DIGIT-ARC read-only archive · snapshot: July 23, 2026
R
ritwik88 Original post #1
May 15, 2012 at 6:30 PM
Looking for a new PC in Delhi. Budget - 60-65k

1. What is the purpose of the computer? What all applications and games are you going to run?

A. Gaming and productivity. I run a lot of web design tools like photoshop, dreamweaver. I would like to be able to play current generation games like Crysis, assasin's creed, mass effect preferably at high [if not ultra] settings. Should be able to run games coming out in the next 2-3 years at medium settings.

Some of the games I play are memory intensive text based simulators, which have no fancy graphics but require a decent amount of memory to run fast.

2. What is your overall budget? If you can extend a bit for a more balanced configuration, then mention this too.

A. 60-65k. Can't push it more than this since original windows 7 would anyway entail extra investment.

3. Planning to overclock?

A. Not a priority

4. Which Operating System are you planning to use?

A. Windows 7 Home Premium or Professional

5. How much hard drive space is needed?

A. 1 terabyte preferred. Would do with 500gb. I am keen on having a 90-120gb SSD for operating system and latest software and games while everything else can dumped on the larger hard drive.

6. Do you want to buy a monitor? If yes, please mention which screen size and resolution do you want.

A. I would like a 22in full HD monitor

7. Which components you DON'T want to buy or which components you already have and plan on reusing?

A. Keyboard, mouse, UPS, speakers

8. When are you planning to buy the system?

A. Now.

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

A. I am fairly experienced with computers but havent built one from scratch yet. I am willing to try it out, or pay a reliable assembler to assemble it for me. I don't want to sign an AMC with an assembler though as I'll probably be able to troubleshoot problems myself.

10. Where do you live? Are you buying locally? Are you open to buying stuff from online shops if you don't get locally?

A. New Delhi. Would buy locally from any place in delhi that you recommend. I am open to the idea of buying components online.

11. Anything else which you would like to say?

A. Reliability matters to me as I will be using this machine for my web design work and I usually don't have the time to go keep reparing problems. I am preferably looking for a power supply which is reliable and allows for future expansion [suppose I want to upgrade to a better graphics card etc]. A fancy case is not a priority - it can look utterly plain but it should have enough space [especially to attach another hdd], good wire management, cooling and ventilation.
R
May 16, 2012 at 2:04 AM
Thank for your help Cilus.

The total is coming to 60.55 not 63. Plus any recommendations regarding a good 90-120gb SSD?

And how reliable is the biostar 990FXE - it seems to have some mixed reviews online.
Cilus
Cilus #3
May 16, 2012 at 6:45 AM
Phenom II X4 970 BE @ 7.6K
Biostar 990FXE @ 8.4K
G-skill Ripjaw 1600 MHz 4GB X 2 DDR3 @ 3.1K
Seagate/WD Blue 500 GB HDD @ 4K
Cooler Master Elite 430 NormalRC-430K-KKN3 @ 2.85K
Sapphire HD 7870 @ 21.5K
Seasonic SS12II 620 620W 80+ Bronze PSU @ 4.6K
BenQ G2220HDL 21.5" Full HD LED @ 7.5K
ASUS SATA Black 24X DVD R/W @ 1K

Toatl : 60.55K

The motherboard, although cheaper for a 990FX chipset based motherboard, is a good one. It is also a very good overclocker and most of the reviewers were able to overclock the processor to 4.6 to 4.8 GHz in this board.

But if you're not sure, then get Gigabyte GA-970A-UD3 motherboard, based on AMD 970 chipset. The price is around 6.6K.

Another one is Gigabyte 990XA-UD3 @ 9K.
RiGOD
RiGOD #4
May 16, 2012 at 9:25 AM
Config suggested by Cilus is really good. Here's an Intel alternative

Component Make Price
CPU Intel Core i5 2500k 12300
Motherboard ASRock Z77 Extreme 4 10000
CPU Cooler CM Hyper 212 Evo 2200
GPU Radeon HD 7850 15200
RAM 2xG.Skill RipjawsX 4GB 3100
HDD WD Caviar Blue 500 GB 4270
Optical Drive Asus DRW-24B3ST 1110
Case NZXT Source 210 Elite 2400
PSU Seasonic S12 II 620 4620
Monitor Benq G2222HDL 7600
Total 62800

Component Make Price
CPU AMD Phenom II 960T 6960
Motherboard Gigabyte GA-970A-UD3 6600
CPU Cooler CM Hyper 212 Evo 2200
GPU Radeon HD 7870 21100
RAM 2xG.Skill RipjawsX 4GB 3100
HDD WD Caviar Blue 500 GB 4270
Optical Drive Asus DRW-24B3ST 1110
Case NZXT Source 210 Elite 2400
PSU Seasonic S12 II 620 4620
Monitor Benq G2222HDL 7600
Total 59960
d3p
d3p #5
May 16, 2012 at 10:26 AM
Added a SSD in RiGOD's Suggestion.

