Office PC with Windows and Office

Hey there!

I'm looking for some recommendations on an office PC that comes with genuine Windows 7 and Office, since that's what the company requires.
Usage: mostly Microsoft Office and light apps, but it needs to be reliable enough for multitasking (running several programs at once, nothing heavy though).
I was thinking something like a minimum i3 with 8GB RAM.

So, here's the breakdown:
PC
Windows 7
Office
Peripherals (mouse, keyboard, monitor)

Alternatively, I'm considering picking up a used HP workstation. Specifically, I've got a quote on an HP Elite 8200:
Intel Core i5-2400
4GB DDR3
250GB HDD
ODD
Comes with original Windows 7 Professional
12-month warranty
$647 including tax
I’d probably toss in another 4GB of RAM (keeping the HDD as is for now).

My dilemma is whether to build something new for about $1000 or just buy used, mainly because of the license included with the used machine.

I want to keep the total budget as low as possible while still getting something solid and dependable.

Looking for suggestions for a setup around $2500-$1000. Specifically need advice on peripherals and software, since I might mix and match.
I'm based in Washington, D.C., so everything should be easily available.

Also, what's the verdict on that HP workstation? Once I subtract what I'd normally pay for Windows (about $267), I'm basically getting that PC with an i5 for roughly $400. I've worked on similar HP machines (Sandy Bridge i5) before and had zero issues, but I'm wondering how easy it would be to upgrade this specific offer and if I should worry about its long-term lifespan.

Thanks a lot!

EDIT: I can pull parts from various US retailers; doesn't matter where they come from.

If I were you, I’d grab that Workstation; honestly, it sounds like a pretty solid deal. What kind of software are you planning to run? You might not even need those extra 4GB of RAM, I guess.

If your idea of multitasking is just juggling a bunch of Office docs and PDFs, then 4GB is actually more than enough. For context, I'm running Windows 7 right now and I've got a browser open with about 30 tabs, 15 different PDFs, and 4 or 5 Word files all at once, yet my RAM usage is only sitting at 1.9GB.

fadedorca66 said:If I were you, I'd grab that Workstation. The deal sounds solid. What kind of software are we talking about here? You might not even need that extra 4GB of RAM.

Timothy Kim60 said:Look, if by "multitasking" you mean just running some Office docs and PDFs, 4GB is plenty. Personally, I’m running Windows 7 right now with about 30 browser tabs, 15 PDFs, and maybe 5 Word docs open, and I'm only hitting 1.9GB of RAM usage.

It's a pretty clean build.🙂
Mine sits at around 1.5GB with nothing running, but once I load up dozens of tabs and various documents, I'm easily pushing past 5GB.

At the office, we just use some basic accounting software. It's not heavy on resources, but we handle massive files—lots of PDFs, high-res images, etc.
4GB would probably cut it, but since this is the budget option, I figured I'd upgrade it a bit just to be safe.

Regarding Office, does anyone know which version is actually legal for business use (besides Office 365)?
Home and Business costs way more than Home and Student.

By the way, if I decide to drop an SSD into that Workstation, can I just reinstall Windows using the key on the sticker?
(Just trying to get an SSD in there to speed things up and actually be productive for once)

You shouldn't have any trouble reactivating Windows. Just a quick heads-up—before you swap in that SSD, make sure you format the hard drive first. It’s probably better to wipe things clean before you move Windows over to the SSD, just so you don't run into any annoying activation headaches later on.

Larry Ortiz5 said:You can reactivate Windows without any issues. Just make sure you wipe the hard drive before you move everything over to the SSD, otherwise, the activation might get messy when you try to run them both at once.

So you think having two installations wouldn't cause a conflict?
got it, thanks

Now I just have one more question: which Microsoft Office should I get, and where's the best place to buy it?

Regarding MS Office home and business 2013 ENG / cro, you can purchase it from any retailer you prefer; there is simply no way to bypass the requirement.