CORE i3 or CORE i5????

R

I am just a casual gamer. I want a decent gaming rig under 30k-35k. Should i go for core i3 or core i5???? :???:

Integrated graphics would do as i would buy a graphics card in 3-4 months time (please suggest the configuration of the pc).

Athlon II X3 435 2.9GHz @ 4k
ECS A785GM-M @ 4.8k //if unavailable get Gigabyte GA-MA785GMT-UD2H//
Corsair 4GB DDR3 1600MHz C9 Titanium @ 5.8k
Seagate Barracuda 7200.12 500GB @ 2.4k
Corsair VX450W @ 3.9k
Cooler Master Elite 334 @ 2.2k or Elite 310.

BenQ 22" G2220 FULL HD LCD Monitor @ 8k
logitech internet desktop @ 0.6k

total is @ 31.7k. expect to pay 32k depending on your location. rest 3k i suggest u invest in a cooler. & also try get the X4 620 if budget permits.

& theres no rule that i3/i5 makes the best gaming rig. get athlon X3/X4 & OC it to get the performance of i3.

R

how about this:-

Core i3 i530 2.8GHz @ 6k
INTEL H55TC @ 5.6k
4GB DDR3 1333MHz Transcend @ 4.4k
CM Elite 310 @ 1.5k
Gigabyte 460W @ 2.2k
Seagate 500GB @ 2.4k
Logitech Kbd/mouse combo @ 1k
Altec Lansing 2.1 BXR1121 @ 1.2k
LG 22x DVD @ 1.1k
BenQ 22" G2220 FULL HD LCD Monitor @

if the above config is looking good then tell me where to cut cost to include a core i5 processor.

---------- Post added at 09:37 PM ---------- Previous post was at 09:25 PM ----------

should i go for core i3 540 or core i5 650????

---------- Post added at 09:38 PM ---------- Previous post was at 09:37 PM ----------

should i go for core i3 540 or core i5 650????

rahul_007 said:
how about this:-

Core i3 i530 2.8GHz @ 6k
INTEL H55TC @ 5.6k
4GB DDR3 1333MHz Transcend @ 4.4k
CM Elite 310 @ 1.5k
Gigabyte 460W @ 2.2k
Seagate 500GB @ 2.4k
Logitech Kbd/mouse combo @ 1k
Altec Lansing 2.1 BXR1121 @ 1.2k
LG 22x DVD @ 1.1k
BenQ 22" G2220 FULL HD LCD Monitor @

if the above config is looking good then tell me where to cut cost to include a core i5 processor.

---------- Post added at 09:37 PM ---------- Previous post was at 09:25 PM ----------

should i go for core i3 540 or core i5 650????

---------- Post added at 09:38 PM ---------- Previous post was at 09:37 PM ----------

should i go for core i3 540 or core i5 650????

if u don't OC. if u not plan to invest in big bad cards. & satisfied with the feature that board wil give, u may go ahead & get it.

still my suggestion, get Athlon2 X3 or X4 & OC it with OEM HSF. get good pair of rams. nice roomy cabinet. a PSU capable of handling high end cards. & u get the license to play it dirty. else u have to play by the rules.

R

but if i swap the INTEL H55TC with gigabyte GA-H55M-S2H and processor with core i5 650, i know it would increase my expenses by 5k but wouldn't it be a better buy????

---------- Post added at 10:54 AM ---------- Previous post was at 10:53 AM ----------

does gigabyte GA-H55M-S2H have onboard graphics????

^^
Buddy don't get the i5 650 but opt for i5 750 instead.
It has more physical cores, a large l3 cache which helps it to perform faster.
The overclocking ability of this processor is astounding and it gives i7 level performance.
But it costs around 10k and a good oc board from msi or gigabyte would cost around 6.5 -7k minimum.

So if budget permits go for the i5 750 else Sam.shab's config. is good with the athlon 2 x4 620 proccy.It offers great value at that pricepoint.

---------- Post added at 11:46 AM ---------- Previous post was at 11:42 AM ----------

does gigabyte GA-H55M-S2H have onboard graphics????[/QUOTE]

No, h55 chipsets dont have onboard graphics but the clarkdale cpu's(i5's & i3's) have on-die 45nm gpu so there's no need of onboard graphics.

But you can add a discrete gpu on its pci-e slot and on doing so the on die gpu is diabled from the system.

vickybat said:
No, h55 chipsets dont have onboard graphics but the clarkdale cpu's(i5's & i3's) have on-die 45nm gpu so there's no need of onboard graphics.

what ??? if i use core-i5 & GA-H55M-S2H then i dont need a GCard....for
display....is it dat IGP is there in i-5 :grin:

what ??? if i use core-i5 & GA-H55M-S2H then i dont need a GCard....for
display....is it dat IGP is there in i-5

KaranTh85, it is true. The Core I5 Processors are having On-Die Graphics processing unit, but to use it, u need a H55 chipeset based board. If u plug it in a P55 mobo, the processor will run, but the IGP will not work.

