What kind of PC can you build with an PHP 86K budget?

Allegations surrounding PhilHealth’s budget for its IT project allocates PHP 115 million for 1,341 units of regular desktops with a 3-year warranty. This means each desktop PC has a budget of around PHP 86K. While the state insurer didn’t specify the details, it did raise some eyebrows, including ours. So we decided to spec a consumer PC using their budget to find out what we can build. We’re also throwing in a monitor and peripherals as we think PhilHealth’s package came with these. Software and licenses were not factored in.

To help satisfy possible requirements given the budget, we have an Intel and AMD build. For the builds, we focused on making a productivity machine that will last for years to come. We also chose parts from reputable manufacturers that can be able to provide long warranty periods as well. For prices, we used PCHub’s online price list as its easy to use, with a wide variety of choices across all components. We took the regular price this time because purchases like these will most likely be paid on longer terms.

To make sure that our productivity PC can keep up with most if not all tasks over the years to come, we’re going with the Intel Core i7 10700 or the AMD Ryzen 7 3700x. Both processors have 8 cores and 16 threads, allowing users to multitask and perform heavy computing tasks with ease. Do note, however, that while the Intel Core i7 10700 comes with an included cooler, you will want to get yourself an aftermarket tower cooler once your budget allows.

We’re pairing the processors with an MSI MAG B460M Mortar and MSI B450m Mortar Max, respectively. These mid-range boards should be enough to handle all the components, especially at their stock settings as we are valuing stability with these builds.

To help users multitask better, render, and animate in 4K with the alleged PHP 21 million Adobe Master Collection budget, we’re using two 16GB sticks of Kingston Fury Black RAM running at 3200MHz CL 16 for a total of 32GB.

To speed up graphical related tasks, we’re going with an NVIDIA GTX 1660 Super from Zotac. It should improve render times even at 4K.

As for storage, we’re going with a 500GB Samsung 860 EVO M.2 SSD with a 6TB Western Digital Blue Hard Drive. The SSD should be enough for all programs that the user will use, while the larger 6TB drive should be enough to house large data files and projects, with upgrade options available on our motherboard and case.

The two main power-consuming components, the processor and GPU, should only draw around 150W and 130W at most, respectively. Hence, we feel safe using a 550W CX550M from Corsair. If we had a little more budget, we’d definitely go for a more efficient unit, as this particular model is only 80+ bronze rated.

We will be housing all components in a Phanteks P300A case. The new P300A version is almost identical to its predecessor P300 but has an upgraded mesh front, which helps reduce temperatures as air can move with less restriction. Like its predecessor, it’s a great budget option with little compromise.

Author’s Note: We mislabeled the initial listing on the list, the Samsung LU28R550U. The update should reflect the correct Samsung monitor that we were looking at initially.

Our monitor of choice is the Samsung F350, which is a 23.5-inch PLS monitor, with 8-bit color support, 72% NTSC color gamut coverage and 4ms Gray-to-Gray response time.

As for peripherals, we got an A4 Tech PK 910H webcam, which is capable of capturing Full HD video at 30fps. This is a huge upgrade over typical laptop webcams we see, which are only capable of shooting at 720p, at 24 or lower fps. As for the mouse and keyboard, we did run out of budget for a high-performance mouse and mechanical keyboard. Instead, we’ll be recommending Logitech’s budget wireless option for a cleaner desk: the Logitech MK220.

Check out the table below for the price breakdown of each build:

Component	Part	Price
Processor	Intel Core i7 10700 AMD Ryzen 7 3700X	PHP 21,540 PHP 21,520
Motherboard	MSI MAG B460M Mortar MSI B450m Mortar Max	PHP 5,960 PHP 6,070
RAM	2 x Kingston Fury Black 16GB 3200MHz CL 16	PHP 7,980
Video Card	Zotac GTX 1660s Super Twin Fan	PHP 16,350
Storage: SSD	Samsung 860 EVO 500GB M.2 SSD	PHP 5,470
Storage: HDD	WDC Blue 6TB	PHP 9,770
PSU	Corsair CX550M 550W 80 Bronze	PHP 4,980
Case	Phanteks P300A	PHP 3,810
Monitor	Samsung F350	PHP 7,980
Webcam	A4Tech PK 910H	PHP 1,660
Mouse & Keyboard	Logitech Mk220	PHP 1,050
Intel Build Total Cost		PHP 86,550
AMD Build Total Cost		PHP 86,640

Both builds are competitive in pricing, however, do take note that you will want to replace the included cooler on the Intel build as soon as possible. If you’re looking to cut costs, you could go for a 16GB of RAM instead of 32GB, less storage, or a Full HD monitor instead of an Ultra HD one.

The question then is, is this build overkill for checking emails, processing word documents, and making excel sheets? Yes, very much so. However, you will be able to lessen the frequency of upgrades with this build, as this could be used five, maybe even ten years down the line.