geekhack

geekhack Community => Other Geeky Stuff => Topic started by: absyrd on Mon, 22 June 2015, 10:08:39

Title: Work PC Build For Friend
Post by: absyrd on Mon, 22 June 2015, 10:08:39: Okay... I've been out of the game for a while when it comes to building PCs (keyboards only atm). I kinda offered a good friend to build her a work PC after Dell quoted her $1500 for a piece of ****. Now I have zero energy or time to do all the research on the new stuff. I know a bunch of you like doing builds, so could you slap something together real quick on newegg? Or at least just tell me what CPU/mobo combo to get?

Needs:
SSD with decent amount of storage (whether that be on the SSD or a sep HDD)
2 monitors (main one around 27" and a side one vertical for long docs)

She is an appraiser and just does tons of work on a bunch of info sources and documents everywhere. She doesn't need fancy monitors, just functional and large. Does she need a GPU for dual monitor HDMI or do some of the new mobos come with 2 hdmi out? How 'bout if she ends up expanding to 3?

Thanks for your time!
Title: Re: Work PC Build For Friend
Post by: SidusNare on Mon, 22 June 2015, 10:41:39: I would get a dedicated GPU, doesn't have to be cutting edge, but dedicated will help the system perform better overall, with graphical effects offloaded to it. Especially with all the gimmicky effects Win 8.1 - 10 do, and you wont take a bite out of the system RAM for the integrated GPU.

I also wouldn't have mixed landscape / portrait, its annoying for me. I have a Nvidia Quadro NVS 450 running 4 24" panels in portrait. I would strongly suggest thin bezels if you do this.

Also, what is the build budget, when building a PC its best to work towards a number, is that $1500 what she wants to spend?
Title: Re: Work PC Build For Friend
Post by: absyrd on Mon, 22 June 2015, 10:51:08: Quote from: SidusNare on Mon, 22 June 2015, 10:41:39
I would get a dedicated GPU, doesn't have to be cutting edge, but dedicated will help the system perform better overall, with graphical effects offloaded to it. Especially with all the gimmicky effects Win 8.1 - 10 do, and you wont take a bite out of the system RAM for the integrated GPU.

I also wouldn't have mixed landscape / portrait, its annoying for me. I have a Nvidia Quadro NVS 450 running 4 24" panels in portrait. I would strongly suggest thin bezels if you do this.

Also, what is the build budget, when building a PC its best to work towards a number, is that $1500 what she wants to spend?

Ahhhh... of course... budget. No, she doesn't want to spend nearly that. This is a budget build under $1k all included.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813157512

Saw this. Does it run multiple monitors? You are saying I should get a GPU anyhow? What should I look for? 2 HDMI out? What are current cheap monitors using these days? Display port?
Title: Re: Work PC Build For Friend
Post by: SidusNare on Mon, 22 June 2015, 10:56:23: It probably would, but I would put something like this in it
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814121855
It looks a bit overkill, but I think it would make a big difference in user experience.
Title: Re: Work PC Build For Friend
Post by: SidusNare on Mon, 22 June 2015, 10:58:40: And thats a decent motherboard, Intel NIC, solid caps.

Slap an i5 or i7 on it, 8+Gig of RAM an SSD OS drive and spinning disk for data and you've got a workstation :-D
Title: Re: Work PC Build For Friend
Post by: absyrd on Mon, 22 June 2015, 11:30:45: Ugh. Now she just texted me she doesn't want an SSD because she can't afford a 1 TB one. I even let her use my PC to see what an SSD does and she isn't interested. Just wants TONS of HDD space as she uses about 1TB at any given time. Doesn't want to bother with multiple drives; scares her.
Title: Re: Work PC Build For Friend
Post by: fohat.digs on Mon, 22 June 2015, 11:39:20: Quote from: absyrd on Mon, 22 June 2015, 11:30:45
Doesn't want to bother with multiple drives; scares her.

Not having multiple drives scares me.

Convince her to have a huge data drive separate and safe from her OS dirve.
Title: Re: Work PC Build For Friend
Post by: absyrd on Mon, 22 June 2015, 12:03:59: Quote from: fohat.digs on Mon, 22 June 2015, 11:39:20
Quote from: absyrd on Mon, 22 June 2015, 11:30:45
Doesn't want to bother with multiple drives; scares her.

Not having multiple drives scares me.

Convince her to have a huge data drive separate and safe from her OS dirve.

She apparently is very good about using her back-up external. Paranoid = good.

If she wants just a 1 TB HDD, that is what she wants.

Here is what I've come up with so far. I think I also may just donate her my old 120gb intel SSD to keep her under budget and because she has been so welcoming of Destiny at her house and with her kids.

(http://i.imgur.com/3zLxchv.jpg)
Title: Re: Work PC Build For Friend
Post by: SidusNare on Mon, 22 June 2015, 12:12:05: I'd put that Nvidia I linked in it, and double down on RAM, you have the slots. You can never go wrong with more RAM.
Title: Re: Work PC Build For Friend
Post by: absyrd on Mon, 22 June 2015, 12:13:48: Okay. Now I just need a cheap but reliable 27"ish monitor for main and a smaller side one she insists on having oriented sideways for long legal docs.

Like... this looks good for the side one, but what kind of mount do I need to flip it?

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16824236175
Title: Re: Work PC Build For Friend
Post by: hwood34 on Mon, 22 June 2015, 12:14:34: Quote from: SidusNare on Mon, 22 June 2015, 12:12:05
I'd put that Nvidia I linked in it, and double down on RAM, you have the slots. You can never go wrong with more RAM.
Yeah but extra ram can be totally unnecessary. 8GB should be totally fine for a basic work computer, even that's giving her some solid breathing room.
Title: Re: Work PC Build For Friend
Post by: absyrd on Mon, 22 June 2015, 12:18:29: Quote from: hwood34 on Mon, 22 June 2015, 12:14:34
Quote from: SidusNare on Mon, 22 June 2015, 12:12:05
I'd put that Nvidia I linked in it, and double down on RAM, you have the slots. You can never go wrong with more RAM.
Yeah but extra ram can be totally unnecessary. 8GB should be totally fine for a basic work computer, even that's giving her some solid breathing room.

