Tower for under £500

[woollypigs]

Even more as AMD got 8.3 out of 10 vs 8 out of 10 for the i3, which to me is a win for AMD. But cpuboss says win to i3 ...

[fuaran]

I don't think there's much difference between AMD and Intel. It depends on what specific models you are comparing, you might find one has slightly faster benchmarks than the other. But it won't be noticeable in regular use of the computer.

For OEM, the main difference is it doesn't have a shiny box or a sticker. Also retail CPUs usually include a heatsink/fan, OEM don't. And probably shorter warranty. I would just go for whatever is cheapest (including the cost of a suitable heatsink).

[Paul H]

Can I wade in with some opinion.
I think you're overspecing for your use, I don't see anything on your list that needs all that ability and I'm doubtful that future proofing of these components exists.  Yet there's little discussion about the things I'd find important on what is to a large extent an entertainment box, storage and noise.   This £150 CPU/MBD/Memory bundle will handle your requirements.
https://www.scan.co.uk/products/intel-pentium-g4400-s-1151-skylake-dual-core-33ghz-3mb-cache-1000mhz-gpu-33x-ratio-54w-cpu-retail?owpid=2816165
I'd be tempted to add an extra 8GB memory though it probably doesn't need it.  Then a decent branded SSD, the bigger the better,  these in IMO have done more for home PC speeds in the last few years than CPU developments. Put it all in a soundproof case something with big slow moving fans, use a big CPU heatsink, power it with a quiet PSU (Fanless if the budget runs to it)
That's what I have, built 5 years ago to a lower spec than the above bundle (Which was just picked as an example) it eats everything on your list, the fans hardly need to move, the only way to tell it's on is by the LED.  When i first built it I was irritated that I could still hear a whirring, turned out that was the fridge in the next room.

[woollypigs]

Thanks Paul. Now you confirmed my confusion

Reading about it every review I see is - we need more power and about games, games and games.

You hit on something else noise and low wattage. As it will be living in the living room and kinda used as the TV and tunebox/hi-fi it would be grand it is quieter than the dying lappy.

The low wattage was why I picked the AMD above.

[Dibdib]

OEM just means it comes in a plain cardboard box on its own, rather than in a fancy retail package. Definitely worth noting that unlike the retail package, OEM CPUs don't come with a cooler or any thermal paste so you'll have to buy this separately.

Great if you weren't planning on using the stock cooler, maybe annoying if you were.

[Paul H]

Thanks Paul. Now you confirmed my confusion

Reading about it every review I see is - we need more power and about games, games and games.

Yes, but it's no different from bike reviews that count the gears but forget the rubbish hubs.
Sorry I can't make specific recommendations, my product knowledge is well out of date and I only research it when I'm building for myself.  I work with POS computers, though not at the technical end, these are systems running far more than the average home user but don't have anything like the processing power some people consider necessary.  The component reliability is amazing, the majority of breakdowns are mechanical like bearings and switches. 

[Polar Bear]

mllePB bought a box from QuietPC last year (or was it the year before?).   I persuaded her into a quad core i5 with 8gb ram even though I wanted her to spec higher.   

It's incredibly quiet with only the optical drive making a brief noise on startup.   We also stuck at Win 7 pro which from what I read about Win 10 and win 10 anniversary was a smart move.   It has performed (crosses fingers) flawlessly save for a quirk with her Garmin and usb.   Perhaps I should get the driver disk out and reinstall usb drivers?

I'll be having something similar when pennies permit.   there might be something in their range to suit you but I haven't looked.   They are based in Malton, North Yorks iirc. 

[Afasoas]

The original build I specced minus the case is what I'd recommend based on your actual usage - 8 GB plus current generation Intel Pentium CPU.
Then in future, should you need to upgrade there's plenty of scope for doing so.

In terms of performance, the Intel i3 has a slight edge over the AMD A10. But that wasn't why I recommend Intel. It was more for reliability and the fact further on down the line when your rig is perhaps 4-5 years old, you could replace the CPU with an affordable second-hand i7 and get another lease of life out of it.

My experience with AMD's CPUs hasn't been good. If I'm restricted on price, I'd just go for a slower Intel.

[Afasoas]

  This £150 CPU/MBD/Memory bundle will handle your requirements.
https://www.scan.co.uk/products/intel-pentium-g4400-s-1151-skylake-dual-core-33ghz-3mb-cache-1000mhz-gpu-33x-ratio-54w-cpu-retail?owpid=2816165

That's more expensive than the original CPU/Mobo combination I suggested and not quite as good.

[Paul H]

  This £150 CPU/MBD/Memory bundle will handle your requirements.
https://www.scan.co.uk/products/intel-pentium-g4400-s-1151-skylake-dual-core-33ghz-3mb-cache-1000mhz-gpu-33x-ratio-54w-cpu-retail?owpid=2816165

That's more expensive than the original CPU/Mobo combination I suggested and not quite as good.

This one?

CPU: Intel Pentium G4520 3.6GHz Dual-Core Processor  (£83.67 @ BT Shop)
Motherboard: Asus B150M-C D3 Micro ATX LGA1151 Motherboard  (£61.01 @ BT Shop)
Memory: Corsair 4GB (1 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory  (£21.99 @ Amazon UK)

Unless I’ve missed something that’s a few quid more than the £152 bundle I linked to.  I picked it as an example of the sort of thing I'd be looking at rather than a specific recommendation, I'll leave that to those with better knowledge of current components.  A bit better for a bit more money may be a good idea, but the upgrading escalation that was taking place yesterday still looks to me like paying for something that isn't needed.  Money that would be better spent elsewhere, case, better cooling, quieter PSU.

[Afasoas]

Apologies, I missed the included RAM.

[Morat]

I bought my gaming PC from the good folk at DinoPC.
They have a decent range of home use type PCs here:
http://www.dinopc.com/shop/pc/Home-Office-PCs-Evolve-c195.htm
There's even a couple of Ubuntu options. I don't know if that's your favorite flavour but they're very open to conversation about individual spec.