New rig for 40k (will be upgrading in phases)

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: Full HD Movies, Photoshop, Autocad, Internet and sometimes for Gaming (like COD, Need for speed at full resolution)

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

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

4. Planning to overclock?
A: Not sure, might experiment in future.

5. Which OS are you planning to use?
A: Windows 7

6. How much hard drive space is needed?
A: 250 Gigs would be sufficient keeping in mind the temporary price hike

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: Full HD (1920 x 1080) and I already have one

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: I guess 3

9. Have you ever built a desktop before or will this be done by an assembler?
A: Never built one, sure it'll be an assembler.

10. When are you planning to buy the system?
A: ASAP

11. Are you one of the types looking out for "future proof" configurations?
A: Yes and it'll be great if Corei7 fits the budget because I am in position to upgrade every 2-3 months within a budget of 12-15k (or monthly 5k-6k)

12. Are there going to be any components that you don't want to include in this new rig? If yes, do mention.
A: Yes there are, such as Screen, Keyboard, Speakers, Mouse & Sound Card

13. Which city do you live in and are you open to buying from shops from other city/states?
A: Live in Delhi, will buy from Nehru Place

14. Mention any other points if deemed necessary
A: A good looking cabinet is a must, like those from coolermaster, etc.

Thanks in advance

11. Are you one of the types looking out for "future proof" configurations?
A: Yes and it'll be great if Corei7 fits the budget because I am in position to upgrade every 2-3 months within a budget of 12-15k (or monthly 5k-6k)

Then wait for 2-3 months (if you can). That's the only way to fit in i7 processor or even i5 processor.

You know dude, if you read carefully, you'll find that I've clearly mentioned "If i7 fits the budget" and I have rated my hardware knowledge to 3.
Secondly, since I have already mentioned that I'll be buying today or day after (basically ASAP), your comment of waiting for 2-3 months was totally inappropriate and you know, there is a term given to these kind of comments, TROLLING.

Seriously guys, are all the great techies on holiday or what..

This is as quoted by Jaskanwar Singh under PC BUYING GUIDE POST

Sub 30k (Casual gaming,multi media)

Optional upgrades for 30k -

Component | Make | Price Motherboard |Asus M5A97|5700

--------------------------------------------------------------------

This fits for the budget
And you should have checked out the post for PC buying guide where everything is given in detail by digit members.
And i don't think d6bmg had any bad intention while suggesting you to wait since he might have missed out that point of ur urgent purchase need.

andcha said:
A: A good looking cabinet is a must, like those from coolermaster, etc.

NZXT Gamma is a good looking cabinet and a very good VFM cabinet.
check this post:-
*www.thinkdigit.com/forum/power-supply-cabinets-mods/137972-nzxt-gamma-great-cabinet.html

^ it's the best Mid-tower within 2K

Thanks for replying jerrin_ss5. Actually I did checked that post, but since it was mentioned "July 2011" in subject, I ignored it assuming that the prices may have change. Take for eg. the price of HDD, at present a 500 gigs seagate costs around 4k.
About NZXT Gamma, it sure looks good specs wise but I am not sure about the looks.

Now here is what I have managed to cook from different posts at TD and some info from Nehru Place, and I have also revised by budget.

Component Make Price Quotation from Processor Core i7 2600k 15750 Nehru Place
Motherboard MSI Z68A GD55 B3 10192 TD
RAM G-skill F3-10600CL9S-4GBNT(4Gx1) 1350 TD
HDD Wd/Seagate 500GB 7200 4000 Nehru Place
PSU FSP Saga II 500 2300 TD
Case Cooler Master (Scout/HAF 912 Advanced/???? In 5k range) ????
UPS Intex 1KVA 1800 TD
Dvd Writer Samsung/LG 900 Nehru Place
Total 41292 Upgrade 1 (in a month) Graphic Card Sapphire 6870 9900 TD
Total 9900 Upgrade 2 (in 2 months) RAM G-skill F3-10600CL9S-4GBNT(4Gx1) 1350 TD
CPU Cooler Noctua NH-U12P-SE2 3750 TD
Total 5100 Upgarde 3 (in four months)
Sound Card 5.1 Channel ????

