New office PC setup

Hey everyone,

I’m looking for some solid recommendations for a new workstation. I need to run Microsoft software smoothly, and my budget is sitting somewhere between $5,000 and $7,000.

The non-negotiables are Windows 10, an SSD, and at least 16GB of RAM.
I’m also running two 4K monitors—one via HDMI and one via DisplayPort—so I was thinking about just grabbing an entry-level card like a GT 1030 just to handle the monitor connections.
Another reason I want a dedicated GPU is because I’ve seen how much of a difference it actually makes. One colleague is running an old i7-4770 paired with an Nvidia GT640 and his heavy blueprints fly, while another guy with an i7-6700 using integrated graphics is struggling just to keep up.

Thanks in advance.

Are you buying this for a business—like, do you need a Windows license for a company or just for personal use?

I'm just passing through right now so I don't have much time to sit down and build anything, but you're probably looking at some kind of Ryzen 5 2600 and GTX 1050 combo. As far as I know, they aren't making any GT 1030 or lower-tier cards with both DP and HDMI outputs anymore, and relying on DVI is a total nightmare if you're trying to push 4K resolution.

For $1667, you could definitely put together a solid setup plus Windows 10 Pro for $333.
If this isn't for some big corporate office and it's just for your own personal use, you can usually snag a Windows 10 Pro license for about twenty bucks online.

Yeah, if it's a private license, you can snag one for peanuts—just a few bucks.

There's a GT 1030 with DP + HDMI, but you've gotta watch out because most of them don't have that combo.

For example:

https://www.msi.com/Graphics-card/Ge.../Specification

Best Buy actually has it in stock, though they put up the wrong picture.

You could also go with an RX 550. It usually comes with HDMI+DP+DVI and it's way cheaper than something like a GTX 1050. Honestly, I don't think you'll notice any difference for CAD work.

Yeah, it's for a business. They're ditching an old i5-3xxx setup, which lines up with what people on the forums have been suggesting. Including Windows 10, you're looking at roughly $333 per unit, so I’d aim for a build around the $2000 mark.

Being a professional costs $200.

A business doesn't actually need a Pro license unless they specifically require those extra features (mostly networking stuff, etc.)

Windows 10 Pro 64 bit + a custom build without a case.
You can just pick whatever case you think looks cool.

You didn't mention if you actually need an HDD or how much space you're looking for, so I just threw in a 1TB drive as a placeholder.
We can totally bump that up if you need more room, or even swap it out for a massive SSD—it won't break the bank.

Total: $2129
*edit - forgot to mention where I'm getting this from -> Micro Center

Thanks, just placed the order. I'm still scratching my head over the price they gave me for Windows 10 though $200 since the listing says it should be around $400. So, am I getting it for half off? Is there some kind of catch I'm missing here, or what?

Christian Hayes45 said:Thanks, order is placed. I'm just confused about how they're charging me for Windows 10 $200 when the listing says roughly $400. Is it actually half price? There’s gotta be a catch, right?

Buy it from wherever you want.

https://www.google.com/search?q=windows+10

Look, they're both technically OEM. You’ve got a license for either one, but there's a catch. With one, you can actually reinstall if you swap out your motherboard or whatever, but the other is hard-coded to the hardware—meaning it’s stuck to that one specific rig forever. Plus, the first option gives you actual official Microsoft support, while the second one leaves you hanging. That’s basically how it was laid out for me when I was picking up licenses for my company back in the day.

Peter Green said:Both are OEM. You get a license for both. One lets you reinstall if you swap out a motherboard or whatever, while the other is tied to the hardware—it’s locked to one machine. Plus, the first one comes with official macOS support; the second doesn't. That's how it was explained to me when I was buying software for my company.

Doesn't look like OEM to me.

https://www.software-deals.com/windows...m_medium=click

Besides, you can technically switch things up with an OEM, but you'll have to call them up.