Yeah. This is far from an enthusiast build. I need simple and reliable and solely for working with data entry and document review. She is a residential appraiser; does nothing else with PC.
Title: Re: Work PC Build For Friend
Post by: inanis on Mon, 22 June 2015, 12:35:48: Quote from: absyrd on Mon, 22 June 2015, 12:18:29
Quote from: hwood34 on Mon, 22 June 2015, 12:14:34
Quote from: SidusNare on Mon, 22 June 2015, 12:12:05
I'd put that Nvidia I linked in it, and double down on RAM, you have the slots. You can never go wrong with more RAM.
Yeah but extra ram can be totally unnecessary. 8GB should be totally fine for a basic work computer, even that's giving her some solid breathing room.

Yeah. This is far from an enthusiast build. I need simple and reliable and solely for working with data entry and document review. She is a residential appraiser; does nothing else with PC.

8GB is more than enough RAM for a work setup. I work in IT, doing all manner of things, but a good amount of UI design which can be rather resource intensive. My work PC has 8GB, and I have no complaints. Now my home machine has double that, and I do less on that than I do on my work PC. But that is where you go for the good stuff! No use splurging on work crap, except for the keyboard that is. :)

And since that motherboard can support multiple monitors I wouldn't bother with an extra video card either.

For monitors, I've had an ASUS that has served me well for about 6 or 7 years now, and it was cheap. I would buy it again!
Title: Re: Work PC Build For Friend
Post by: absyrd on Mon, 22 June 2015, 12:37:46: Quote from: inanis on Mon, 22 June 2015, 12:35:48
Quote from: absyrd on Mon, 22 June 2015, 12:18:29
Quote from: hwood34 on Mon, 22 June 2015, 12:14:34
Quote from: SidusNare on Mon, 22 June 2015, 12:12:05
I'd put that Nvidia I linked in it, and double down on RAM, you have the slots. You can never go wrong with more RAM.
Yeah but extra ram can be totally unnecessary. 8GB should be totally fine for a basic work computer, even that's giving her some solid breathing room.

Yeah. This is far from an enthusiast build. I need simple and reliable and solely for working with data entry and document review. She is a residential appraiser; does nothing else with PC.

8GB is more than enough RAM for a work setup. I work in IT, doing all manner of things, but a good amount of UI design which can be rather resource intensive. My work PC has 8GB, and I have no complaints. Now my home machine has double that, and I do less on that than I do on my work PC. But that is where you go for the good stuff! No use splurging on work crap, except for the keyboard that is. :)

And since that motherboard can support multiple monitors I wouldn't bother with an extra video card either.

For monitors, I've had an ASUS that has served me well for about 6 or 7 years now, and it was cheap. I would buy it again!

2 of these things looks like a killer deal. (Ivanlysol also recommended just getting monitors with prebuilt tilt and swivel)

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16824236362
Title: Re: Work PC Build For Friend
Post by: inanis on Mon, 22 June 2015, 12:49:10: Quote from: absyrd on Mon, 22 June 2015, 12:37:46

2 of these things looks like a killer deal. (Ivanlysol also recommended just getting monitors with prebuilt tilt and swivel)

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16824236362

Yeah, that is what I would be looking at if I was in the market for a monitor. I'm not particularly snobby about my screens, as long as the resolution is good, it is HDCP compliant, and there are two of them, I'm happy. I totally agree that they should always have tilt and swivel (unless you are wall mounting it, then I guess that doesn't matter so much). As a short person, I like my monitors low, and if I can't adjust it nice and low, I go crazy. Never buy a monitor that isn't HDCP compliant. At some point you are going to want to watch and/or do something that will throw an error if it is not. Only the really cheap ones aren't compliant though.
Title: Re: Work PC Build For Friend
Post by: tp4tissue on Mon, 22 June 2015, 13:46:04: 4790k

z97 mobo, something around $200 for max reliability, or ~$120 if you know what you're doing to tune for stability

2x 8gb ram stix, $90

nvidia gtx 970

Those are the key components, go cheap on the case

Get at least 1x 512gb 850 PRO, do not get the EVO, if this is for work..

fill out the rest to $1500
Title: Re: Work PC Build For Friend
Post by: inanis on Mon, 22 June 2015, 13:50:57: Quote from: tp4tissue on Mon, 22 June 2015, 13:46:04
4790k

z97 mobo, something around $200 for max reliability, or ~$120 if you know what you're doing to tune for stability

2x 8gb ram stix, $90

nvidia gtx 970

Those are the key components, go cheap on the case

Get at least 1x 512gb 850 PRO, do not get the EVO, if this is for work..

fill out the rest to $1500

That is some unnecessarily crazy ass specs for a work machine where the main function is browsing the web and editing word documents!
Title: Re: Work PC Build For Friend
Post by: absyrd on Mon, 22 June 2015, 13:57:03: It is tp4. I don't expect him to actually read what I need.

And he didn't even factor in e-dox cost. He is slippin' on his game.
Title: Re: Work PC Build For Friend
Post by: Computer-Lab in Basement on Mon, 22 June 2015, 14:03:19: Quote from: inanis on Mon, 22 June 2015, 13:50:57
Quote from: tp4tissue on Mon, 22 June 2015, 13:46:04
4790k

z97 mobo, something around $200 for max reliability, or ~$120 if you know what you're doing to tune for stability

2x 8gb ram stix, $90

nvidia gtx 970

Those are the key components, go cheap on the case

Get at least 1x 512gb 850 PRO, do not get the EVO, if this is for work..

fill out the rest to $1500

That is some unnecessarily crazy ass specs for a work machine where the main function is browsing the web and editing word documents!

agreed. swap for an i5 previous gen and a refurbed GT640 and you'll still have a perfectly usable work machine for 40% less.
Title: Re: Work PC Build For Friend
Post by: hwood34 on Mon, 22 June 2015, 14:04:26: Quote from: absyrd on Mon, 22 June 2015, 13:57:03
It is tp4. I don't expect him to actually read what I need.

And he didn't even factor in e-dox cost. He is slippin' on his game.
well no he's gonna come up with some crazy reason why all of that is necessary. just wait
Title: Re: Work PC Build For Friend
Post by: absyrd on Mon, 22 June 2015, 14:08:00: Quote from: hwood34 on Mon, 22 June 2015, 14:04:26
Quote from: absyrd on Mon, 22 June 2015, 13:57:03
It is tp4. I don't expect him to actually read what I need.

And he didn't even factor in e-dox cost. He is slippin' on his game.
well no he's gonna come up with some crazy reason why all of that is necessary. just wait

You didn't know this was a thread just designed to seduce him into ****posting?

