New System · DIGIT-ARC

T

1. What is the purpose of the computer? What all applications and games are you going to run? (Stupid answers like 'gaming' or 'office work' will not work. Be exact. Which games? Which applications? Avoid the word 'et cetera.')
Ans: No heavy gaming at all. I'll be mainly using it as a primary workstation for software development and occasional movies. VMWare Workstation, Photoshop occasionally.

2. What is your overall budget? If you can extend a bit for a more balanced configuration, then mention this too.
Ans: Overall budget: 15-20K.

3. Planning to overclock?
Ans: Nope.

4. Which Operating System are you planning to use?
Ans: Windows 8.1/ might upgrade to Windows 10

5. How much hard drive space is needed?
Ans: I have a 500 GB HDD.

6. Do you want to buy a monitor? If yes, please mention which screen size and resolution do you want. If you already have a monitor and want to reuse it, again mention the size and resolution of monitor you have.
Ans: I have Samsung SyncMaster 740N monitor and do not intend to purchase another one.

7. Which components you DON'T want to buy or which components you already have and plan on reusing?
Ans: I already have 8+4 GB of RAM ( 4GBx2 1333 MHz DDR3 RAM (Transcend) + 2GBx2 1333MHz ZION). I also have monitor, keyboard, mouse and HDD.

8. When are you planning to buy the system?
Ans: Preferably by the end of this month.

9. Have you ever built a desktop before or will this be done by an assembler?
Ans: I have previously added/removed heatsink/processor and RAM modules with the help of YouTube videos. As such I'd be able to do it myself provided there are tutorials available.

10. Where do you live? Are you buying locally? Are you open to buying stuff from online shops if you don't get locally?
Ans: Mumbai/Thane. Would prefer buying online.

11. Anything else which you would like to say?
Ans: I need a good processor, PSU and cabinet (I don't care much about the cabinet, preferable as cheap as possible).
Offtopic:
I currently have a second generation i3 processor and Intel DH55TC Board, but it's currently having an issue (one beep; successful POST) but no display. Tried removing RAM slots, heatsinks, processors and swapping RAM module positions but it didn't work. I think I might need to upgrade my configuration now, hence this post.

Processor - AMD FX 6300 -7500,
Motherboard - Gigabyte GA-78LMT-USB3 -4700,
PSU - Antec VP550 -3900,
RAM - Corsair Value Select 8GB(4GBx2) 1600Mhz -4000. (10 year warranty)
Cabinet -Antec X1-T -3000.
TOTAL -23,100.

Sell off the existing Transcend & Zion RAMS and buy the cabinet using the money. OK.
Corsair have excellent products of high consistency.

T

bssunil said:
Processor - AMD FX 6300 -7500,
Motherboard - Gigabyte GA-78LMT-USB3 -4700,
PSU - Antec VP550 -3900,
RAM - Corsair Value Select 8GB(4GBx2) 1600Mhz -4000. (10 year warranty)
Cabinet -Antec X1-T -3000.
TOTAL -23,100.

Sell off the existing Transcend & Zion RAMS and buy the cabinet using the money. OK.
Corsair have excellent products of high consistency.

Is it worth it? I bought Transcend 1333 MHz 4GB x 2 just today only for my motherboard. Unfortunately the problem appears to be with my motherboard. Hence, I need a new PSU, processor and motherboard. I don't think upgrading RAM to 1600 MHz will make any significant difference.

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I was thinking of buying Intel Dual Core G-3220 4th generation + ASUS/GigaByte Motherboard. Without the RAM I might be able to afford i5 4440

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I currently do not have a discrete GPU.

So if I opt for: MSI B85M-G43 Motherboard + Intel i5 4th generation 4400 + my old monitor (Samsung Syncmaster 740N) would it work? Can I use my older PSU iBall SMPS Power Supply LPS223-400 ATX?

I don't think upgrading RAM to 1600 MHz will make any significant difference.

You are absolutely correct.. Unless you are using APU, RAM clockspeed makes absolutely no difference at all.. you will barely see 1 fps difference between different RAM modules..
I dont have a good recommendation but Im sure others can help

So if I opt for: MSI B85M-G43 Motherboard + Intel i5 4th generation 4400 + my old monitor (Samsung Syncmaster 740N) would it work? Can I use my older PSU iBall SMPS Power Supply LPS223-400 ATX?

