Cpu for new office build....

[Burpo]

Grab this & add your ssd.. Done
http://www.amazon.com/Lenovo-ThinkS...0840&sr=8-1&keywords=lenovo+thinkserver+ts140

 

[Yuriman]

If I were building this for myself, I'd grab the i3. Having a lot of Chrome tabs open + a game + media player or Skype (a use-case this won't likely see), the difference between an i3 and a Pentium is noticeable. ArcGIS (or anything that will frequently completely saturate at least 2 cores) is miserable to use on a dual. In this case, I feel clockspeed isn't a substitute for hyperthreading.

Not everyone has the same expectations though, and if it really will only be used for a few web browsing tabs and Word, a Pentium will be fine. I wouldn't hesitate to put one in a build for my dad.

 

[Wall Street]

The biggest performance boosts on office machines are:

1. Defragment occasionally or use an SSD.
2. Don't put too much anti virus software. I have seen a lot of overlapping antivirus software installations killing performance.
3. 4-8 GB of RAM at least. Things get pokey on Win 7 or 8 with less than 4 GB.
4. Restart at least once a week. A lot of programs leave processes loaded or have memory leaks (Adobe, I am looking at you). Restarting from time to time always seems to clear up stability problems.

What doesn't seem to matter for Office/"cloud" apps:
1. CPU speeds above 3 Ghz.
2. CPU threads above 2.
3. RAM above 8 GB.
4. Video, assuming it is fast enough to run Aero and can decode whatever video you need.

Microsoft has tried to add multithreading to Excel and the rest of the office suite, but for the most part those apps are stuck on one core. It is much harder to justlfy spending a lot on an office machine except for spending to get a RAM starved machine to at least 4 GB or getting an SSD. Anything else is very hard to feel the difference from a performance standpoint. Most office apps are I/O limited (either HDD or network bottlenecks) or are so fast they they are essentially instantaneous (even a 486 could display typed characters in a word editor fast enough to feel perfect).

 

[Insert_Nickname]

What doesn't seem to matter for Office/"cloud" apps:
1. CPU speeds above 3 Ghz.
2. CPU threads above 2.
3. RAM above 8 GB.
4. Video, assuming it is fast enough to run Aero and can decode whatever video you need.

Depends on how much multitasking you're doing. Also, if you need multiple applications open at the same time, 4 threads really help, even if they're only HT. As for pure frequency it helps with crunching javascript faster. Anything above 3GHz should be enough.

3 and 4 I completely agree on.

 

[crashtech]

Personally I use i3s for general purpose builds that won't be supervised, but if the machine will be actively managed by a power user (I assume so in this case) then it's a lot less likely the rig will get bogged down with bloatware. So an i3 might not really be necessary. I would also assume that CPUs for LGA 1150 will remain relatively plentiful on ebay etc. for several more years, so tossing a 2C/2T into it is not exactly preemptively consigning it to the junk pile.

 

[Phynaz]

I would. Find the maximum achievable stable clockspeed without bumping up reference voltage and then back it off maybe 100-200 mhz "just to be safe". Overclock the planet, yo.

Yeah, I know, it's just an office PC, but still . . .

Still what? Risk silent data corruption in a business? You'd have to be nuts.

 

[AnonymouseUser]

If I were building a new office machine with an SSD, I would buy a cheap prebuilt machine and add an SSD. There is no point in building one when a prebuilt machine is cheaper (including Pro OS), has a smaller form factor, and is perfectly fine for office work.

Example: Core i3, 4GB RAM, 500GB HDD, Win7 Pro, tiny/slim case, wireless AC + Bluetooth (no optical drive) $375 w/free shipping

Want something even cheaper?

Example: Pentium, 2GB RAM (Add 2GB yourself, you'll need it), 500GB HDD, Win8 Pro (refurbished) $290 w/free shipping

 

[Davidpaul007]

I've thought about going the prebuilt route but i just hate how you can't easily upgrade or use parts for another system.