Component | Make | Price Processor |AMD Phenom II 960T|6900
CPU Cooler |CM Hyper 212 Evo|2200
Motherboard |Gigabyte GA-970A-UD3|6600
RAM |Gskill Ripjaws X F3-12800CL9D-8GBXL|3000
Graphic Card |Gigabyte Radeon HD 7850|15000
SSD | Corsair Force 3 series 120GB|8000 HDD |Seagate Barracuda 1TB SIII 7200, 64MB cache|5400
DVD Writer |ASUS 24X Sata Black DVD|1100
PSU |Seasonic S12 II 620|4600
Case |NZXT Source 210 Elite|2400
Monitor |Benq G2222HDL|7500
| Total |62700
NoasArcAngel
May 16, 2012 at 11:20 AM
@OP with the configuration d3p suggested , you can add a Gigabyte OC HD 7870 and remove the SSD. You should add an SSD later. The 7870 is totally vfm and will be future proof.
d6bmg
d6bmg #7
May 16, 2012 at 12:01 PM
Go with the suggestion of d3p.

You may change CPU cooler from CM Hyper 212 Evo to Deepcool Frostwin @2760/- Link
It's better than 212 EVO.
NoasArcAngel
May 16, 2012 at 4:00 PM
You should change the PSU to a 520w Seasonic saga II @ 4k also if you dont plan on overclocking then probably dont get a after market cpu cooler . Instead invest 1.5k to buy 3 case fans for maximum cooling.
d6bmg
d6bmg #9
May 16, 2012 at 4:52 PM
You should change the PSU to a 520w Seasonic saga II @ 4k also if you dont plan on overclocking then probably dont get a after market cpu cooler . Instead invest 1.5k to buy 3 case fans for maximum cooling.

Seasonic is one of the top brands whereas FSP SAGA II is not as good as seasonic.

Wait a minute! What do you trying to explain?
NoasArcAngel
May 16, 2012 at 6:23 PM
^^ ? what do you mean?
RiGOD
RiGOD #11
May 16, 2012 at 6:44 PM
You should change the PSU to a 520w Seasonic saga II @ 4k also if you dont plan on overclocking then probably dont get a after market cpu cooler . Instead invest 1.5k to buy 3 case fans for maximum cooling.

You meant SeaSonic S12 II 520w? or FSP Saga II 500w?
R
ritwik88 #12
May 16, 2012 at 7:12 PM
Thanks a lot for all the help.

Now these are the configurations I am considering.

AMD Config

Phenom II X4 970 BE @ 7.6K
Gigabyte GA-970A-UD3 @ 6.6k
NZXT Source 210 Elite @ 2.4k
Seasonic S12II-620 620W @ 4.6k
G-skill Ripjaw 1600 MHz 4GB X 2 DDR3 @ 3k
Seagate Barracuda 1tb 7200 rpm with 64 mb cache @ 5k
Corsair Force 3 120 GB SSD @ 9k
Sapphire's Radeon HD 7870 Overclock Edition @ 21.5k
BenQ G2220HDL 21.5" Full HD LED @ 7.5K
Asus DRW-24B3ST Internal Optical Drive @1k

Total - 68.2k

a few questions regarding this config:

does this motherboard have integrated graphics?

how good is reliability and support for AMD processors?

If I don't get the Phenom II X4 970 BE should I go for the Phenom II X6 1075T? That raises the cost by about a thousand bucks. Is the gigabyte motherboard compatible with it? [according to gigabyte website the board needs to be updated to install X6 series processors]

Do you see any incompatibility or conflict between any of these products?

