New i5 Config · DIGIT-ARC

A

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: Graphic Designing (Corel Draw X5, Photoshop CS4/5, Some other supporting S/W)

2. Are you open to alternate ideas/products giving similar better performance but offering more VFM/ sellers? If not- why?
A: yes open to new ideas, with subject to easy availability, good service & warrenty terms.

3. What is your MAX budget?
A: 50 - 55 K

4. Planning to overclock?
A: Not (dont know how to)

5. Which OS are you planning to use?
A: XP / W7U

6. How much hard drive space is needed?
A: 1 TB

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: Need a 23 / 24" LED Monitor

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: 5

9. Have you ever built a desktop before or will this be done by an assembler?
A: Self Service

10. When are you planning to buy the system?
A: within a week or 10 days

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

12. Are there going to be any components that you don't want to include in this new rig? If yes, do mention.
A: Graphics card, CPU Cooler (if required can even go for it)

13. Which city do you live in and are you open to buying from shops from other city/states?
A: Mumbai - Lamington

14. Mention any other points if deemed necessary
A: Must be able to run 14 hours daily & some times even continious 48 hours.
(mentioning this bcoz i bought an i3 with intel DH55TC M/B & 4 GB DDR 3 Transcand ram a year ago. Now whenever there is a overnight work, (even for virous scanning / defragment or urgent torrent D/L it have major problem with either part. have replace every parts (4 times M/B) in a year. so i am frustated with brackdowns, as it eatsup my time & work gets suffered.
actually i didn't had budget to go for another pc in such short time but now i am forced to do it as my clients are planning to shift their work to someone else if my pc goes down.

or would you prefer workstation.card?

and do read this thread.

aadishvaar said:
12. Are there going to be any components that you don't want to include in this new rig? If yes, do mention.
A: Graphics card, CPU Cooler (if required can even go for it)

thetechfreak said:
Component | Make | Price Processor |Intel Core i5 2400|11150
Motherboard |Intel DH67CL B3|5750
RAM |G-skill F3-10600CL9S-4GBNT(4Gx1)|1193
Graphic Card |SAPPHIRE HD 6870 1GB|11500
HDD |WDC 250GB Blue WD2500AAKX|3766
DVD Writer |ASUS 24X Sata Black DVD|1150
PSU |Corsair GS600|4000
Case |NZXT Source 210 Elite|2300
Monitor |Benq G2222HDL|7600
Keyboard & Mouse |Logitech MK200|700
UPS |APC 800VA|2800
Speakers |Logitech Z313|1680
| Total |53539

or would you prefer workstation.card?

IPS for photo editing
K CPU for better onboard

What is use of getting a k series processor without a Z68 mobo if he cant Overclock. and no use suggesting as he doesbt want to OC.

HD 3000 wont be enough for the purpose OP wants to buy.

^^ And its better to include a gpu to,At least for some better video playbacks,And maybe lite gaming

serpent16 said:
^^ And its better to include a gpu to,At least for some better video playbacks,And maybe lite gaming

Umm.. I don't think he will need it, if he wants to he can add one bt its nt recommended..

koolent said:
Umm.. I don't think he will need it, if he wants to he can add one bt its nt recommended..

But wont at least a small entry card..be better cause he does graphic editing it will perform lil better

thetechfreak said:
What is use of getting a k series processor without a Z68 mobo if he cant Overclock. and no use suggesting as he doesbt want to OC.

Ishu Gupta said:
K CPU for better onboard

HD 3000 wont be enough for the purpose OP wants to buy.

HD3000 not enough for Photoshop (2D)????

W

op did not mentioned photoshop for 2D only.assuming he meant 2D only even then there is no certainty that he will never do 3D designing.keeping all this in mind a graphics card is must for anyone doing even a bit serious graphics designing.also someone who does not overclock getting a k series processor is a waste of money.

^^ I completely agree with you brother..

suggesting an edited config:

he may either go for a better monitor or speaker (excluded).

Sam, how about Seasonic S12II 520 @3.7k?

Gaurav Bhattacharjee said:
Sam, how about Seasonic S12II 520 @3.7k?

well its his wish but Corsair's service is lot better.

