DDR3, 1333MHz
Graphics Card: Intel HD Graphics
Hard Drive: 500.0 GB, SATA 7200 RPM
Optical Drive: DVD±RW, SATA
Case: LC POWER, Midi Tower
Power Supply: 420W
Operating System: No OS included
Antivirus Protection

Price: $2,100 + $1,100 (monitor, mouse, keyboard) = $3,200

Ultimately, this might be my best value, since I really just need it for basic everyday tasks.

I'll let you experts compare them.
So, we have the setup above for $3,200, then there's mclovin1's option for the same price (if I subtract $350 for the speakers), and finally, there's the high-quality build suggested by crimsonstag84 for $3,700. Thank you!

fadedorca66 said:In Miami, your only option is Links, and their prices are pretty steep. You'll end up with a much weaker PC for the same amount of money.

So think about it—if you have the cash ready, ordering online for home delivery is definitely the smarter move.

I listened to the more experienced folks because I wanted to save some money, but it turns out that when I put this second suggestion in my cart at Futura, it’s actually marginally more expensive for cash payments. If I use a credit card, $183 the price at Futura jumps even higher...

With the AMD build crimsonstag84 suggested, you're looking at a much better Quad Core total, superior graphics, and a hard drive that’s twice as large—which really matters. Plus, you get double the memory with 8GB of DDR3...

If you have a home stereo or a soundbar, you can just hook the computer up via an audio cable to fix the speaker issue. And of course, you can always pick up some decent speakers later for $22 or $117 once you've got the cash...

I personally wouldn't overlook a solid, well-balanced PC build just because of a lack of speakers.

...plus I'm still not entirely sure which motherboard is in there, just the power supply and a 500GB drive. I think I even tossed some speakers in there, but they probably got lost somewhere moving from CA to PA... these ones:

https://www.amazon.com/generic-speakers-black-100503232

👍 I really appreciate how Bryan Taylor6 recognizes that I'm completely out of my element and tailors everything to fit my needs.

Meanwhile, crimsonstag84 clearly put together an excellent configuration,
the speakers don't matter, and $167 there are very solid reasons for the price differences...

I was just questioning whether this setup actually suits me—as a very basic user—but I've concluded that it does, so I decided to order it from Best Buy...

And why on earth are people claiming that the listed power supply is too large for that case??? 🤔
It is absolutely vital to me that the computer is quiet—quieter, the quietest possible—so I am more than open to more expensive suggestions.

Also... the folks at Best Buy suggested a pre-built Intel Core i3 configuration that would cost me about $100 more than crimsonstag84's build. Since I'm using my credit card anyway, I can afford the extra cost... though I assume crimsonstag84's build is just as good, if not better?

Here is what they are offering: "I would suggest one of our pre-built computers. It offers great potential for future upgrades in every regard; specifically, this model:"

https://www.bestbuy.com/example-computer-link

One thing that's bothering me is the 3+2 setup; if something fails, I'll have to call them just to figure out what's going on...🙂

Emily Wilson92 said:👍 I love how Bryan Taylor6 treats me like I know nothing and simplifies everything for me.

crimsonstag84 clearly put together a solid build,
speakers don't matter here, and $167 there are very good reasons for those price gaps...

I was just wondering if this fits my needs—I'm a super basic user—and decided it does, so I'm going to order it from Best Buy...

And why are people saying that power supply is too big for that case??? 🤔
My main priority is that the computer stays quiet—silent, even. I'm open to more expensive suggestions if they actually work.

Also... Best Buy suggested a pre-built Intel Core i3 setup that would cost me about $100 more than crimsonstag84's build. Since I'm swiping my credit card anyway, I could swing it... though I assume crimsonstag84's build is just as good, if not better?

Here’s their pitch: "We recommend a pre-configured computer from our selection. It offers great upgrade potential in every aspect. Here is the machine:"

https://www.bestbuy.com/example-computer-link

The weird part for someone clueless like me is the 3+2 thing; if one part fails, I have to call them just to figure out what went wrong...🙂

Forget those pre-built setups. They're a disaster.
The only thing you actually know for sure is the processor.

You have no clue what brand of RAM they're using, or the motherboard, and that power supply is probably some cheap junk that only hits 420W on paper. Don't hold your breath.

Emily Wilson92 said:And then there are those people claiming that power supply is way too big for that case... I guess maybe they're right? 🤔
Silence is my top priority for this build. I really need the computer to be quiet—as quiet as possible, actually—so I’m definitely open to more expensive suggestions if they mean less noise.

I guess this Ante case on Amazon looks like a decent option, maybe. It seems pretty straightforward if you're just looking for something basic.

If you're looking for something a bit nicer, maybe try this case instead.

As for the power supply, it’s kind of a toss-up... but honestly, if the larger case from the same model line is going for the same price, you might as well grab the bigger one.

I guess I found this case over at Best Buy. Looks like it might work for what I need.

Regarding that build they recommended to you, I guess what's been said still holds true. Robert Rodriguez2 He said.

crimsonstag84, I need some assistance... while I was finalizing my selections, both the RAM and the hard drive disappeared from the list. I'm not sure if you can see what happened via this link, but it looks like those items you recommended are gone today. Is this new version of the hard drive actually slower than the previous one? 😵

1000 GB Western Digital Blue Hard Drive, WD10EZEX, SATA3, 64MB cache, 7200 RPM, 3.5", for desktop
051.510.218

Product has been deleted

DDR3 RAM, 8GB, NVIDIA Radeon R5, Entertainment series R538G1601U2S, DDR3 1600MHz
051.210.369

Product not listed

https://www.links.com/us/cart

Maybe tell them to grab a Seagate BarraCuda instead. This Western Digital Green is pretty sluggish and probably isn't the best choice for an OS, plus they can be a bit flaky.

If you really think 500GB is enough, then maybe try this one:

Though, I guess buying 500GB right now is kind of a waste since a 1TB drive is only like 50 dollars$33 more and gives you double the space.

You could even go with this:

As for RAM, just grab whatever cheapest DDR3 you can find, I guess.