And rahul_007, in 22" monitor, even casual gaming won't run at IGP. Go with the Sam.Shab's config, but add a dedicated graphics card, instead of spending in a Core i5 i530 based system.

KaranTh85 said:
what ??? if i use core-i5 & GA-H55M-S2H then i dont need a GCard....for
display....is it dat IGP is there in i-5

Yeah buddy, if you use any clarkdale i5 or i3 processor with an h55 board a discrete gpu is not mandatory for display as its gonna use thr on-die gpu.

On adding a discrete card, the on-die gpu is disabled and the system switches to the pci-e lanes.But it wont happen in a p55 chipset based board and here a discrete card becomes a necessity.

Future intel systems won't have any onboard igp but it will be integrated in the processor die itself until some new technology emerges. :grin:

yeah but don't get too happy, it's just basic IGP stuff, u won't be seeing some super cool graphics from that. U gotta have to get a GPU for some action!

vickybat said:
Yeah buddy, if you use any clarkdale i5 or i3 processor with an h55 board a discrete gpu is not mandatory for display as its gonna use thr on-die gpu.

On adding a discrete card, the on-die gpu is disabled and the system switches to the pci-e lanes.But it wont happen in a p55 chipset based board and here a discrete card becomes a necessity.

Future intel systems won't have any onboard igp but it will be integrated in the processor die itself until some new technology emerges.

yup, still i3 graphics sucks. i5 graphics (the only 1 proccy with Intel HD graphics onboard) is somewhat playable & is comparable to HD4200 @ stock.

& the technology is known as Intel Sandy Bridges & AMD Llano. both due out in 2011. Llano wil b out in 2010 end for developers & testings. and by 2011, hope for consumers.

---------- Post added at 06:00 PM ---------- Previous post was at 05:56 PM ----------

Cilus said:
KaranTh85, it is true. The Core I5 Processors are having On-Die Graphics processing unit, but to use it, u need a H55 chipeset based board. If u plug it in a P55 mobo, the processor will run, but the IGP will not work.

And rahul_007, in 22" monitor, even casual gaming won't run at IGP. Go with the Sam.Shab's config, but add a dedicated graphics card, instead of spending in a Core i5 i530 based system.

Cilus bro, for casual gaming on IGP i.e. HD4200 OC wil a 20" b an overkill?

R

Cilus said:
KaranTh85, it is true. The Core I5 Processors are having On-Die Graphics processing unit, but to use it, u need a H55 chipeset based board. If u plug it in a P55 mobo, the processor will run, but the IGP will not work.

And rahul_007, in 22" monitor, even casual gaming won't run at IGP. Go with the Sam.Shab's config, but add a dedicated graphics card, instead of spending in a Core i5 i530 based system.

is it that bad???? i mean i am an 11nth class student financing my own computer.... i would be able to buy a good gpu in 4 months time.... are the integrated graphics so bad????

^^ let me give u an example, crysis, medium details, 1024X768 wil b run without any lags on HD4200. up the resolution or increase details & IGP wil start showcase its limitation. core i3's graphics, u can't even cross 1024X768 @ low. turn graphics a bit too high & u'll get nothing but black screen.

if u wanna put together a gaming rig at low cost, drop core i3 & get athlon X3 or X4. & get monitor depending on the card.

rahul_007 said:
is it that bad???? i mean i am an 11nth class student financing my own computer.... i would be able to buy a good gpu in 4 months time.... are the integrated graphics so bad????

ya IGP is not worth for a good gaming..even the entry level cards can produce
more eye-candy than IGP (its a general consensus :-D

)

KaranTh85 said:
ya IGP is not worth for a good gaming..even the entry level cards can produce
more eye-candy than IGP (its a general consensus )

true, 9500gt wil beat any IGP. even OC'd 1s. same goes for HD4650.

R

core i5 650-8.3k
gigabyte GA-H55M-S2H-6.2k
4GB DDR3 1333MHz Transcend @ 4.4k
CM Elite 310 @ 1.5k
Gigabyte 460W @ 2.2k
Seagate 500GB @ 2.4k
Logitech Kbd/mouse combo @ 1k
Altec Lansing 2.1 BXR1121 @ 1.2k
LG 22x DVD @ 1.1k
BenQ 22" G2220 FULL HD LCD Monitor @ 8k

i would be able to add a graphics card costing around 7k-8k to the above rig in about 3-4 months.... cant i go with this???? i dont want to go with amd as intel would future proof me and i can add the cost of a cooler which i would surely need in amd to the cost of gpu....