I am sure I have made some mistakes so please suggest some alterations/corrections in this config.

P

I would suggest one correction. The PSU. You could try to get a better brand such as corsair. Their builder series CX500 retails for around 3100 INR in Mumbai.

get a better PSU from seasonic or corsair . You can opt for Corsair GS600 ~ 4.2K.

get UPS from numeric or APC. Intex have good batteries but bad electronics. Your choice.

andcha said:
You know dude, if you read carefully, you'll find that I've clearly mentioned "If i7 fits the budget" and I have rated my hardware knowledge to 3.
Secondly, since I have already mentioned that I'll be buying today or day after (basically ASAP), your comment of waiting for 2-3 months was totally inappropriate and you know, there is a term given to these kind of comments, TROLLING.

Seriously guys, are all the great techies on holiday or what..

I like you comment. d6bmg does not had any bad intention, if you say you can upgrade in 2-3 months and also intrested in i7 rig it is good to save money and directly buy i7..... The wait will be worth

@ andcha - Dude what are you thinking pairing i7+6870 with Saga II 500?? Go with avinandan's suggestion for the PSU if you are planning to get i7 2600k & 6870.

Thanks buddy, here is the altered config

Component Make Price Quotation from Processor Core i7 2600k 15750 Nehru Place
Motherboard MSI Z68A GD55 B3 10000 TD
RAM Gskill Ripjaws X F3-12800CL9S-(4GBx1) 1650 TD
HDD Wd/Seagate 500GB 7200 4000 Nehru Place
PSU Corsair GS600 4000 TD
Case Cooler Master (Scout/HAF 912 Advanced/???? In 5k range) 5000 Approx
UPS Intex 1KVA 1800 TD
Dvd Writer Samsung/LG 900 Nehru Place
Total 43100

Upgrade 1 (in a month) Graphic Card Sapphire 6870 9900 TD
Total 9900

Upgrade 2 (in 2 months) RAM Gskill Ripjaws X F3-12800CL9S-(4GBx1) 1650 TD
CPU Cooler Noctua NH-U12P-SE2 3750 TD
Total 5400

Upgarde 3 (in four months)
Sound Card 5.1 Channel ????

About UPS, I'll stay with Intex at present. If I ever feel like changing I'll use it in my office.

Any other alterations?

SuperH3art said:
I like you comment. d6bmg does not had any bad intention, if you say you can upgrade in 2-3 months and also intrested in i7 rig it is good to save money and directly buy i7..... The wait will be worth

I understand and mine weren't bad either. Anyways, past is past and I have no hard feeling about it.

andcha said:
Upgarde 3 (in four months) ||
Sound Card |ASUS Xonar Essence STX |6.5K

One of the best cards out there in the market, bit of over-pricy.

andcha said:
You know dude, if you read carefully, you'll find that I've clearly mentioned "If i7 fits the budget" and I have rated my hardware knowledge to 3.
Secondly, since I have already mentioned that I'll be buying today or day after (basically ASAP), your comment of waiting for 2-3 months was totally inappropriate and you know, there is a term given to these kind of comments, TROLLING.

Seriously guys, are all the great techies on holiday or what..

Well, I do understand your point.

Few questions here

1. As the case already has 3-4 fans, is CPU Cooler really important?
2. Which case is better, Cooler Master HAF 912 Advanced or HAF 922? personally I like HAF 912 Advanced because it has 4 USB ports on the front side.
3. Please review the configuration and tell me whether it's okay to go for because I'll be going to Nehru Place on Friday or Monday to finalize (BUY).

Component Make Price Quotation from Processor Core i7 2600k 15750 Nehru Place
Motherboard MSI Z68A GD55 B3 10000 TD
RAM Gskill Ripjaws X F3-12800CL9S-(4GBx1) 1650 TD
HDD Wd/Seagate 500GB 7200 4000 Nehru Place
PSU Corsair GS600 4000 TD
Case Cooler Master (Scout/HAF 912 Advanced/???? In 5k range) 5000 Approx
UPS Intex 1KVA 1800 TD
Dvd Writer Samsung/LG 900 Nehru Place

Total 43100

d6bmg said:
One of the best cards out there in the market, bit of over-pricy.

