How to build a home office PC
Table of Contents
The COVID-19 pandemic has brought the need to be technologically equipped, and many people have found themselves in the position of using a PC for home office for the first time. Before, a device that for many would be just for home entertainment, has become indispensable to continue working. With that in mind, the showmetech prepared a guide with recommendations on how to build a PC for home office.
It is important to note that we will be recommending two PC options for the home office. One with an emphasis on more cost-effectiveness, and another for those who have more budget to spend. However, the following recommendations are not for professionals who use machines for super heavy rendering, 3D modeling, and that sort of thing.
However, informatics is never a field with absolute truths, so the specifications mentioned may even meet a more elaborate need, as mentioned above. However, it is not the most recommended hardware as it does not have a video card, which significantly reduces the time and quality in the development of some projects.
In the meantime, watch our video about what's inside a computer:
What are the components of a PC?
Processor
If you don't have a lot of knowledge about the world of gaming PCs, it's always worth doing that basic review of a machine's components. starting with processor, or the CPU, this is the part that performs all the logical calculation for your system to work, being divided as to the core, that is, small processing units to perform tasks independently. There are also threads, which are processes created to perform tasks faster depending on the quantity.
Motherboard
A motherboard it is the piece that brings together all the pieces of a PC, and joins all these commands so that they work together. It is important to note that each motherboard has a type of socket for the processor. The socket is the slot of the CPU on the board, and AMD and Intel use different standards and from time to time update this entry as new generations of their products arrive.
RAM
A RAM memory in turn, it is a small module that fits into the motherboard slots, and has the function of providing agility for the operation of any PC, as it works together with the processor in the transmission of data and information about installed applications. Unlike other types of storage, RAM does not save the files inside it, and every time the PC is turned off this information is deleted.
Storage
Speaking storage, HD it's that piece responsible for storing all our files, but you should already know that. Currently there is also the standard of SSDs, which has the absence of a rotating disk in its previous one (hence the name Hard Disk). As a result, SSDs are much faster in loading these files, but also generally more expensive.
There is also the format NVME M.2, which looks a lot like a stick of RAM. It is also an SSD, only faster, and it plugs directly into a specific connection of compatible motherboards, different from the regular SSD and HD, which need a SATA cable for the connection.
Video card
A video card she's always the star of our show, and she's responsible for generating image and taking the hit in games. Currently AMD and NVIDIA are the companies that produce these products, and the higher resolution and graphics quality you want in games, the more expensive you will have to pay for GPUs. It is also always good to remember that the amount of VRAM memory, that is, the video memory of a card, does not determine whether it is better or worse than another.
In this specific case, we will not use an offboard video card, that is, those models sold by developers separately, but graphics cards integrated into the processors.
source and cabinet
Neglected by many, the source is of extreme importance, because we need a robust product, with high energy efficiency, that has all the cables necessary to assemble your machine and the Watt count enough to support parts that consume a lot of energy.
Finally, the cabinet is one of the most subjective pieces we can comment on. That's because there are a multitude of models, with countless ways to assemble. We only recommend a case with good air circulation, a good dust filter, solid and robust construction and space for fans.
cheap home office pc
The first home office PC that we are going to build is the most focused on cost X benefiti.e. we will recommend good quality parts at an affordable price, offering a good experience for a user who needs a fast machine but is on a tight budget.
Our processor could not be other than the Intel Core i3-10100, 4-core and 8-thread, found in Submarine for BRL 839. For simpler tasks the model does very well, however, if what you are looking for is a CPU for demanding image or video editing, finding a model with more colors is interesting. We should also point out that there is an option on the market for the i3-10100F, which does not have an integrated graphics card and is not viable for us at this time.
The motherboard chosen is the Gigabyte H410M-H. The mainboard has already appeared in other recent texts, and it has the differential of being a model with good price and quality, costing BRL 512 at Magazine Luiza. For RAM memory, we recommend only 8GB as it is a system for lighter applications. It is recommended to put the memory in Dual Channel, that is, each stick in a slot on the motherboard. However, as the H410M only has two spaces, putting two 4GB modules could prevent us from upgrading to 16GB in the future without buying new sticks.
The choice is to add only 1 comb of 2666MHz by Crucial Ballistix, leaving for R$ 249 at Kabum.In the main storage there is not much to discuss, and the HD of 1TB from Seagate comes into play, costing BRL 269 on the Submarine. We can also add the Kingston A400 SSD of 120GB, for BRL 168 on the Submarine. Although it is optional, the investment in SSD is very valid, as it reduces the startup time of Windows and essential programs, increasing productivity.
Moving on to the final part, we don't need a very fancy cabinet, and the T-Dagger Cube is a discreet and cheap model, costing R$ 282 at Amazon. There is not much to invent for font either, and the chosen one is the model Corsair C450 of 450W, of R$ 329 at Kabum.
In total, our cost-effective home office PC costs BRL 2.648.
Peripherals
A good home office PC is really no good without quality peripherals. Our initial indication goes to a kit of dell wireless keyboard and mouse, with ABNT2 standard and batteries included, costing R$179 on Amazon.