^^ I completely agree with you brother.. But OP please post whether you are going to model 2D or 3D.. If you are going to model 2D then no gfx card is neede bt if you are going to model 3D than gfx card is recommended.. So, please specify the needs..

In any case I would recommend to get a GPU based rig. He wants it for professional purposes, so hence getting a rig that can tackle most usage scenarios is important.

@Sam Yes. Your AMD based rig seems more sensible for all these graphic designing work. More cores will definitely help OP

If GPU is needed for Photoshop then I'll prefer an Nvidia GPU because CUDA is supported widely by the applications and offers different plugins. Get a GTS 450 1 GB GDDR5 version around 6.5K. Also the GDDR3 version is available at only 5.5K in Techshop.in. Grab it, enough for Photoshop.

A

First of all a BIG THANK YOU ALL Guys (thetechfreak, koolent, Ishu Gupta, serpent16, whitestar_999, Sam, Gaurav Bhattacharjee, Cilus) For giving your valuable time for my query :lol:

1) My whole time work is to design catalogues & brouchers for printing purpose.
i will be using potoshop only to edit photographs & some other effect purpose only. so NO 3D is to be done in near future.

2) if you people insist on buying a saprate Graphics card i will go for it, but if onboard display memory is around 1gb in good mother board, i will prefer to save on it & invest in 8GB ram (instead of 4 gb) & will go for 64bit XP. Now prefering XP over W7U is bcoz W7U dont support my "old" laser printer & flate bed scanner. :cry:

if installing drivers from xp competibility mode from W7 & if it will work from W7, i can definately go for W7U. (plz suggest)

3) i was thinking a 2.5K VIP PSU (400w / 500w) will work, not sure to sped a 4K on much more (600w) psu.

4) A roburst motherboard is what i really need.

5) ram which comes with heat sink works better ??? should i use that type ??
a single module of 4gb works better or 2X2Gb also works same ??

6) i dont have any idea for amd, years ago it was said that they tend to over heat & may burn m/b (some cases might have been happen, but still years ago). one morething, i dont have A/c at my "tiney" office. so if you suggest me for amd & if it is overheating too then any need for special cpu cooler ??? if yes then fluied based or air will do ?? is it so necessory to buy such expensive cabinets ?? ( i have not seen people using such high-end cabinates)

7) this machine is going to provide me (& my family) bread & butter, so i will not compromise on Quality, performance for money. will arrange for it & then buy (if it takes 10-15 days more to arrange then also i will wait & arrange)

8) i dont mind spending 13K - 15K over a good LED monitor. (23/24 inch). dont know abt bigger sizes & prices.

9) i already have a very good UPS (4hrs backup for 1 pc, 3 tubelights & 1 fan) so will be using the same ups. I have a 2.1 Altec lansing speakers so i will be using that too. ( can use money on better specs. or even save that)

I really thank you all for all your efforts for me - who you dont even know, dont even know - will be meeting you or never. I really salute you guys for being such a good human being. Only people like you makes internet a great place of knowledge & friendship. the place where you find better people then our sorrounding.

Thank you in Advance. :-D

aadishvaar said:
2) if you people insist on buying a saprate Graphics card i will go for it, but if onboard display memory is around 1gb in good mother board, i will prefer to save on it & invest in 8GB ram (instead of 4 gb) & will go for 64bit XP. Now prefering XP over W7U is bcoz W7U dont support my "old" laser printer & flate bed scanner.

I def don't recommend spending on a discrete GPU, esp if it means cutting costs elsewhere. The onboard (HD3000 on the K CPU) supports upto 1.7GB RAM. And its pretty great. Believe me I have it. Its also officialy supported by PS CS5.
Besides, if you are that unsatisfied from the onboard, you can go for a discrete later.

3) i was thinking a 2.5K VIP PSU (400w / 500w) will work, not sure to sped a 4K on much more (600w) psu.

You can go for lower wattage but don't go for VIP etc local brands. I can bet that these PSUs are the reason so much of your hardware died.

5) ram which comes with heat sink works better ??? should i use that type ??
a single module of 4gb works better or 2X2Gb also works same ??

Heatsink keeps the RAM cooler. Not that it needs it. Most high quality RAM has heatsinks. Price diff isn't much.
2 of GSkill Ripjaws X F3-12800CL9S-4GBXL will cost 3200. 8GB.

