Buying a new PC for Home office

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52 posts

Master Geek
+1 received by user: 8

#2926455 14-Jun-2022 14:12

Yeah, I sorta want the latest and greatest so that it lasts a long time without the need to upgrade. But also upgradeable if needed to keep up with future software?

RAE1

52 posts

Master Geek
+1 received by user: 8

#2926460 14-Jun-2022 14:26

I have emailed PB Tech and asked for further spec's for the following.

PB Everyday Home 43520
PB Executive Series 54514
PB Executive Series 54714

I have also added Lenovo ThinkCentre M80s to my shortlist.

RAE1

52 posts

Master Geek
+1 received by user: 8

#2929996 15-Jun-2022 18:00

So I heard back from PB Tech and have the following spec's:

Asus Prime H510M-E

VGA display port

USB x 4 (only four?)

yitz

2239 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 594

#2930132 15-Jun-2022 21:14

Only 4 rear USB ports on the back plate is quite common these days, some boards might still have 6 on rear (which was once common) or you could plug excess USB devices on the front case. You could also buy a external powered USB hub.

Note VGA refers to the analog display connector (usually dark blue) between your PC and monitor. You might be using this currently or you might be using a digital DVI connector (many are white coloured but can be other) instead. I would recommended digital output from the PC to your Acer monitor although it looks like your monitor supports both analog and digital. Digital provides a more crisp picture so use digital where possible. DisplayPort (or HDMI) to DVI-D cables are common, make sure you get one of suitable length to use with your existing monitor. Note also that DisplayPort is a specific type of connector suited to digital signals, DisplayPort and HDMI are now the most common connectors for digital video and have replaced DVI (mainly digital but can also carry analog).

mattwnz

20515 posts

Uber Geek
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#2930162 16-Jun-2022 00:58

SpartanVXL: Blimey a nvidia 6150se, that’s got to be around 15-17 years old. Im surprised win10 found any drivers for that.

I hope you understand that this is usually a very big exception to the norm. PC’s aren’t like cars where you can keep them going for decades.

PCs last a lot longer than they used to back in the 90's and early 2000's. Partly IMO because software has matured and windows 7 and onwards became a lot less demanding. A decade old mac is also very usable. When a decade earlier, a 10 year old computer would have been too old.

yitz

2239 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 594

#2930164 16-Jun-2022 01:15

RAE1:

So I heard back from PB Tech and have the following spec's:

USB x 4 (only four?)

Actually, looking into this further, you may want to ask for a better chipset, H510 is the entry level in the Intel 500 generation for features. Rather, look into a B560 which is a mainstream consumer chipset more comparable to the Q470 chipset used by HP, Lenovo on their business desktops like the EliteDesk. For example, with a MSI B560M PRO-E board, you can get 2x DIMM (RAM slots) B560 chipset for same/similar price to the H510 board or you may want to opt for a board with 4 DIMM slots to allow expandability without discarding existing RAM sticks. It also has 6 USB type A ports on the rear panel.

If you want 4x RAM slots and dual monitor (DisplayPort to monitor, HDMI to TV), alongside six USB type A ports, the ASUS PRIME B560 PLUS board looks to be an option for about $100 extra on top of the H510 configuration.

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anatokidave

66 posts

Master Geek
+1 received by user: 21

ID Verified

#2930254 16-Jun-2022 09:29

Dell has a few desktops 'for sale' on its website - shipping within the next 2 days.

Here's an example of an Inspiron - though they do have some SFF Optiplex's too. - My experience with Optiplex's has been excellent - they seem to go on forever. Still have some 15 y/o machines running Win10 and Linux. Have upgraded their CPU's overtime to Core2 Quads, inserted more RAM, and replaced the HDD's with SSDs - all sweet.