 

[JDG1980]

Frankly, you could probably get away with Bay Trail on this. A dual-core SB/IB/Haswell Pentium will be more than enough.

Have you considered a NUC? They are available in both Bay Trail and big-core versions. All you have to add is a pair of RAM sticks (laptop-style SODIMM), and a mSATA SSD, then install the OS. For office work, unless you need an optical drive for some reason, this will usually be a sufficient solution, and very compact. If you add an Akasa fanless case, you can have a tiny, low-power PC with no moving parts.

 

[Yuriman]

I've thought about going the prebuilt route but i just hate how you can't easily upgrade or use parts for another system.

The prebuilt linked earlier in the thread will probably fit other motherboards and have a standard power supply. It'll take standard RAM, have room for more hard drives, and fit any 1150 CPU. I dunno how many PCI-e slots it has, but I bet it has at least 1 16x.

Pretty tempting.

 

[crashtech]

That Lenovo is not too bad a deal.

 

[DrMrLordX]

Still what? Risk silent data corruption in a business? You'd have to be nuts.

*shrug*

There's silent data corruption all the time at stock. Intel and AMD now sell CPUs that overclock themselves via turbo. They know there's stable headroom available in nearly everything they sell. If you take the time to tune a system and take if a few hundred mhz away from linpack/prime95/insertnameofstresstesthere stable, guess what? You're basically pegging the CPU at or near its turbo setting (if it supports one, which budget chips like the G3258 don't anyway).

Has anyone even tried to measure data corruption on an overclocked machine before? People run complex mathematical calculations 24/7 on overclocked and/or undervolted machines as a hobby (WCG for example) where data corruption would be of paramount concern.

If there is any one reason I would not want to run an overclocked machine that has been custom-built for a small office setup, it would be to avoid the time and effort involved in tuning the system so I could find the edge of stability @ stock vcore before backing away from it.

 

[Burpo]

The IBM has 2 16x slots, but does have proprietary PS.. Still pretty nice office machine for that price. Just add SSD

http://www.amazon.com/Lenovo-ThinkSe...productDetails

 

[Phynaz]

*shrug*

There's silent data corruption all the time at stock. Intel and AMD now sell CPUs that overclock themselves via turbo. They know there's stable headroom available in nearly everything they sell. If you take the time to tune a system and take if a few hundred mhz away from linpack/prime95/insertnameofstresstesthere stable, guess what? You're basically pegging the CPU at or near its turbo setting (if it supports one, which budget chips like the G3258 don't anyway).

Has anyone even tried to measure data corruption on an overclocked machine before? People run complex mathematical calculations 24/7 on overclocked and/or undervolted machines as a hobby (WCG for example) where data corruption would be of paramount concern.

If there is any one reason I would not want to run an overclocked machine that has been custom-built for a small office setup, it would be to avoid the time and effort involved in tuning the system so I could find the edge of stability @ stock vcore before backing away from it.

Intel and AMD validate that their CPUs will not corrupt data when ran at stock. Also, turbo is not overclocking. It's still stock.

Lastly, WCG validates all their data, they are immune to silent corruption.

 

[DrMrLordX]

Intel and AMD validate that their CPUs will not corrupt data when ran at stock.

I'm sure you've read about silent data corruption before. Even at stock settings, data correction is possible, even at rates higher than the once-per 1 x 10^16 bits written often cited. The question, of course, is: what is the source? Is it the CPU? Cosmic rays? Unintended software behavior? All of the above?

Also, turbo is not overclocking. It's still stock.

. . . if you say so.

Lastly, WCG validates all their data, they are immune to silent corruption.

Of course they do. Any team submitting bogus results is going to lose points though, and you don't want that to happen if you're the one crunching on your overclocked machine.

I have yet to see any objective test (or even any subjective test) to demonstrate how overclocking a CPU can contribute to data corruption. Most, if not all of the instances of corrupt data I've heard of have had to do with faulty IDE/SATA controllers, bad storage drivers, bad drives, that sort of thing. Of course, how often is data corruption (especially the silent kind) even noticed? That's the rub.