This isnt recommended, you should buy a good PSU.. A good psu is always reusable, so even if you ever upgrade in the future, you can reuse your older one

T

Nerevarine said:
You are absolutely correct.. Unless you are using APU, RAM clockspeed makes absolutely no difference at all.. you will barely see 1 fps difference between different RAM modules..
I dont have a good recommendation but Im sure others can help

This isnt recommended, you should buy a good PSU.. A good psu is always reusable, so even if you ever upgrade in the future, you can reuse your older one

Thanks! Is UPS necessary? I mean, power cuts are not so frequent here in Mumbai region. I do have a Intex 600VA UPS but it is substandard and I'd avoid using that. Also do I need to set up a new electrical board 3-pin socket on my wall or should I use the normal electrical board for plugging in PSU cord?

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And again, what is the difference in quality between Antec and Corsair PSUs? How much do I need? Also I have an iBall cabinet, will the smps and desktop board mount well or do I need to buy another cabinet?

This is how my current cabinet looks like iBall Entizer Mid Level Designer Computer Cabinet+SMPS Inch Bays: 3 External bays 3.5 Inch Bays: 5 Internal bays Motherboard Form Factors: Standard ATX & Micro-ATX motherboards Front USB Ports: 2 Front USB Ports Front Audio Ports: 1 Audio-out Jack + 1 Mic-in jack Cooling Fans: Bundled with 2 x 8cm cooling fan Extra Cooling Fan Provision: Provision for 1 more extra cooling fan Power Supply: iBall LPE/LPS 223-400 (250 W) power supply Heat Vent: Heat-vent chimney technology for better air flow Available Colours: Black-Red Dimensions: 16.7 x 7 x 17.5 inches (H x W x D)

^
1) If you have no power surges in your area and no power cuts, I suppose you can skip the UPS but I wouldnt reccommend it myself because I have suffered for that decision ..
2) I use the PSU cord directly attached to the wall socket, I dont like splitting it because it leads to earthing problems for me (cabinet walls give a mild electric shock if i do that)
3) For your rig, you can go for Antec VP450p, try to avoid Corsair VS450
4) All Cabinets can accomodate ATX power supply..

T

Nerevarine said:
^
1) If you have no power surges in your area and no power cuts, I suppose you can skip the UPS but I wouldnt reccommend it myself because I have suffered for that decision ..
2) I use the PSU cord directly attached to the wall socket, I dont like splitting it because it leads to earthing problems for me (cabinet walls give a mild electric shock if i do that)
3) For your rig, you can go for Antec VP450p, try to avoid Corsair VS450
4) All Cabinets can accomodate ATX power supply..

1) Please recommend a good UPS!
3) What about Antec VP 550, considering that I could be using upto 12GB of DDR-3 RAM?

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Is Intex 600VA UPS good enough?

1) Numeric 600VA or APC 600 VA
2) Antec VP450P is sufficient for your needs.. It can easily accomodate an i5 + a mid range GPU like R9 270X.. If you buy a higher end GPU, go for VP550p. RAM slots are insignificant and cosume upto 1.5 v of power only

Your Intex UPS will handle your rig, as long as you dont have a taxing GPU.. Ideally if your UPS is causing problems, you can go to any Exide service center and replace it's battery and it will be as good as new.. On top of that they will accept your old battery and give you a Rs 150-200 discount
I had an old Intex 600 va ups, i replaced it's battery with a 1000 va UPS battery and it has been running without any problems so far

T

Nerevarine said:
1) Numeric 600VA or APC 600 VA
2) Antec VP450P is sufficient for your needs.. It can easily accomodate an i5 + a mid range GPU like R9 270X.. If you buy a higher end GPU, go for VP550p. RAM slots are insignificant and cosume upto 1.5 v of power only

Your Intex PSU will handle your rig, as long as you dont have a taxing GPU.. Ideally if your UPS is causing problems, you can go to any Exide service center and replace it's battery and it will be as good as new.. On top of that they will accept your old battery and give you a Rs 150-200 discount
I had an old Intex 600 va ups, i replaced it's battery with a 1000 va UPS battery and it has been running without any problems so far

That's great. So I'll go ahead with VP450P since I'll be using the onboard graphics.
Okay, so I have finalized Intel i5 4400, but I am not sure about the desktop board now.

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Antec VP450P I 450 Watts PSU - Antec : Flipkart.com
One of the reviewers mentioned "The power cord has the UK standard BS 1363 plug.". Where can I find a compatible plug for this one?

your cheapest option based on your requirement is a B85 based motherboard, typically something like this
But going for a better motherboard like H97 based gives a much better upgrade path, but strictly based on what your needs are, a B85 will suffice..
Im tagging some people that have better idea about this[MENTION=126812]whitestar_999[/MENTION]

EDIT: MSI H97 PC Mate Motherboard - MSI : Flipkart.com

this looks like a very very good motherboard for it's price, can anyone confirm ?