A noticeable difference between the current Dell machines and the PB tech examples provided by the OP is the generation of the CPU and chipset:

eg PB Tech example is 10th gen with PCIe-3 and DD4 RAM. OTH, the Dell has a 12th gen CPU, which is compatible with DDR4 and DDR5 RAM, and it also has PCIe-5 - so better set up for future upgrades if needed. (Though I'm unsure if the RAM etc is soldered or can be swapped out)

Anyway, here are the specs for a machine going for around $1599:

Tech Specs

Processor 12th Gen Intel® Core™ i7-12700 (25 MB cache, 12 cores, 20 threads, 2.10 GHz to 4.80 GHz Turbo)
Operating System Win 11 Home, English
Video Card Intel® UHD Graphics 770
Memory

16 GB, 1 x 16 GB, DDR4, 3200 MHz
Hard Drive 512 GB, M.2, PCIe NVMe, SSD
Security Software McAfee® LiveSafe™ 12-month subscription
Support Services 1Year In-Home Hardware Service
Keyboard Dell Wired Keyboard KB216 Black (English)
Mouse Dell Wired Mouse MS116 Black
Ports

Front:
1 USB 3.2 Gen 1 port
1 USB 3.2 Gen 1 Type-C® port
2 USB 2.0 ports
1 Global headset jack

Rear:
2 USB 3.2 Gen 1 ports
2 USB 2.0 ports
1 Audio line-out port
1 HDMI 1.4b port
1 DisplayPort 1.4 port
1 RJ-45 Ethernet port
1 AC power-supply port
1 Kensington Cable Lock
Optical Drive Tray load DVD Drive (Reads and Writes to DVD/CD)
Slots

3 SATA 3.0 ports
1 PCIe x16 slot
1 PCIe x1 slot
1 SD-card slot
1 M.2 2230 slot for WiFi and Bluetooth combo card
1 M.2 2230/2280 slot for PCIe solid-state drive
Dimensions & Weight

Height: 324.30 mm
Width: 154 mm
Depth: 293 mm
Starting weight: 4.94 kg
Weight (maximum): 7.02 kg
Chassis Black with Mist Blue Mesh
Wireless Intel® Wi-Fi 6 2x2 (Gig+) and Bluetooth
Power

180 W Bronze internal Power Supply Unit (PSU)
240 W Bronze internal Power Supply Unit (PSU)
300 W Bronze internal Power Supply Unit (PSU)

ratsun81

516 posts

Ultimate Geek
+1 received by user: 183

#2930271 16-Jun-2022 10:12

Using the pbtech builder can get you some good builds.

https://www.pbtech.co.nz/system-builder

Seems like you have a need for lots of USB ports.

Here are a couple of builds i put together.

https://www.pbtech.co.nz/build/44350

Or if you prefer Intel Processors.

https://www.pbtech.co.nz/build/44351

A few others might suggest some changes to these. My choice would be the first one just because it has better onboard graphics.

1101

3141 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 1143

#2930277 16-Jun-2022 10:30

RAE1:

So I heard back from PB Tech and have the following spec's:

Asus Prime H510M-E

VGA display port

USB x 4 (only four?)

A bit sloppy from PBT .

better to look at manufacturers website for that mb
Also has HDMI ,option for 6 front USB (if PBT connect them up)
https://www.asus.com/Motherboards-Components/Motherboards/PRIME/PRIME-H510M-E/techspec/

Front USB can be more usefull than rear USB, for USB Memory sticks, USB HD's etc . Just easier to get at front USB for removable devices

1101

3141 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 1143

#2930281 16-Jun-2022 10:44

yitz:

Actually, looking into this further, you may want to ask for a better chipset, H510 is the entry level in the Intel 500 generation for features. Rather, look into a B560 which is a mainstream consumer chipset more comparable to the Q470 chipset used by HP, Lenovo on their business desktops like the EliteDesk.

Sometimes , better not to overthink things.
If he wants a basic i5 system, then just buy whatever . he will never notice the difference of a 'better' motherboard . Nice to have though .
The extra $100 for a better mb , might be better spent on more RAM or lager capacity SSD HD ( M.2)
Pick a CPU & SSD size , buy whatever. It wont really matter , unless a gamer
:-)

Sure , if going high spec, i7 , gobs of RAM etc then pay alot more than the $1500 budget & go full hog.
Otherwise , even entry level will do the job .

Have Dell upped their game with warranty support ?
They used to be quite bad , hard to deal with, many years back .

SpartanVXL

1498 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 666

#2930370 16-Jun-2022 13:25

mattwnz:
SpartanVXL: Blimey a nvidia 6150se, that’s got to be around 15-17 years old. Im surprised win10 found any drivers for that.

I hope you understand that this is usually a very big exception to the norm. PC’s aren’t like cars where you can keep them going for decades.

PCs last a lot longer than they used to back in the 90's and early 2000's. Partly IMO because software has matured and windows 7 and onwards became a lot less demanding. A decade old mac is also very usable. When a decade earlier, a 10 year old computer would have been too old.