^^ well mate AMD is equally future-proof. don't think AMD wil vanish after 2-3yrs. also i no AMD fanboy ;-)

, just recommending best config in ur budget. u may go with the Intel config, but at same cost AMD wil give u far better products.

i suggest u better get a AMD based rig & save money for graphics card rather than try push in cheapest Intel based products.

& cooler costing same as GPU? who told? where u find it? 32nm intel runs hot than AMD 45nm Athlon line due to smaller size of the core as compared to an added companion in form of 45nm Intel HD Graphics. & to cool AMD u wil ever need is CM Hyper 212 around 2k. done. ur choice now :smile:

R

ok man... i am convinced with amd ;-)

.... but then could you give me a config with Phenom II X4 955 3.2GHz B.E. and Sapphire HD5670 512MB GDDR5.... preferably under 35k-40k....

rahul_007 said:
core i5 650-8.3k
gigabyte GA-H55M-S2H-6.2k
4GB DDR3 1333MHz Transcend @ 4.4k
CM Elite 310 @ 1.5k
Gigabyte 460W @ 2.2k
Seagate 500GB @ 2.4k
Logitech Kbd/mouse combo @ 1k
Altec Lansing 2.1 BXR1121 @ 1.2k
LG 22x DVD @ 1.1k
BenQ 22" G2220 FULL HD LCD Monitor @ 8k

i would be able to add a graphics card costing around 7k-8k to the above rig in about 3-4 months.... cant i go with this???? i dont want to go with amd as intel would future proof me and i can add the cost of a cooler which i would surely need in amd to the cost of gpu....

GOsh u simply dont listen, why on facking earth do u want a Core i5 i650 which costs soo much?? IMO if u wanna spend that much get this instead:-

Phenom II X4 955 3.2GHz B.E. @ 7.9k
ECS 785GM-M @ 4.8k
Corsair VX450W @ 4k

This combo includes a REAL 4 core processor plus a very good PSU, and it actually costs lesser.

rahul_007 said:
ok man... i am convinced with amd .... but then could you give me a config with Phenom II X4 955 3.2GHz B.E. and Sapphire HD5670 512MB GDDR5.... preferably under 35k-40k....

Buddy go for i5 750 as its faster than all phenom 2 x4's and consumes a lot less power.
Anyone considering to get the 955 or 965 be should consider core i5 750 as its more vfm in terms of performance and efficiency.

Topend phenom 2's offer less performance per watt than all i7 and i5 750 quadcores.

rahul_007 said:
ok man... i am convinced with amd .... but then could you give me a config with Phenom II X4 955 3.2GHz B.E. and Sapphire HD5670 512MB GDDR5.... preferably under 35k-40k....

comp@ddict already given a very good & balanced config. just skipping the graphics card as its purely depends on type of user.

comp@ddict said:
GOsh u simply dont listen, why on facking earth do u want a Core i5 i650 which costs soo much?? IMO if u wanna spend that much get this instead:-

Phenom II X4 955 3.2GHz B.E. @ 7.9k
ECS 785GM-M @ 4.8k
Corsair VX450W @ 4k

This combo includes a REAL 4 core processor plus a very good PSU, and it actually costs lesser.

yup. costs less & is damn good value in these hard economic times. hooray to AMD.

vickybat said:
Buddy go for i5 750 as its faster than all phenom 2 x4's and consumes a lot less power.
Anyone considering to get the 955 or 965 be should consider core i5 750 as its more vfm in terms of performance and efficiency.

Topend phenom 2's offer less performance per watt than all i7 and i5 750 quadcores.

but i5 750 costs lot more & its motherboards costs subsequently more than any AMD based mobo. add to it the cost of graphics card & the final damage is quite a bit high.

its not about efficiency lot. if u OC i5, u'll need OEM HSF + more Vcore voltage. same as AMD. i5 can run at much lower voltage so can any AMD (new) proccy. so whats the final difference? save cost off the i5+P55 & they'll end more worst in performance than any similarly priced AMD system. add to it AMD got IGP.

but i5 750 costs lot more & its motherboards costs subsequently more than any AMD based mobo. add to it the cost of graphics card & the final damage is quite a bit high.

its not about efficiency lot. if u OC i5, u'll need OEM HSF + more Vcore voltage. same as AMD. i5 can run at much lower voltage so can any AMD (new) proccy. so whats the final difference? save cost off the i5+P55 & they'll end more worst in performance than any similarly priced AMD system. add to it AMD got IGP.[/QUOTE]

Again buddy you're picking the wrong train.AMD is good but at a certain pricepoint. Once you cross that its INTEL all the way.

The athlon 2 x4's offers great vfm at their prices but the phenom 2's are no match to the mighty i5 at a similar pricepoint.