For the handset, our choice goes to the JBL Tune 500BT, a long-lasting wireless headphone with a battery life of up to 16 hours, found by R$ 227 at Lojas Americanas. The chosen monitor is the LG 22BN550Y, 21,5 inches with Full HD screen, IPS panel and reading mode, which reduces blue light emission, creating a more pleasant experience. The model is found by R$838 on Amazon.
| Processor | Intel Core i3-10100 |
| Motherboard | Gigabyte H410M-H |
| RAM | 8GB Crucial Ballistix 2666Mhz |
| HD | Seagate 1TB |
| SSD | Kingston A400 120GB |
| Cabinet | T-Dagger Cube |
| Pig iron | Corsair CV450 |
| Mouse + Keyboard | Dell KM636 |
| Phone | JBL Tune 500BT |
| Monitor | LG 22BN550Y |
“Gourmet” home office PC
As promised, the time has come to gourmetize our PC for home office, and choose parts and peripherals with a high quality and cost. This machine is suitable for an audience that can invest more at the moment, or need more power to perform heavier tasks.
The first component of the list, the processor, is in charge of the Intel Core i5-10400, a hexacore with 12 threads and integrated graphics, costing about R$1400 at Magazine Luiza. On the motherboard we can raise the bar and bring the Gigabyte B460M DS3H for the play by BRL 733 on the Submarine. although this mainboard already indicated for the gamer, it brings good options for those who plan to perform upgrades in the future, and also support with the M.2 SSD connection.
However, if you think the card is too exaggerated, you can go with the model similar to the cheap home office PC configuration, but you will forgo the M.2 port. Having a freer budget, we can put 16GB of RAM memory (2×8) to help with heavier applications, and our recommendation is to buy 2 combs of 8GB 2666Mhz from HyperX by R$322 on Amazon.
In storage we return with the same HD of 1TB from Seagate of the previous configuration, costing BRL 269 on the Submarine. We will also add a 512GB XPG Adata SSD, R$ 588 at Lojas Americanas. If a regular SSD is already super fast, NVME technology provides incredibly fast loading times.
For the source we will also keep the Corsair CV450 of BRL R$ 329 at Kabum. As for the cabinet, we chose a model with an excellent look, the Corsair 275R Carbide by R$ 549 at Amazon. Particularly, the white color of the model would go very well with a blue fan on the back, purchased separately.
Finally, our PC for home office " ” costs around R$ 4.500. The high value, as we explained earlier, is for those users who currently have greater purchasing power, and do not want to give up a lot of quality.
Peripherals
Moving on to the indication of our peripherals too gourmetized, we started with Logitech G305 Lightspeed, which, although it is aimed at gamers, is an excellent choice for work, costing BRL 262 on the Submarine. For the keyboard, our choice also goes to Logitech, but this time with the G213, a membrane keyboard, which can be customized backlit and is splash resistant. The model costs R$ 330 at Amazon.
The headset is on the Sennheiser HD350BT, an excellent wireless headset that can handle up to 30 hours of use without charging, costing R$ 650 at Amazon. For the monitor, our recommendation is the Dell Professional P2419H, which has a 24-inch Full HD screen, high color contrast, IPS panel and height adjustment. The model is found by R$1.089 on Amazon.
| Processor | Intel Core i5-10400 |
| Motherboard | Gigabyte B460M DS3H |
| RAM | 16GB (2×8) HyperX 2666Mhz |
| HD | Seagate 1TB |
| SSD | XPG Adata NVME 512GB |
| Cabinet | Corsair 275R Carbide |
| Pig iron | Corsair CV450 |
| Mouse + Keyboard | Logitech G305/G213 |
| Phone | Sennheiser HD350BT |
| Monitor | Dell Professional P2419H |
And the games?
As we emphasized, the two previous configurations are for a home office PC, that is, focused on work and productivity. As they do not have dedicated video cards, and only GPUs integrated into the processor, the famous Intel UHD Graphics 630, these machines do not do well with games.
To be honest, it is possible to run light games like Valorant, League of Legends, and a CSGO in low graphics settings and in resolutions like HD. Trying to raise the quality bar will result in a very troubled experience. Open-world or massively multiplayer games like Fortnite's battle royale and Warzone must have a hard time running on these PCs.
This happens for two main reasons. The first is a performance limitation of the integrated graphics card, which only exists to provide video. The second is related to the lack of video memory, which needs to “borrow” RAM memory from our sticks, resulting in many crashes.
At Showmetech we have already done two special articles about how to build a cheap gaming pc, and also on a guide to setting up various configurations in 2021.
Video and image editing jobs require more processing
As much as the two previous PCs can still be useful for editing, we can make occasional adjustments to our gourmet PC so that it does better in this regard. We took the Core i5 out of the picture and brought the i7-10700F for the play. The processor has 8 cores and 16 threads, perfect for even very heavy tasks. The model costs R$ 2300 at Lojas Americanas.
We will keep all other previous items such as the motherboard, RAM, storage and case. We will just add the Corsair CV550, a 550W power supply that costs R$ 380 at Kabum. The change of source accompanies the arrival of the GTX 1650 D6 Ghost Gainward, BRL 1200 at Magazine Luiza.
Here we don't need a super powerful video card, and input models will help us to speed up the video rendering process due to technologies present on the card, which can be adjusted in editing software, such as Sony Vegas, After Effects, and Premiere.
So, did you like our tips? Stay tuned to Showmetech and leave your opinion in the comments!
Discover more about Showmetech
Sign up to receive our latest news via email.
