Building a new rig under 25k

D

Q: What is your budget?
Less than 25k

Q: What is your existing hardware configuration (component name - component brand and model)
CPU - Intel Pentium 4 2.93 Ghz
Motherboard - Gigabyte G31M-ES2L
GPU - Nil
RAM - 2 GB ddr2
Monitor - HCL monitor 15 inch
SMPS - Bestec Model: ATX-300-12Z
HD- 160 GB (PATA though not sure)

Q: Which hardware will you be keeping (component name - component brand and model)
Monitor - HCL monitor 15 inch
and i think motherboard and ram as well if it will be compatible with new processor (if they are not outdated)
and HD if i can get PATA to SATA converter because 160 GB is enough for me as i have a external 500 GB

Q: Which hardware component are you looking to buy (component name). If you have already decided on a configuration then please mention the (component brand and model) as well, this will help us in fine tuning your requirement.
Processor- confused b/w i3 Intel Core i3 2120 and i5(dont know which one of i5 will suits my needs) so plz suggest me according to my needs
Graphic card (dont know abt it either )
Ram (will updrage it to 4 GB)
DVD writer

Q: Is this going to be your final configuration or you would be adding/upgrading a component in near future. If yes then please mention when and which component
I will not upgrade the following for abt 2 years

Q: Where will you buy this hardware? (Online/City/TE Dealer)
Delhi
Open to online purchase and local dealers

Q: Would you consider buying a second hand hardware from the TE market
No

Q: What is your intended use for this PC/hardware
Gaming ( dont want to have best graphic in them just want them to run lag free)
Browsing
Desktop Processing
Watching simple movies (not necessarily HD)
Coding

Q: Do you have any brand preference or dislike? Please name them and the reason for your preference/dislike.
Nil

Q: If you will be playing games then which type of games will you be playing?
I mostly prefer TPS(hitman), max payne (read it Rockstar games) , FPS(CS/COD), FIFA series (love 2007 one ), NBA2K, Virtua Tennis, Assasin Creed III (will be luking for it) and list continues

Q: What is your preferred monitor resolution for gaming and normal usage
Dont know

Q: Are you looking to overclock?
No

Q: Which operating system do you intend to use with this configuration?
atm i have win 7 32 bits so may be will proceed with this as well or upgrade it to 64bits (?)

M

Get these
AMD 3 GHz FM1 A8 3870K Processor-6,500
ASUS F1A55-M LE Motherboard-4,200
Corsair Vengeance DDR3 4 GB (1 x 4 GB) PC RAM (CMZ4GX3M1A1600C9)-1,500
Cabinet CM Elite - Rs 1750
Corsair CX430V2 - Rs 2500
DVD Writer-ASUS-1,100
For all round performance get this you don't need a i5 this system will even allow you to play games at low to medium settings.

U

+1 to Minion`s config. APUs are the best for all round performance.

D

Minion said:
Get these
AMD 3 GHz FM1 A8 3870K Processor-6,500
ASUS F1A55-M LE Motherboard-4,200
Corsair Vengeance DDR3 4 GB (1 x 4 GB) PC RAM (CMZ4GX3M1A1600C9)-1,500
Cabinet CM Elite - Rs 1750
Corsair CX430V2 - Rs 2500
DVD Writer-ASUS-1,100
For all round performance get this you don't need a i5 this system will even allow you to play games at low to medium settings.

No GPU?

A8-3870K is an APU or accelerated Processing Unit which has a DirectX 11 class GPU, namely HD 6550D which pretty good for playing games at a 15" display. The only problem I am guessing is the future upgrade path. As AMD has discontinued their 3XXX series APU Lineup with the new 4XXX Trinity series, it will be a closed path.