(http://www.reactiongifs.com/r/2012/01/stripper_bunny.gif)
Title: Re: Work PC Build For Friend
Post by: jdcarpe on Mon, 22 June 2015, 14:32:37: Mine is similar to what you posted already:

(http://i.imgur.com/Urapenc.png)
Title: Re: Work PC Build For Friend
Post by: Lurch on Mon, 22 June 2015, 14:35:55: i like http://pcpartpicker.com/
Title: Re: Work PC Build For Friend
Post by: absyrd on Mon, 22 June 2015, 14:38:19: Quote from: jdcarpe on Mon, 22 June 2015, 14:32:37
Mine is similar to what you posted already:

Show Image
(http://i.imgur.com/Urapenc.png)

Nice build, jd! Def would be overkill for her, but if I had the cash to do a new PC, I'd go very similar. :D

Quote from: Lurch on Mon, 22 June 2015, 14:35:55
i like http://pcpartpicker.com/

I did not know that existed. I will def use it to show her what I'm going to build. Thanks, Lurch.
Title: Re: Work PC Build For Friend
Post by: abswyfe on Mon, 22 June 2015, 14:40:10: Quote from: absyrd on Mon, 22 June 2015, 14:08:00
Quote from: hwood34 on Mon, 22 June 2015, 14:04:26
Quote from: absyrd on Mon, 22 June 2015, 13:57:03
It is tp4. I don't expect him to actually read what I need.

And he didn't even factor in e-dox cost. He is slippin' on his game.
well no he's gonna come up with some crazy reason why all of that is necessary. just wait

You didn't know this was a thread just designed to seduce him into ****posting?

Show Image
(http://www.reactiongifs.com/r/2012/01/stripper_bunny.gif)

Come out and play tp4 you chump
I'm feeling down and need some entertainment
Title: Re: Work PC Build For Friend
Post by: Lurch on Mon, 22 June 2015, 15:07:38: Quote from: absyrd on Mon, 22 June 2015, 14:38:19
Quote from: jdcarpe on Mon, 22 June 2015, 14:32:37
Mine is similar to what you posted already:

Show Image
(http://i.imgur.com/Urapenc.png)

Nice build, jd! Def would be overkill for her, but if I had the cash to do a new PC, I'd go very similar. :D

Quote from: Lurch on Mon, 22 June 2015, 14:35:55
i like http://pcpartpicker.com/

I did not know that existed. I will def use it to show her what I'm going to build. Thanks, Lurch.

No problem dude! Glad I could help. I was kind of surprised that no one mentioned it already. ^-^
Title: Re: Work PC Build For Friend
Post by: jdcarpe on Mon, 22 June 2015, 15:19:12: Damn close to your $1000 budget, with a dedicated GPU, Win 8.1, and your dual ASUS 27" monitors.

http://pcpartpicker.com/p/3zGgcf
Title: Re: Work PC Build For Friend
Post by: absyrd on Mon, 22 June 2015, 15:24:12: Quote from: jdcarpe on Mon, 22 June 2015, 15:19:12
Damn close to your $1000 budget, with a dedicated GPU, Win 8.1, and your dual ASUS 27" monitors.

http://pcpartpicker.com/p/3zGgcf

Definite option. I showed her my "mid tower" case and she wants smaller, though. Hence I went with the micro atx and mini tower.

Thanks for taking the time to show me that. :thumb:
Title: Re: Work PC Build For Friend
Post by: jdcarpe on Mon, 22 June 2015, 15:29:10: Quote from: absyrd on Mon, 22 June 2015, 15:24:12
Quote from: jdcarpe on Mon, 22 June 2015, 15:19:12
Damn close to your $1000 budget, with a dedicated GPU, Win 8.1, and your dual ASUS 27" monitors.

http://pcpartpicker.com/p/3zGgcf

Definite option. I showed her my "mid tower" case and she wants smaller, though. Hence I went with the micro atx and mini tower.

Thanks for taking the time to show me that. :thumb:

No problem. :)

I had my mATX E5200 build in a Cougar Spike case. Definitely not tall, but not everyone likes the look of it.

The Rosewill Ranger-M looks pretty nice.

http://pcpartpicker.com/p/cKbHt6
Title: Re: Work PC Build For Friend
Post by: Findecanor on Mon, 22 June 2015, 17:48:12: Quote from: absyrd on Mon, 22 June 2015, 12:37:46
2 of these things looks like a killer deal. (Ivanlysol also recommended just getting monitors with prebuilt tilt and swivel)
I would get one with higher PPI unless she plans to sit a long way from the monitor or she has poor eye sight. I find 100 PPI to be the "normal" now.

Of course it should be IPS or VA panel, have prebuilt height-adjustment, tilt and swivel, and VESA mount. You shouldn't expect anything less in 2015.
Title: Re: Work PC Build For Friend
Post by: tp4tissue on Mon, 22 June 2015, 19:09:54: Quote from: absyrd on Mon, 22 June 2015, 14:08:00
Quote from: hwood34 on Mon, 22 June 2015, 14:04:26
Quote from: absyrd on Mon, 22 June 2015, 13:57:03
It is tp4. I don't expect him to actually read what I need.

And he didn't even factor in e-dox cost. He is slippin' on his game.
well no he's gonna come up with some crazy reason why all of that is necessary. just wait

You didn't know this was a thread just designed to seduce him into ****posting?

Show Image
(http://www.reactiongifs.com/r/2012/01/stripper_bunny.gif)

the 4790k is the highest bin of ALL the 4xxx series chips, EVEN without overclocking, it's the fastest chip out there.

Highest bin, also means it is several percentage points more stable at stock voltage..

Even without a voltage bump, the 4790k can do ~4.4 ghz..

In today's world.. Seconds saved during computing turns into minutes, hours, days, weeks, months, YEARS..

That is the fundamental reason why they still make ever faster computers, despite lack of programmers to take advantage of the hardware..

The Computer is the one inescapable time sink in the modern world.... It makes the greatest sense to get THE FASTEST thing out there, ESPECIALLY given a budget supplied by an employer..

It may be ON THE JOB, but that's still your time value.. use it to read a book, look at pr0n, play a game, enjoy something, learn something, DOESn't really matter, It's better than waiting for electrons to finish getting into place..

Let the computer wait for YOU, not the other way around.. Ludites who sit on OLD hardware are throwing their life away..