There is no benchmark or test program out there where you run your machine for X amount of time and then check your log for corruption that could be linked to the CPU or any subsystem predominantly controlled by the CPU. Well no, there is memtest86+, which I guess would be the closest thing we've got.

 

[escrow4]

As a computer lover, I'm definitely not opposed to spend a.little extra for some more 'grunt' if it's warranted. Myself, I have an i5 oc'd to 4.5ghz (and ssd) that i use daily.

I just didn't want to spend the extra $60 or so and out be a complete waste. Also, this computer will likely have a 4-5yr life cycle.

5yrs is a long time. You want a CPU to last. You want something in reserve. The bare minimum for $60 isn't worth it. That is $10 or less a year. I have a 4770 in my own office box I use daily. Of course its ridiculously overkill, point is it will last and I occasionally render x264. I remember one office I was at the PC's were equipped with i5's for the staff.

 

[VirtualLarry]

5yrs is a long time. You want a CPU to last. You want something in reserve. The bare minimum for $60 isn't worth it. That is $10 or less a year. I have a 4770 in my own office box I use daily. Of course its ridiculously overkill, point is it will last and I occasionally render x264. I remember one office I was at the PC's were equipped with i5's for the staff.

I tend to somewhat agree. I think that you should get the i3, especially if you want the box to last more than the 2-3 years you might get out of a dual-core Pentium. Also, get 8GB of RAM, and an SSD.

 

[VirtualLarry]

Frankly, you could probably get away with Bay Trail on this.

No. Just NO to Bay Trail. Office machines do a fair bit of multi-tasking, and that's not Bay Trail's strong point. (If it even has one. Saving $5 worth of power a month?)

 

[BSim500]

Intel and AMD validate that their CPUs will not corrupt data when ran at stock. Also, turbo is not overclocking. It's still stock.

Silent data corruption applies more to BCLK overclocking (where you're also altering the PCI-E / SATA bus speeds). Changing just the multiplier, leaving BCLK at 100 and only doing a mild OC to 3.8-4.0ghz drastically reduces the chances of it happening. If it passes Prime / IBT, etc, there's likely to be zero "silent errors" unless you've got a faulty CPU / motherboard / RAM (in which case you'll have problems at any clock speed).

As for what CPU is required, think about how many people happily use Pentium laptops at 2.0-2.5GHz for simple office / web work. The main thing is to get an SSD, and if OP's budget makes the difference between a Pentium + 128GB SSD vs i3 + HDD (or 256GB SSD vs 128GB SSD), I'd be inclined to go with the former. The video editing factor also depends on how much you do. Hours worth per week, and yes an i3 / i5 will be better. But if by "light video editing for home videos of the kids" you're talking about a couple of occasional short camcorder clips per month, then whether encoding time takes 10min on an i7, 13mins on an i5, 20mins on an i3 or 25mins on a Pentium is irrelevant if all 4 have finished by the time you've eaten your dinner one evening (assuming you are re-encoding and not just burning them to a Blu-Ray "lossless")...

 

[NTMBK]

Don't overclock an office machine. Seriously. A Core 2 Duo would be plenty of CPU performance for an office machine, why are you risking data corruption on vital pieces of work just to squeeze out even more unnecessary performance?

If your wife takes her job seriously, run it at stock.

 

[Davidpaul007]

When i say office machine i should have been more clear: this is for my stay at home wife to surf facebook, pinterist, etc, store gobs of photos and videos of our children, and the little ones to do light gaming.

Basically just an all around house computer that probably won't see a ton of gaming for a couple years. My wife (and I) both highly value "snappy". (Hence the req for an ssd).

Thinking down the road a couple of years this could definitely turn into a gaming machine for one of my kids.

I'd consider myself an ethusiast, so actually building the system myself is enjoyable and future upgradability is important (thus the preference for not going pre-built route). But we all know that sometimes by the time you're needing an upgrade the cpu sockets have changed and need a new mobo/ram combo.

