Need Suggstions for Upgrading CPU,Motherboard,RAM and Graphics Card

Hi Friends,

I'm looking to upgrade my PC,please suggest a suitable configuration.Thank You.

I filled out template below.

1. What is the purpose of the computer? (Note: If you are planning to say multimedia, you will have to be more specific as all types of systems are capable of doing that)
A:Run multiple virtual machines on vmware,video conversation,office work,downloading & occasional gaming.My PC usually runs 24hrs (I shut it down only when I go on Vacation)

2. Are you open to alternate ideas/products giving similar better performance but offering more VFM/ sellers? If not- why?
A:Yes

3. What is your MAX budget?
A:25K

4. Planning to overclock?
A: Probably wont.

5. Which OS are you planning to use?
A:Windows XP Pro & Windows 7 Ultimate in dual boot

6. How much hard drive space is needed?
A: Not required,already have around 9TB HDD space (both Internal & External)

7. What resolution will the screen run at & whats the size of the screen you want? If you already want have one and want to use it, mention its resolution and size.
A:Not required,already have Benq G2412HD,24inch,1920 * 1080 resolution.

8. How would you rate your hardware knowledge from the count of 1-10? (1 being the lowest, 5 being you are somewhat in sync with the current performers and 10 being the highest)
A:9

9. Have you ever built a desktop before or will this be done by an assembler?
A: Was my job earlier

, this one though will be done by Assembler.

10. When are you planning to buy the system?
A: As soon as i finalise on the configuration

11. Are you one of the types looking out for "future proof" configurations?
A: Yes,preferably

12. Are there going to be any components that you don't want to include in this new rig? If yes, do mention.
A: Only want to buy CPU,Motherboard,RAM and Graphics Card (will buy this later)

13. Which city do you live in and are you open to buying from shops from other city/states?
A:Bangalore,I wish I could buy from Nehru Place again

14. Mention any other points if deemed necessary
A:I'm mentioning my current PC config below.I'm looking to upgrade the CPU,Motherboard,RAM at the moment and planning to continue using the NVIDIA GeForce GTS 250 for now, with a plan to upgrade it soon.I'm looking for a motherboard that will have atleast 4 RAM slots as i want to buy atleast 8GB RAM (4 *2 sticks) and plan to add another 8GB in future.My office work involves using application that demand quite a bit of memory.

Current Configuration
-----------------------
Intel Pentium D 3Ghz
Intel DG965RY Motherboard
4 GB Memory Transcend
Nvidia GeForce GTS 250 512MB
Internal HDD: 5.5TB ,Seagate (1TB * 1),Western Digital (1TB * 1,1.5TB * 1 & 2TB * 1)
External HDD: 3.75TB ,Seagate (1TB * 1,500GB * 1), Western Digital (1TB * 1,500GB * 2,250GB * 1)
Optical Drive: 2, LG (1 * 1DVDRW) & Sony ((1 * 1DVDRW)
Floppy Drive: 1 Sony
Cooler Master 500W SMPS
Cooler Master HAF 922 Cabinet
Creative X-Fi USB Souncard
Creative 5.1 Inpsire T6060 Speakers
Logitech Cordless Internet Pro Keyboard & Mouse
Avermedia Tv Tuner Box External
Microtek UPS (1KV *1 & 600VA * 1)
HP Deskjet 3050 AIO Printer
Huawei SmartAX MT880 ADSL Modem
Netgear JWNR 2000 Router

Thanks in Advance

well here it goes

Intel Core i5 2400 @ 9.5k
Gigabyte GA-P67A-UD3-B3 @ 9.5k / Gigabyte GA-Z68X-UD4-B3 @ 13k
G.Skill Ripjaws 2*4gb @ 5.5k

and when you buy a graphic card, make sure you change your PSU also, because that one is not safe and reliable

Thanks for the response. Sorry it took me a while to get back to the thread.
I did use the time to read a bit and bring myself upto speed on the latest buzz in the desktop arena.

Well it seems i have to stretch my budget a bit more.Here's what i have decided to go through with.

Processor ->Intel Core i7 2600K,I think the premium of 5k over Core i5 2500K is worth it.Your thoughts and opinions please.
RAM -> G.Skill Ripjaws seems good or Corsair
Motherboard -> Here's where I need help. I have narrowed down on four boards (below).Please suggest which one looks the best value for money.

Gigabyte GA-Z68X-UD3H-B3 - My First Choice
Asus P8Z68-V - - My Second Choice
Gigabyte GA-Z68A-D3H-B3
Asus P8Z68-V (Price seems a bit high, is it worth it?)