An overclocked i5 @ 4ghz will decimate a 965 BE similarly clocked and as i said earlier they offer more performance per watt than any amd out there.Its written in the reviews so see it for yourself.

---------- Post added at 10:58 PM ---------- Previous post was at 10:49 PM ----------

@ Sam.Shab

Buddy here are the links core i5 vs phenom 2 965

1.*www.tomshardware.com/reviews/intel-core-i5,2410.html
2.*www.tomshardware.com/reviews/core-i5-750-overclock,2438-12.html
3.*www.hardwaresecrets.com/article/819/1
4.*www.xbitlabs.com/articles/cpu/display/core-i7-870.html
It even bests the i7 920 in some benchmarks.

vickybat said:
but i5 750 costs lot more & its motherboards costs subsequently more than any AMD based mobo. add to it the cost of graphics card & the final damage is quite a bit high.

its not about efficiency lot. if u OC i5, u'll need OEM HSF + more Vcore voltage. same as AMD. i5 can run at much lower voltage so can any AMD (new) proccy. so whats the final difference? save cost off the i5+P55 & they'll end more worst in performance than any similarly priced AMD system. add to it AMD got IGP.

Again buddy you're picking the wrong train.AMD is good but at a certain pricepoint. Once you cross that its INTEL all the way.

The athlon 2 x4's offers great vfm at their prices but the phenom 2's are no match to the mighty i5 at a similar pricepoint.

An overclocked i5 @ 4ghz will decimate a 965 BE similarly clocked and as i said earlier they offer more performance per watt than any amd out there.Its written in the reviews so see it for yourself.

---------- Post added at 10:58 PM ---------- Previous post was at 10:49 PM ----------

@ Sam.Shab

Buddy here are the links core i5 vs phenom 2 965

1.*www.tomshardware.com/reviews/intel-core-i5,2410.html
2.*www.tomshardware.com/reviews/core-i5-750-overclock,2438-12.html
3.*www.hardwaresecrets.com/article/819/1
4.*www.xbitlabs.com/articles/cpu/display/core-i7-870.html
It even bests the i7 920 in some benchmarks.[/QUOTE]

oops. i gave it for maximum of X4 955. i may have posted it on some other threads. 965 is prices so close to i5's that it can be neglected & 1 should get i5 directly but its not same in case of 955. its cost lot lower than i5. & if someone tight on budget can work with IGP also.

i know the brute strength of i5's but at a price point of below 8k, 1 should consider X4 955 rather than try get i5 by sacrificing other parts. have read almost all reviews on Tom's Hardware & AnandTech about i5 & its OC potential.

yeah but amd athlon 2 x4's are more vfm at their pricepoint.

Anyone looking for a phenom 2 will always opt for a discrete card and with the i5 a cheap card will do the job and it always will be much better than igp.

Upto 40k or here and there amd athlon 2 x4's are the best but anything approaching the 55k mark or higher enters i5 or further i7 territory.

So anything else isn't recommended.

For the op in this thread amd athlon 2 based rig is better instead of an i3 one.

true, but if someone going buy new GFX card in months time but going buy new PC at or below 50k, Phenom2 is still a hot seller as one can run PC on IGP for few months. above 50k, its i5/i7 all the way.

& yes, for OP Athlon2 X4 fits better than i3. something he won't complain about later.

R

so how about this:-

Phenom II X4 955 3.2GHz B.E. @ 7.9k
ECS A785GM-M @ 4.8k
Transcend 2*2GB DDR3 1333MHz C9 @ 4.4k
Seagate Barracuda 7200.12 500GB @ 2.4k
Cooler Master 600w smps + cabinet @ 5k
BenQ 22" G2220 FULL HD LCD Monitor @ 8k
Altec Lansing BXR1121 2.1 @ 1.1k
Logitech keyboard + mouse @ 0.6k

total:-34.2k

{i called on DELHI TRADE ZONE and asked the prices of 600wt smps.... he told me about this combo(Cooler Master 600w smps + CM cabinet @ 5k) but couldn't tell me the model nos....}

i also wanna know if ECS A785GM-M has IGP or not....

i will buy Sapphire HD5670 512MB GDDR5 @ 5.6k in 3 months time....

rahul_007 said:
so how about this:-

Phenom II X4 955 3.2GHz B.E. @ 7.9k
ECS A785GM-M @ 4.8k
Transcend 2*2GB DDR3 1333MHz C9 @ 4.4k
Seagate Barracuda 7200.12 500GB @ 2.4k
Cooler Master 600w smps + cabinet @ 5k
BenQ 22" G2220 FULL HD LCD Monitor @ 8k
Altec Lansing BXR1121 2.1 @ 1.1k
Logitech keyboard + mouse @ 0.6k

total:-34.2k

{i called on DELHI TRADE ZONE and asked the prices of 600wt smps.... he told me about this combo(Cooler Master 600w smps + CM cabinet @ 5k) but couldn't tell me the model nos....}

i also wanna know if ECS A785GM-M has IGP or not....

i will buy Sapphire HD5670 512MB GDDR5 @ 5.6k in 3 months time....