Thank you, altered accordingly.

IMHO, HAF 912 Advanced is better choice. (~6K)

Reason: 1. It have 2 front USB3.0 ports. So you won't need any additional 3.5'' USB3.0 bays (saves your 700/-)
2. It have 2 200mm & one 120mm fans, enough for good (very good airflow)

@op since ur taking a K series processor i assume at some stage u will oc regarding cooler u can take hyper212+

P

Is the stacker 830SE still available? That was a sweet chassis. 7 120 MM Fans, removable motherboard tray. Amazing build quality.

d6bmg said:
One of the best cards out there in the market, bit of over-pricy.

Well, I do understand your point.

Where is Asus Xonar STX available for 6.5K ? I just checked pristine note it's available for 7.7K. Also Tell me the current price of ST.

well good to see everyone's rolling in...
anyways @andcha i can see your budget seems to have increased to 40k good...
good config..

MyGeekTips said:
Where is Asus Xonar STX available for 6.5K ? I just checked pristine note it's available for 7.7K. Also Tell me the current price of ST.

Check at primeabgb. Link

There ST isn't listed, only STX is.

d6bmg said:
Check at primeabgb. Link

There ST isn't listed, only STX is.

I think it was one day deal they forget to update the price later. Can you confirm this ? Please.

mithun_mrg said:
@op since ur taking a K series processor i assume at some stage u will oc regarding cooler u can take hyper212+

Noctua NH-U12P-SE2 is a lot better than hyper212+, which he have posted already.

mithun_mrg said:
@op since ur taking a K series processor i assume at some stage u will oc regarding cooler u can take hyper212+

My knowledge on CPU coolers is absolutely ZERO. Will google and see if I can get some comparision.

public_enema said:
Is the stacker 830SE still available? That was a sweet chassis. 7 120 MM Fans, removable motherboard tray. Amazing build quality.

Does look good but it isn't listed on their indian website.

jerrin_ss5 said:
well good to see everyone's rolling in...
anyways @andcha i can see your budget seems to have increased to 40k good...
good config..

Thanks man, hope it works out all well in the end.

It seems I would require a CPU cooler after all and since I'll be buying one after 2 months, it will be better for me to discuss at that time.

So guys, shall I go ahead with this config, Any improvements? or compatibility issue of any sort?
Guys, please give your final input in order to enable me to buy with confidence.

@ andcha: Friend if you could wait little then wait because next gen technology are near.

MyGeekTips said:
@ andcha: Friend if you could wait little then wait because next gen technology are near.

I can wait but I would not prefer to, coz I have this bulky laptop (dell studio 17) which I need to carry back from office to home and so forth.
Until something substantial is coming or if price drop is expected.

BTW, what are you expecting and for how long do I need to wait for that.

MyGeekTips said:
I think it was one day deal they forget to update the price later. Can you confirm this ? Please.

Well, I can, but you will have to wait 2 more days.

andcha said:
I can wait but I would not prefer to, coz I have this bulky laptop (dell studio 17) which I need to carry back from office to home and so forth.
Until something substantial is coming or if price drop is expected.

BTW, what are you expecting and for how long do I need to wait for that.

Nothing that substantial is coming i think you should upgrade now for your needs.

Intel Ivy Bridge is coming March 2012 & Next Gen Gpu will be here by Feb 2011. In India it will be late so i think you should upgrade now.

d6bmg said:
Well, I can, but you will have to wait 2 more days.

Okay then i will wait. Thanks.

Shall I go ahead with this or any changes?

Component Make Price Quotation from Processor Core i7 2600k 15750 Nehru Place
Motherboard MSI Z68A GD55 B3 10000 TD
RAM Gskill Ripjaws X F3-12800CL9S-(4GBx1) 1650 TD
HDD Wd/Seagate 500GB 7200 4000 Nehru Place
PSU Corsair GS600 4000 TD
Case Cooler Master (Scout/HAF 912 Advanced/???? In 5k range) 5000 Approx
UPS Intex 1KVA 1800 TD
Dvd Writer Samsung/LG 900 Nehru Place

Total 43100

andcha said:
Shall I go ahead with this or any changes?