Please also suggest a CPU cooler,preferably in the price range of 2K-3K

Please also suggest a Graphic Card preferably in the price range of 10K-12K.Though in all probability I will buy this later maybe next month or so.

Piyush,can you please explain a bit more on why you think my existing PSU is not safe and reliable (its given me no problems so far). Will I need to change my PSU now itself if I buy an i7 2600K or can it wait till i buy a new Graphic Card ?
What are the options that I should be looking at if i do need to buy a new PSU now.

I think I'l be buying these components from Golcha Computers,SP Road Bangalore (even though i hate the owner and his attitude towards customers).Cuz it seems to be the only reliable computer shop in Bangalore and usually has all he products available.I'l be grateful if anyone can point me to any other good shop in Bangalore.

Thanks guys for taking time to help.

Cheers

v2kisad said:
Thanks for the response. Sorry it took me a while to get back to the thread.
I did use the time to read a bit and bring myself upto speed on the latest buzz in the desktop arena.

Well it seems i have to stretch my budget a bit more.Here's what i have decided to go through with.

Processor ->Intel Core i7 2600K,I think the premium of 5k over Core i5 2500K is worth it.Your thoughts and opinions please.
RAM -> G.Skill Ripjaws seems good or Corsair
Motherboard -> Here's where I need help. I have narrowed down on four boards (below).Please suggest which one looks the best value for money.

Gigabyte GA-Z68X-UD3H-B3 - My First Choice
Asus P8Z68-V - - My Second Choice
Gigabyte GA-Z68A-D3H-B3
Asus P8Z68-V (Price seems a bit high, is it worth it?)

Please also suggest a CPU cooler,preferably in the price range of 2K-3K

Please also suggest a Graphic Card preferably in the price range of 10K-12K.Though in all probability I will buy this later maybe next month or so.

Piyush,can you please explain a bit more on why you think my existing PSU is not safe and reliable (its given me no problems so far). Will I need to change my PSU now itself if I buy an i7 2600K or can it wait till i buy a new Graphic Card ?
What are the options that I should be looking at if i do need to buy a new PSU now.

Thanks guys for taking time to help.

Cheers

If you can afford 2600k then its the best deal you can get

go for any one of Corsair or GSkill..both are reputed brands and are reliable

Go for 1st mobo as it has all the required features that a Z68 mobo should have and with decent pricing too

GFX @ 12k-->Sapphire HD 6870 1gb (best one in this range and nore than enough for you)

that PSU is CM 500W extreme series, am i right?
you should not continue with this one with new setup
it has low efficiency and cheap capacitors and other components and hence low reliability
you should try to get any of these below:
Corsair VX 550W @ 4.5k
Seasonic SII 520W @ 4.1k
Corsair GS 600W @ 4k

Thanks for the reply Piyush.Yes the PSU is CM Extreme series. So its seems another 4k addition to the budget now

I have a couple of questions though

1) I can buy 2600K & I'm mostly inclined towards it because of HT but it does cost 5K or so more than i5 2500K. So in your opinion is it worth the extra money?

2.Can i continue with stock cooler or do I need a customer cooler.If yes,please suggest some.

Cheers

S

According to senior forum members like Tkin and Mukherjee, yes, you do need an after market cpu cooler with the 2600K.. At least a CoolerMaster Hyper 212 Plus with an extra fan in push/pull configuration.. Other choices would be CM N620, which is kinda out of stock i think, but a very good cooler, and any of the Noctua coolers, (ie, D14, U12P, etc)... These are all i know about..

Lets wait and see what the others say...

Thanks Souro.

CoolerMaster Hyper 212 Plus looks nice, any idea about the price.
Not sure if Cooler Master Hyper N620 supports iseries Processors.

Can you point me to the website of Noctua

v2kisad said:
Thanks for the reply Piyush.Yes the PSU is CM Extreme series. So its seems another 4k addition to the budget now

I have a couple of questions though

1) I can buy 2600K & I'm mostly inclined towards it because of HT but it does cost 5K or so more than i5 2500K. So in your opinion is it worth the extra money?

2.Can i continue with stock cooler or do I need a customer cooler.If yes,please suggest some.

Cheers

1.yes, it will be good for you as your requirements will be benefited with this processor

2.Since you wont be overclocking and the stock speed of this processor is more than enough, then i do'nt think you require a after-market cooler

Piyush,thanks for confirming my choice on the processor.That seals the processor then,unless i get a quote of an absurdly high price here in Bangalore (IMO not the best place to buy computer parts)

I was a bit hesitant to overclock earlier but from what i have been reading its quite safe to overclock the K series processors.So i think i might try my hand at overclocking a bit and maybe more

Hence the request for suggesting a cooler.