6) i dont have any idea for amd, years ago it was said that they tend to over heat & may burn m/b (some cases might have been happen, but still years ago). one morething, i dont have A/c at my "tiney" office. so if you suggest me for amd & if it is overheating too then any need for special cpu cooler ??? if yes then fluied based or air will do ?? is it so necessory to buy such expensive cabinets ?? ( i have not seen people using such high-end cabinates)

AMD don't heat much anymore.
Expensive Cabinets means better quality and airflow.

8) i dont mind spending 13K - 15K over a good LED monitor. (23/24 inch). dont know abt bigger sizes & prices.

The 23" I suggested is actually an IPS screen. It has much better colors. IPS are great for photowork.
I am gonna buy this exact monitor in a month myself.

I really thank you all for all your efforts for me - who you dont even know, dont even know - will be meeting you or never. I really salute you guys for being such a good human being. Only people like you makes internet a great place of knowledge & friendship. the place where you find better people then our sorrounding.

Thank you in Advance.

Haha

No probs.

Ishu Gupta said:
AMD don't heat much anymore.

Fact: AMD never overheated. Athlon XP/K7 ran hot but had performance to back it up. Pentium 4 also ran hot but didn't have performance to back it up. No one says Pentium 4 overheated?

aadishvaar said:
6) i dont have any idea for amd, years ago it was said that they tend to over heat & may burn m/b (some cases might have been happen, but still years ago).

Which idiot said that?

Honestly I've no idea where these rumors started. AMD is only for gaming, AMD overheats a lot compared to Intel. These things came up sometime in 2003-2004 I believe

MetalheadGautham said:
Honestly I've no idea where these rumors started. AMD is only for gaming, AMD overheats a lot compared to Intel. These things came up sometime in 2003-2004 I believe

From the dealers getting higher margins from Intel sales.

W

@,read this as it will help you a lot now & in future:
*www.thinkdigit.com/forum/power-sup...89-power-supply-blacklist-thread-newbies.html

getting single 4gb module is better now-a-days(2*4gb in your case considering your usage).also buy an aftermarket cpu cooler like coolermaster hyper212 for ~2000 & it will greatly help in keeping your cpu temps low.with this & no graphics card you can get away with even a cheap Rs.600 cabinet though you can get coolermaster elite 310 for ~1600.

aadishvaar said:
1) My whole time work is to design catalogues & brouchers for printing purpose.
i will be using potoshop only to edit photographs & some other effect purpose only. so NO 3D is to be done in near future.

i suggested PC with GPU cause it was coming in your budget. So why compromise in GPU when you can afford it and it also increases performance (not much in 2D actually).

aadishvaar said:
2) if you people insist on buying a saprate Graphics card i will go for it, but if onboard display memory is around 1gb in good mother board, i will prefer to save on it & invest in 8GB ram (instead of 4 gb) & will go for 64bit XP. Now prefering XP over W7U is bcoz W7U dont support my "old" laser printer & flate bed scanner.
if installing drivers from xp competibility mode from W7 & if it will work from W7, i can definately go for W7U. (plz suggest)

Onboard graphics can never ever match a dedicated graphics card even if has 1Gb/2Gb/10Gb memory.

i'll suggest you invest in a 6k GPU and invest the rest in cooling.

aadishvaar said:
3) i was thinking a 2.5K VIP PSU (400w / 500w) will work, not sure to sped a 4K on much more (600w) psu.

read what Ishu said. that is the very reason your old PC died. problem is that these PSU are fine for home use or limited use. Once you start running PC for heavy use that demands constant high power, they fail and blow themselves up causing other parts to fail too.

aadishvaar said:
4) A roburst motherboard is what i really need.

already suggested :smile:

aadishvaar said:
5) ram which comes with heat sink works better ??? should i use that type ??
a single module of 4gb works better or 2X2Gb also works same ??

doesn't matter in your case. if you are going to overclock ram (forget it. you already said no for this) it really helps else not much. go for 2X4Gb ram at ~2400 only. ram price has come down to much that you don't need to compromise on other parts to include more ram.