Antec VP450P I 450 Watts PSU - Antec : Flipkart.com
One of the reviewers mentioned "The power cord has the UK standard BS 1363 plug.". Where can I find a compatible plug for this one?

A compatible powercord costs Rs 30 in your local computer shop, even if you cant find a powercord.. you can buy an adapter

The Conqueror said:
That's great. So I'll go ahead with VP450P since I'll be using the onboard graphics.
Okay, so I have finalized Intel i5 4400, but I am not sure about the desktop board now.
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Antec VP450P I 450 Watts PSU - Antec : Flipkart.com
One of the reviewers mentioned "The power cord has the UK standard BS 1363 plug.". Where can I find a compatible plug for this one?

Processor - Intel Core i5 4440 -11000,
Motherboard - Gigabyte GA-B85M-D3H -5000,
PSU - Antec VP450 -2500,
RAM - Corsair Value Select 8GB(4GBx2) 1600Mhz -4000. (10 year warranty)
Cabinet -Antec X1-T -3000.
TOTAL -25,500.

For UPS you can go with APC 600VA UPS @ 2100.

Where can I find a compatible plug for this one?

Here is the link for the Main Power Cord:Power Cord (SMPS,Monitor) In India - Shopclues Online

thats overpriced, it costs Rs 30 in my local shop

T

I would prefer desktop board to be as cheap as possible, since I'm only going to use it for a year, and no, I won't be needing crossfire support and I'd be using only the onboard graphics. The Gigabyte GA-78LMT-USB3 looks to be cheaper at 4.7K. Although I could extend my budget a little more to accomodate for H97, but I think if Gigabyte provides all that I need, I can save my dad's money.
When I get a job, I'll probably buy a new one with my own money

The Conqueror said:
I would prefer desktop board to be as cheap as possible, since I'm only going to use it for a year, and no, I won't be needing crossfire support and I'd be using only the onboard graphics. The Gigabyte GA-78LMT-USB3 looks to be cheaper at 4.7K. Although I could extend my budget a little more to accomodate for H97, but I think if Gigabyte provides all that I need, I can save my dad's money.
When I get a job, I'll probably buy a new one with my own money

Processor - Intel Core i5 4440 -11000,
Motherboard - Gigabyte GA-H81M-S1 -3500,
PSU - Antec VP450 -2500,
RAM - Corsair Value Select 8GB(4GBx2) 1600Mhz -4000. (10 year warranty)
Cabinet -Antec X1-T -3000.
TOTAL -24,000.

For UPS you can go with APC 600VA UPS @ 2100.

Where can I find a compatible plug for this one?

Here is the link for the Main Power Cord:Power Cord (SMPS,Monitor) In India - Shopclues Online

T

bssunil said:
Processor - Intel Core i5 4440 -11000,

Where can I find a compatible plug for this one?

Here is the link for the Main Power Cord:Power Cord (SMPS,Monitor) In India - Shopclues Online

The processor is available for about 13.5K on Flipkart! Where is it available for 11K? :O
Hmm, well can I use my the power cord that came with the iBall SMPS

? I won't need that then.

The Conqueror said:
The processor is available for about 13.5K on Flipkart! Where is it available for 11K? :O
Hmm, well can I use my the power cord that came with the iBall SMPS ? I won't need that then.

Processor - Intel Core i5 4440 -12900,
Motherboard - Gigabyte GA-H81M-S1 -3300,
PSU - Antec VP450 -2100,
RAM - Corsair Value Select 8GB(4GBx2) 1600Mhz -4000. (10 year warranty)
Cabinet -Antec X1-T -2600,
UPS -APC 600VA UPS -2100.
TOTAL -27,000.

All prices are sourced from snapdeal where 7% discount is available for all computer components.

PS: The above prices are with 7% discount otherwise it would have crossed 30k

T

I have never shopped with SnapDeal before and the case where they shipped a vim bar instead of mobile makes me even more nervous.The big Snapdeal screw up: Man orders smartphone, gets bar of soap instead - Firstpost
The 7% Discount sounds good though! So I'm thinking of TheITWares and Flipkart. Sadly WS Retail does not sell processors themselves.

The Conqueror said:
I have never shopped with SnapDeal before and the case where they shipped a vim bar instead of mobile makes me even more nervous.The big Snapdeal screw up: Man orders smartphone, gets bar of soap instead - Firstpost
The 7% Discount sounds good though!