Intel Config - 1
Intel Core i5 2500K @ 12.5k
ASRock Z77 Extreme 4 @ 10k
NZXT Source 210 Elite @ 2.4k
Seasonic S12II-620 620W @ 4.6k
G-skill Ripjaw 1600 MHz 4GB X 2 DDR3 @ 3k
Seagate Barracuda 1tb 7200 rpm with 64 mb cache @ 5k
Corsair Force 3 120 GB SSD @ 9k
GV-R785OC-2GD GIGABYTE HD Experience Series @ 15k
BenQ G2220HDL 21.5" Full HD LED @ 7.5K
Asus DRW-24B3ST Internal Optical Drive @1k

total - 70k

Intel Config - 2

Intel Core i4 2400 @ 10k
Gigabyte GA-H67MA-UD2H @ 8.5k
NZXT Source 210 Elite @ 2.4k
Seasonic S12II-620 620W @ 4.6k
G-skill Ripjaw 1600 MHz 4GB X 2 DDR3 @ 3k
Seagate Barracuda 1tb 7200 rpm with 64 mb cache @ 5k
Sapphire's Radeon HD 7870 Overclock Edition @ 21.5k
Corsair Force 3 120 GB SSD @ 9kBenQ G2220HDL 21.5" Full HD LED @ 7.5K
Asus DRW-24B3ST Internal Optical Drive @1k

total = 71.5k [with hd 7850 instead of 7870 it's 66k]

A few questions:

Since I am certainly not looking to over clock right now, is it ok if I dispense with a custom CPU cooler, buying one if/when I decide to overclock?

is the Gigabyte GA-H67MA-UD2H a good board?

again, do you see any potential incompatibility or conflict with any of these configurations?

I'd still like to keep the overall cost below 70k, so can you recommend any other savings?


Thanks again for your help!
R
ritwik88 #13
May 19, 2012 at 10:01 PM
So I went to Nehru Place today and checked out the prices at Cost2Cost, Computer Empire and SMC International.

This is the config I am considering, given availability of items at Nehru place.

processor - Intel Core i5 2500k
motherboard - GIGABYTE GA-Z77P-D3
HDD - Seagate/Western Digital 1TB HDD [7200 rpm, 64 mb cache]
RAM - G Skill ripjawsx 1600mhz DDR3 8 GB
Graphics Card Sapphire HD 7870 OC
Case - Cooler Master Elite 430
Optical Drive - Sony DVD RW
Monitor - BENQ 21.5in FULL HD Monitor

Seasonic 620W power supply doesn't seem to be available. The above config with a Corsair GS 600W power supply is costing me around 67k.

Is the Corsair GS 600W enough [and good enough] to run the above configuration especially the HD 7870? If not, please suggest an alternative power supply. Should I consider Corsair TX650? Does the Corsair GS600 have enough pin connectors to connect the HD 7870?

If Sapphire HD 7870 is not available, should I go for Gigabyte HD 7870 OC? Is the custom cooler on the gigabyte as good as the one on the Sapphire? The online reviews for Sapphire have been extremely positive, is the gigabyte as good?

In case the BENQ G2220HDL is not available, should I go for AOC 22in full HD monitor as recommended by the guy at Computer Empire?

And finally, the guy at SMC offered me the Intel Core i5 3550 [ivy bridge] at 13k, and recommended that I buy that over the Core i5 2500k which costs 12.5k. What do the experts here think?

I'll be going to buy my new rig Monday morning, and would be grateful for any help.

Thanks

Turns out the GIGABYTE GA-Z77P-D3 is a microATX motherboard which may create problems with the HD 7870 or with adding a CPU cooler later.

Assuming the asrock z77 extreme 4 is not available, can somebody please recommend a couple of good z77 or z68 chipset based motherboards for the above intel core i5 2500k or 3550 based config. Obviously if I am going for a core i5 2500k then I would like a board which would assist with overclocking in the future.
d6bmg
d6bmg #14
May 19, 2012 at 11:32 PM
Try looking for Asu P8Z77-M PRO @10K. Ask at SMC.
AsRock Z77 extreme 4 have LLC problem, so avoid it.
About PSU, GS600 is enough to power HD7870 up.
R
ritwik88 #15
May 20, 2012 at 1:40 AM
Asus p8z77 m pro is available, but it is also a micro atx design. I am concerned whether the sapphire/gigabyte HD 7870 OC edition card [with its cooler] will fit on it or not. Apparently the cooler master hyper 212 EVO will not fit either.

