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Feb 13 2015 08:22pm
Hey guys, my neighbour needs a PC for his business accounting needs.
He is a real power user and would like to have the option of running up to 4 monitors on a single card.
He will be having lots of complex office documents open, including many spreadsheets.

The Plan:

Budget: $1300 CAN After Taxes
More specific use (what games, what programs): Heavy office work, accounting programs, e.t.c. Running up to 4 monitors, so graphics card needs to support it
Planned time until purchase: Soon as possible really. Within next week.
Do you need an Operating System?: Yes, Windows 7 Professional
Do you have any specific preferred components?: 16Gb of RAM,
Do you need a sound or wireless card?: Don't include one in pricing
Do you want stock cooling or do you plan on overclocking?: No overclocking, but a better cooler would be nice
Do you need a monitor? mouse? keyboard?: None needed in build
Zip code/location? (Shipping costs): NCIX Canada only, will pick up!
Member
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Feb 14 2015 03:35am
10fg for best build
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Joined: Feb 2 2015
Gold: 10.00
Feb 15 2015 05:03am
Give me a second, I'll try to piece something together.

//edit

Why the 16GB of RAM? For some reason a lot of people want to buy as much RAM as they can, because it's cheap, but it's not really useful. I have 4GB in my pre-built (even when running games) it only uses 50% to 75% of it, most of which is Windows.
I'll be doing this from one site, if you wish to search for the same component at a cheaper price elsewhere you can if you want. Sorry, I don't really like digging through sites for every build.
Any specific programs? If he plans to run multiple, a multiple core processor would be ideal. But, not all software is coded to support multiple cores. Microsoft Excel supports multiple cores, while some spreadsheet software from 2007 wouldn't.

This post was edited by Miyagehin on Feb 15 2015 05:14am
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Posts: 143
Joined: Feb 2 2015
Gold: 10.00
Feb 15 2015 06:31am
I don't know how taxes work so please excuse me.

Case: Corsair Carbide Series (Mid-ATX, Cougar Vortex bundle)
- Reasoning; Good universal cooling case. Comes with extra fans to cool down the case, due to strong CPU and GPU. The case is a part that you don't really have to worry about, unless you want something looking like it's a prop from a Sci-Fi movie.
http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=9151500&Sku=C69-0020
$140.99 (Currently 8%, $11, off.)


Motheboard: Gigabyte AMD AM3+ Motherboard GA-970A-DS3P (ATX, AM3+, 1866MHz (2000MHz OC), DDR3, etc)
- Reasoning; This motherboard supports the processor, RAM, GPU, HDD, and fans needed for this build. This is also a motherboard on the cheaper side, if you wish to purchase a more expensive board for quicker RAM, please state.
http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/searchtools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=8324505&pagenumber=1&RSort=1&csid=ITD&recordsPerPage=5&body=REVIEWS#CustomerReviewsBlock
$84.99 (Currently 6%, $5, off. You can purchase refurbished for $69.97)


CPU: AMD FX-8350 (8 Core 4GHZ, 16MB Cache)
- Reasoning; Although most apps don't support all 8-cores, most support four of the cores. Those 8 cores will let your CPU stand the test of time, and it's a lot cheaper than a i7 of the same or worse specs.
http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=4904561&Sku=A79-8350
$179.99 (Currently 18%, $40, off.)

RAM: Kingston HyperX 16GB Desktop Memory (DDR3, 1866MHz, 2x 8GB sticks.)
- Reasoning; Decent brand, decent speeds. 16GB like you asked, although it's not really required or necasarry to have so much RAM. Most programs only use 4GB, 8GB is plenty. Although, multitasking with large amounts of RAM is a nice experience. If you wish for 8GB, you can choose the 8GB option on the site.
http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/searchtools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=8938988
$132.49 (No sale, sorry =/...)


GPU: PNY GeForce GTX 970 (4GB, GDDR5, PCI-Express 3.0 x16, One Dual-Link DVI, One HDMI Mini 2.0, (3) Mini DisplayPort 1.2 )
- Reasoning; Strong graphics card, maximum of four monitors. Can support 1080p. Only problem; large PSU usage and you may have to purchase cable coverting adapters due to the weird display ports. An example would be a Mini DisplayPort to DVI cable.
http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=9191508&Sku=KNY-102595188
$329.99 (No sale, sorry =/...)

HDD: Seagate Barracuda (3.5", SATA III, 500 GB to 4TB)
- Reasoning; Great HDD, depending on how much data he's planning on using and how long he plans to keep the PC, you can choose how much space you want. 500GB, 1TB, 3TB, and 4TB are the options. You can also find a 2TB one but it won't be the same product but it will be the same brand. Get back to me on which would be ideal for accurate pricing.
http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=1310560&CatId=4357
$ Varies. ($69.99 - $179.99)


SSD: None
- Reasoning; Since he'll be using a lot of storage with business documents, not necassarily worrying about load time or save time all too much, HDD would be better suited for the job. (SSD tends to be a whole lot more expensive than HDD)


PSU: XFX - Core Edition PSU (750W, 80 Plus Bronze)
- Reasoning; Wattage supports parts, 80 Plus Bronze.
http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=125451&Sku=P450-9218
$119.99 (Currently 21%, $25, off. $20 rebate.)