Please read my Original--------- Overclocking = Timetravel Thread.

https://geekhack.org/index.php?topic=61160.0
Title: Re: Work PC Build For Friend
Post by: hwood34 on Mon, 22 June 2015, 19:26:36: Yep, that's what I was waiting for
Title: Re: Work PC Build For Friend
Post by: Badwrench on Mon, 22 June 2015, 20:16:03: Quote from: hwood34 on Mon, 22 June 2015, 19:26:36
Yep, that's what I was waiting for

Same :rolleyes:

Back in the real world:
[PCPartPicker part list](http://pcpartpicker.com/p/88r83C) / [Price breakdown by merchant](http://pcpartpicker.com/p/88r83C/by_merchant/)

Type|Item|Price
:----|:----|:----
**CPU** | [Intel Core i3-4130T 2.9GHz Dual-Core Processor](http://pcpartpicker.com/part/intel-cpu-bx80646i34130t) | $112.99 @ SuperBiiz
**Motherboard** | [ASRock H97M Anniversary Micro ATX LGA1150 Motherboard](http://pcpartpicker.com/part/asrock-motherboard-h97manniversary) | $64.89 @ OutletPC
**Memory** | [Team Elite Plus 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory](http://pcpartpicker.com/part/team-memory-tpd38g1600c11dc01) | $43.99 @ Newegg
**Storage** | [Seagate Barracuda 3TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive](http://pcpartpicker.com/part/seagate-internal-hard-drive-st3000dm001) | $88.41 @ Amazon
**Video Card** | [XFX Radeon HD 5450 1GB Video Card](http://pcpartpicker.com/part/xfx-video-card-hd545xzqh2) | $18.99 @ SuperBiiz
**Case** | [Rosewill Line-M MicroATX Mini Tower Case](http://pcpartpicker.com/part/rosewill-case-linem) | $39.99 @ Amazon
**Power Supply** | [Rosewill Capstone 550W 80+ Gold Certified ATX Power Supply](http://pcpartpicker.com/part/rosewill-power-supply-capstone550) | $39.99 @ Newegg
**Optical Drive** | [Samsung SH-224DB/BEBE DVD/CD Writer](http://pcpartpicker.com/part/samsung-optical-drive-sh224dbbebe) | $14.98 @ OutletPC
**Operating System** | [Microsoft Windows 8.1 OEM (64-bit)](http://pcpartpicker.com/part/microsoft-os-wn700615) | $86.98 @ OutletPC
**Other**| monitor stand| $18.19
**Other**| LG 24MB35PU-B Black 24" 5ms IPS-Panel| $140.00
**Other**| LG 27MP33HQ Black 27"| $190.00
**Other**| monitor stand| $18.19
| *Prices include shipping, taxes, rebates, and discounts* |
| Total (before mail-in rebates) | $927.59
| Mail-in rebates | -$50.00
| **Total** | **$877.59**
| Generated by [PCPartPicker](http://pcpartpicker.com) 2015-06-22 21:12 EDT-0400 |

This would be a great work station. Low wattage processor/fanless gpu for low noise. mATX mobo and small case for a smaller footprint. 27" main monitor and 24" for horizontal side unit - both IPS for good off angle viewing. Monoprice stands for each to get them exactly where they need to be and clear off the desk space. 3TB of storage (even though I still recommend having a 120GB SSD with the os on it).
Title: Re: Work PC Build For Friend
Post by: Findecanor on Mon, 22 June 2015, 20:25:55: Quote from: tp4tissue on Mon, 22 June 2015, 19:09:54
lack of programmers to take advantage of the hardware..
Programmers that "take advantage" of the hardware do not exhibit prowess, they exhibit laziness.

The fact that we experience stuttering text fields and slowdown in interface animations today, when 2 GHz dual-core is the lowest tier, while we didn't do that back in 1995 when 20 MHz single-core was the norm, is just crap.
Title: Re: Work PC Build For Friend
Post by: cmadrid on Tue, 23 June 2015, 13:35:32: Do you have access to a Microcenter store? You can get a great deal on cpu/motherboard combo in-store there. Might even consider an AMD since she doesn't need much horsepower.. an APU chip and motherboard is pretty cheap.
Title: Re: Work PC Build For Friend
Post by: tp4tissue on Tue, 23 June 2015, 13:40:24: Quote from: cmadrid on Tue, 23 June 2015, 13:35:32
Do you have access to a Microcenter store? You can get a great deal on cpu/motherboard combo in-store there. Might even consider an AMD since she doesn't need much horsepower.. an APU chip and motherboard is pretty cheap.

It's impossible to beat an Intel build on Price/Performance..

When you consider the TOTAL system cost, the difference being only the Mobo and CPU, the Intel might be ~ $50-100 more , but it will have Double the performance per clock..
Title: Re: Work PC Build For Friend
Post by: cmadrid on Tue, 23 June 2015, 14:10:35: You can get an apu/mobo for about $100 at microcenter.. and you don't need to factor in performance for this machine.
Title: Re: Work PC Build For Friend
Post by: absyrd on Tue, 23 June 2015, 14:23:26: Quote from: cmadrid on Tue, 23 June 2015, 14:10:35
You can get an apu/mobo for about $100 at microcenter.. and you don't need to factor in performance for this machine.

Totally forgot microcenter. And it is right on my route to hospital.
Title: Re: Work PC Build For Friend
Post by: cmadrid on Tue, 23 June 2015, 14:28:37: Definitely go there for their in-store deal on cpu/motherboard, can't beat the price for those parts.
Title: Re: Work PC Build For Friend
Post by: fohat.digs on Tue, 23 June 2015, 15:53:57: Quote from: absyrd on Tue, 23 June 2015, 14:23:26
Totally forgot microcenter.

What!

There is a Micro Center 20 minutes from my house and that is the only place where I even consider buying computer gear (except keyboards).
Title: Re: Work PC Build For Friend
Post by: tp4tissue on Tue, 23 June 2015, 16:33:09: Quote from: cmadrid on Tue, 23 June 2015, 14:10:35
You can get an apu/mobo for about $100 at microcenter.. and you don't need to factor in performance for this machine.

? Not factor in Performance ? (http://www.cute-factor.com/images/smilies/onion/d79df121.gif)
Title: Re: Work PC Build For Friend
Post by: jamster on Wed, 24 June 2015, 06:46:34: Didn't read more than the first 10ish posts so not sure if this has been mentioned:

If she doesn't want a 1TB SSD, consider a 1TB SSHD (HDD + a chunk of solid state storage buffer). Won't be as fast as pure SSD, but it should boot up and load apps faster than a HDD. I think that it's only Seagate that make these.