I will avoid the asrock z77 as you say.

what do you think of the MSI Z77A-GD65 ?

In case BENQ G2220HDL is not available, please suggest a good full HD LED monitor [22in] in the sub 9k range.

Finally which place is the most reliable in terms of quality and the builds they make:

SMC
Cost2Cost
Computer Empire

I'll get it assembled at the shop in my presence.
d6bmg
d6bmg #16
May 20, 2012 at 2:43 AM
SMC is the best IMO.

About motherboard: MSI Z77A-GD65 looks good, but availability in India could be an issue.
R
ritwik88 #17
May 20, 2012 at 3:07 AM
You've been supremely helpful. What should I do about the I5 2500k vs 3550 issue? The guy at SMC recommended I go with the latter [ivy bridge] as it is just 500 bucks more. But I suppose it won't be as overclocking-friendly as i5 2500k.
dfcols71
dfcols71 #18
May 20, 2012 at 5:02 AM
db6mg
before you start posting of asrock z77 extreme 4 llc problems ,show some conclusive evidence
imo asus z77 mpro is far worse off, don't buy cant overclock decently besides mtx
d6bmg
d6bmg #19
May 20, 2012 at 12:35 PM
You've been supremely helpful. What should I do about the I5 2500k vs 3550 issue? The guy at SMC recommended I go with the latter [ivy bridge] as it is just 500 bucks more. But I suppose it won't be as overclocking-friendly as i5 2500k.

Buy 2500K.
SMC guys are trying to sell their new 3550K off.
First batch of 3550K & 3770K reported to have heating problems, you can see the problems by searching google.
But, only 500/- price difference? :unsure:
Can you tell us the price of 2500K & 3550K at SMC?

db6mg
before you start posting of asrock z77 extreme 4 llc problems ,show some conclusive evidence
imo asus z77 mpro is far worse off, don't buy cant overclock decently besides mtx

Asrock Z77 Extreme 4 BIOS problem - Dead mobo - D0 LED Status

www.thinkdigit.com/forum/software-q/157263-pc-hangs-while-copying-files-installing-games.html

I saw somewhere in this forum @sumonpathak was explaining the issue wat better than this post.
dfcols71
dfcols71 #20
May 20, 2012 at 12:43 PM
sumon pathak has never given any links where asrock extreme 4 is having llc problems,anandtech give the board a green signal,even though it not a great controller of vdroop- it not something to be worried about,besides the selling rate worldwide says it all-hot seller in many place including newegg
d6bmg
d6bmg #21
May 20, 2012 at 12:48 PM
sumon pathak has never given any links where asrock extreme 4 is having llc problems,anandtech give the board a green signal,even though it not a great controller of vdroop- it not something to be worried about,besides the selling rate worldwide says it all-hot seller in many place including newegg

Don't get fooled by newegg rating & reviews. Most of them are coming from totally newbies, who buy the product, use processor at its stock speed & write a review 1-2 days after buying. ;) True fact!
R
ritwik88 #22
May 20, 2012 at 8:31 PM
Buy 2500K.
SMC guys are trying to sell their new 3550K off.
First batch of 3550K & 3770K reported to have heating problems, you can see the problems by searching google.
But, only 500/- price difference? :unsure:
Can you tell us the price of 2500K & 3550K at SMC?

SMC is selling i5 2500k for 12,500 and i5 3550 for 13,000 [I am not sure whether the latter is K edition]. Other places like Computer Empire are selling the i5 2500k for 11,500-12,000
d6bmg
d6bmg #23
May 20, 2012 at 10:31 PM
In SMC, 2500K is overpriced IMO.
But 2500K from the shop where you can get it cheapest.
R
ritwik88 #24
May 22, 2012 at 4:06 AM
Bought the PC today and been playing with it the entire day. It's working beautifully so far :)


Cooler Master Elite 430
Corsair 600W PSU
Core i5 2500k
Gigabyte z77p-d3 [atx]
gigabyte HD 7870 OC
Corsair 1600mhz 4x2 GB DDR3 at 1.5v
Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 7200rpm with 32mb Cache
Sony DWD RW
Dell ST2220L 21.5" Full HD LED [I am very happy with this]
Windows 7 Home Premium 64bit

I have added a couple of blue LED 2000rpm fans and along with the bundled fan and the PSU fan [which also has LED] it's all looking quite cool :)

Bought it from SMC and got it assembled from them as well. The guy did really good cable management :)

A huge thank you to all those who helped me on this forum!