1st of all if u going get a graphics card don't buy the CM Xtreme Power. Instead get the Gigabyte 460W. under load Xtreme power wil surely blew up. OR you may even give a try for the Zebronics Pro 550W. its good unit.

DDR3 & Phenom2 955 may cost you lot more then you thinking of. if so & u unable to up your budget get X4 630 + some OEM Cpu cooler like CM Hyper TX3 or Hyper 212 & OC it. OC at stock voltage is safe.

if u unable find ECS mobo get MSI 785GM-E51. both have onboard graphics in the form of HD4200. good for old games. ok for present games. bad for new games.

check the hard drive model carefully, dealers usually try push in the old 7200.11 seagate which are buggy. else get samsung F2 Eco or WD green.

R

Phenom II X4 955 3.2GHz B.E. @ 9.5k
MSI 785GM-E65 @ 4k
Transcend 2*2GB DDR3 1333MHz C9 @ 4.8k
Seagate Barracuda 7200.12 500GB @ 2.4k
Zebronics Pro 550W @ 2.8k
cm elite 310 @ 1.2k
BenQ 22" G2220 FULL HD LCD Monitor @ 8k
Altec Lansing BXR1121 2.1 @ 1.1k
Logitech keyboard + mouse @ 0.6k

how about this????
please comment as fast as you can cauz my exams are starting from 22/2/10 and i will not be able to come online.... i am also planning to buy my computer on 27/2/10.... so please reply early and post your best comments....

rahul_007 said:
Phenom II X4 955 3.2GHz B.E. @ 9.5k
MSI 785GM-E65 @ 4k
Transcend 2*2GB DDR3 1333MHz C9 @ 4.8k
Seagate Barracuda 7200.12 500GB @ 2.4k
Zebronics Pro 550W @ 2.8k
cm elite 310 @ 1.2k
BenQ 22" G2220 FULL HD LCD Monitor @ 8k
Altec Lansing BXR1121 2.1 @ 1.1k
Logitech keyboard + mouse @ 0.6k

how about this????
please comment as fast as you can cauz my exams are starting from 22/2/10 and i will not be able to come online.... i am also planning to buy my computer on 27/2/10.... so please reply early and post your best comments....

at that price 955 is not worth it. i again telling, get X4 630, a good motherboard like MSI E65 which wil cost 5.6k not 4k surely. rest everything looks good.

Phenom II X4 955 3.2GHz B.E. @ 7.9k
ECS A785GM-M @ 4.8k
Transcend 2*2GB DDR3 1333MHz C9 @ 4.4k
Seagate Barracuda 7200.12 500GB @ 2.4k
Cooler Master 600w smps + cabinet @ 5k - - XXXX
BenQ 22" G2220 FULL HD LCD Monitor @ 8k
Altec Lansing BXR1121 2.1 @ 1.1k
Logitech keyboard + mouse @ 0.6k

Corsair VX450W @ 4k
CM Elite 310 @ 1.5k
Total - 5.5k

Wait, there is one more option. U can buy a Phenom II X2 555 B.E., and this processor has a very high chance (I can safely say 99.99%) of unlocking. After unlocking, it becomes a Phenom II X4 955 B.E. with the name as X4 B50...

Here's the best part, X2 555 B.E. costs 5.15k only.

comp@ddict said:
Corsair VX450W @ 4k
CM Elite 310 @ 1.5k
Total - 5.5k

Wait, there is one more option. U can buy a Phenom II X2 555 B.E., and this processor has a very high chance (I can safely say 99.99%) of unlocking. After unlocking, it becomes a Phenom II X4 955 B.E. with the name as X4 B50...

Here's the best part, X2 555 B.E. costs 5.15k only.

+1. unlocking chance is very high. maybe not 99.99% but surely 90-95%. & it unlocks to X4 B55. B50 was for X2 550.

R

but how can a phenom ii*2 550 become phenom ii*4 955???? there is a difference of 2 cores..... does it perform so high after overclocking..... please clarify as early as possible as i intend to buy my new rig on 26\2\10.... and please aLSO COMMENT ON MSI 785GM E51 AND E65.....

^^ phenom2 X2 555 is basically a 955 with 2 cores disabled due to defect. usually defects are in for of damaged transistors. but the other two cores are fully fine. the defective cores sometimes works if level of defect is not too much, either by lowering clockspeed, increasing voltage or sometimes just by enabling a feature know as Advanced Clock Caliberation (ACC) in BIOS. X2 555 chance of unlocking is very very high.

get E65, its much better with Cmos & VRM Cooling. board is good. get it. also good is ECS A785G Black series motherboard. good for OC.

