New PC 1 · DIGIT-ARC

T

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: Normal Web browsing, Java, Music.. Games like HAWX 2, CoD, FIFA, PES, GTA (Even if i play
high end games, they will be played on low.)

2. Are you open to alternate ideas/products giving similar better performance but offering more VFM/ sellers? If not- why?
A: Yes, but warranty, lifespan(reliability) and quality of the product is important.

3. What is your MAX budget?
A: 30 -40k

4. Planning to overclock?
A:No

5. Which OS are you planning to use?
A: Windows 7 32/64bit

6. How much hard drive space is needed?
A: More than 100GB and less than 1TB. Rising HDD prices might make me go for a 250/320GB insted of a 500GB

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: I'll be buying a 18"/20" LED monitor from LG. Exclude it from the budget.

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: 7

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

10. When are you planning to buy the system?
A: 2012 Jan onwards

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

12. Are there going to be any components that you don't want to include in this new rig? If yes, do mention.
A: AMD processors. I also heard that AMD (ATI) GPU's arent reliable.
So i want only Intel and Nvidia

13. Which city do you live in and are you open to buying from shops from other city/states?
A: Goa. Dont mind buying online.

14. Mention any other points if deemed necessary
A:
1. Im thinking of going for i5 2400, asus h67pro b3, 4gb ram. I dont know whether i should buy a graphics card. Since therig has to be future proof, i was thinking of gt520/gts450/gtx550. The gt530/ gt545 arent released as yet. Or will the onboard hd 2000 be sufficient?

2. I am puzzuled as to what PSU to buy. I am thinking of a VIP 400W. Are their products really bad or unreliable? What are the alternative brands?

3. I'll also be needing a new case. Nothing over 3k please. I prefer a bottom psu, front intake fan and side intake fan. Please recommend a case that will keep my components cool. I dont mind buying additional fans.

4. If i buy a gpu, will the gt 520 be a big improvement over the integrated graphics?

In the budget please include only:

Processor, Motherboard, RAM, graphics card (if required), HDD, dvd writer, psu, case.

Right now at your budget there is no point of getting AMD processors as the current gen Intel Sandybridge or 2nd Gen Core processors perform better than any AMD offerings. But

I also heard that AMD (ATI) GPU's arent reliable.

part is completely worng. AMD/ATI GPUs are highly reliable and performs better than the Nvidia counter parts available at the same price range. There are thousands of members in this forum including me are using AMD graphics cards without any issues.

And GT 520 is not at all any improvements. It performs slightly better than Intel HD 3000 graphics and insufficient for the current games, even at lower settings.

Here is my suggestion:-

Intel Core i5 2400 @ 9.4K
Intel DH67CL-B3 Full ATX mobo (USB 3.0, SATA III 6 Gbps) @ 5.4K
Corsair 1333 MHz 4GB X 1 DDR3 Value @ 1.2K
Seagate 250GB SATA II @ 3.4K
NZXT Gamma @ 2.3K
Corsair GS600 600W 80+ @ 4K
MSI HD 6850 Cyclone/OC 1GB GDDR5 @ 9.7K

Total 35.4K

T

Thanks for replying!

I am now thinking of: (prices from theitdepot.com, please recommend others)

Intel 2320/2400 (3.0/3.1)Ghz Rs.10225/10435

Cooler Master Elite 310 Rs. 1700 (without side door)
The case has a rear fan with an option for a front/side fan, though it is not mentioned wheter the front fan is intake/ recirculation. Help on this please? I hope this will keep my components cool.

I was thinking of VIP 400W but am not sure about build quality/reliabilty. Advise?
Then the other options are the Corsair Builer Series CX430 or the Antec VP450

What is the difference between the CX430 and the CX430V2?
There is a small price difference between both the units (as well as W ) but which one should i get? The corsair unit has supposedly better build quality.

Also, will these PSU's fit in the CM elite 310? (it has top psu mounting).

