I'm putting together a brand-new PC for my parents after building my first system earlier this year. The total budget is about £1,600 in the UK, with parts potentially sourced from Amazon, Overclockers, eBay, or other reputable sellers. The computer will mainly be used for office work, Excel, web browsing, and similar light tasks.
I've chosen most of the parts but still need to decide on the RAM and graphics card, which are likely to be among the more expensive components. My priorities are keeping costs sensible, making the system quiet and durable, and ideally getting at least seven years of useful service. A mostly white aesthetic would also be nice, but performance for everyday work matters more. I'm open to buying new or carefully selected used parts where that makes sense. Do I actually need a dedicated GPU, and what would be a sensible RAM and graphics setup?
4 Answers
For office work, browsing, and spreadsheets, you probably don’t need a dedicated graphics card at all. A processor with integrated graphics and 16GB of RAM would be plenty for this kind of use. Something like a Ryzen 5 5600G paired with DDR4 memory would keep the cost down, and the money saved could go toward a good-quality power supply, quieter cooling, or a larger SSD.
I’d seriously consider a small prebuilt mini PC instead of a full desktop. A decent model with integrated graphics, 16GB of memory, and an SSD should handle everything your parents need, while taking up less space and using less power. With a monitor, keyboard, and mouse, you could likely stay somewhere around £500–£700 for a completely new setup.
If the goal is a nice-looking white desktop rather than the cheapest possible solution, you can still build one without adding a graphics card. A modern mid-range CPU with integrated graphics, 16GB or 32GB of RAM, and a reliable 500–650W power supply would be more than adequate. A higher-end gaming-style build with a powerful GPU, 750W supply, or very fast PCIe 5 storage would mostly add cost without improving Excel or office performance.
A laptop connected to a larger external monitor is another practical option. They’d get the bigger screen and familiar desktop setup, but also have the flexibility to move the computer when needed. For basic productivity, an integrated GPU is more than sufficient, and a business-oriented laptop may be easier to replace or support than a custom desktop over the long term.
The main advantage is that it avoids spending money on performance they’ll never use. I’d just make sure the model has upgradeable storage or memory and a proper warranty.