Component Make Price Quotation from Processor Core i7 2600k 15750 Nehru Place
Motherboard MSI Z68A GD55 B3 10000 TD
RAM Gskill Ripjaws X F3-12800CL9S-(4GBx1) 1650 TD
HDD Wd/Seagate 500GB 7200 4000 Nehru Place
PSU Corsair GS600 4000 TD
Case Cooler Master (Scout/HAF 912 Advanced/???? In 5k range) 5000 Approx
UPS Intex 1KVA 1800 TD
Dvd Writer Samsung/LG 900 Nehru Place

Total 43100

Good Config but little change is need:

1. Does your work really need i7 2600K instead of i5 2500K ? Does Hyper threading matters for you ?
2. You should Go with 8GB Ram for your work. :Fingerx:

3. For Cabby Go with Corsair Carbide 400R it will remove **** of all 5K cabbies out.

andcha said:
Shall I go ahead with this or any changes?

Component Make Price Quotation from Processor Core i7 2600k 15750 Nehru Place
Motherboard MSI Z68A GD55 B3 10000 TD
RAM Gskill Ripjaws X F3-12800CL9S-(4GBx1) 1650 TD
HDD Wd/Seagate 500GB 7200 4000 Nehru Place
PSU Corsair GS600 4000 TD
Case Cooler Master (Scout/HAF 912 Advanced/???? In 5k range) 5000 Approx
UPS Intex 1KVA 1800 TD
Dvd Writer Samsung/LG 900 Nehru Place

Total 43100

Looks ok to me considering the future additions.

MyGeekTips said:
Good Config but little change is need:

1. Does your work really need i7 2600K instead of i5 2500K ? Does Hyper threading matters for you ?
2. You should Go with 8GB Ram for your work.
3. For Cabby Go with Corsair Carbide 400R it will remove **** of all 5K cabbies out.

1. I am not sure whether what I'll do would require Hyper Threading or not but I don't want applications to lag. LOL, do I sound like a :noob:

. Basically Full HD Movies/ Full HD 3D Movies, Full HD Games, Photoshop and might edit Full HD videos in future. Now I am sure I sound like one :lol:

2. I will be, but to start with, basically to keep the initial budget to the lowest I am going for 4 GB, but will later upgrade by 4 or 8 more.
3. Corsair looks good but IMO Cooler Master HAF 912 Advanced looks better, plus it has four USB ports on the front panel which is exactly what I want. Still, I'll see and compare it with CM when I go to Nehru Place.

Shall I go for it?

andcha said:
1. I am not sure whether what I'll do would require Hyper Threading or not but I don't want applications to lag. LOL, do I sound like a . Basically Full HD Movies/ Full HD 3D Movies, Full HD Games, Photoshop and might edit Full HD videos in future. Now I am sure I sound like one
2. I will be, but to start with, basically to keep the initial budget to the lowest I am going for 4 GB, but will later upgrade by 4 or 8 more.
3. Corsair looks good but IMO Cooler Master HAF 912 Advanced looks better, plus it has four USB ports on the front panel which is exactly what I want. Still, I'll see and compare it with CM when I go to Nehru Place.

Shall I go for it?

Let me explain you the difference between i7 2600K & i5 2500K:

Take the Core i5-2500, add 2 MB of L3 cache, Hyper-Threading, and a 100 MHz bump across the board. What do you have? The Core i7-2600K.

It doesn't sound like much of an improvement, and frankly it will make remarkably little difference when it comes to gaming. The $100 spread between the Core i5-2500K and Core i7-2600K is only recommended if you want to brag, because you're probably not going to notice any appreciable frame rate difference. The Core i7's strength is only really exploited in heavily-threaded workstation applications, rather than games.

Source: Tomshardware

IMo, i7 2600K isn't worth the money against i5 2500K atleast in games.
The 4 Virtual Core just make little improvement in workstation apps:

See for yourself:
AnandTech - Bench - CPU

But if you still need the best to make a show off then go for i7.

Wow, that is one awesome post
You've made me scratch my head again and I am thinking I'll go with it.