aadishvaar said:
6) i dont have any idea for amd, years ago it was said that they tend to over heat & may burn m/b (some cases might have been happen, but still years ago). one morething, i dont have A/c at my "tiney" office. so if you suggest me for amd & if it is overheating too then any need for special cpu cooler ??? if yes then fluied based or air will do ?? is it so necessory to buy such expensive cabinets ?? ( i have not seen people using such high-end cabinates)

all current fast processor heats up a bit. Be it AMD FX, AMD Phenom II X6 or Core i5 2600K or Core i7. an aftermarket cooler (Cooler Master Hyper 212 Evo at 2k) really helps here. Else there mayn't be any shutdown due to overheat but the fan can cause a lot of noise which can be annoying.

aadishvaar said:
7) this machine is going to provide me (& my family) bread & butter, so i will not compromise on Quality, performance for money. will arrange for it & then buy (if it takes 10-15 days more to arrange then also i will wait & arrange)

a few extra suggestion:
1. buy locally or online is your choice but if you decide to change any part, do take other recommendation.
2. if you buy locally, shopkeeper will suggest you go for something like Cooler Master Extreme Power 460W-600W. Seriously avoid. This can be the reason you'll kill your PC. Go with the PSU i suggested earlier.
3. If you are going for graphics card, get Gigabyte HD7750 from SMCInternational. I suggested you getting this as local market will try to sell you something like GT520 2Gb saying it has more graphics memory. But the truth it, it is a failure as it can't even use 1/4th the graphics memory properly.

aadishvaar said:
9) i already have a very good UPS (4hrs backup for 1 pc, 3 tubelights & 1 fan) so will be using the same ups. I have a 2.1 Altec lansing speakers so i will be using that too. ( can use money on better specs. or even save that)

so you can skip on this and save some cash or invest this on speaker or say a better cabinet. AC is not really required for keeping a PC cool as said by most. you just need a cabinet with proper ventilation and 3-4 fans to regulate airflow else even an AC won't help.

A

Ishu Gupta said:
From the dealers getting higher margins from Intel sales.

yes it all started when AMD started to market their products 1) athlone & 2) something (i dont remember the product name). so intel's slaes team might have started tospeak against it. when a lay man goes to buy a pc / component, if the dealer says "buy if you want to, BUT i dont suggest or it has verybad service or bla bla bla.... the buyer comes (read always comes) in trape. so only this thing might have been with me.

whitestar_999 said:
@,read this as it will help you a lot now & in future:
*www.thinkdigit.com/forum/power-sup...89-power-supply-blacklist-thread-newbies.html

i am reading it...

MetalheadGautham said:

Honestly I've no idea where these rumors started. AMD is only for gaming, AMD overheats a lot compared to Intel. These things came up sometime in 2003-2004 I believe

Click to expand...

yes, you are absolutely right, as i was planning for a new pc (in 2002) & finalize for amd athlone (by visiting amd's stall & got banchmarks showing diff btw P3/P4 & amd athlone) but when i went to buy components, delear made me double mind & i went for P4 (which made me spend aprox 4/5K more, in other words aprox 10-15% increase in budget.)

now the same time came in my life once again, to choose btw intel & amd

That time, you went for Intel. Paid more and got less performance than AMD. AMD was the performance leader.

This time, you have the budget and Intel is the performance leader. Go for Intel again.

:smile:

A

so to short list by parts
1) Intel Core i5 2500K
Intel DH67CL B3 5750 / Z68

2) AMD 1090T
Asus M5A97

(will go for any (intel / amd) as you suggest )

i can / would like to spend more on really good mobo if required

G-skill F3-12800CL9S-4GBXL
Corsair DDR3
(whichever will be best)

wd 500 / 1 TB Sata2 (pref. 32mb catch / 7200)
considering the price tag as rates are more then double

PSU Corsair GS600 (or similar)

Monitor Dell U2312HM (can spend resionalbe amt for a 24")
as per ishu "IPS are great for photowork", so i think it is final. only thing if i spen 1K or 2 k more & getting 24" ultra sharp will go for 24", as size matters !!!