Here is my suggestion:-
Intel Pentium G630 @ 3.4K
Gigabyte B75 Chipset Motherboard @ 4K
Corsair Value RAm 4GB X 1 @ 1.2K
Sapphire/MSI HD 6670 1 GB GDDR3 @ 4.8K

It has been proven in almost all the reviews that G630 + low end GPU is better in gaming than A8-3870K. Also G630 consumes almost half the power of 3870K, so more eco friendly.

^^ +1 to the suggestion. Its a no brainer...get the rig suggested by Cilus.

D

How is this config: (can ppl plz comment on this)

Intel Core i3 2120
GIGABYTE-B75M-D3H
Corsair Vengeance 4GB x1
AMD HD7750 - OR AMD HD6770
Corsair CX v2430W

Good but I think you will go over budget with that configuration. A G630 with a powerful GPU goes a long way.

D

The Incinerator said:
Good but I think you will go over budget with that configuration. A G630 with a powerful GPU goes a long way.

If i can afford this config:
Intel Core i3 2120
GIGABYTE-B75M-D3H
Corsair Vengeance 4GB x1
AMD HD7750 - OR AMD HD6770
Corsair CX v2430W

What u ppl wud suggest.. this one or the one suggested by Cilus?

deepanshuchg said:
If i can afford this config:
Intel Core i3 2120
GIGABYTE-B75M-D3H
Corsair Vengeance 4GB x1
AMD HD7750 - OR AMD HD6770
Corsair CX v2430W

What u ppl wud suggest.. this one or the one suggested by Cilus?

If you can get it then ofcourse as it has a i3 2120 & HD7750 it will be better. But at your earlier budget and scope of work or usage the one suggested by Cilus was optimal. If you think you need Hyperthreading and powerful GPU well then get the i3 simple.

S

deepanshuchg said:
How is this config: (can ppl plz comment on this)

Intel Core i3 2120
GIGABYTE-B75M-D3H
Corsair Vengeance 4GB x1
AMD HD7750 - OR AMD HD6770
Corsair CX v2430W

Awesome config, trust me.. u hav d most recent, and intel advantage as well

D

So if i get these configs will all latest games (currently) will work fine without lags?

Intel Core i3 2120
GIGABYTE-B75M-D3H
Corsair Vengeance 4GB x1
AMD HD6770 (No HD7750 )
Corsair CX v2430W

And approx how much time i can use this config without upgrading anything for just daily applications (MS office, Visual C++) (i mean all things fast unlike in my current PC msword 2010 opens in 5 minutes

)

Intel Core i3 2120 : 6900/-
GIGABYTE-B75M-D3H : 4400/-
Corsair Vengeance 4GB x1 : 1500/-
AMD HD7750 : 7000/- (buy 7770/gtx550ti for berrer gaming experience and future proof)
Corsair CX v2 430W : 2700/-

Total : 22500/- with radeon 7750 and 25000/- with radeon 7770 and 23000/- with gtx550ti

D

deepanshuchg said:
So if i get these configs will all latest games (currently) will work fine without lags?

Intel Core i3 2120
GIGABYTE-B75M-D3H
Corsair Vengeance 4GB x1
AMD HD6770 (No HD7750 )
Corsair CX v2430W

And approx how much time i can use this config without upgrading anything for just daily applications (MS office, Visual C++) (i mean all things fast unlike in my current PC msword 2010 opens in 5 minutes )

?????

deepanshuchg said:
If i can afford this config:
Intel Core i3 2120
GIGABYTE-B75M-D3H
Corsair Vengeance 4GB x1
AMD HD7750 - OR AMD HD6770
Corsair CX v2430W

What u ppl wud suggest.. this one or the one suggested by Cilus?

Good except RAM. You won't be needing 1600MHz RAM in you rsystem as it can't run it in normal state.
Get: Corsair Value Series 1333MHz 4GB module @1.2K

Otherwise, your config is good!

About PATA/IDE to SATA converter, get PCI based PCI to IDE card @200/-

BTW, what is the chassis you plan to use this config on?