I will check the Intel DH67CL-B3 Full ATX mobo out.
What are the differences in features compared to the asus p8h67pro?

T

Also what is the differnence between the Dh67BL an h67cl???

Techguy said:
Thanks for replying!

I am now thinking of: (prices from theitdepot.com, please recommend others)
Intel 2320/2400 (3.0/3.1)Ghz Rs.10225/10435

itdepot is an overpriced site. Don't make it your first choice.

Techguy said:
Cooler Master Elite 310 Rs. 1700 (without side door)
The case has a rear fan with an option for a front/side fan, though it is not mentioned wheter the front fan is intake/ recirculation. Help on this please? I hope this will keep my components cool.

I think nzxt Gamma is good if not better. But remember price of gamma is lower.

Techguy said:
I was thinking of VIP 400W but am not sure about build quality/reliabilty. Advise?
Then the other options are the Corsair Builer Series CX430 or the Antec VP450

Avoid VIP. Crap desi brand. CX430V2 is good, but buying GS600 would be better option as it is future proof. You can also look at Seasonic 430W PSU (S12II-430) @2.4K.

Techguy said:
What is the difference between the CX430 and the CX430V2?
There is a small price difference between both the units (as well as W ) but which one should i get? The corsair unit has supposedly better build quality.

CX430V2 have better effeciency & build quality. Get V2 if you are planning to buy that psu.

Techguy said:
Also, will these PSU's fit in the CM elite 310? (it has top psu mounting).

Of course. All PSUs are backward compatible to the top-mounted cabinets.

T

I think I have made up my mind on the CM Elite 310. It comes with a rear 120mm fan (exhaust). I might add a front intake and side intake fan.

Elite 310 - Cooler Master - Leading Provider of Computer Case | Cooler | Power Supply

@d6bmg: I check the price of the gamma: It is higher.
Also, if theitdepot.com is overpriced, what are the alternatives?

I'll stick with the CX430V2, because the GS600 wont fit in my budget. Also, the CX430V2 should be able to run my components for at least 3 years even if you consider capacitor aging because my computer's TDP will be much lower.

Intel® Desktop Board DH67VR is the board im planning to buy. Its got
USB3, SATA3.

^I won't recommend 310. I use one, and it looks very ugly to me. Its fine if you find it good, but otherwise go for Gamma..

I think you should opt for Corsair CX500 V2 @ 3K. Since I've suggested HD 6850, I think the PSU should be 500W to be on the safer side.

T

Please give me a few sites where i can buy and check prices of the parts.

I know about:

bitfang
techshop
theitdepot
primeabgb

Which ones are good? Which have high prices?
I was reading a review on the CX400V2 (Corsair VX450W Power Supply Review | Hardware Secrets) and the results were as follows: Corsair guarrentees the unit for 430W @ 30C but the reviewer got 517W @ 44.4C. This is good enogh and i dont think i'll need the 500W

By the way, how is the cooling performance of the CM Elite 310? Will adding the side and front fans help?

I think I'll buy the : Intel Desktop Motherboard DH67VR.
It costs 5k (theitdepot) and comes with good features like usb3 and sata3.
I was planning on the Asus P8H67 PRO but it is 9k and doesnt offer tons of more features that i need. If i need PATA, i'll use a convertor..

I'm not too sure about the graphics card.
GT 520 is not much faster than HD3000, but the i5 im going to buy will have HD2000, so is it worth it??? Or if not the GT520, what are the alternatives?
I prefer Nvidia and since i want a future proof config, i dont know whether i should go for the 400 series. AMD has better choices that way, but i am more comfy sticking to Nvidia....

I could wait for Radeon 7000 or Geforce 600(Kepler) but as far as i know, the geforce 600 is almost a year later...

Another thing... the ivy bridge tests show that it is almost 200% faster than sandy bridge at graphics, so IF i wait and put Ivybridge, i wont need graphics right?