 

[DrMrLordX]

Silent data corruption applies more to BCLK overclocking (where you're also altering the PCI-E / SATA bus speeds). Changing just the multiplier, leaving BCLK at 100 and only doing a mild OC to 3.8-4.0ghz drastically reduces the chances of it happening. If it passes Prime / IBT, etc, there's likely to be zero "silent errors" unless you've got a faulty CPU / motherboard / RAM (in which case you'll have problems at any clock speed).

I was thinking the same thing. Silent data corruption is going to involve the storage subsystem unless your CPU + memory controller are routinely doing bad read/writes from/to memory. That's going to show up as unstable system behavior. Sure, you CAN get data corruption on such an unstable system, but the signs will be there. Been there, done that.

If your system isn't crashing and it is passing stuff like Memtest86+ and linpack (max memory) then, if there are any potential bad writes possible, they won't be due to the CPU/mem controller no matter what the overclock. The idea that a G3258 @ 3.8 ghz + stock vcore is going to hose up a bunch of spreadsheets seems more reactionary than based in fact, especially if the chip has run Prime95 or linpack for 24+ hours.

Overclocking for the office just seems like a terrible idea when you have any significant number of machines to set up, run, and maintain. If it's a soho setup with one computer, maybe, but any IT department of serious size is not going to want to tune hundreds of computers for a little speed bump. Overclocking (even mildly) will also increase the chance that the system(s) will be sensitive to dust buildup over time, so they'll require maintenance in the form of cleaning that might not be required for stock builds. Not a big problem for one machine, but for more than 2-3, it's headache city.

 

[eton975]

When i say office machine i should have been more clear: this is for my stay at home wife to surf facebook, pinterist, etc, store gobs of photos and videos of our children, and the little ones to do light gaming.

Basically just an all around house computer that probably won't see a ton of gaming for a couple years. My wife (and I) both highly value "snappy". (Hence the req for an ssd).

Thinking down the road a couple of years this could definitely turn into a gaming machine for one of my kids.

I'd consider myself an ethusiast, so actually building the system myself is enjoyable and future upgradability is important (thus the preference for not going pre-built route). But we all know that sometimes by the time you're needing an upgrade the cpu sockets have changed and need a new mobo/ram combo.

Why would you even need Pentium over Celery for that kind of stuff? They're essentially the same chip!

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Celeron G1840 2.8GHz Dual-Core Processor ($46.98 @ NCIX US)
Motherboard: MSI H81M-P33 Micro ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($48.99 @ Mwave)
Memory: Kingston 4GB (1 x 4GB) DDR3-1333 Memory ($38.49 @ SuperBiiz)
Storage: A-Data Premier Pro SP600 64GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($40.98 @ Newegg)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($53.98 @ OutletPC)
Case: BitFenix Merc Beta (Black) ATX Mid Tower Case ($29.99 @ NCIX US)
Power Supply: Corsair Builder 430W 80+ Bronze Certified ATX Power Supply ($19.99 @ Newegg)
Optical Drive: Asus DRW-24F1ST DVD/CD Writer ($14.99 @ Amazon)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 8.1 - 64-bit (OEM) (64-bit) ($90.26 @ OutletPC)
Wireless Network Adapter: Edimax EW-7811Un 802.11b/g/n USB 2.0 Wi-Fi Adapter ($8.99 @ Newegg)
Total: $393.64
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2014-10-13 09:19 EDT-0400

 

[Davidpaul007]

Nice, thanks for the part picker! The g3258 is essentially the same price (thinking of deals) as the celeron except with the oc potential. I've already snagged the corsair PS for $20.

 

[Ranulf]

I see it as, if you want to have a system you goof around with and want to keep costs down, go Pentium. Overclock it for fun or just down the road if it gets too slow.

If you want a stable system that just works and will for sure last 3+ years, go i3 or pony up for an i5. The only setup I see being worth a chip upgrade down the road would be the Pentium unless you want to find a cheap i3/i5 on ebay down the line.