Btw which is better Core-i5 750 or Core-i5 650....the latter cost 2k more...
& has more FSB :?:

rahul_007, I think you are not getting the proper price list. I purchased my AMD Phenom II 955 on the 1st week of Feb. It was 7.7k+4% VAT. 965 was 8.7k.
If you are not getting 955 at that price, go for Phenom II 945 @ 6.9k. It is confirmed price.

[FONT=&quot]
[/FONT]

R

thank you man!!!! cilius you are great..... now i am absolutely clear what to buy.... i was also confused about the price of AMD Phenom II 955.... which mobo and graphics card did you get???? please post your full config.... also post some benchmarks as soon as possible....

E

Glanced through the earlier posts. But i was not able to follow it. Sorry if i'm starting right from scratch. And sorry, if i'm unable to make you clear, I didn't double check the grammar and sentence formation.

@Rahul - You gonna use this PC only for gaming purpose? If so, what kind of gaming? Graphics hungry Crysis or rest of the games? The games except crysis can be sufficed with a 9600GT for fullHD resolution.
If not for gaming, will you be using it for watching movies (long period of time) and music (long period)?

If the PC that you gonna use will be used for movies and music. Please concentrate more on spending in monitors and speakers. At the end of the day, those parts thats are visible also matters.

A fullHD monitor 24" BenQ G2412HD + Creative T6100 - 15K, will get you a good multimedia system.

If you are going to buy the video card 3-4 months later, do not go for anything less than GTS250 512. Don't buy 1Gb of any card. Check tomshardware for the diff b/w 512 and 1gb. It won't be worth the money, instead you can opt for a different chipset and you'll find noticeable difference. And buy any brand that is cheap. Palit, Point of view, galaxy are also good brands. But if XFX is cheap, then you can buy that too.

And now for processor. I guess you have finalized it to 955BE. It's a good pick. You can even opt for 965BE, if you have budget.

And for motherboard. Buy the cheapest possible motherboard - don't care about brands. ECS, BIOSTAR, ASROCK are also good brands. You wouldn't find a difference in buying these boards. and you wouldn't get a problem too. (Of course, there is a chance of getting some problems, but that will be present all the asus and gigabyte boards too)
ASUS and GIGABYTE are costly. If in your area, all are of equal price then go for ASUS and Gigabyte, cause they give you sturdy feel and lots of online friends.

RAM - don't go for DDR3 if there is a price difference of around 800 INR or 500 INR (and if u need that 500 or 800 INR) Cause if you choose DDR3, the price of the motherboard should also be taken into consideration. Of course, there are some cheap ddr3 motherboards that suport am3 (like for 3K) but they are lower chipset like nvidia 6150 etc. The same chipset(780 or 785) will have a difference in ddr2 and ddr3 board.

So rounding off everything, if you buy anybrand ddr2 motherboard you can save the money for rest of the components. As a ddr3+costly brand won't have a vast performance difference for that price.

Example: DDR3+ASUS+7XX chipset = 5k and DDR2+BIOSTAR+same 7XX chipset= 3.5K (no huge difference in performance) but that 1.5 when spent on a video card or processor will fetch you a nice performance difference which will be definitely be better than the difference between ASUS+DDR and BS+DDR2.

Am I making any sense here?

And one more thing, from what i've seen so far with a D930 cpu and DDR2667 RAM and Win7 32- there definitely won't be a need for RAM more than 2GB. Till now I haven't used 100% of my RAM. and I'm wondering is it any kind of bug in my PC or config.

Let's take this scenario:
System 1:
AMD 965BE + Biostar A785GE + ZION 2 GB DDR2 800

System 2:
AMD X4 630BE + ASUS M4A78STD-V-EVO + Corsair 2 GB DDR3> ?

The price of system 1 - 8850+3535+2250 = 14635
The price of system 2 - 4900+6883+3150 = 14933
Source: Lynx-india.com

Both are same price. But my guess is that System 1 will outperform system 2.

R

Phenom II X4 955 3.2GHz B.E. @ 8k
Transcend 2GB DDR3 1333MHz C9 @ 2.5k
Seagate Barracuda 7200.12 500GB @ 2.4k
Zebronics Pro 550W @ 2.8k
cm elite 310 @ 1.5k
BenQ 22" G2220 FULL HD LCD Monitor @ 8k
Altec Lansing BXR1121 2.1 @ 1.1k
Logitech keyboard + mouse @ 0.6k
APC UPS @ 2.5K

if without igp(if budget permits), then Sapphire HD5670 512MB GDDR5 + gigabyte MA770T-UD3P @ 5.6k + 6.5k else Gigabyte GA-MA785GMT-UD2H @ 5.5k.....

i wanna do all the different tweakings with my rig.... i wanna work hard but play even harder....

