Basic web browsing PC

[Scattergrunt]

Thanks guys! Yeah I'm a bit suspicious of post-12th-gen Intel anyway. I know the crashing issues with Core Ultra are nothing to do the the voltage-related stability degradation of Raptor Lake (more just a lack of communication between Intel and Microsoft I think) but I'll steer clear of non-12th-gen Intel until next year at least.

Core Ultra isnt really a bad generation; infact, its a great step for the future of Intel Processors, and ignoring the top end processors they're good, they're just expensive (right now, that'll probably change) to get into and I'd argue they're still a little overkill for what your wanting for sure. I wouldn't write them off completely but they're just not in the cards rn I think.

 

[CLXIV]

Yeah given how much performance would have been lost in the removal of hyperthreading it is impressive that Intel clawed back as much as they did.

They just don't have much going for them vs what came before, as far as the end user experience is concerned.

 

[Scattergrunt]

I think its worth the tradeoff as far as the efficiency and temps are concerned, and if Intel keeps this direction, they'll have a good product eventually. Only thing they need to do next is get better at platform longevity like AMD is.

Anyway, back to the topic..
Any specific reason why you picked a 450W power supply? You thinking about leaving room for a drop in upgrade later on?

If you're considering a new OS, Linux Mint should be given a look.

Home - Linux Mint

Linux Mint is an elegant, easy to use, up to date and comfortable desktop operating system.

linuxmint.com

I'm not the average "Linux goon". It's all about ease of use and stability. Mint hits both of those marks square on the head without all of the "Google" back end nonsense. There is a slight learning curve, but not more or less than ChromeOS, which is itself based on the Linux Kernel.

Yea, ChromeOS is weird from personal experience. I dont hate it but its just.. alright? I think it has its uses, especially if you use google products. But their ecosystem isnt nearly as worth it as lets say apple (and no im not praising apple here, I DESPISE apple, they just happen to have a better ecosystem imo)

 

[CLXIV]

Nah 450w is way more than needed but there's nothing cheaper (at least on PCPP) that I'd roll the dice on. I don't want to use some cheap crap PSU that goes up in smoke. Don't think you can go much cheaper on PSU and still have peace of mind.

 

[AusWolf]

Thanks @Frick that's a good idea but he's got plenty of space and money (good to avoid ewaste though for sure).

@AusWolf Windows 10 support may end later this year so Windows 11 keeps the system secure (by Windows standards anyway). Tried introducing him to Linux before but he couldn't get along with it (and if it was going to run Linux it certainly wouldn't need 16GB).

As long as he doesn't click on suspicious links, has an Ad blocker installed, and verifies every email before opening them, he should be fine with Windows 10, too. The ending support isn't such a big deal, imo.

 

[DirtyDingusMcgee]

HP ProDesk 400 G5 Mini Desktop Intel Core i5-9500T 2.20 GHz 16GB DDR4 RAM 256 GB SSD Windows 11 Pro 64-bit

100 pounds cheaper. Will surf the web just fine.

 

[Bones]

If you're considering a new OS, Linux Mint should be given a look.

Home - Linux Mint

Linux Mint is an elegant, easy to use, up to date and comfortable desktop operating system.

linuxmint.com

I'm not the average "Linux goon". It's all about ease of use and stability. Mint hits both of those marks square on the head without all of the "Google" back end nonsense. There is a slight learning curve, but not more or less than ChromeOS, which is itself based on the Linux Kernel.

Yes, Mint is great and is alomost like using Windows itself.
I did switch to Peppermint from Mint which is just as easy, if not easier than Mint to use if coming from an Windows OS.

I'm no Linux guru either but I've been running it as my daily OS for about 8 years now with none of the common problems Windows has.
Running it on an MSI B450 Pro Max II board with a Ryzen 5 2600, 16GB's of RAM and an Nvidia 970 GTX GPU as my daily and it gets the job done.

 

[AusWolf]

Yes, Mint is great and is alomost like using Windows itself.
I did switch to Peppermint from Mint which is just as easy, if not easier than Mint to use if coming from an Windows OS.

I'm no Linux guru either but I've been running it as my daily OS for about 8 years now with none of the common problems Windows has.
Running it on an MSI B450 Pro Max II board with a Ryzen 5 2600, 16GB's of RAM and an Nvidia 970 GTX GPU as my daily and it gets the job done.

When it comes to user interface, your distro matters little. What you need is a good desktop. For people coming from a Windows background, KDE or Cinnamon are the best choice.

 

[CLXIV]

Let's not fixate too much on Linux. I did clearly say that he's tried it and didn't get along with it.

Mint is indeed an excellent distribution (it's been my primary OS at home (Xfce) and work (Cinnamon) for a decade now) and it's a great choice for many people in this situation, but not for him.

Since nobody has flagged up the motherboard or case choices as especially crappy ones I think the spec is probably solid

 

[AusWolf]

Since nobody has flagged up the motherboard or case choices as especially crappy ones I think the spec is probably solid

They don't matter in this performance level and use case.

 

[onemanhitsquad]

you can get a 512GB/16GB Intel N150 Mini PC for ~200€. i have two as HTPCs and they are really good, tiny and already come with W11 Pro.

...this

 

[Bones]

When it comes to user interface, your distro matters little. What you need is a good desktop. For people coming from a Windows background, KDE or Cinnamon are the best choice.

I agree and that's one big reason why I went the way I did.
What I'm using now (Peppermint) is nearly like using Windows, so it's really easy to pick up and just go with it.

The OP however has said Linux is "Out" so all that doesn't matter anyway in this case.

Hardware itself seems fine to me, should be OK.

 

[lexluthermiester]

Let's not fixate too much on Linux. I did clearly say that he's tried it and didn't get along with it.

Mint is indeed an excellent distribution (it's been my primary OS at home (Xfce) and work (Cinnamon) for a decade now) and it's a great choice for many people in this situation, but not for him.

Fair enough, hushing up about it.

Since nobody has flagged up the motherboard or case choices as especially crappy ones I think the spec is probably solid

Oh yeah, your parts list in the OP is 100% good as it is, especially for the type of use it's going to get.

 

[CLXIV]

Thanks guys Appreciate the input!