D

d6bmg said:
Good except RAM. You won't be needing 1600MHz RAM in you rsystem as it can't run it in normal state.
Get: Corsair Value Series 1333MHz 4GB module @1.2K

About PATA/IDE to SATA converter, get PCI based PCI to IDE card @200/-

Can u elobrate on this a bit? What does it means that it can't be run in normal state?

d6bmg said:
BTW, what is the chassis you plan to use this config on?

havent decided it yet. giv some suggestion on this as well

W

getting 1600 RAM for intel config has no benefit.it will run but at reduced frequency so there is no point in buying it.get corsair 1333 which is cheaper.also PCI SATA/IDE card can't be used as boot device unless mobo bios has option to boot from scsi/other device which is missing in intel mobos(at least this is the case with my intel atom D425 mobo).

deepanshuchg said:
Can u elobrate on this a bit? What does it means that it can't be run in normal state?

Simply, H77 can't run anything more than 1333MHz RAM.
Manual overclocking (no XMP) is the only way to run a RAM 1600MHz. Not recommended.

Talking about chassis: NZXT Source 210 @2.6K is a good choice.

V

d6bmg said:
Simply, H77 can't run anything more than 1333MHz RAM.
Manual overclocking (no XMP) is the only way to run a RAM 1600MHz. Not recommended.

Talking about chassis: NZXT Source 210 @2.6K is a good choice.

Nope,it is not that way.
H77 supports 1600MHz RAM.

GIGABYTE-B75M-D3H supports 1600MHz RAM only with intel ivy bridge processors
i.e. if one pairs a 2nd gen i3/i5(sandy bridge) processor with GIGABYTE-B75M-D3H then the maximum supported frequency is 1333MHz.

D

deepanshuchg said:
So if i get these configs will all latest games (currently) will work fine without lags?

Intel Core i3 2120
GIGABYTE-B75M-D3H
Corsair Vengeance 4GB x1
AMD HD6770 (No HD7750 )
Corsair CX v2430W

And approx how much time i can use this config without upgrading anything for just daily applications (MS office, Visual C++) (i mean all things fast unlike in my current PC msword 2010 opens in 5 minutes )

?????

Okay i will change it to Corsair Value 4GB x1 (1333Mhz).. but can ppl answer the above question (in quotes)

And suggest me a cabinet as well

W

for normal usages/daily applications i3 will be enough for at least 3-4 years.

D

and will the all latest games run on the above config (lag free)? If so, till how much time it will be able to handle the latest games (coming in near future) to run on it?

W

^^games performance depends mainly on graphics card & game settings.when crysis was launched even the top-end cards of that time struggled at highest setting but today any decent medium range card can run crysis.there is no definite answer for your question.just buy the costliest card your budget permits & leave the rest to future.

D

but if someone has used HD6770 or may be u guys wud have read (reviews) somewhere.. so probably cud answer me if the latest games wil run on it or not
And please suggest me a cabinet as well

PS: I dont wanna play games on highest setting.. i can compromise by playing on low settings but it shud be lag free

M

^^ It depends on game title you want to play.

W

i am not a gamer but i think most titles will run fine on medium-low settings with 6770.

D

whitestar_999 said:
i am not a gamer but i think most titles will run fine on medium-low settings with 6770.

Can somebody else verify this atleast with low settings?

W

see here.it should give you an idea but from whatever i read it seems that most games should be able to run lag free on 1366*768 or lower resolution with medium settings.
Radeon HD6770 Good Enough For Gaming ? - Overclockers Forums

D

guys wanna confirm it again abt processor:

Is Intel core i3 2120 3.3 GHz for 7k worth?

It is luking odd to me as it has only 2 cores and it is 3.3 Ghz. I dont know how the cores effect the performance so am here to confirm it out

So since it has 2 cores is it a dual core processor?

Get AMD a6
or AMD X4 965 BE if available they good processor and can be overclocked easily.Amd X4 is 5k I guess if available.