Please reply:

If i do need a graphics card, please suggest one:
My budget is 30k.

So far ive thought of :

CPU: intel i52400 10.5k
RAM: 4GB 1.2k
mobo intelh67VR 5k
case: cm elite310 1.7k
psu: corsaircx430v2 2.5k
HDD: Seagate 500gb 5.6k
OR
HDD: Seagate300gb 4.6k

This gives me around 4k to spend on a GPU, if i need one...
Please suggest a Gpu that will not require me to change my current config (PSU, case)

Radeon or Geforce. Or is it worth spending that money ??

^^- You can try out following-

theitwares.com
flipkart.com
smcinternational.in

@Cilus- i5-2400 @ 9.4, where?

@ op. being a owner of ELITE 310 i can say that u need to put a cm xtraflo(2300 rpm 93CFM) as side intake to keep your mobo cool(37 in summer). The front fan(90 cmf) will help in lowering the HDD TEMP(32 in summer) that too if u mod the cabby.(refer my avatar) The rear fan is a 1200 rpm but you need 2000 rpm with 90cfm to make the balance. Hence i have added a green one

So judging from overall point of view you need a good cabby and GAMMA is a good solution. It also has a REAR FAN(although 42 cfm).
But cooling options are far better than ELITE 310 with solid build. To tell the truth my cabby starts catching rust by now(2yrs old).

Remember only cabby and psu are the future proof things So invest wisely for these two.

XTRAFLO: *www.erodov.com/forums/cooler-master-blade-master-xtraflo-smc/41277.html

dashing.sujay said:
@Cilus- i5-2400 @ 9.4, where?

At kolkata. See this post: *www.thinkdigit.com/forum/overclock...g-update-low-resolution-pics.html#post1530207

Vedant also have 2400 for 9K.

T

Guys thanks for all the help...

The only problem is that I need a case with similar size specifications as the elite310. It cant be even a little taller. If im running an i5 processor@stock,
low-end mother board, normal RAM and one HDD, I dont see why the Elite310 wont keep the components cool. Even if i do buy a graphics card, it wont be anything high end: The max budget will be 6k... so the max TDP will be less than 100W.
I'll probably buy two more basic fans to install in front and at the side. Please recommend some good fans which are less than 500rs each...

I am finally thinking on buying this:

Intel i5 2400 10500
Intel DH67VR 5000
Cooler Master Elite 310 1700
Corsair CX430V2 2450
4GB RAM 1400
Seagate 500GB HDD 5500
______________________________
26550

There is a reason I've suggested you DH67CL motherboard. Check carefully, VR model only has 2 SATA ports. So one HDD and one SATA DVD writer and you can't attach anything else.

T

Thanks for your concern...

The VR version is 5k
The BL version is 5.8k
The CL version is 6k and is an ATX mobo.

I compared all three on Intel.com
Compare Intel® Products

I have one question. Why is there an empty spot on Integrated graphics for the H67VR motherboard even though it has DVI & HDMI???
This board also has 2 USB ports less. It only supports RAID 0&1, which i am sure i wont use. It does not have eSATA, but i will probably use USB3.

Currently, i only require 2 SATA ports, but in the future, if do need more, i can always invest in a expansion card right? The ones that have to be plugged in a PCI/ PCIE x1 slot and provide a SATA/ PATA port(s)?

If you can please give me a link to one such device that i can buy online in India. Or are these devices not reliable?

What is the main difference between the BL &CL motherboards, except that the BL is ATX and has 2 more PCI slots????

Im have now omiited the option of buying the IntelDH67VR.

Im still dicideing between the DH67BL and the DH67CL. The CL is an ATX board with more PCI slots and i guess more USB ports... any other differences?