Someone mentioned getting a dedicated graphics card. I would disagree with this as a misuse of budget- I ran 2 monitors off CPU graphics (Intel HD4000 or whatever the built in graphics are) for a year before getting a discrete graphics card for games. Did I notice any difference in non-gaming peformance? Not at all. If I had to build another PC just for work, I certainly would not bother with discrete graphics.

Dunno about running three screens, but I suspect it's a matter of available ports rather than 2D graphics power. At work the only time we'd get into discrete graphics cards was for 4-8 monitor setups (but then people would only ever run 2 monitors, or 4+).
Title: Re: Work PC Build For Friend
Post by: cmadrid on Wed, 24 June 2015, 09:09:05: Quote from: absyrd on Tue, 23 June 2015, 14:23:26
Quote from: cmadrid on Tue, 23 June 2015, 14:10:35
You can get an apu/mobo for about $100 at microcenter.. and you don't need to factor in performance for this machine.

Totally forgot microcenter. And it is right on my route to hospital.

I don't see you getting a cheaper deal than getting an a6-7400k for $60 and getting a motherboard for $10 (with a $10 rebate, so free after rebate.. but I hate rebates), you could even step it up to a a10-7700k for $90 and still get the apu/mobo for $100 total and be able to easily forgo a GPU since she doesn't game.
Title: Re: Work PC Build For Friend
Post by: cmadrid on Wed, 24 June 2015, 09:11:44: I don't usually advocate for getting AMD stuff either, I personally have a 3570k and a gtx 970 in my computer.. I'm not just some sort of AMD fanboy. But you can't argue with how cheap you can get an APU and motherboard for at microcenter for the type of workload you are talking about.
Title: Re: Work PC Build For Friend
Post by: PicklesKill on Wed, 24 June 2015, 09:33:10: I built my workstation with the AMD 6core its not a crazy fast Intel but it does an amazing job when it comes to multitasking. It ran me around 109 for that CPU, just my two cents. ;D
Title: Re: Work PC Build For Friend
Post by: fohat.digs on Wed, 24 June 2015, 09:47:32: While I am not a gamer, I am a serious user of a variety of programs, some of them CPU-intensive.

I have been using AMD gear almost exclusively for at least a decade and have been very pleased with it.

One valuable habit is that I always close unnecessary windows and try to run as "lean and clean" as possible.
Title: Re: Work PC Build For Friend
Post by: jdcarpe on Wed, 24 June 2015, 09:48:34: These are pretty good deals, if you just want to buy something, rather than build.

http://flash.newegg.com/Product/N82E16883227537

http://flash.newegg.com/Product/N82E16883227597
Title: Re: Work PC Build For Friend
Post by: Blaise170 on Wed, 24 June 2015, 11:43:09: Here is what I would go with for a workstation. You can get Windows 8.1 keys for around $25 if you buy from G2A.com.

PCPartPicker part list (http://pcpartpicker.com/p/gsKrBm) / Price breakdown by merchant (http://pcpartpicker.com/p/gsKrBm/by_merchant/)

CPU: Intel Core i5-4460 3.2GHz Quad-Core Processor (http://pcpartpicker.com/part/intel-cpu-bx80646i54460) ($166.95 @ SuperBiiz)
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-H97M-D3H Micro ATX LGA1150 Motherboard (http://pcpartpicker.com/part/gigabyte-motherboard-gah97md3h) ($66.98 @ Newegg)
Memory: Team Elite Plus 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory (http://pcpartpicker.com/part/team-memory-tpd38g1600c11dc01) ($43.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 2TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive (http://pcpartpicker.com/part/seagate-internal-hard-drive-st2000dm001) ($69.89 @ OutletPC)
Video Card: PNY Quadro NVS 450 512MB Video Card (http://pcpartpicker.com/part/pny-video-card-vcq450nvsx16dvipb) ($257.48 @ Amazon)
Case: Fractal Design Core 1000 USB 3.0 MicroATX Mid Tower Case (http://pcpartpicker.com/part/fractal-design-case-fdcacore1000usb3bl) ($29.99 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: SeaSonic 350W 80+ Bronze Certified ATX Power Supply (http://pcpartpicker.com/part/seasonic-power-supply-ss350etbronze) ($38.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Optical Drive: Samsung SH-224DB/BEBE DVD/CD Writer (http://pcpartpicker.com/part/samsung-optical-drive-sh224dbbebe) ($14.98 @ OutletPC)
Monitor: Asus VN289H 60Hz 28.0" Monitor (http://pcpartpicker.com/part/asus-monitor-vn289h)
Monitor: Asus VN289H 60Hz 28.0" Monitor (http://pcpartpicker.com/part/asus-monitor-vn289h) ($189.99 @ Newegg)
Total: $879.24
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2015-06-24 12:42 EDT-0400
Title: Re: Work PC Build For Friend
Post by: cmadrid on Wed, 24 June 2015, 12:11:01: Quote from: Blaise170 on Wed, 24 June 2015, 11:43:09
Here is what I would go with for a workstation. You can get Windows 8.1 keys for around $25 if you buy from G2A.com.

PCPartPicker part list (http://pcpartpicker.com/p/gsKrBm) / Price breakdown by merchant (http://pcpartpicker.com/p/gsKrBm/by_merchant/)

CPU: Intel Core i5-4460 3.2GHz Quad-Core Processor (http://pcpartpicker.com/part/intel-cpu-bx80646i54460) ($166.95 @ SuperBiiz)
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-H97M-D3H Micro ATX LGA1150 Motherboard (http://pcpartpicker.com/part/gigabyte-motherboard-gah97md3h) ($66.98 @ Newegg)
Memory: Team Elite Plus 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory (http://pcpartpicker.com/part/team-memory-tpd38g1600c11dc01) ($43.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 2TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive (http://pcpartpicker.com/part/seagate-internal-hard-drive-st2000dm001) ($69.89 @ OutletPC)
Video Card: PNY Quadro NVS 450 512MB Video Card (http://pcpartpicker.com/part/pny-video-card-vcq450nvsx16dvipb) ($257.48 @ Amazon)
Case: Fractal Design Core 1000 USB 3.0 MicroATX Mid Tower Case (http://pcpartpicker.com/part/fractal-design-case-fdcacore1000usb3bl) ($29.99 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: SeaSonic 350W 80+ Bronze Certified ATX Power Supply (http://pcpartpicker.com/part/seasonic-power-supply-ss350etbronze) ($38.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Optical Drive: Samsung SH-224DB/BEBE DVD/CD Writer (http://pcpartpicker.com/part/samsung-optical-drive-sh224dbbebe) ($14.98 @ OutletPC)
Monitor: Asus VN289H 60Hz 28.0" Monitor (http://pcpartpicker.com/part/asus-monitor-vn289h)
Monitor: Asus VN289H 60Hz 28.0" Monitor (http://pcpartpicker.com/part/asus-monitor-vn289h) ($189.99 @ Newegg)
Total: $879.24
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2015-06-24 12:42 EDT-0400

why in gods name would he need a quadro video card in a pc used for looking at text documents...
Title: Re: Work PC Build For Friend
Post by: Blaise170 on Wed, 24 June 2015, 13:01:47: Quote from: cmadrid on Wed, 24 June 2015, 12:11:01
Quote from: Blaise170 on Wed, 24 June 2015, 11:43:09
Here is what I would go with for a workstation. You can get Windows 8.1 keys for around $25 if you buy from G2A.com.