(still optional)
NZXT Source 210 Elite

graphics card, get Gigabyte HD7750
(thinking to first test / try onboard graphics, as i will be doin only 2D)

Cooler Master Hyper 212 Evo
if i will buy amd then will go for it.
(can it handle a bit dusty environment? is it easy cleanable?? )

do i need Corsair Hydro Series H40 Liquid CPU Cooler ??

A

Guys Plz reply, :idea:

W

if you are getting a "k" series processor then you also have to get z68 mobo.if you are getting H67 mobo then buying "k" series processor is a waste of money.
"k"series+z68=overclock
"k"series+h67=no overclock
"non-k"+z68=no overclock

regarding gigabyte card first confirm whether they are supported by gigabyte india(someone posted gigabyte taiwan is marketing these cards here)because if it is not so then for any after sales support you have to directly contact the dealer which then will contact gigabyte taiwan(more hassle & waiting period).
*www.thinkdigit.com/forum/pc-compon...re-price-list-spec-sheet-175.html#post1598749

A

should i go for i5 2320 or i5 2500 as i cant find much diff. in speed (0.3ghz)
& if i want to use on board display HD3000 then only i5 2500K is the only option (to try first, & if it fails to my satisfaction level will go for a display card)

i dont want to OC, dont know the diff btw HD3000 & HD2000

Compare Intel® Products

there is no onboard display in the motherboar supports 2nd Generation Intel® Core™ i5 Processor !!!

HD3000 is 33% faster than HD2000. Or HD2000 is 25% slower.

The regular 2500's graphics are a notch below the 2500K's - HD 2000 vs. HD 3000 - and as a rule of thumb, one should expect about 25 per cent less performance in 3D tasks. Coming in at the same power-draw of 95W TDP, you give up explicit overclocking and a reasonable dollop of graphics performance for a scant $10 reduction in price.
Review: Intel vs. Intel - four Core i5 2500 chips go head-to-head - CPU - HEXUS.net

SMC international prices
2500k - 13250
2500 - 13150
Difference = Rs 100
Waste of money?? Could be

BTW Today I got the exact same cooler you are looking at (CM212 Evo). Decreased stress temps by 25C (75-80 to 50-55).

W

using intel onboard graphics is not recommended for photoshop especially when using OpenGL.
Adobe Forums: Photoshop CS5 Qualified Graphic Cards

So, regarding how well Photoshop is going to work with an Intel GPU... I can only guess that Adobe has already had to work around many of the problems I saw, but there are advanced operations that I could never get to work on Intel-based systems, and like Adobe, I had to implement several OpenGL "modes" to compensate. So you might find that Photoshop will only run in Basic OpenGL mode, if it enables OpenGL at all, with an Intel GPU. And it might just be less stable over long-term use.

frankly speaking currently i do not trust intel onboard graphics even for video(current sandybridge & earlier core i onboard graphics can not correctly output 23.976/23.978 fps which i find irritating).

2 posts down, same guy

For all I know Photoshop may actually work marvelously on a Sandy Bridge GPU using Intel's latest drivers. But I wouldn't bet on it just yet. Once bitten, twice shy.

Tested video cards | Photoshop CS5
Its supported.

GPU and OpenGL features and preferences | Photoshop and Bridge | CS5, CS4

hd3000 supports OpenGL upto 3.1. 3.2 is possible but not yet supported.

Up to the OP.

W

i don't trust intel especially if they can't even get the outputting correct fps right.all sandybridge & earlier core i processors can not correctly output 23.976/23.978 fps.
AnandTech - The Sandy Bridge Review: Intel Core i7-2600K, i5-2500K and Core i3-2100 Tested

anyway it is not advisable to depend on onboard graphics for serious/professional use whether it is simply movie watching(as already mentioned above)or professional video/photo editing.

A

Now after all this discussions, i am thinking (more confused) if i can higher my budget by 10K :shock:

& go for a "all in one Mac" aprox 21.5 or 24" costs around 65K. it runs bith mac os & windows. will have to see that all my files & apps will work well & how much keyboard buttons (alt & crtl) works with apple's keys. & single button mouse & two button mouse also. if anyone have any idea or running mac & pc both (will be highly helpfull if from print design field) will my pc files will work on mac ?? (specially photoshop files from pc to photoshop running on a mac in mac mode) still cant decide

W

why mac?most people run photoshop without any problems on windows not to mention that mac comes at a premium because of brand name.for similar cost one will most probably get better hardware.core i5+a decent graphics card(costing ~5000)+8gb ram is more than enough for photoshop.