Heat Sink & Cooling: None
- Reasoning; CPU comes with a fan, case comes with extra fans.


Optical Drive(s): Internal IDE CD-RW & DVD-ROM
- Reasoning; You only really use your disk drive to install an operating system now-a-days. You could borrow one from another computer or purchase an external one if you wish.
http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=9077216&CatId=89
$39.99 (Currently 50%, $20, off.)


OS: Windows 8.1 64-bi
- Reasoning; Secure, easier on the hardware, and cheaper than 7. You don't need Pro unless it's for an office that connects to the network. Free upgrade to 10 for the first year that it's out also.
http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/searchtools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=8588430
$119.99 (Currently 25%, $30, off.)


Final Thoughts & Prices: This system will stand the test of time. It's powerful and will suit your needs. The pricing is assuming you bought a 3TB HDD (Which is huge but you may want a huge HDD if you're saving a lot of files.)
Before Taxes and Shipping (Without Discounts & Rebate): Money left over -$13.41
Before Taxes and Shipping (With Discounts & Rebate): Money left over before rebate, $137.59 Money left over after rebate, $117.59


Problems: May be over budget. OS is expensive, but so is your request for a large amount of RAM and a GPU that supports 4 monitors without lag.
If bought after sales are over: I recommend downgrading to a lower amount of RAM, HDD, and/or buying while everything is on sale.
Member
Posts: 27,782
Joined: Dec 19 2011
Gold: 3,012.50
Feb 15 2015 07:05am
^ he wants it from NCIX
he's from Canada
I'd say ditch the HDD, and go straight for a SSD. (accounting spreadsheet files aren't huge) My friends tell me a 4-8gb usb stick is overkill for their files anyways at their company.

OP bump 2-3 days when u plan to purchase
Member
Posts: 143
Joined: Feb 2 2015
Gold: 10.00
Feb 15 2015 07:33am
Quote (Secksii @ Feb 15 2015 07:05am)
^ he wants it from NCIX
he's from Canada
I'd say ditch the HDD, and go straight for a SSD. (accounting spreadsheet files aren't huge) My friends tell me a 4-8gb usb stick is overkill for their files anyways at their company.

OP bump 2-3 days when u plan to purchase


Oh, I'm not sure what NCIX is. I just use TigerDirect as a site to look for the parts, not buy them from.
I figured that, with business, you would save more than documents (Resources, pictures, etc). But I'm not a business person, lol, I wouldn't know. I suppose you could try for an SSD, but wouldn't that mean more money?

This post was edited by Miyagehin on Feb 15 2015 07:34am
Member
Posts: 3,417
Joined: May 15 2009
Gold: 1,201.69
Feb 17 2015 01:49am
Quote (Miyagehin @ Feb 15 2015 04:31am)
I don't know how taxes work so please excuse me.

Case: Corsair Carbide Series (Mid-ATX, Cougar Vortex bundle)
- Reasoning; Good universal cooling case. Comes with extra fans to cool down the case, due to strong CPU and GPU. The case is a part that you don't really have to worry about, unless you want something looking like it's a prop from a Sci-Fi movie.
http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=9151500&Sku=C69-0020
$140.99 (Currently 8%, $11, off.)


Motheboard: Gigabyte AMD AM3+ Motherboard GA-970A-DS3P (ATX, AM3+, 1866MHz (2000MHz OC), DDR3, etc)
- Reasoning; This motherboard supports the processor, RAM, GPU, HDD, and fans needed for this build. This is also a motherboard on the cheaper side, if you wish to purchase a more expensive board for quicker RAM, please state.
http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/searchtools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=8324505&pagenumber=1&RSort=1&csid=ITD&recordsPerPage=5&body=REVIEWS#CustomerReviewsBlock
$84.99 (Currently 6%, $5, off. You can purchase refurbished for $69.97)


CPU: AMD FX-8350 (8 Core 4GHZ, 16MB Cache)
- Reasoning; Although most apps don't support all 8-cores, most support four of the cores. Those 8 cores will let your CPU stand the test of time, and it's a lot cheaper than a i7 of the same or worse specs.
http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=4904561&Sku=A79-8350
$179.99 (Currently 18%, $40, off.)

RAM: Kingston HyperX 16GB Desktop Memory (DDR3, 1866MHz, 2x 8GB sticks.)
- Reasoning; Decent brand, decent speeds. 16GB like you asked, although it's not really required or necasarry to have so much RAM. Most programs only use 4GB, 8GB is plenty. Although, multitasking with large amounts of RAM is a nice experience. If you wish for 8GB, you can choose the 8GB option on the site.
http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/searchtools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=8938988
$132.49 (No sale, sorry =/...)