I would say they’re around the same as it’s dependent on a few factors. Quality components may last a good 10 years or more but the likelihood of hardware failure increases every year that goes by. Low cost components will often cut corners and will reduce lifespan by a certain amount. Motherboard is the most painful and common to go first, otherwise it’s PSU and storage which can be replaced.

This is why warranties don’t go much longer than 3 years max for a complete build.

I’d say Windows isn’t the best example to say requirements have become less demanding. You almost need an SSD with enough capacity for it to install and not be painful to use, and definitely need more than 2 fast cores, 4GB+ memory to avoid that as well. Don’t forget the OS can take up to 2GB so anything else you run will page hard or run out if you want to do anything intensive

Many platforms do fit that bill from the last 10 years given Sandybridge up to Coffeelake are within that and still going strong, but at this point you’ll have a harder time finding a working motherboard for the socket. Lack of replacement parts (nobody is repairing them), lack of support and lack of features drive away use towards newer, faster, cheaper components.

If you mention unix OS’s that’s a bit more applicable as far less is required to run even something like ubuntu. Mac also is quite good at long term support until they do a feature upgrade and drop everything.

On topic: quite a few home/office pc’ recommended here would do find for OP’s needs. Dont Need to worry too much about number of ports as you can split high speed ports into multiple for use with low requirement devices like mouse, keyboard, camera, printer etc.

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RAE1

52 posts

Master Geek
+1 received by user: 8

#2930481 16-Jun-2022 15:53

Thanks guys for all this info.

I am currently using the dark blue analog display connector for my monitor. So have added HDMI to DVI-D cable to the list (CABDNX1552)

A lot of the spec's go over my head since I don't know the latest tech. So thank you ratsun81 for the system builds. I have saved them as quotes. I think I feel better knowing what I am getting.

* Best spec's for the price $1,300.00 - $1.500.00

* Upgrade-able in the future

ratsun81

516 posts

Ultimate Geek
+1 received by user: 183

#2930493 16-Jun-2022 16:54

RAE1:

Thanks guys for all this info.

I am currently using the dark blue analog display connector for my monitor. So have added HDMI to DVI-D cable to the list (CABDNX1552)

A lot of the spec's go over my head since I don't know the latest tech. So thank you ratsun81 for the system builds. I have saved them as quotes. I think I feel better knowing what I am getting.

* Best spec's for the price $1,300.00 - $1.500.00

* Upgrade-able in the future

Both systems i posted can be upgraded, these are unlike the typical HP or Dell systems that use proprietary components.

What you should be aware of, is that AMD is at the end of lifecycle for their current design and will shortly release a new one later in the year. Meaning if you wanted to upgrade in several years. It would necessitate a new Motherboard, CPU and RAM.

Intel, currently for all desktop based systems works on a 2 year/2 Generation cycle. What this means is that their processors will work on 2 different generations of motherboard and afterwards will need the Motherboard, CPU and typically RAM replaced.

Case, power supply, and main storage use industry standards and will accept any non-proprietary components for future replacement.

As for best specs for the price. thats really hard to say as it depends on how its used and also can come down to opinion.

I prefer the AMD system i linked due to having more cores and better on-board graphics.

At the end of the day both systems will work very well for your needs so it comes down to $

aspett

126 posts

Master Geek
+1 received by user: 47

#2930500 16-Jun-2022 17:16

Honestly, the easiest thing you could do is use the PBtech system builder.

Grab the mini intel, swap the 8GB RAM for 16GB RAM, swap the SSD with a bigger one if you need it.

https://www.pbtech.co.nz/system-builder/builder/mini-intel-home-office-pc

Still only costs like $1350 after changing to 16GB DDR4 3200mhz + 1TB SSD.

ratsun81

516 posts

Ultimate Geek
+1 received by user: 183

#2930501 16-Jun-2022 17:25

aspett:

Honestly, the easiest thing you could do is use the PBtech system builder.

Grab the mini intel, swap the 8GB RAM for 16GB RAM, swap the SSD with a bigger one if you need it.

https://www.pbtech.co.nz/system-builder/builder/mini-intel-home-office-pc

Still only costs like $1350 after changing to 16GB DDR4 3200mhz + 1TB SSD.

Biggest problem with this and what the OP is asking for is upgrade-ability. There is none with a NUC. When its time to upgrade its sell it if you can and replace the whole unit.

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