Honestly, grab the Intel Core i5-12400 6-Core 4.4GHz. Those extra cores make a massive difference for multitasking and Photoshop compared to the i3. Its definitely worth the extra cash imo.

Honestly, if youre worried about reliability for a long-term workstation, Id suggest looking at the Intel Core i5-13500 14-Core 4.8GHz if your budget can stretch a tiny bit. I know it sounds like overkill, but having those extra efficiency cores means your background apps wont lag while youre working in Photoshop. If thats too much, the Intel Core i5-13400 10-Core 4.6GHz is a much safer bet than the i3. The Intel Core i3-12100 4-Core 4.3GHz is okay for basic stuff, but with only 4 cores, it might feel sluggish in a couple years when Windows updates get heavier. Also, the i5 chips usually come with the UHD 770 integrated graphics which is better for hardware acceleration in Adobe apps than the base UHD 730. Better to spend an extra fifty bucks now than regret it later when the system starts stuttering under load, basically.

literally so excited for you!! i love a good office build. before i give you the full scoop tho... what monitor are you using? is it 1080p or are you pushing 4k? it matters a ton for the igpu in photoshop! quick tip: try to find the Intel Core i5-12600K 10-Core 4.9GHz on sale. it has the uhd 770 graphics which is a massive step up from the i3. also, grab a decent ram kit like G.Skill Ripjaws V 32GB DDR4 3600MHz. intel is way better than amd for this build because quicksync is basically magic for adobe apps! multitasking needs those extra cores anyway.

If you're weighing the i3 against the i5, honestly the i5 is the safer bet for long-term stability when multitasking, but you really gotta think about the power delivery and surge protection first. Reliability is everything when you're working from home and you don't want your rig dying on you during a deadline. I learned the hard way that your hardware is only as good as the electricity coming out of the wall. My old home office was in this drafty basement and the wiring was totally sketchy. Every time the furnace kicked on, my screen would flicker. It actually reminds me of this time I tried to install a new ceiling fan in that room to help with the airflow because it got so stuffy in the summer. I thought I had the breaker off, but I guess I flipped the wrong one. I got a tiny zap and almost fell off the ladder, which would have been great since I was home alone. I ended up just giving up on the electrical work and buying one of those big floor fans instead. But then the cat started trying to stick his paws through the grill while it was spinning, so I had to build this weird wooden cage around it for safety. It looked like some sort of medieval torture device in the middle of my office. My friends still make fun of me for it whenever they come over. Anyway lol, sorry kinda went off topic there.

Late to the party but I totally agree with the others that the i3-12100 is just too limiting for Photoshop work nowadays. While the 12400 is great, a quick technical tip is to look specifically for the Intel Core i5-12500 6-Core 4.6GHz. The big difference there is the better Intel UHD 770 graphics engine compared to the 12400, which helps with hardware acceleration in Adobe apps. If you want a bit more longevity, the Intel Core i5-13400 10-Core 4.6GHz is another solid choice because of the added efficiency cores. Those handle background tasks so your main work doesn't stutter. Also, dont forget that Photoshop eats memory... honestly, try to budget for the Crucial 32GB Kit DDR5 4800MHz RAM or similar. It makes a world of difference for multitasking compared to just 8 or 16 gigs.