Firstly I know zero about specs.
All I know is I need a desktop (no monitor) just for general accounting work.
I would like to spend $1k but don’t know if that’s even possible. I need it to be fairly quick. I’m currently using a laptop which is old and driving me crazy.
so I’m hoping my fellow OzBargainers will help me find a PC that will be suitable for me.
I’m open to suggestions. I know you guys know your stuff. :)
It's not too bad outside of graphics cards and AMD CPUs as far as I know
It doesn't sound like OP needs either of these for accounting work
Yep, what i thought when I saw this, if he doesn't need the best amds and a gpu at all, then a mid/low range intel with integrated graphics is all he needs and even in these trying times, very much affordable since they are not what miners or gamers want.
It's actually not the worst time to build an office PC, as intel CPU's are still the go for this due to having decent processors with integrated graphics, and pricing on them is still pretty normal. If you are after AMD or a dedicated GPU it is a different story.
Only problem is that going that route means you sacrifice on upgradeability.
I personally would rather pay a little extra, and get something that's more modular and has an upgrade path. These generic Office PCs (see an example below) are actually not that much smaller than a true Desktop PC, but they:
….. support worse RAM, fewer slots, less PCIe slots, sometimes no nVme support, no extra cables from the PSU, not enough clearance for a full-sized dGPU, many other unknown features/corners cut from the motherboard, and sometimes a very stubborn BIOS.
If you go with a proper build, name-brand components, lots of modularity, full-features, etc etc…
….well, you only cry once (upfront $). Otherwise, these Office PCs are likely to age FASTER than your regular Desktop PCs, so it will require buying a new FULL SYSTEM instead of gradual upgrading.
The PCCG built system posted above will basically avoid all the limitations you speak of at a relatively reasonable price. I have never been one to buy a prebuilt from manufacturers (I am typically the one building them for offices).
https://www.pccasegear.com/products/53380/pccg-kolink-home-o…
Everything you said is correct but this guy is not gonna be running anything more serious than excel. He doesn't need any PCIe slots or graphics cards lol.
@Presence: Or even if they do in the future, one pcie slot is going to be more enough, and a sata SSD will be more than sufficient.
You need:
- 8GB RAM, 16GB is better but not strictly worth it
- SSD - solid state drive. May show as NVMe which is even better. This is the thing that'll make Windows and Office load in a second versus just spinning and taking forever.
An example: https://www.pccasegear.com/products/53380/pccg-kolink-home-o…
If you don't live within good distance to a physical store (and even if you do), consider buying something like a Dell and purchasing 5yr NBD onsite warranty. Means you get to relax and have your problems sorted ASAP if they arise.
More examples:
$764 https://www.jbhifi.com.au/products/lenovo-ideacentre-3-0b6-d…
$998 https://www.harveynorman.com.au/hp-slim-i5-9400-8gb-512gb-ss…
None of the above examples are anything I researched as 'mega good deal'. That $764 is interesting cos it is plenty for you and quite a bit below budget.
For accounting work, 700$ is all good. nothing intensive at all, unless those spreadsheets are miles long and need more than 8 gigs of ram, although I doubt it does.
There's this from Dell which becomes $975 after applying code LOVEKEANU during checkout. It's a bit overkill with a dedicated GPU but it's within budget and is in stock for fast delivery
No, I think this is the one. Good find.
A think in this day and age, a dGPU is a must for a Desktop PC. And a GTX 1650 should be the base level, so I think this Budget Option hits all the current and future minimum requirements for the OP. Otherwise, the OP can use a laptop or even cheaper $200 PCs, and forget about desktops.
Reason I put the GTX 1650 as base level: it can handle everything you throw at it, even new AAA-games (just not at high framerates or resolution). I'm sure this will base-level will be replaced very soon by the RTX-3050, so it will have some new features, but stock levels won't be quite ready until Q1 2022 for these entry level cards. Just like over the years, how RAM requirements and CPU threads have gone up.
