Sooo I've been building office PCs for ages, and honestly, the one thing I've learned is that reliability is way more important than saving a few bucks. Years ago, I cheaped out on a build for a friend and his PC literally froze during a huge presentation cuz the CPU couldn't handle all the background tasks. It was a total disaster!! For your situation, I would suggest going with the Intel Core i5-12400 Processor over the Intel Core i3-13100 Processor. Even though the budget is tight, those extra cores act like a safety net for your workflow. Here's why I think it's the safer bet for a reliable workstation:

• The i5 has 6 cores vs the i3's 4, which is a HUGE deal when you have dozens of tabs and a Zoom call running simultaneously.
• It provides better long-term stability cuz the CPU isn't constantly redlining.
• It's actually more efficient for multitasking because individual cores aren't maxed out. Lesson learned: dont cut it too close on core counts just to save $20. Ngl, the peace of mind knowing your PC wont lag or crash is worth it. I love it when a build just WORKS without any hiccups... definitely the way to go for a home office setup!! Cheers!

Before I give advice, can you clarify what kind of motherboard ur planning to use for this? I mean, are you looking at a cheap H610 or a better B660? It really changes the math on the total platform cost. Basically, modern multitasking isnt just about raw speed... it is about core headroom. When you have 50 tabs open plus Zoom, that CPU is fighting for its life. I recently built a budget rig with a quad-core and unfortunately, it was not as good as expected. It literally lagged during every screen share and felt super sluggish when my spreadsheets got too big.

• Intel Core i3-13100: About $110. It is efficient but 4 cores is barely enough for heavy office work these days.
• Intel Core i5-12400: Around $140. Those 2 extra cores are lifesavers for background tasks. Honestly, your gonna want the extra overhead for those massive spreadsheets so the system doesnt hang. TL;DR: Get the Intel Core i5-12400. It is the best value for $150 and way better at handling browser bloat than the i3. gl!

Late to the party but I gotta ask - are those spreadsheets you mentioned running heavy VBA macros or are we talking about just massive CSV imports? Tbh it makes a huge difference in how the CPU handles the load. From a technical and reliability perspective, you really need to look at the L3 cache. The Intel Core i5-12400 6-Core 12-Thread Processor has 18MB of L3 cache while the Intel Core i3-13100 4-Core 8-Thread Processor only has 12MB. That extra 50 percent cache is basically your insurance policy against lag during multitasking. When you have Zoom and 50 tabs open, the OS is constantly swapping data between the RAM and the CPU. More cache means less bottlenecking and way fewer system hangs. I always lean toward the i5 for any workstation because it has the headroom to stay stable even when your workflow gets messy. Plus, even though they both have a 65W base power, the i5 is actually quite efficient under typical office loads since it doesnt have to work as hard to keep up with the background tasks... it is kinda the safer bet for long term stability.

Man, I gotta jump in here because I've been building office rigs for years and I've made every mistake in the book! I used to be a total AMD fan for my home setups because I thought the value was unbeatable, but honestly, Intel has really won me over lately for these multitasking workstations. I absolutely love it! One thing you really need to watch out for tho... dont get tempted by those older used chips that look like a bargain. I once picked up an older power-hungry workstation chip thinking it would be amazing for my spreadsheets, but it ran so hot and sucked way too much juice. It was a total disaster for my electricity bill since I leave my PC on all day. Modern efficiency is where it's at!! Also, seriously watch those bottom-tier motherboards. If the power delivery is garbage, your chip is gonna throttle the second you open a big Excel file and a Zoom call at the same time. I learned that the hard way when my PC started sounding like a jet engine during a client meeting. Intel's integrated graphics are fantastic for video calls tho, it keeps everything so smooth compared to what I was dealing with on my old setup!

> I want to keep the CPU budget under $150 and prioritize power efficiency. for ur situation, i built a rig recently and tbh, just get any modern i5. those extra performance cores are AMAZING for multitasking. you basically cant go wrong with more cores!!