Can any forum members from Bangalore suggest a few decent shops for buying these stuff.

Cheers

S

@Piyush,

According to the experience of tkin and mukherjee, the stock cooler that comes with the i7-2600K is very bad.. Whether v2kisad is OCing or not, he will need a decent after market cooler... Of course, cpu temps would also depend on his ambient temps...

@v2kisad,

The Hyper 212+ is available for under 2K.. This has got one fan. Add another fan for around 500-600 and you've got a good cooler. One fan to pull air to the heatsink and another to push air away from the heatsink..

Thanks Souro.

How do i fit the second fan on 212+,cuz i guess the custom package will have only single fan mounting clip.

I just recieved this quote from Golcha Computers @ SP Road Bangalore.Please let me know if this prices looks ok comparitively.

Component Model Price
Processor Intel Core i7 2600K *14800
Processor Intel Core i5 2500K *9800
Motherboard Gigabyte GA-Z68X-UD3H-B3 *11000
Motherboard Asus P8Z68-V PRO *13000
RAM G.Skill Ripjaws* 4GB * 2 *5000
RAM Corsair Vengeance 4GB * 2 *5000
Power Supply Corsair GS 600W *3700
CPU Cooler CoolerMaster Hyper 212 Plus *1800

Any other CM Cooler suggestion as it seems they dont have Noctua.
Plus 5% Vat Charge extra.

S

the Hyper 212+ has an extra fan bracket that allows for fitting of another 120mm fan... Coolermaster has other coolers, like the N620 (very good), V6GT and V8 (not sure about these)...

I am a total newbie to this forum, bro.. dont take my word on anything yet! I'm just giving my 2 cents.. Wait a bit for the other forum members to reply... Cheers

Thanks Souro.Appreciate your help and suggestion. Anyways Thanks to Piyush,I have pretty much decided what to buy.But I'l wait bit to see if i get any suggestions regarding the cooler.

Cheers

hmmm....
ok so if you are ready for some good overclocking then i'll recommend you to go for N620
its the perfect choice for 2600k
and if you are willing to do only mild over clocking , then hyper 212+ is the best bet

Piyush,thanks again for the response. I'l check out the price of N620 and if there isn't much diff from 212+ then i'l pick up N620.

Seems you are from NCR, any idea how the prices that i have posted compare with that of Nehru Place (Computer Empire etc)

Cheers

S

^^

@Piyush

v2kisad said:
Piyush,thanks again for the response. I'l check out the price of N620 and if there isn't much diff from 212+ then i'l pick up N620.

Seems you are from NCR, any idea how the prices that i have posted compare with that of Nehru Place (Computer Empire etc)

Cheers

Processor,power supply and cpu cooler prices are very sweet (really)
however motherboard a bit overpriced

RAMs prices are same here

I guess it balances it out then. IMO generally the prices are on higher side in bangalore then Nehru Place.
Ah! I miss good old Nehru Place and GC Avenue too.

I'l post an update when i buy the components.

Thanks a TON Piyush.

Cheers.

anytime

good luck

T

just my +1 cent. Add Corsair Tx650 IPO GS600.

Will check out its price. I fear my wife's gonna kill me the way i have exceeded my initial budget

unless i buy each and every component in Pink

Cheers

Hi Guys,

I finally purchased the components on friday. It was an eventful day and I had a very very unpleasant experience in SP Road Banaglore (Courtesy Golcha Computers), so coudnt update the thread on friday.

Anyways here's what i finally purchased from Ankit Infotech.

Component Model Price
Processor Intel Core i7 2600K 15200
Motherboard Asus P8Z68-V Pro 13200
RAM G.Skill Ripjaws 1600Mhz 4GB * 2 5000
Power Supply Corsair Tx650 5269

Cooler Master N620 wasnt available at any shop in SP Road (only Golcha had it).Can you believe that !!

Ankit Infotech offered me CM VGT but it wouldn't fit in my Cabinet so had to drop the idea.I'l order N620 online.

My sincere thanks to everyone who helped me decide on the config.

@Piyush...BIG THANKS !!!

I will try to post a few pics sometime later.

Cheers

T

You can get N620@ 2500 at SMC international.

congrats
btw another cooler(212+)

Cooler master Hyper 212 Plus(RR-B10-212P-G1)