D

Nighthawk12 said:
Get AMD a6
or AMD X4 965 BE if available they good processor and can be overclocked easily.Amd X4 is 5k I guess if available.

That was not my question

btw i do not want to overclock

W

core i3 has hyperthreading meaning it has 2 real cores & 2 virtual cores(as seen by operating system).it will perform faster than 2 real core processor like pentium G620(which has no hyperthreading) but lesser than 4 real core processor like i5 which has no hyperthreading(i7 has hyperthreading so it is priced higher than i5 because it acts as 4 real cores+4 virtual cores so total 8 cores to an operating system).

P.S. in my opinion if you are spending 7k on i3 then if possible it is better to spend 10k on i5 because with just 3k extra you will get a more future proof processor.

D

whitestar_999 said:
core i3 has hyperthreading meaning it has 2 real cores & 2 virtual cores(as seen by operating system).it will perform faster than 2 real core processor like pentium G620(which has no hyperthreading) but lesser than 4 real core processor like i5 which has no hyperthreading(i7 has hyperthreading so it is priced higher than i5 because it acts as 4 real cores+4 virtual cores so total 8 cores to an operating system).

P.S. in my opinion if you are spending 7k on i3 then if possible it is better to spend 10k on i5 because with just 3k extra you will get a more future proof processor.

greatly written mate.. thanks alot for clearing my query

btw which i5 are u talking abt? i mean can u tell me the exact model no. or flipkart link?

W

Intel Core i5-2310 | Processor | Flipkart.com

offline prices should be lower

Intel Core i5 2320 Processor 3.0GHz - www.deltapage.com
Intel Core i5 2320 Sandy Bridge 3.0GHz (3.3GHz Turbo Boost) 4 x 256KB L2 Cache 6MB L3 Cache LGA 1155 95W Quad-Core Desktop Processor BX80623I52320

M

Yes,Intel Core i3 is a dual core that is why i suggested a AMD A8 which is a quad core.No doubt this i3 will suffice for now but more and more application are utilizing multiple core.
Sooner or later you will feel your processor is outdated.My old system was a athlon Xp 2400+(Single Core) even though it serve me well now when i play a simple video processor usage shoots to 35% Later i bought a AMD Phenom X4 945 which is a quad core when playing videos its CPU usage is 2-5%. That is the advantage of getting Quad core.You can perform multiple task at a time without slowing your whole system.

May i know why do you need a intel even though A8 will fit your budget and will fulfill all your requirement.

D

okay so if i wud take i5-2310(2.9GHz 4 cores) inspite of i3-2120(3.3 GHz 2 cores).. approx how much difference wud happen in terms of performance(daily purpose softwares)..? and Will it increase gaming experience as well(as both have Intel HD 2000 integrated graphics)?

Was having luk at their flipkart page so have few queries:

1.Intel i3-2120 has 0 PCI slot as there is not mentioned but in i5 it is mentioned. Is this true?
2. Whats this "Socket Type-LGA1155" and "Socket Type- FCLGA1155"? So they both will be compatible with the motherboard i will be taking na?
3.In intel i5 it is written "No. of threads-4" (Same in i3) so does that mean in i5 total no. cores=4+4=8 (as seen by OS) (and in i3 total no. of cores=2+4=6) ??
4.Since in i5 TDP is 95 W and in i3 is 65 W so the SMPS i suggested (for me

) above will be compatible with i3?

M

^^ In normal application you will not find much difference but in heavy application like games,virtualization performance difference will be huge.
PCI slot is present in motherboard not processor.
I will check this out
Intel i5 has 4 real core rather than 2 cores of i3 Real core have more effect on performance.
Get corsair Cx430 v2 for 2.3k

W

each thread runs in a single core(real or virtual).so 4 real cores with no hyperthreading will execute 4 threads(i5) while 2 real cores+2 virtual cores will also execute 4 threads(i3)but slower than i5.socket type is 1155 rest is just naming scheme for minor details so no need to worry.