PCPartPicker part list (http://pcpartpicker.com/p/gsKrBm) / Price breakdown by merchant (http://pcpartpicker.com/p/gsKrBm/by_merchant/)

CPU: Intel Core i5-4460 3.2GHz Quad-Core Processor (http://pcpartpicker.com/part/intel-cpu-bx80646i54460) ($166.95 @ SuperBiiz)
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-H97M-D3H Micro ATX LGA1150 Motherboard (http://pcpartpicker.com/part/gigabyte-motherboard-gah97md3h) ($66.98 @ Newegg)
Memory: Team Elite Plus 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory (http://pcpartpicker.com/part/team-memory-tpd38g1600c11dc01) ($43.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 2TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive (http://pcpartpicker.com/part/seagate-internal-hard-drive-st2000dm001) ($69.89 @ OutletPC)
Video Card: PNY Quadro NVS 450 512MB Video Card (http://pcpartpicker.com/part/pny-video-card-vcq450nvsx16dvipb) ($257.48 @ Amazon)
Case: Fractal Design Core 1000 USB 3.0 MicroATX Mid Tower Case (http://pcpartpicker.com/part/fractal-design-case-fdcacore1000usb3bl) ($29.99 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: SeaSonic 350W 80+ Bronze Certified ATX Power Supply (http://pcpartpicker.com/part/seasonic-power-supply-ss350etbronze) ($38.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Optical Drive: Samsung SH-224DB/BEBE DVD/CD Writer (http://pcpartpicker.com/part/samsung-optical-drive-sh224dbbebe) ($14.98 @ OutletPC)
Monitor: Asus VN289H 60Hz 28.0" Monitor (http://pcpartpicker.com/part/asus-monitor-vn289h)
Monitor: Asus VN289H 60Hz 28.0" Monitor (http://pcpartpicker.com/part/asus-monitor-vn289h) ($189.99 @ Newegg)
Total: $879.24
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2015-06-24 12:42 EDT-0400

why in gods name would he need a quadro video card in a pc used for looking at text documents...

It's not a render card, it's designed for multiple monitors. If she only ends up using two, then you can step it down.
Title: Re: Work PC Build For Friend
Post by: inanis on Wed, 24 June 2015, 13:16:29: Quote from: Blaise170 on Wed, 24 June 2015, 13:01:47
Quote from: cmadrid on Wed, 24 June 2015, 12:11:01
Quote from: Blaise170 on Wed, 24 June 2015, 11:43:09
Here is what I would go with for a workstation. You can get Windows 8.1 keys for around $25 if you buy from G2A.com.

PCPartPicker part list (http://pcpartpicker.com/p/gsKrBm) / Price breakdown by merchant (http://pcpartpicker.com/p/gsKrBm/by_merchant/)

CPU: Intel Core i5-4460 3.2GHz Quad-Core Processor (http://pcpartpicker.com/part/intel-cpu-bx80646i54460) ($166.95 @ SuperBiiz)
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-H97M-D3H Micro ATX LGA1150 Motherboard (http://pcpartpicker.com/part/gigabyte-motherboard-gah97md3h) ($66.98 @ Newegg)
Memory: Team Elite Plus 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory (http://pcpartpicker.com/part/team-memory-tpd38g1600c11dc01) ($43.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 2TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive (http://pcpartpicker.com/part/seagate-internal-hard-drive-st2000dm001) ($69.89 @ OutletPC)
Video Card: PNY Quadro NVS 450 512MB Video Card (http://pcpartpicker.com/part/pny-video-card-vcq450nvsx16dvipb) ($257.48 @ Amazon)
Case: Fractal Design Core 1000 USB 3.0 MicroATX Mid Tower Case (http://pcpartpicker.com/part/fractal-design-case-fdcacore1000usb3bl) ($29.99 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: SeaSonic 350W 80+ Bronze Certified ATX Power Supply (http://pcpartpicker.com/part/seasonic-power-supply-ss350etbronze) ($38.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Optical Drive: Samsung SH-224DB/BEBE DVD/CD Writer (http://pcpartpicker.com/part/samsung-optical-drive-sh224dbbebe) ($14.98 @ OutletPC)
Monitor: Asus VN289H 60Hz 28.0" Monitor (http://pcpartpicker.com/part/asus-monitor-vn289h)
Monitor: Asus VN289H 60Hz 28.0" Monitor (http://pcpartpicker.com/part/asus-monitor-vn289h) ($189.99 @ Newegg)
Total: $879.24
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2015-06-24 12:42 EDT-0400

why in gods name would he need a quadro video card in a pc used for looking at text documents...

It's not a render card, it's designed for multiple monitors. If she only ends up using two, then you can step it down.

Don't most motherboards these days support multiple monitors by default? I have a crappy integrated Intel HD4000 on the machine I'm using right now at work and I run two 22 inch monitors at 1680x1050. I can use my laptop screen as my third at 1920x1080 if I want as well. I don't have any trouble. I'm not saying a stand alone card doesn't have it's benefits, but I don't think it warrants an additional cost of $250 for the purposes that were described. I'm a pretty frugal individual though, so maybe that is just me.

The ASRock H97M, which Absyrd has quoted, has a DVI, VGA and HDMI connectors available. Surely those three would be enough. Again, I'm not saying that this is ideal for everyone, but this isn't something you are going to notice while preforming spell check and preforming routing office work.
Title: Re: Work PC Build For Friend
Post by: Blaise170 on Wed, 24 June 2015, 13:18:42: Yes I agree - most motherboards support 2 monitors, though I guess I've never heard of one being able to support a third. I also don't know that she is only doing word processing - if she is, then I'd recommend another setup entirely.
Title: Re: Work PC Build For Friend
Post by: inanis on Wed, 24 June 2015, 13:25:58: Quote from: Blaise170 on Wed, 24 June 2015, 13:18:42
Yes I agree - most motherboards support 2 monitors, though I guess I've never heard of one being able to support a third. I also don't know that she is only doing word processing - if she is, then I'd recommend another setup entirely.