If it's i5 2500k, do I need to change anything else in the config to avoid any compatibility issue?

Is the Ram and Graphic card compatible with the Mother Board?

For your requirements (as posted in post# 30) an i5 is more than enough. Heck even Phenom II X4 965 is enough so I don't see the use of going for i7.

Alright guys, i5 2500k it is then. Thanks MyGeekTips for helping me save 5k

Component Make Price Quotation from Processor Core i5 2500k 10800 Nehru Place
Motherboard MSI Z68A GD55 B3 10000 TD
RAM Gskill Ripjaws X F3-12800CL9S-(4GBx1) 1650 TD
HDD Wd/Seagate 500GB 7200 4000 Nehru Place
PSU Corsair GS600 4000 TD
Case Cooler Master (Scout/HAF 912 Advanced/???? In 5k range) 6000 Approx
UPS Intex 1KVA 1800 TD
Dvd Writer Samsung/LG 900 Nehru Place
Total 39150

Upgrade 1 (in a month) Graphic Card Sapphire HD 6870 9900 TD
Total 9900

Upgrade 2 (in 2 months) RAM Gskill Ripjaws X F3-12800CL9S-(4GBx1) 1650 TD
CPU Cooler Noctua NH-U12P-SE2 3750 TD
Total 5400

Upgarde 3 (in four months)
Sound Card 5.1 Channel ASUS Xonar Essence STX 6500

Any other formula for saving guys? BTW, is there any compatibility issue with this config?

ssb1551 said:
For your requirements (as posted in post# 30) an i5 is more than enough. Heck even Phenom II X4 965 is enough so I don't see the use of going for i7.

Thanks man

andcha said:
Alright guys, i5 2500k it is then. Thanks MyGeekTips for helping me save 5k

Component Make Price Quotation from Processor Core i5 2500k 10800 Nehru Place
Motherboard MSI Z68A GD55 B3 10000 TD
RAM Gskill Ripjaws X F3-12800CL9S-(4GBx1) 1650 TD
HDD Wd/Seagate 500GB 7200 4000 Nehru Place
PSU Corsair GS600 4000 TD
Case Cooler Master (Scout/HAF 912 Advanced/???? In 5k range) 6000 Approx
UPS Intex 1KVA 1800 TD
Dvd Writer Samsung/LG 900 Nehru Place
Total 39150

Upgrade 1 (in a month) Graphic Card Sapphire HD 6870 9900 TD
Total 9900

Upgrade 2 (in 2 months) RAM Gskill Ripjaws X F3-12800CL9S-(4GBx1) 1650 TD
CPU Cooler Noctua NH-U12P-SE2 3750 TD
Total 5400

Upgarde 3 (in four months)
Sound Card 5.1 Channel ASUS Xonar Essence STX 6500

Any other formula for saving guys? BTW, is there any compatibility issue with this config?

Thanks man

This config is perfect. No Change Needed. If you want to save little money you can go for NZXT Gamma case. It's amazing.

Else go for it.

MyGeekTips said:
Let me explain you the difference between i7 2600K & i5 2500K:

Take the Core i5-2500, add 2 MB of L3 cache, Hyper-Threading, and a 100 MHz bump across the board. What do you have? The Core i7-2600K.

It doesn't sound like much of an improvement, and frankly it will make remarkably little difference when it comes to gaming. The $100 spread between the Core i5-2500K and Core i7-2600K is only recommended if you want to brag, because you're probably not going to notice any appreciable frame rate difference. The Core i7's strength is only really exploited in heavily-threaded workstation applications, rather than games.

oh cool MyGeekTips was very informative will keep that in mind...
anyway thanks and you helped OP save some money ....
good work.....

jerrin_ss5 said:
oh cool MyGeekTips was very informative will keep that in mind...
anyway thanks and you helped OP save some money ....
good work.....

Thanks dude I like to help others.

Guys, yesterday I went to Nehru Place and to my disappointment I couldn't find these two products at any shop, so came back without buying anything, total flop show :sad:

1. Motherboard MSI Z68A GD55 B3
2. RAM Gskill Ripjaws X F3-12800CL9S-(4GBx2)

Guys, please give me some alternatives so that when I go again on Monday, I should come back with the system up and running.