D

Minion said:
PCI slot is present in motherboard not processor.
I will check this out

Here is the pic:

Link: Intel Core i5-2310 | Processor | Flipkart.com

may be then flipkart page is not showing correct info??

M

^^ Flipkart is not showing correct info.

D

Can any one tell me :
Is AMD HD 6670 and HD 6770 (both) gddr5 better than the following:
Ati 3850
AMD HD 4850
AMD HD 5550
Ati X1900 Series
Ati3870
AMD HD 5770

M

^^Yes 6670 and 6770 both are better than rest you have mentioned.

W

6770 is much better than 6670.6670 is the most powerful graphics card which doesn't require its power through its own connector.6770 & all cards more powerful than 6670 have their own power connector just like cpu,hdd,dvd drive.

V

deepanshuchg said:
Can any one tell me :
Is AMD HD 6670 and HD 6770 (both) gddr5 better than the following:
Ati 3850
AMD HD 4850
AMD HD 5550
Ati X1900 Series
Ati3870
AMD HD 5770

HD 3850/70,Radeon X1900,HD 5550 are not worth considering.

On performance basis: HD6670<HD4850<hd5770~hd6770

HD 4850 is quite an old card.Not worth considering it now unless you get an used one with much lesser price.
As of now HD 7750 is the fastest card that doesn't require any external power.
HD6770 and hd 7750 perform about the same while the latter consumes around half the power.

D

Please tell me out of the two config in which i will get better gaming experience with no lags:

First Config:
(Price-31,000)

Intel Core i3 2120
GIGABYTE-B75M-D3H
Corsair Value Ram 4gb
Cooler Master elite 311 plus
Corsair CX v2 430W
HP drive
HD 6770

Second config:
(Price-32,000)

Intel Core i5 2310
GIGABYTE-B75M-D3H
Corsair Value Ram 4gb
Cooler Master elite 311 plus
Corsair CX v2 430W
HP drive
HD 6670

(bold are the changes between the two config)

PS: Prices are approx. just for reference (taken from flipkart)

W

2nd config has much faster processor but much slower graphics card so for gaming 1st config is better & for everything else 2nd config is better.difference between 6670 & 6770(or equivalent 7750) is ~1500 only so best option would be 2nd config with 6770/7750.

D

but the i5 is 3k costlier than i3.. it wud cost alot to me

W

if stretching budget is absolutely not possible go with 1st config.

D

i am thinking the same
and can i save a bit more by getting a cheaper cabinet then this one (elite 311 plus)
As u ppl already know my usage will be basic processing and heavy gamings in low setting (my computer will be switched on for max of 3 hours continuously not more than that)

D

deepanshuchg said:
i am thinking the same
and can i save a bit more by getting a cheaper cabinet then this one (elite 311 plus)??
As u ppl already know my usage will be basic processing and heavy gamings in low setting (my computer will be switched on for max of 3 hours continuously not more than that)

So can some suggest me a cheaper cabinet if it can fulfill my needs?

W

you can save ~800 by using cheaper cabinet but i don't recommend it.cabinet is a long term use component & unless absolutely not possible one should at least use coolermaster elite(cheapest model) when using a graphics card.in summer such cabinet with front(optional),side(optional) & rear fan are very good in keeping inside temps low & also their look lasts for years compared to cheap cabinets.they also have better quality material used & are more durable.

You want to game right? So stop confusing yourself . After everything being said you are back to square one. Your main the very main requirement is gaming so stop beating around the bush and get a i3 2120 / 3220 / 3225 and a powerful GPU with the Rs 3000 saved over a non required i5 in this case and budget. Or better still get a Intel G630 and an even more powerful GPU it will serve you even better for your purpose.

E.G : an i5 + 6670 = Rs 17000 will fair very bad (read curl up and die) in gaming when compared to a G630 + HD 7850 = Rs 17058. So?