GPU: PNY GeForce GTX 970 (4GB, GDDR5, PCI-Express 3.0 x16, One Dual-Link DVI, One HDMI Mini 2.0, (3) Mini DisplayPort 1.2 )
- Reasoning; Strong graphics card, maximum of four monitors. Can support 1080p. Only problem; large PSU usage and you may have to purchase cable coverting adapters due to the weird display ports. An example would be a Mini DisplayPort to DVI cable.
http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=9191508&Sku=KNY-102595188
$329.99 (No sale, sorry =/...)

HDD: Seagate Barracuda (3.5", SATA III, 500 GB to 4TB)
- Reasoning; Great HDD, depending on how much data he's planning on using and how long he plans to keep the PC, you can choose how much space you want. 500GB, 1TB, 3TB, and 4TB are the options. You can also find a 2TB one but it won't be the same product but it will be the same brand. Get back to me on which would be ideal for accurate pricing.
http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=1310560&CatId=4357
$ Varies. ($69.99 - $179.99)


SSD: None
- Reasoning; Since he'll be using a lot of storage with business documents, not necassarily worrying about load time or save time all too much, HDD would be better suited for the job. (SSD tends to be a whole lot more expensive than HDD)


PSU: XFX - Core Edition PSU (750W, 80 Plus Bronze)
- Reasoning; Wattage supports parts, 80 Plus Bronze.
http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=125451&Sku=P450-9218
$119.99 (Currently 21%, $25, off. $20 rebate.)


Heat Sink & Cooling: None
- Reasoning; CPU comes with a fan, case comes with extra fans.


Optical Drive(s): Internal IDE CD-RW & DVD-ROM
- Reasoning; You only really use your disk drive to install an operating system now-a-days. You could borrow one from another computer or purchase an external one if you wish.
http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=9077216&CatId=89
$39.99 (Currently 50%, $20, off.)


OS: Windows 8.1 64-bi
- Reasoning; Secure, easier on the hardware, and cheaper than 7. You don't need Pro unless it's for an office that connects to the network. Free upgrade to 10 for the first year that it's out also.
http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/searchtools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=8588430
$119.99 (Currently 25%, $30, off.)


Final Thoughts & Prices: This system will stand the test of time. It's powerful and will suit your needs. The pricing is assuming you bought a 3TB HDD (Which is huge but you may want a huge HDD if you're saving a lot of files.)
Before Taxes and Shipping (Without Discounts & Rebate): Money left over -$13.41
Before Taxes and Shipping (With Discounts & Rebate): Money left over before rebate, $137.59 Money left over after rebate, $117.59


Problems: May be over budget. OS is expensive, but so is your request for a large amount of RAM and a GPU that supports 4 monitors without lag.
If bought after sales are over: I recommend downgrading to a lower amount of RAM, HDD, and/or buying while everything is on sale.


I just rebuild with NCIX prices. It's not for me, I just don't know what all the parts do any more. I've been out of the loop with benchmarks and newest GPU and CPU's and stuff for about a year.
This is exactly what I was looking for though.

Thanks,

FG sent.
Member
Posts: 14,133
Joined: Aug 30 2009
Gold: 454.45
Feb 17 2015 12:03pm
if hes just doing work on spreadsheets, he wont need a 970. find a cheap video card with 4 outputs. you could use two video cards if needed. just dont use the SLI/Crossfire bridge. cheapest video card on ncix http://www.ncix.com/detail/asus-radeon-hd-5450-silent-99-55585.htm?affiliateid=7474144
Member
Posts: 143
Joined: Feb 2 2015
Gold: 10.00
Feb 17 2015 11:49pm
Quote (NewKID @ Feb 17 2015 12:03pm)
if hes just doing work on spreadsheets, he wont need a 970. find a cheap video card with 4 outputs. you could use two video cards if needed. just dont use the SLI/Crossfire bridge. cheapest video card on ncix http://www.ncix.com/detail/asus-radeon-hd-5450-silent-99-55585.htm?affiliateid=7474144


It supports 1080p for all four monitors, with anything else added that he may be viewing. Two video cards would put more on the PSU, and also it would let the PC stand the test of time. Generally when you want a business PC you want something to do multiple jobs, for long periods of time.
Member
Posts: 13,425
Joined: Sep 29 2007
Gold: 0.00
Warn: 20%
Feb 18 2015 01:23am
Quote (Miyagehin @ Feb 18 2015 01:49am)
It supports 1080p for all four monitors, with anything else added that he may be viewing. Two video cards would put more on the PSU, and also it would let the PC stand the test of time. Generally when you want a business PC you want something to do multiple jobs, for long periods of time.


You're an idiot. Why would you spend that much on a graphics card for office work. Just look for something with 4 display ports or 4 DVI ports. There are many for under 170$.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814131575
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