Budget build non gaming

[nwgilbert]

Hi,
I'd like to build a PC for around £300-£400 (build only, not including operating system, monitor/accessories).

This probably raises the question... Why would you bother...
I built another PC for around £1500, using the support of this forum to select parts. This is my gaming build.

However, the new build is for my partner and will be used for work only
(emails/Microsoft office/adobe Photoshop/illustrator/InDesign)

Could someone kindly help by putting together a budget build of around £300-£400?
I am also wondering, with a lower end PC, would I get much more for my money if I was to build myself or buy ready-made off the shelf?

 

[nwgilbert]

Thanks for the advice.
This isn't really a pc that I'll be looking to upgrade in the future. It's for work purposes only so as long as it runs the software we need (applications mentioned above) then there's no need for further upgrading. I'd rather get it right first time.

Can anyone help with further suggestions?
Ready made build or build myself?

 

[nwgilbert]

Hi, thank you for your replies.
I really like this build by LewisRaz.
What are others thoughts? Any further tweaks before I proceed with purchase?

Building yourself will often save a few quid. Its down to you to decide if its worth that or not.

Here is a ryzen system:

My basket at Overclockers UK:

• 1 x MSI A320M Pro-VD Plus AMD A320 (Socket AM4) DDR4 Micro-ATX Motherboard= £43.99
• 1 x Team Group Vulcan T-Force 8GB (2x4GB) DDR4 PC4-19200C14 2400MHz Dual Channel Kit - Grey (TLGD48G2400= £94.99
• 1 x Bitfenix Nova Midi Tower Case - Black= £26.99
• 1 x WD Blue 1TB 7200rpm SATA 6Gb/s 64MB Cache HDD - OEM (WD10EZEX)= £41.99
• 1 x Kolink KL-400 400W '80 Plus Bronze' Power Supply= £30.95
• 1 x AMD Ryzen 3 Quad Core 1300X 3.70GHz (Socket AM4) Processor - Retail= £119.99
• 1 x Palit NVIDIA GeForce GT 1030 2048MB GDDR5 PCI-Express Graphics Card= £59.99

Total: £431.19 (includes shipping: £12.30)
​

 

[nwgilbert]

I see but they wouldn't perform as well as the above build long term right?

Intel NUC / Gigabyte Brix ? Just because they are the size of an A5 note pad

 

[nwgilbert]

What about a cooler? Do I need one?

Hi, thank you for your replies.
I really like this build by LewisRaz.
What are others thoughts? Any further tweaks before I proceed with purchase?

Building yourself will often save a few quid. Its down to you to decide if its worth that or not.

Here is a ryzen system:

My basket at Overclockers UK:

• 1 x MSI A320M Pro-VD Plus AMD A320 (Socket AM4) DDR4 Micro-ATX Motherboard= £43.99
• 1 x Team Group Vulcan T-Force 8GB (2x4GB) DDR4 PC4-19200C14 2400MHz Dual Channel Kit - Grey (TLGD48G2400= £94.99
• 1 x Bitfenix Nova Midi Tower Case - Black= £26.99
• 1 x WD Blue 1TB 7200rpm SATA 6Gb/s 64MB Cache HDD - OEM (WD10EZEX)= £41.99
• 1 x Kolink KL-400 400W '80 Plus Bronze' Power Supply= £30.95
• 1 x AMD Ryzen 3 Quad Core 1300X 3.70GHz (Socket AM4) Processor - Retail= £119.99
• 1 x Palit NVIDIA GeForce GT 1030 2048MB GDDR5 PCI-Express Graphics Card= £59.99

Total: £431.19 (includes shipping: £12.30)
​

 

[nwgilbert]

Can someone please advise... is the below build compatible?
Also whether you recommend any adjustments?

Building yourself will often save a few quid. Its down to you to decide if its worth that or not.

Here is a ryzen system:

My basket at Overclockers UK:

• 1 x MSI A320M Pro-VD Plus AMD A320 (Socket AM4) DDR4 Micro-ATX Motherboard= £43.99
• 1 x Team Group Vulcan T-Force 8GB (2x4GB) DDR4 PC4-19200C14 2400MHz Dual Channel Kit - Grey (TLGD48G2400= £94.99
• 1 x Bitfenix Nova Midi Tower Case - Black= £26.99
• 1 x WD Blue 1TB 7200rpm SATA 6Gb/s 64MB Cache HDD - OEM (WD10EZEX)= £41.99
• 1 x Kolink KL-400 400W '80 Plus Bronze' Power Supply= £30.95
• 1 x AMD Ryzen 3 Quad Core 1300X 3.70GHz (Socket AM4) Processor - Retail= £119.99
• 1 x Palit NVIDIA GeForce GT 1030 2048MB GDDR5 PCI-Express Graphics Card= £59.99

Total: £431.19 (includes shipping: £12.30)
​

 

[nwgilbert]

Thank you for your response.
Few questions regarding your comments above:

"so basically the 1200 is a lower clocked version of the 1300x (but the chips are all unlocked)
having a b350 board allows the 1200 to be overclockedto1300x speeds and beyond."

I've never over clocked CPU before. Is it worth doing if the pc is not used for gaming? I looked into AMD Overdrive and it looks like a fairly simple process if it's worth while...
If I do this, does the CPU need additional cooling?

Can you please elaborate about the cuda cores for the gpu? There is no customisation required.. right?

Is there a cheaper alternative for the ram or is it really worth going for the 3200mhz?
Same goes for the SSD... Cheaper alternatives?

Personally I hate the case. Any other suggestions? Can I pretty much choose any case or are there limitations with the build?
I like this one:
https://www.overclockers.co.uk/bitfenix-nova-midi-tower-case-white-window-ca-221-bx.html
Is this good for general cooling?

 

[nwgilbert]

Thanks tamzzy. Appreciate your feedback.

I just hate the look of the kolink aviator case externally. Can you recommend any other that has same quality interior as kolink around that price bracket?
Anything Micro ATX will fit right?

Here's a few I've been looking at:

https://www.overclockers.co.uk/aerocool-qs-240-micro-atx-case-black-ca-192-ae.html
https://www.overclockers.co.uk/cougar-qbx-mini-itx-cube-chassis-black-ca-013-cu.html
https://www.overclockers.co.uk/kolink-sanctuary-micro-atx-cube-case-black-ca-02k-kk.html
https://www.overclockers.co.uk/cors...o-atx-case-black-cc-9011086-ww-ca-212-cs.html



525gb would be the next step up on SSD.
Just a question about SSD in general.... I use cloud drive (Google drive) which saves the files to your PC and then uploads automatically.
Would I benefit in performance loading those files onto an SSD instead of standard HDD?...
or does SSD only improve performance for operating system booting and loading software(apps etc.).