At home I have an Gigabyte G1 Sniper 5 which supports 2 HDMI connections and 1 Display port. I have 2 monitors hooked up now, but I'm redoing the office in the near future and planning on getting a third, where the two on the outside are horizontal and the one in the middle is vertical. I don't game at all, unless solitaire counts, but I work from home on occasion and often times have connections open to 2 or 3 different servers at once. The multiple screens helps me keep organized.
Title: Re: Work PC Build For Friend
Post by: cmadrid on Wed, 24 June 2015, 13:50:23: It is 1/4th of the budget thrown out the window to load up a word document on two monitors
Title: Re: Work PC Build For Friend
Post by: cmadrid on Wed, 24 June 2015, 13:52:31: Quote from: Blaise170 on Wed, 24 June 2015, 13:18:42
Yes I agree - most motherboards support 2 monitors, though I guess I've never heard of one being able to support a third. I also don't know that she is only doing word processing - if she is, then I'd recommend another setup entirely.

perhaps read about what the computer build is for before suggesting parts for it..
Title: Re: Work PC Build For Friend
Post by: Blaise170 on Wed, 24 June 2015, 13:55:13: I did read it. I saw this:

Quote
She is an appraiser and just does tons of work on a bunch of info

I wasn't sure if this was just word documents. Sorry for trying to help. :-[
Title: Re: Work PC Build For Friend
Post by: cmadrid on Wed, 24 June 2015, 14:11:51: Quote from: Blaise170 on Wed, 24 June 2015, 13:55:13
I did read it. I saw this:

Quote
She is an appraiser and just does tons of work on a bunch of info

I wasn't sure if this was just word documents. Sorry for trying to help. :-[

She is an appraiser and just does tons of work on a bunch of info sources and documents everywhere. She doesn't need fancy monitors, just functional and large.
Title: Re: Work PC Build For Friend
Post by: tp4tissue on Wed, 24 June 2015, 14:48:08: 4790K

Z97 mobo

16Gb 2400mhz Memory

@4.8 Ghz Cpu Overclock...

THIS is the Minimum..................
Title: Re: Work PC Build For Friend
Post by: jdcarpe on Wed, 24 June 2015, 14:52:55: Quote from: tp4tissue on Wed, 24 June 2015, 14:48:08
4790K

Z97 mobo

16Gb 2400mhz Memory

@4.8 Ghz Cpu Overclock...

THIS is the Minimum..................

OT, but...

Would you recommend that for a general purpose build today, over say a i7 5820K with an X99 mobo?
Title: Re: Work PC Build For Friend
Post by: Blaise170 on Wed, 24 June 2015, 14:59:52: Depends on your needs. X99 is unnecessary unless you are doing large scale renders or running four flagship cards in SLI/Crossfire.
Title: Re: Work PC Build For Friend
Post by: jdcarpe on Wed, 24 June 2015, 15:01:31: Quote from: Blaise170 on Wed, 24 June 2015, 14:59:52
Depends on your needs. X99 is unnecessary unless you are doing large scale renders or running four flagship cards in SLI/Crossfire.

Now I know I need 4x Titan X...
Title: Re: Work PC Build For Friend
Post by: cmadrid on Wed, 24 June 2015, 15:25:00: Quote from: jdcarpe on Wed, 24 June 2015, 15:01:31
Quote from: Blaise170 on Wed, 24 June 2015, 14:59:52
Depends on your needs. X99 is unnecessary unless you are doing large scale renders or running four flagship cards in SLI/Crossfire.

Now I know I need 4x Titan X...

definitely
Title: Re: Work PC Build For Friend
Post by: Blaise170 on Wed, 24 June 2015, 15:43:54: Quote from: jdcarpe on Wed, 24 June 2015, 15:01:31
Now I know I need 4x Titan X...

DO IT
Title: Re: Work PC Build For Friend
Post by: tp4tissue on Wed, 24 June 2015, 17:53:05: Quote from: cmadrid on Wed, 24 June 2015, 15:25:00
Quote from: jdcarpe on Wed, 24 June 2015, 15:01:31
Quote from: Blaise170 on Wed, 24 June 2015, 14:59:52
Depends on your needs. X99 is unnecessary unless you are doing large scale renders or running four flagship cards in SLI/Crossfire.

Now I know I need 4x Titan X...

definitely

Everybody needs 4 Titan X
Title: Re: Work PC Build For Friend
Post by: Badwrench on Wed, 24 June 2015, 20:06:44: Bare minimum to run Word correctly:
(http://www.legitreviews.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/nvidia-digits-titanx.jpg)
Title: Re: Work PC Build For Friend
Post by: Blaise170 on Wed, 24 June 2015, 20:10:41: Nope you need this. :))

(http://veniaminshows.com/Slinky_Supercomputer/Slinky_Supercomputer_2.JPG)
Title: Re: Work PC Build For Friend
Post by: tp4tissue on Wed, 24 June 2015, 21:46:20: Quote from: Blaise170 on Wed, 24 June 2015, 20:10:41
Nope you need this. :))

Show Image
(http://veniaminshows.com/Slinky_Supercomputer/Slinky_Supercomputer_2.JPG)

Watercooling the Ram? Are we back in 2005 ?
Title: Re: Work PC Build For Friend
Post by: jamster on Thu, 25 June 2015, 04:27:30: Gah, all this talk of fancy video cards is getting ridiculous.

A $30 AMD6450 has three outputs (DVI, HDMI, VGA) and I just looked up a couple of Asus motherboards that have four outputs (HDMI, DVI, VGA, DisplayPort) and can support three simultaneous monitors.

Why are people seriously suggesting $200+ video cards, or Quadros? Quadros are used for CAD acceleration or fancy graphics editing, not for looking at documents.

Even if the user ends up moving to 4+ monitors later (and probably less than 5% of all office workers have this outside of banking or more specialised environments), she can get a graphics card later. At the moment it sounds like she only wants two monitors.
Title: Re: Work PC Build For Friend
Post by: Blaise170 on Thu, 25 June 2015, 08:10:09: Quote from: jamster on Thu, 25 June 2015, 04:27:30
Gah, all this talk of fancy video cards is getting ridiculous.