W

*www.theitbazaar.com/store/our-shop...age=flypage.tpl&product_id=527&category_id=95

a little outdated but provides 2 SATA & 1 PATA ports.it is an oem based on promise fast track series & the only one available at this price from online shop located within india.

also why intel h67 only & not others.check this MSI H67MA-E35 microATX mobo available for 4850 at deltapage.in my opinion it is much better option than buying intel mobo & then an expansion card.
MSI Global â€“ Mainboard - H67MA-E35

T

I have omitted the option of buying the intel dh67vr, so there will be no problems regarding the
SATA ports, anyways thanks for the help.

ARE intel mobos good?

Should i buy the intel DH67BL or the intel DH67CL??
What are the other differences besides the ATX form factor and the extra PCI slots???

I might be able to accomadate a low end GPu..

My proccessor will have the intel hd 2000, so should i buy a GT520@ 3k or will it not
be much of an upgrade??

If i need something slightly higher, i'll have to buy AMD/ATI cause of there value..

I thought of a HD 6670@ 4.8k (bitfang) but there seems to be a 6750 for 5.8k, followed by a 6770 @ 6.5k

Please help me!!!

by the way wats the difference in perfromance between hd2000, hd3000, radeon 6450, gt520, radeon 6570???

I also spotted a gts 450 gddr5 @ 6.5k. how about this?

Hd2000<hd3000 < 6450 < 6570 < 6670 < 6770

W

what is your requirement for graphics card?HD 3000 is sufficient for blu ray playback but has the 24Hz refresh rate bug(ignore it if you can not spot the difference between 23.976Hz content playback at 24Hz or in other words not too sensitive eyes for video playback details). get ATI card a lower end like 5450 for ~2k or a 6670 for ~5k if you play occasional new games in mid settings.

T

I play games occasionally...
CoD, HAWX2, FIFA 12, PES, CS, GTA IV...
even if i do play Crysis 2 or other high games, i will play on low settings...

Is the radeon 6450 much of an upgrade to the hd 2000?
How about the 6570 ?
I might buy a hd 6670 @4.8k or a 6750 @5.8k. The 6770 and gts 450 are 6.5k and go out of my budget...

So should i buy the 6450, 6570 or the 6670?? Are they worthy upgrades to the hd 2000???

HD 6670 is the worthy upgrade. HD 6450 is merely 20-25% faster than Intel HD 2000, slightly faster than HD 3000. GT 520 is same as HD 6450. HD 6570 is worthy over them and HD 6670 is worthy over HD 6570.

Also, of late if there's any company who has had issues with quality components i.e. "reliability", then it's nVidia. GTX 570 and 590 VRM issues.

T

Update:

Bitfang has:

HIS Radeon 6670 GDDR5 @ 5.3k
HIS Radeon 6670 GDDR3 @ 4.8k
HIS Radeon 6450 GDDR3 @ 2.6k
Sapphire 6570 GDDR3 @ 3.9k

I read this review:
Test Setup And Benchmarks : AMD Radeon HD 6670 And 6570: Turkeys Or Turkish Delights?

A comparision here:

*bitfang.com/ProductComparison.aspx?CID=7wel8KXfLqg=

The review says that the 6670 is 3x the speed of a 6450..
Also, the 6450 is slightly faster than HD 3000..

should i buy a 6670 or 6570

HD 6670 gddr5.

T

I think i'll buy the 6670 GDDR5, but is it worth spending 1k and getting at 6750??? I heard they are much better..

Which are some good card manufacturers fro AMD?
Msi, asus, his, sapphire???

Where can i buy online?

Look, the choice of graphics card entirely depends upon your choice. And I don't think spending 1K extra to get HD 6750 is required as HD 6670 performs very close to HD 6750. Although 6670 has only 480 stream processors compared to the 720 of HD 6750, they are based on advanced Northern Island architecture, same architecture used in HD 6800 seires cards. So it is slightly below the HD 6750, which is just a rebranded HD 5750 with 3D support.
So get the HD 6670. The next worthy upgrade will be HD 6770, not HD 6750.