R

rahul_007 said:
I am just a casual gamer. I want a decent gaming rig under 30k-35k. Should i go for core i3 or core i5???? Integrated graphics would do as i would buy a graphics card in 3-4 months time (please suggest the configuration of the pc).

That's a question best answered by in house Intel experts. Ask them during the Intel Live Chat event on the 26th of Feb when they chat on Intel processors. Intel Live Chat

rahul, if u IGP game, try & get MSI 785GM E65. better than the gigabyte 1. but cost almost same or even Biostar 790GX is good option.

R

is "Asus M4A785TD-V Evo" better than "MSI 785GN-E65"???? asus is a full atx board....

rahul_007 said:
is "Asus M4A785TD-V Evo" better than "MSI 785GN-E65"???? asus is a full atx board....

if u don't OC IGP. & don't have problem with mATX board. don't want to OC the processor lot or want run rams at 1600Mhz, MSI better choice. it 1k less than Asus.

R

i m going to buy my rig on 3/3/10....
my config :-

Phenom II X4 955 3.2GHz B.E. @ 8k
Asus M4A785TD-V EVO @ 6.3k
Transcend 2GB DDR3 1333MHz C9 @ 2.5k
Seagate Barracuda 7200.12 500GB @ 2.4k
Zebronics Pro 500W @ 2.3k
cm elite 310 @ 1.5k
BenQ 22" G2220 FULL HD LCD Monitor @ 8k
Altec Lansing BXR1121 2.1 @ 1.1k
Logitech keyboard + mouse @ 0.6k
APC UPS 650va @ 2.5K

total:- 35.2k

Sapphire HD5670 512MB GDDR5 @ 5.6k and transcend 2gb ddr3 1333mhz @ 2.4k in 3 months time....

ANY FINAL COMMENTS???? ANY1????

^^
Zebronics Pro 500W. This is something I would never trust. And down the line you plan to get a graphics accelerator. Even if it is not power hungry, that PSU --- I doubt it can provide clean, ripple free output, specially when stressed high.

rahul_007 said:
i m going to buy my rig on 3/3/10....
my config :-

Phenom II X4 955 3.2GHz B.E. @ 8k
Asus M4A785TD-V EVO @ 6.3k
Transcend 2GB DDR3 1333MHz C9 @ 2.5k
Seagate Barracuda 7200.12 500GB @ 2.4k
Zebronics Pro 500W @ 2.3k
cm elite 310 @ 1.5k
BenQ 22" G2220 FULL HD LCD Monitor @ 8k
Altec Lansing BXR1121 2.1 @ 1.1k
Logitech keyboard + mouse @ 0.6k
APC UPS 650va @ 2.5K

total:- 35.2k

Sapphire HD5670 512MB GDDR5 @ 5.6k and transcend 2gb ddr3 1333mhz @ 2.4k in 3 months time....

ANY FINAL COMMENTS???? ANY1????

change cabby & PSU. get the NZXT Gamma & some better PSU. not Zebronics stuff. not have much faith on them.

asigh said:
^^
Zebronics Pro 500W. This is something I would never trust. And down the line you plan to get a graphics accelerator. Even if it is not power hungry, that PSU --- I doubt it can provide clean, ripple free output, specially when stressed high.

+1, don't get Zebronics Pro 500W even its wattage is more & it costs 2.3k & the card u getting is not power hungry. get Seasonic 380W. or FSP Saga II 400 Watts @ 2.3k or FSP Blue Storm Pro 350W @ 2.4k to lower the price. much much better than Zebronics stuff.

R

then should i replace zebronics 500w with Gigabyte 80 Plus Active PFC 460W @ 2.2k..... woluld it be able to support sapphire hd 5670 & 2gb ddr3 more without issues????

and if NZXT Gamma isnt available in nehru place,,,, then should i go with cm 310????

^^
Yes. It shall.

R

n wat abt case????

rahul_007 said:
then should i replace zebronics 500w with Gigabyte 80 Plus Active PFC 460W @ 2.2k..... woluld it be able to support sapphire hd 5670 & 2gb ddr3 more without issues????

and if NZXT Gamma isnt available in nehru place,,,, then should i go with cm 310????

it'll. giggy 460W wil support even HD5770 card with ease.

rahul_007 said:
n wat abt case????

as for cabby, CM Elite 310 is good choice, but only if NZXT gamma is unavailable.

@ asigh, u recommended gamma to Cool G5?

^^
Do not think I recommended Gamma to him. I like to recommend HAF 932

asigh said:
^^
Do not think I recommended Gamma to him. I like to recommend HAF 932

have u recommended him, he would have became HOT G5.

