Recently, a designer wanted to assemble a computer host with a budget of around 4000-4500 yuan. They have no gaming requirements and mainly need it for graphic design, illustration, and office use, wanting to pair it with an i5 processor, 16GB of memory, a P620 professional graphics card, and a combination of solid-state and mechanical hard drives. The solid-state drive is mainly for the system and software, while the mechanical drive is for storage.
Based on the designer’s requirements and budget, below is a shared configuration list for a PC build using the Intel Core i5 10400F paired with the P620 graphics card, which is actually not much different from a gaming configuration, except for the graphics card. If you replace it with a gaming card, it would be a gaming host.
Computer Configuration List:
| Configuration for i5 10400F with P620 for Designers | ||
|---|---|---|
| Component Name | Brand Model | Reference Price |
| Processor | Intel Core i5-10400F (Boxed) | ￥999 |
| Cooler | Deepcool GAMMAXX 400 | ￥89 |
| Graphics Card | PNY Quadro P620 (Boxed) | ￥1199 |
| Motherboard | GIGABYTE B460M-DS3H v2 | ￥639 |
| Memory | ADATA DDR4 2666 8GB * 2 (16GB) | ￥299+299 |
| SSD | WD SN550 250G NVME M.2 SSD | ￥309 |
| HDD | Western Digital Blue 2TB | ￥349 |
| Case | Seasonic Prowler M1 Business Edition | ￥179 |
| Power Supply | Great Wall HOPE-4500DS (Rated 350W) | ￥199 |
| Monitor | User Selected | — |
| Keyboard & Mouse | User Selected | — |
| Reference Price | 4560 yuan | |
| QQ or WeChat: 80062824 for consultation on computer configuration |
Note: Due to the rapid pace of hardware updates, if any product is discontinued, please use a new product as a replacement. Additionally, hardware prices may fluctuate with market changes, please refer to the prices on the day for accuracy. The above PC build configuration prices are for reference only.
Computer Hardware Review:
The CPU, Intel Core i5 10400F, is positioned as a mid-range mainstream option and is a cost-effective CPU with performance almost close to that of the i7-8700. The Intel Core i5 10400F uses a 14nm process technology, with a new LGA1200 interface, featuring 6 cores and 12 threads. Compared to the 9th generation i5, it has 6 more threads, which means a qualitative leap in multi-threaded performance. The advantages in productivity and multi-tasking are even more significant, with slight improvements in single-core performance. Compared to the 9th generation i5 9400F, it offers over 30% overall enhancement, with a base frequency of 2.9 GHz and a maximum turbo frequency of up to 4.3 GHz, reaching 4.00 GHz on all cores, and a cache of 12MB. Memory support goes up to DDR4-2666, with a TDP of 65W.
Intel Core i5-10400F (Boxed)
The i5-10400F uses the LGA1200 interface, making it suitable for 400 series motherboards, with the best fit being B460 chipset motherboards. The GIGABYTE B460M-DS3H v2 is a mainstream B460 motherboard from a leading brand, actually based on the higher-end H470 chipset, designed in an M-ATX form factor, performing quite well in build quality and user reputation. It offers four DDR4 memory slots to meet future memory expansion needs, a high-speed M.2 slot, and dual PCI-EX1 slots for expansion of wired/wireless network cards, sound cards, and other devices, providing decent expandability for a basic B460.
GIGABYTE B460M-DS3H v2 Motherboard
Since this computer host does not consider gaming and is aimed at graphic design and illustration, a professional graphics card is directly selected for this configuration. The PNY Quadro P620 professional graphics card is equipped with NVIDIA Pascal GPU, featuring 512 stream processors, with 2GB/128Bit GDDR5 memory, a bandwidth of up to 80GB/s, and a 45% performance improvement over the previous generation Quadro P600, supporting a maximum resolution of 5120×3200. Its optimized graphics processing speed and computational performance make it a top choice for product designers and students looking for an entry-level graphics card. It is equipped with 4 Mini DP interfaces, supporting four-screen output. Additionally, it should be noted that professional cards are not suitable for gaming; if gaming is needed, it is recommended to pair it with a gaming card.
PNY Quadro P620 Professional Card
For memory, due to the recent rise in memory prices, we have chosen the cost-effective ADATA XPG series. This configuration uses 2 ADATA XPG DDR4 2666 8GB memory modules, creating a 16GB dual-channel memory setup, better meeting design memory needs. The memory modules are selected from high-quality chips and undergo rigorous testing during production to ensure worry-free use. They operate at 1.2V, which not only conserves energy but also significantly reduces heat generated during operation, enhancing stability during intensive work. Generally, 16GB is sufficient for graphic design needs, and the motherboard has four DDR4 memory slots for future upgrades.
ADATA XPG DDR4 2666 8GB * 2 (16GB)
For storage, we selected the popular WD SN550 250G NVME M.2 SSD, which uses 96-layer 3D TLC flash memory, with a maximum sequential read speed of 2400MB/s and a maximum sequential write speed of 950MB/s. If the budget allows, it is recommended to upgrade to the SN550 500G, which not only offers larger capacity but also improves the sequential write speed to 1750MB/s. Additionally, considering the storage needs of designers, we added a 2TB mechanical hard drive for storage. Of course, you can also consider different capacities for the mechanical hard drive, such as 1TB, 2TB, 4TB, or 8TB.
WD SN550 250G NVME M.2 SSD
As for the case, we chose the Seasonic Prowler M1, which comes in two versions: Business Edition and Gaming Edition. The Business Edition has a non-transparent side panel, while the Gaming Edition has a transparent side panel. If you prefer a different case, you can swap it out. As for the power supply, we selected the well-known domestic brand Great Wall’s HOPE-4500DS power supply, rated at 350W, which completely meets the power supply needs of this host.
Seasonic Prowler M1 Business Edition
Conclusion:
This configuration of the i5 10400F paired with the P620 is budgeted around 4500 yuan, equipped with 16GB of memory, a 256GB M.2 NVMe SSD + 2TB mechanical dual hard drives, primarily aimed at graphic design and illustration purposes. If you are a gamer or have dual needs for design and gaming, you may also consider a gaming graphics card.
[Promotion] High-performance office and home configuration scheme for Intel Core i5-10400 with integrated graphics
[Promotion] Affordable online gaming host! Intel Core i5-10400F paired with GTX1650 PC build