T

Thanks fro your advice!
Yes, i know the 6750 is merely re branded....
So should i go for the HD 6570 or the HD 6670? Are there any good Nvidia cards in the same category?
Are AMD cards reliable and suited for our humid climate?

W

review link you posted in your own post on page 15 you can see power consumption & temp charts.HD 6670 GDDR5 wins hands down on both accounts with its performance.it is much cooler & draws much less power than GTS 450.

No point in asking the same thing again and again. It is your decision what you want to go for.

Techguy -

6670 with GDDR5 is anyday recommended vs 6570 with GDDR3 because 6570 costs 20% less but performance is almost 40% less. I personally think anything below 6670 is NOT meant for gaming.. you're better off without a GPU rather than with something like 6570.

Cilus - 6670 is NOT based on Northern Islands, it follows VLIW5(16*5(x,y,z,w,t)*6SIMD Engines = 480 Stream Processors) not VLIW4(16*4*?? = 480).

Anything thats a worthy Upgrade after HD 5670 512MB is HD 5750/6750. 6670 is not a worthy buy till it drops to 4.6-4.7k to replace HD 5670 512MB.

$$Lionking$$ said:
Cilus - 6670 is NOT based on Northern Islands, it follows VLIW5(16*5(x,y,z,w,t)*6SIMD Engines = 480 Stream Processors) not VLIW4(16*4*?? = 480).

Lionking, the above piece of info is not correct. Northern Island is not only VLIW 4 based HD 6900 series but it also includes HD 6800, HD 6790, 6400, HD 6500 and HD 6600 series. So it is a mixture of VLIW 4 and VLIW 5. I know HD 6670 is not based on VLIW 4 and if you check my post then you'll find out that I mentioned that it is based on the same design used in HD 6800 series. Although Bart is the same VLIW 5 design, it is better optimized than the Evergreen family and has better Tessellation performance. And check the review, HD 6750 and HD 6670 has very marginal performance difference.

Regarding Norther Island GPU series, read Northern Islands (GPU family) - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Cilus said:
Lionking, the above piece of info is not correct. Northern Island is not only VLIW 4 based HD 6900 series but it also includes HD 6800, HD 6790, 6400, HD 6500 and HD 6600 series. So it is a mixture of VLIW 4 and VLIW 5. I know HD 6670 is not based on VLIW 4 and if you check my post then you'll find out that I mentioned that it is based on the same design used in HD 6800 series. Although Bart is the same VLIW 5 design, it is better optimized than the Evergreen family and has better Tessellation performance. And check the review, HD 6750 and HD 6670 has very marginal performance difference.

Regarding Norther Island GPU series, read Northern Islands (GPU family) - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

read the review at toms... seems u r right... NI isnt necessarily VLIW4...

T

Can anyone recommend some good fans for my Elite310? (120mm)
I would prefer ones with PWM. Nothing too costly!

^^ Get CM/Noctua(costly) 120mm fan. Would cost around 350/- for non-led version.

T

I was just thinking about some guys said:
Get a better PSU for the future...

My rig will use around 350W, so i was wondering whether i should get a better PSU...

Corsair CX 430V2 -2.5k
Seasonic 520W S12II -3.7k
Seasonic 430W S12II 430 -2.9k
Silverstone 500 SST ST50f -3.2k

Which one should i buy?

^^ Entirely depends upon how much you can spend for the PSU. Since you have sort listed a 3.7K PSU, I'll suggest to go with GS600 600W 80+ PSU @ 4K.

W

for a i5 2400 system with 6670 card,2 7200rpm & 2 5400rpm sata HDs,1 dvd-rw drive,2 92mm & 1 82 mm non LED fan,1 LED & 1 non-LED 120mm fan recommended psu wattage is 282W so a good 430W is more than enough for your system.

T

Yes that's also there...

I used the PSU calculator..
eXtreme Power Supply Calculator

i5 2400, DDR3 RAM, SATA HDD, DVD, 3x 120mm fans, 90% load: it says 207 watts and recommended 257W..