A few points:

1. the whole rig cost me 74,000/- which includes the cost of Windows license
2. a little bit of bargaining with SMC guys is possible but do it the first time you get a quotation from them, not on subsequent visits.
3. I didn't like the SMC shop on the first floor [meghdoot building i think] at all - the guys are unhelpful, and they quote ridiculous prices + wrong info [seasonic 620W just can't handle radeon hd 7870 for example]. They quoted everything at 1k-2k more than computer empire
4. the guy at computer empire [anil, in room 208 meghdoot building] is helpful but also will try to push crappy stuff on you like cooler master PSUs [I mean really push].
5. SMC shop on the ground floor which opens out right in front of modi building is really good -- guy there called mahesh ["puppy"] is polite and helpful, but like all sales people would try to push some things on you [like the i5 3550 or absolutely unnecessary HDMI cables]. But he will source components if you insist. He got me my hard drive and power supply from other shops.
6. the SMC assembler guy on their second floor "lab" [guy by the name of jp] is good at his **** but you should keep a close watch on him - it's not beyond them to casually put aside an accessory that you don't need [but which came out of the boxes you just bought] - I saw this happen with an HDMI cable today belonging to a not very observant guy who had paid 70k for a dell monitor.
d6bmg
d6bmg #25
May 22, 2012 at 8:01 PM
Corsair 600W PSU <-- which PSU have you bought? CX600V2/ GS600?

And,
Corsair 1600mhz 4x2 GB DDR3 at 1.5v <-- which model? XMS3 or Vengeance?

Congrats on your purchase btw.
Saumil996
Saumil996 #26
May 23, 2012 at 12:51 AM
Congrats on your new rig buddy.

how much did you get the mobo for? (i'm thinking of getting the same one :) )
Sainatarajan
May 23, 2012 at 1:55 PM
I think the mobo should have cost him 9K .
R
ritwik88 #28
May 24, 2012 at 2:49 AM
Thanks guys.

It is a Corsair GS 600W.

The Motherboard cost me 8,200 at SMC.
sharang.d
sharang.d #29
May 24, 2012 at 4:13 AM
Can you please post the costs incurred for the components?
d6bmg
d6bmg #30
May 24, 2012 at 11:34 PM
Thanks guys.

It is a Corsair GS 600W.

The Motherboard cost me 8,200 at SMC.

About PSU: Good choice!

Do post some pictures of your setup when you have time. :)
R
ritwik88 #31
May 25, 2012 at 3:18 AM
Can you please post the costs incurred for the components?

Cooler Master Elite 430 - rs 2800 [with transparent window]
Corsair 600W PSU [4,100]
Core i5 2500k [12,500]
Gigabyte z77p-d3 [atx] [8,200]
gigabyte HD 7870 OC [21,000]
Corsair 1600mhz 4x2 GB DDR3 at 1.5v [3,600 for 8gb]
Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 7200rpm with 32mb Cache [5,100]
Sony DWD RW [950]
Dell ST2220L 21.5" Full HD LED [I am very happy with this] [8,100]
Windows 7 Home Premium 64bit [6,400]
RiGOD
RiGOD #32
May 25, 2012 at 7:56 AM
^^Good pricing for all components IMO. Congratz, and post some pics too.
sharang.d
sharang.d #33
May 25, 2012 at 9:08 AM
Cooler Master Elite 430 - rs 2800 [with transparent window]
Corsair 600W PSU [4,100]
Core i5 2500k [12,500]
Gigabyte z77p-d3 [atx] [8,200]
gigabyte HD 7870 OC [21,000]
Corsair 1600mhz 4x2 GB DDR3 at 1.5v [3,600 for 8gb]
Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 7200rpm with 32mb Cache [5,100]
Sony DWD RW [950]
Dell ST2220L 21.5" Full HD LED [I am very happy with this] [8,100]
Windows 7 Home Premium 64bit [6,400]

Nice man... congratulations!
d6bmg
d6bmg #34
May 25, 2012 at 5:01 PM
Good pricing except for
Corsair 1600mhz 4x2 GB DDR3 at 1.5v [3,600 for 8gb]

Which should be 3.1K
And, 2500K, it would be ~12K (at max)