A $30 AMD6450 has three outputs (DVI, HDMI, VGA) and I just looked up a couple of Asus motherboards that have four outputs (HDMI, DVI, VGA, DisplayPort) and can support three simultaneous monitors.

Why are people seriously suggesting $200+ video cards, or Quadros? Quadros are used for CAD acceleration or fancy graphics editing, not for looking at documents.

Even if the user ends up moving to 4+ monitors later (and probably less than 5% of all office workers have this outside of banking or more specialised environments), she can get a graphics card later. At the moment it sounds like she only wants two monitors.

Quote
It's not a render card, it's designed for multiple monitors. If she only ends up using two, then you can step it down.
Title: Re: Work PC Build For Friend
Post by: PicklesKill on Thu, 25 June 2015, 09:56:45: I would just go with a little above midrange. You're friend saves money and the system should last a couple of years.
Title: Re: Work PC Build For Friend
Post by: IvanIvanovich on Thu, 25 June 2015, 10:40:49: LOL. Some of you guys are super funny.
For a build like this I would agree, the onboard Intel igp would be just fine. Just pick a motherboard that has appropriate video connection options available. Such as 2x DP or a DP and an HDMI. VGA dsub should be avoided to use if at all possible. Now... not all Intel igp are created equal. Some of the lower end ones, like what is still being used on the Pentiums have some more limitations... like nothing over 1080p except display port... and can't run 2 different resolutions due to only having one clockgen. Be careful there, or you may end up needing to get a lower end discrete card anyway. Quadro NVS... that line was exclusively for 2D multi monitor set ups. It's far too weak a GPU to be used for anything intensive. Those are a terrible waste of money, when you can buy some low end geforce that is far cheaper and many times more powerful.
As far as the CPU goes, an i5 is overkill. Unless you wanted to run multiple 1440p/4K displays forcing you into a model with the Iris Pro igp as you may still end up cheaper than a cpu+discrete gpu. Otherwise if we are staying in 1080p land, a Pentium cpu would probably be just fine. They are plenty powerful enough for document work, internet, etc light use and you can save a lot of money buying a Pentium. For someone doing a lot of multitasking with many open documents I do agree having 8GB of memory is a good plan. That kind of stuff chews up ram much more than it uses the CPU. For the motherboard the GIGABYTE GA-B85M-DS3H is a very nice bang for the buck... and it's size is nice. While technically being a matx board, it is still small enough to shoehorn into a nice small minimalist case such as the Lian Li PCQ01. If you want to stick to one drive only, perhaps the WD Black² is a good choice, you get 1TB w 120GB nand, or otherwise a lot of storage with ssd like performance for a cheap price comparatively. A good quality brand 300-400w PSU with 80+gold takes care of the power needs. That should still leave you with $500ish to put towards displays, such as some nice quality IPS/PLS or *VA displays... or just go big and get something like EA294WMi-BK 29" ultrawide. Ultrawide may be a nice option as you eliminate all the fuss with multi display while giving a similar type of workspace.
Title: Re: Work PC Build For Friend
Post by: nothing4me on Wed, 22 July 2015, 00:34:56: Reddit is much more helpful for computer builds. See the subreddit here: https://www.reddit.com/r/buildapc

Look at the sidebar for tips too.
Title: Re: Work PC Build For Friend
Post by: Rodgaroon on Sat, 25 July 2015, 23:30:52: Quote from: fohat.digs on Mon, 22 June 2015, 11:39:20
Quote from: absyrd on Mon, 22 June 2015, 11:30:45
Doesn't want to bother with multiple drives; scares her.

Not having multiple drives scares me.

Convince her to have a huge data drive separate and safe from her OS dirve.

This x100.
Title: Re: Work PC Build For Friend
Post by: Rodgaroon on Sat, 25 July 2015, 23:57:35: Quote from: IvanIvanovich on Thu, 25 June 2015, 10:40:49
LOL. Some of you guys are super funny.
For a build like this I would agree, the onboard Intel igp would be just fine. Just pick a motherboard that has appropriate video connection options available. Such as 2x DP or a DP and an HDMI. VGA dsub should be avoided to use if at all possible. Now... not all Intel igp are created equal. Some of the lower end ones, like what is still being used on the Pentiums have some more limitations... like nothing over 1080p except display port... and can't run 2 different resolutions due to only having one clockgen. Be careful there, or you may end up needing to get a lower end discrete card anyway. Quadro NVS... that line was exclusively for 2D multi monitor set ups. It's far too weak a GPU to be used for anything intensive. Those are a terrible waste of money, when you can buy some low end geforce that is far cheaper and many times more powerful.
As far as the CPU goes, an i5 is overkill. Unless you wanted to run multiple 1440p/4K displays forcing you into a model with the Iris Pro igp as you may still end up cheaper than a cpu+discrete gpu. Otherwise if we are staying in 1080p land, a Pentium cpu would probably be just fine. They are plenty powerful enough for document work, internet, etc light use and you can save a lot of money buying a Pentium. For someone doing a lot of multitasking with many open documents I do agree having 8GB of memory is a good plan. That kind of stuff chews up ram much more than it uses the CPU. For the motherboard the GIGABYTE GA-B85M-DS3H is a very nice bang for the buck... and it's size is nice. While technically being a matx board, it is still small enough to shoehorn into a nice small minimalist case such as the Lian Li PCQ01. If you want to stick to one drive only, perhaps the WD Black² is a good choice, you get 1TB w 120GB nand, or otherwise a lot of storage with ssd like performance for a cheap price comparatively. A good quality brand 300-400w PSU with 80+gold takes care of the power needs. That should still leave you with $500ish to put towards displays, such as some nice quality IPS/PLS or *VA displays... or just go big and get something like EA294WMi-BK 29" ultrawide. Ultrawide may be a nice option as you eliminate all the fuss with multi display while giving a similar type of workspace.

Ivan's a boss!

Honestly the G3258 Anniversary Unlocked Dual Core 3.2GHZ is more then enough. Get a R7 250X for about $100 and be done with it (3 monitors down the road if need). Pick up a 350W Power Supply and 8GB of Ram. Spend the $$$ on the screens. she would love 2x LG 23MP47HQ-P.

Just my 2 cents.
Title: Re: Work PC Build For Friend
Post by: oledome on Tue, 28 July 2015, 19:06:40: SSD is essential 500GB is enough for docs etc.