When i added capacot aging as 40%, it said 340W which is within 90 watts less than what the CX 430V2 can deliver...
Tests have shown it can also deliver 490W+ @ 45C..

Only: i was wondering whether it would be good to spend about 1k more and get 70W more power with the Silverstone S12II500.

I read a review that said that this unit is manufactured by FSP. The corsair unit is manufactured by CWT. What to do? I want a product that will not fail within 3-4years..
Also, i think the silverstone has 5 year warranty..
Where are the service centres? how to avail warranty for corsair and silverstone in case of a problem? Which one will be better?

Also, I wanted 2x 120mm case fans.. without LED... Something that has PWM

W

capacitor aging at 40% is a bit much but still the final result is 90W less than the PSU rated capacity so i don't see any problem.also if you are not planning on running PSU 24*7 then aging will be somewhat less.also it is seasonic not silverstone which is an oem.
*whirlpool.net.au/wiki/psu_manufacturers

Power Supplies

if you can afford extra 1k then no problem but i still suggest to go for a new cabinet than spending extra 1k for psu you won't fully use.

For your proper PSU would be: Seasonic 620W S12II-620 @4.6K
or as a cheaper option, Corsair GS600 @4.1K

T

How is the performance of the GT 440 GDDR5 compared to the HD 6670 GDDR5?
Which one is better?

GT 440 is at best equivalent to a 9600GT card. It is just a GT 430 with some clock speed increase. Whereas HD 6670 is close to a GTS 450.
Buddy GT 440 does not even come under consideration.

T

Okay, so if I had to buy, :

Corsair CX430V2 2.2k
Seasonic S12II 430 2.8k
Corsair CX500V2 3.1k
Seasonic S12II 520 3.5k,

which one will be most suitable?

^^ if budget isn't a problem, then Seasonic S12II 520W would be the best to buy.

T

What will be the the difference between the
Corsair CX430V2 2.2k
Seasonic S12II 430 2.8k
Corsair CX500V2 3.1k
?????
Will it be worth paying 900 bucks more for the 500v2?
Will it be worth paying 600 bucks more for the 430W of seasonic?

Corsair CX430V2
Seasonic S12II 430
both are of same wattage but seasonic one have more efficiency in the output. And yes, if you buy cx500v2 it will be a bit future-proof.

T

I cant find any reviews for the cx 500v2....

Where are corsair service centres in india?

I don't think that you'll find review of every models of a series. For CX V2 series, check Jonnyguru for the review of CX 430 V2. You will get a clear idea about the V2 revision of the CX series.
My suggestion is get a 500W PSU like the CX500 V2. It will come handy in future upgrades. Another option to consider is Tagan StoneRock TG-500 500 W PSU. It is priced around 3K and offers 2 Yrs of warranty. This is one of the best PSUs at 3K price range.

^^In which city do you belong?

T

I live in Goa...

But is it woth spending 200 rupees on the seasonic unit of same wattage?

T

So: Corsair CX 430 V2 or Seasonic S12II 430 GB..

Which one will be better ????

Sea Sonic S12II-520 prices, Shopping comparison for Sea Sonic S 12II 520, Buy online in India - ShopMania
CORSAIR Builder Series CX500 V2 500W ATX12V v2.3 80 PLUS Certified Active PFC Power Supply, prices - ShopMania
Sea Sonic S12II-430 prices, Shopping comparison for Sea Sonic S 12II 430, Buy online in India - ShopMania
CORSAIR Builder Series CX430 V2 430W ATX12V v2.3 80 PLUS Certified Active PFC Power Supply, prices - ShopMania

I probably wont go for the Seasonic 520W unit because of my budget...
Whish will be better the Corsair CX 430 V2 or Seasonic S12II 430?
The Seasonic is priced rs. 200 higher..

I need something with good warranty and good after sales service in India.
I think the Seasonic 430W has 5 year waaranty, but does Corsair have better service?

Which has better build quality.