The point is you have to balance the config since you have a budget optimally as per your requirements. You will go seriously wrong if you dont get both ends corrected.

My two cents , rest is your call.

D

how is i3 2120(6.5k) + hd 7770(9k) ?
as contacted shops in nehru palace todays.. they said hd 6770 is discontinued so better get hd 7770

yeah i wanted gaming but gaming is not my only purpose.. i want it to be durable for daily purposes

W

even a G630 is more than enough for daily/normal usages.

D

yeah it is durable for now but obv it will stay not longer than i-series specifically i3 in terms of performance.. i.e. i3 will be more durable than g630.. isn't it?

V

Yes,certainly.Better clocks and hyper-threading.

D

deepanshuchg said:
how is i3 2120(6.5k) + hd 7770(9k) ?
as contacted shops in nehru palace todays.. they said hd 6770 is discontinued so better get hd 7770

how wud be the above config?

W

7770 is better than 6770 so above config should be good for your usages.

V

Go ahead.It is fine.
HD7770 is available for around 8.2k in smcinternational.

D

i have talked to pl computer and Computer empire
at pl computer = 9k
and at comp empire = 8.9k (~9k)
so can u provide me a contact no. of smc which is working.. i hav one and they never pick up on that one

V

^^Send them an email.Have no currently working contact number of smc.Other members might help.

D

Today i hav got a quotation from a dealer and it states:

Processor- Intel Core i3 2120 (3.3 Ghz, 2 cores) @ board +cpu 11800rs
Motherboard- GIGABYTE-B75M-D3H

Does that means RS. 11800 include both mobo and processor?

And are the pricing good?

W

a little costly.try to get it ~10700.

D

whitestar_999 said:
a little costly.try to get it ~10700.

from where?

Since the above quotation is from SMC

W

from cost2cost.try bargaining because if difference is ~1000 it is better to get it from cost2cost.also try other shops like computer empire & vipin imports.

D

These are the pricing from SMC..

Intel Core i3 2120, @6800/-
Intel core i3 3220 @- 7000/-

GIGABYTE-B75M-D3H @ 4500/-

Corsair Value Ram 4gb @ 1100/-

Cooler Master elite 311 @ 1950/-
311 plus not available

cooler master 450 wt @ 2400/-

HD 6670/ @ 4000/-
HD 7750/ @ 6700/
-HD 7770 @ 8400/
(ALL from Msi)

Sony DRU-880S / HP drive @ 950/-

WD Caviar Blue 500 GB @ 3300/-

Was unable to contact costtocost and comp empire.. actually they are too busy to tell rates on phone

W

cost2cost price list updated oon 26th october
*www.costtocost.in/list/pricelist.pdf

do not buy coolermaster psu.you can easily get much better corsair psu from nehru place at similar price.prefer asus dvd drive(~1000).processor prices of smc seems higher(see cost2cost list above).

D

is corsair psu (to be specific corsair v2 430W) available at cost2cost as i am not able to find it on the list.. or shud i prefer PL computer for Corsair PSU?

and which HD shud i get in b/w 500 GB SATA WD @3075 and 500 GB SATA WD (64 MB CHASH) @3490 .. what exactly is the diffence in them

and out of these which is corsair value 4gb ram (1333Ghz)?
4GB DDR3 CORRSAIR (16CHIP) @1048
4GB DDR3 CORRSAIR 1600 FSB @1381

W

get 500gb WD Caviar Blue hdd from smc,corsair cx430v2 from PL computers & 4GB DDR3 CORRSAIR (16CHIP) from cost2cost.

D

and cost2cost can be trusted for other components like Cooler master elite 311 plus, Giigabyte mobo, intel processor ?

W

yes if you can save more than ~500.if not then prefer computer empire/smc/vipin import/PL computer.for cooler master cabinet buy from smc as they are the official distributor of coolermaster.