Also, a very dear friend of mine suggests to go for Corsair TX650 V2 instead of GS600 (PSU) and online reviews also look good, so shall I go for it or stick with it. There is a price difference of about 1500.

Motherboard Alternates
1. MSI Z68A GD65 B3 @ 12800 in Nehru Place
2. I tried google product search and found ASUS P8Z68-V PRO as the most popular mother board, suggestions please..
ASUS P8Z68-V Pro - motherboard - ATX - LGA1155 Socket - Z68 - LGA1155 Socket

Ram Alternates
1. The above gskill ram is available at flipkart but I am not very comfortable waiting for them to deliver.
2. How is Corsair vengance? It is available for 3350

Help me out with my MissionMonday

^^the main difference betwwen the two mb is 2 additional sataIII ports others r cosmetic gskill is recommended because it gives better latencies at higher clocks u can also look for the gskill Sniper as an alternative corsair vengence is good but the height may cause problems if u want to install big aftermarket cpu air coolers
& p8z68vpro is listed in itwares at 14K

For RAM you can opt for Cash on Delivery from flipkart.
Link: Click Here

And for Motherboard, go for Asus P8Z68 V instead of (V- PRO). It may help you to reduce your budget a bit.

d6bmg said:
For RAM you can opt for Cash on Delivery from flipkart.
Link: Click Here

And for Motherboard, go for Asus P8Z68 V instead of (V- PRO). It may help you to reduce your budget a bit.

Flipkart selling ram :shock:

too look like it will give tough competition to other big shops like Prime, SMC, etc.

d6bmg said:
And for Motherboard, go for Asus P8Z68 V instead of (V- PRO). It may help you to reduce your budget a bit.

The additional features/addons in V Pro are:

1. 2 additional third party sata 6Gbps ports (might come handy in future)
2. Intel® LAN- Dual interconnect between the Integrated LAN controller and Physical Layer (PHY) (don't know what that is and don't care)
3. DTS Surround Sensation UltraPC
4. Absolute Pitch 192kHz/ 24-bit True BD Lossless Sound
5. 1 x ASUS USB 3.0 Bracket(s)

If the price difference is substantial and worth, I'll settle with P8Z68 V.

mithun_mrg said:
^^the main difference betwwen the two mb is 2 additional sataIII ports others r cosmetic gskill is recommended because it gives better latencies at higher clocks u can also look for the gskill Sniper as an alternative corsair vengence is good but the height may cause problems if u want to install big aftermarket cpu air coolers
& p8z68vpro is listed in itwares at 14K

Agree, Gskill is better. A friend has located one of their distributor in Nehru Place by the name of Tirupati Enterprises, will try them otherwise Sniper is already available.

So it seems MissionMonday could get successful and I am really glad to have consulted you all. Thank you guys

andcha said:
The additional features/addons in V Pro are:

1. 2 additional third party sata 6Gbps ports (might come handy in future)

One good point to be noted here: That 6Gbps sata controller is nothing but sh!t.
If you are thinking about connecting SSD(s) to that connector, it will have problem. Presently, V-PRO sales @ 14K, which is a bit high. 2 months ago, it was around 12.2K (at kolkata) and then it was worth buying. Again, your decision depends on your budget.

I'm expecting other members will share their valuable feedback here about choosing V/V-PRO.

andcha said:
The additional features/addons in V Pro are:

1. 2 additional third party sata 6Gbps ports (might come handy in future)
2. Intel® LAN- Dual interconnect between the Integrated LAN controller and Physical Layer (PHY) (don't know what that is and don't care)
3. DTS Surround Sensation UltraPC
4. Absolute Pitch 192kHz/ 24-bit True BD Lossless Sound
5. 1 x ASUS USB 3.0 Bracket(s)

1. Not worth the money unless you've got 2 or more ssds.
2. Dual Lan slot is only available in Deluxe.
3. Not worth as you will be upgrading Sound Card later.
4. Same as above.
5. I think your case comes with front usb 3.0 ports.

IMO, V-Pro is not worth money against V.

Got it guys, V it is. Thanks for all the support. Will update as soon as I get it working.