A

i want to go for 2nd gen i5, now when i was thinking for 2500k (reco by ishu) & z68 mobo, then i came to know that it is not 2nd gen i5, now thinking for what to do :???:

(i dont mind to buy an discrit GPU) but then also there is no onboard display. :shock:

aadishvaar said:
i want to go for 2nd gen i5, now when i was thinking for 2500k (reco by ishu) & z68 mobo, then i came to know that it is not 2nd gen i5, now thinking for what to do
(i dont mind to buy an discrit GPU) but then also there is no onboard display.

2500k IS a second gen i5.

And on Z68 you do get onboard graphics.

aadishvaar said:
i want to go for 2nd gen i5, now when i was thinking for 2500k (reco by ishu) & z68 mobo, then i came to know that it is not 2nd gen i5, now thinking for what to do

lol what?

aadishvaar said:
i want to go for 2nd gen i5, now when i was thinking for 2500k (reco by ishu) & z68 mobo, then i came to know that it is not 2nd gen i5, now thinking for what to do
(i dont mind to buy an discrit GPU) but then also there is no onboard display.

before you post anything else, please do your homework. google a bit about Sandy Bridge. read a review or two. have your doubts cleared. else we can't help if someone points to an A-star & calls it Maruti 800

A

My dear pros,
i was on intel's site & searching for a Mobo based on z68, now i was on below page

Intel® Processors and Boards Compatibility Tool - Search Results Page

where they have two parts on i5 among many...
1) 2nd Generation Intel® Core™ i5 Processors
2) Intel® Core™ i5 Desktop Processor

now my finalized processor i5 2500k is listed in the second part, :shock:

ie not in 2nd Generation Intel® Core™ i5 Processors, so now as a not highly techy like you pros, i assumed it is not a 2nd Generation Intel® Core™ i5 Processor.

Now thnx to you all my friends, i am now aware that it is " A 2nd Generation Intel® Core™ i5 Processor " :doublethumb:

and now i think i will go for Asus P8Z64 V PRO GEN 3 Mobo, if you have any other better / latest mobo in asus or intel (i like this two only :-D

) plz suggest.

And once again thnx to, Ishu Gupta, ico & Sam
for being kind enough to point out my mistake & correct it.

p.s. : i have finalize the monitor also : U2412M from Dell.

so i think by this end of the week, i will be start getting most parts :-D

Not to forgetting - with your help & guidance. :toast:

Sam said:
before you post anything else, please do your homework. google a bit about Sandy Bridge. read a review or two. have your doubts cleared. else we can't help if someone points to an A-star & calls it Maruti 800

Bro, it was like a shock for me, so i just posted without any research, sorry & thnx. :idea:

P.S.
is Z77 chipset is better (for my use ??)
is Asrock has good products ??

A

Z77 is for ivy-bridge probably. Asrock is good but service and availability is a problem in India.

Instead of P8Z68V Pro gen3, get P8Z68V gen3. 2-2.5k less and almost as good.

U2412HM is 18-19k. U2312HM is 14k.
Is 1 extra inch worth 4-5k? Think about it.

A

Thnx ishu for your concern, i will rethink (mostly will fo for 2312) on this point. negotiation is going with dell (17K is what i am asking) but then also i can save 3K.

for mobo what is the major diff b/w the both ??
if diff is so much big will go for the cheaper one.

Is there asny better / similar mobo then p8z68v which would be cheaper & go for a GPU.
Plz suggest GPU also.

Foolish question : is there any AMD option open for me ??
is intel is better or AMD for my application & at this time period ??

W

at your budget of 50-55k there is no other option but intel whether gaming or other usage.intel is better than amd everywhere it is just the price which is the limiting factor when recommending intel.

A

whitestar_999 said:
at your budget of 50-55k there is no other option but intel whether gaming or other usage.intel is better than amd everywhere it is just the price which is the limiting factor when recommending intel.

Thnx whitestar_999
is my budget is on or less for amd ??
i clearly remember you already recomended intel for me, some days back.
but just had one question abt. the long lasting & better performance