^^
Though honestly the Gamma is excellent value for money. Black interiors, cut out back plate. Well spaced. If only they could make a full ATX version, will get that. Never going to get a mid-Tower again.

asigh said:
^^
Though honestly the Gamma is excellent value for money. Black interiors, cut out back plate. Well spaced. If only they could make a full ATX version, will get that. Never going to get a mid-Tower again.

its true. fantastic value for money. read reviews.

rahul_007 said:
thank you man!!!! cilius you are great..... now i am absolutely clear what to buy.... i was also confused about the price of AMD Phenom II 955.... which mobo and graphics card did you get???? please post your full config.... also post some benchmarks as soon as possible....

Thanks, Rahul_007
And my Full config is
AMD Phenom II 955
Gigabyte GA-MA785GMT-UD2H
Transcend 2X2 GB 1333 MHz DDR3 C9
1 TB Seagate (32 MB Cache)
250 GB Seagate SATA
XFX 5770 1 GB DDR5
AOC 19" TFT (the price is now 5.6k +VAT)/ASUS 18.5" TFT
Zebronics Reaper Cabinet
Zebronics Platinum 700W PSU
Altec Lansing VS2421 2.1

About your config, I have one suggestion. Instead of going for the Zebronics 500W, go for the 600W version.

R

so guys, i have finally ordered my rig....

processor :- AMD Phenom II X4 955 3.2GHz B.E. @ 8k (7.7K + 4% tax)
motherboard :- Asus M4A785TD-V EVO @ 6.5k
ram :- Transcend 2GB DDR3 1333MHz C9 2.5k
harddisk :- Seagate Barracuda 7200.12 500GB @ 2.4k
graphics card :- Sapphire HD5670 512MB GDDR5 @ 5.5k
psu :- Gigabyte 80 Plus Active PFC 460W @ 2.2k
cabinet :- cooler master elite 310 @ 1.5k
monitor :- BenQ 22" G2220 FULL HD LCD Monitor @ 8k
speakers :- Altec Lansing BXR1121 2.1 @ 1.1k
peripherals :- Logitech keyboard(0.4k) + mouse(0.2k) @ 0.6k
UPS :- APC UPS 650va @ 2.2k

market price:- 41.5k

i ordered it through my uncle who works in coporate sector.... he got me this config for 34k....

thank you all for helping me and many others like me out.... keep up the good work!!!!

and please tell me,,, WHAT IS "OEM HSF"????

rahul_007 said:
so guys, i have finally ordered my rig....

processor :- AMD Phenom II X4 955 3.2GHz B.E. @ 8k (7.7K + 4% tax)
motherboard :- Asus M4A785TD-V EVO @ 6.5k
ram :- Transcend 2GB DDR3 1333MHz C9 2.5k
harddisk :- Seagate Barracuda 7200.12 500GB @ 2.4k
graphics card :- Sapphire HD5670 512MB GDDR5 @ 5.5k
psu :- Gigabyte 80 Plus Active PFC 460W @ 2.2k
cabinet :- cooler master elite 310 @ 1.5k
monitor :- BenQ 22" G2220 FULL HD LCD Monitor @ 8k
speakers :- Altec Lansing BXR1121 2.1 @ 1.1k
peripherals :- Logitech keyboard(0.4k) + mouse(0.2k) @ 0.6k
UPS :- APC UPS 650va @ 2.2k

market price:- 41.5k

i ordered it through my uncle who works in coporate sector.... he got me this config for 34k....

thank you all for helping me and many others like me out.... keep up the good work!!!!

and please tell me,,, WHAT IS "OEM HSF"????

nice config. but why 2Gb ram only? your system wil be much better with 4Gb ram. anyway, rest everything is good.

OEM HSF means aftermarket heatsink. not the cpu cooler that comes with the processor. Eg: CM V8, Scythe Katana 3, etc.

R

how far can i overclock with stock cooler :?:

????

rahul_007 said:
how far can i overclock with stock cooler????

processor: 955 runs really hot. so max 3.5Ghz. get a cheap OEM HSF, like Scythe Katana 3 @ 1.6k & u should b able pass 3.8Ghz.

ram: transcend value rams won't OC. should reach 1350Mhz.

graphics: Sapphire HD5670 512Mb w/o Arctic cooler, u can OC from default 775/1000 (core/memory in Mhz) to 900/1050. use MSI After Burner. as ATI Catalyst have some problem with fan speed. if u use Catalyst, u can get 850/1050 & your card wil still be quite & cool thanks to dual slot Arctic Cooler.

so finally got my pc.... (i m rahul_007 but forgot my password

)....

rahul.007 said:
so finally got my pc.... (i m rahul_007 but forgot my password)....

congrats man. time for some pics now.