For most people's not gaming or workstation PC needs, a dedicated GPU is just not necessary, and I would typically reccomend to go without due to the unnecessary extra cost and power consumption for something that will not be utilised. I have built many office pc's, and with decent amounts of SSD and RAM even 7-10 year old pc's perform snappily and responsively for typical word processing, web browsing, spreadsheet work. I'd say a dgpu is an unnecessary power and heat generator for the OP.
Desktop PC for Accounting Work - under $1k
https://www.ebay.com.au/itm/Dell-Optiplex-9020-SFF-i5-4570-3…
Code: PSSAVER
Absolute win for OP right here, you saved him $800
Based in your requirements, even the intel NUCs that have been going on sale recently would be plenty for you. Something like this
https://www.jw.com.au/intel-boxnuc8i5beh-nuc-8-mainstream-ki…
Get 16gb of suitable RAM from same place you’re buying the NUC from for $100, get a 1tb m2 nvme SSD for another $120 and you’re done, hardware wise
Download windows10 from Microsoft and buy a windows key for about $10 off ebay, OS sorted
NUC is good but the only thing is that it is using a laptop CPU, so performance isn't particularly strong…. Good enough for daily and accounting though.
What type of "accounting work"? I can still do all my Xero stuff on a 7yo $200 Chromebook with Celeron & 2GB RAM. For a laptop that is "old and driving me crazy" you might want to find out where the bottleneck is, and whether buying a new computer will resolve that bottleneck. Often adding more RAM and replacing old hard drive with SSD will make them fast enough for most office software packages.
But at the end of the day we all know that the latest PC with a half decent graphics card is a necessity, just for a few rounds of gaming after finishing all that accounting reports.
Can't agree more on the SSD. I replaced my over 5 years old laptop's drive with a SSD. Booting up and opening large files is so much faster now.
Any computer store should be able to do a decent office type desktop for sub $1K as it will use the CPU embedded graphics, so you do not need a GPU. As stated elsewhere min ram is 8GB, but 16GB recommended and make sure you get an SSD (does not matter which one IMHO for an office type PC).
Be aware that the office PC will NOT be any good for games or software development.
i3 10100/i5 10400
any H410/B460 with the display outlet (HDMI/DVI/DP etc) that is handy for your monitor
single stick of 16G 2666 Kingston
Samsung 860 Evo 500G with cashback
Thermaltake h15 case with PSU
PCIe WiFi Card that is AC or AX
Windows 10 Home OEM
Any store should offer you assembly services, AFAIK, MSY cost $120 to assemble
wow, wasn’t expecting this many replies. You guys are great.
Thank you.
I like the linked pages. I don’t understand much else. Thanks Again it’s much appreciated.
Even Jv with an actual suggestion. Impressive! Love your work you make me giggle.
Anything but HP.
That’s what I have now!
I bought a new HP all-in-one just over 12 months ago to replace a 10 year old Toshiba all-in-one which couldn't be upgraded to Windows 10.
I should have kept the Toshiba even though it was Windows 7 because it operated flawlessly and was superior to the HP in every respect.
I have had countless hardware and system problems with the HP and now it is out of warranty. I would NEVER buy HP junk again.
I’m having this issue with my ******* HP right now
https://h30434.www3.hp.com/t5/Notebook-Boot-and-Lockup/Fixin…
I should have hit the button on a buy last week. I procrastinated.
Excellent specs. You can't really go wrong with Dell. They are the workhorses in many major corporate networks. I use them in a business environment and support is excellent.
I have seen many who buy refurbished corporate small form factor PCs (such as this Dell Optiplex), upgrade the RAM/SSD, add a low-profile GTX 1050/1650 and sell it as a "gaming PC".
Similarly you can go to eBay and find a refurbished Optiplex 7040 for $300-$400, a low profile GTX 1650 OC for ~$300 (which is already ridiculous), upgrade the RAM or storage if you need to, and keep the change…
buy used/refurbished Dell, they are super cheap and reliable. Replace with an SSD, reinstall windows, then you're good to go.
If you need it quick, then TechFast is out of the question.
You might have to look on FB Marketplace, Gumtree, eBay etc etc.
It's not a good time to build your own at the moment, heaps of parts in back-order with long waiting times, ridiculous prices, etc etc. Not to mention that your $1k budget is fairly limiting.