I ordered a CPU cooler from snapdeal where I returned it and got my money back but it should be done within 15 days. So dont worry.

The Conqueror said:
I would prefer desktop board to be as cheap as possible, since I'm only going to use it for a year, and no, I won't be needing crossfire support and I'd be using only the onboard graphics. The Gigabyte GA-78LMT-USB3 looks to be cheaper at 4.7K. Although I could extend my budget a little more to accomodate for H97, but I think if Gigabyte provides all that I need, I can save my dad's money.
When I get a job, I'll probably buy a new one with my own money

that motherboard isnt even for intel processors, you cannot use it.. your requirement is atleast 3 ram slots, so H81 based motherboards are out of the question, the lowest you are supposed to get is B85

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bssunil said:
Processor - Intel Core i5 4440 -12900,
Motherboard - Gigabyte GA-H81M-S1 -3300,
PSU - Antec VP450 -2100,
RAM - Corsair Value Select 8GB(4GBx2) 1600Mhz -4000. (10 year warranty)
Cabinet -Antec X1-T -2600,
UPS -APC 600VA UPS -2100.
TOTAL -27,000.

All prices are sourced from snapdeal where 7% discount is available for all computer components.

PS: The above prices are with 7% discount otherwise it would have crossed 30k

Please do tell what benefit he will recieve from getting a new pair of RAM

Nerevarine said:
that motherboard isnt even for intel processors, you cannot use it.. your requirement is atleast 3 ram slots, so H81 based motherboards are out of the question, the lowest you are supposed to get is B85
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Please do tell what benefit he will receive from getting a new pair of RAM

By getting Corsair 2x4GB RAM kit he can use H81 Mobo and Transcend & Zion RAM are susceptible to failure so its better to sell them now and buy the best RAM ie. Corsair Value Select.

1) He can use the transcend/zion ram on his H81 mobo as well
2) H81 has 2 slots only, very very bad incase u want to increase in the future.. Also OP has 4 sticks of RAM, 12GB of RAM will in the end is more beneficial than 8 GB of 1600 mhz memory.. Search it up
3) RAM failure is a lie, unless you can prove me wrong with a review , every kind of RAM has equal chances of failure.. Unless ofcourse, his current RAM is duplicate.. No one can predict X company is better than Y company because X products have lower failure rate in case of RAMs..
Most RAM failures occur because of PSU..
4) Warranty is an issue but selling his current RAM, then buying a more expensive piece of RAM which inturn decreases the total memory available is not the solution

Dont get me wrong, I myself hate Zion because every shopkeeper here keeps those but it is equally wrong to buy stuff that you arent going to get a benefit out of..
But I have been using a transcend DDR3 RAM for nearly 4 years without a single issue..

W

if primary usage is virtual machines & photoshop then more the no. of physical cpu cores & ram,the better it is.amd has more cores(6 vs 4) & is cheaper but will require a cheap 2k graphics card.msi board seems good but don't know much about their after sales support quality.gigabyte & asus are also very good but a little bit costlier.

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bssunil said:
By getting Corsair 2x4GB RAM kit he can use H81 Mobo and Transcend & Zion RAM are susceptible to failure so its better to sell them now and buy the best RAM ie. Corsair Value Select.

It is not feasible for me to sell the RAM, I have already opened the seal. I will lose more money and time in finding a buyer, selling it.

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*communities.intel.com/message/302470 slightly offtopic, but if I get a solution for this I'd be happy. I believe my motherboard and CPU is faulty, or the problem could be with the RAM stick. But it is unlikely, I bought two sticks of Transcend x 4GB because I believed the RAM is faulty. I tried running it with just the transcend stick but it did not work. So I am not exactly sure what the problem is, hence I decided to upgrade motherboard, PSU and CPU as a new upgrade will be better than repairing the dying machine. But if its possible to revive then that would be great!

T

Gigabyte GA-B85M-D3H should I go with this one?

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Beware of cheating- Gigabyte makes new versions with lower specs
By Kunal Choksi on 31 December 2014
Verified Purchase
The product I received looked different from what is shown here. So I checked online and found that Gigabyte makes different versions of the same motherboard. The one I have received is of the new "revision" number which is missing important parts and features compared to the original model. There is no mention of the revision number on Amazon and even pictures were of original model when I purchased. The sticker where serial number and revision number is usually mentioned on the box is also covered with some other sticker. So there is no way to know what you get without opening the box. I don’t know who is more wrong here, Gigabyte for making new versions with lower specs and not highlighting in model name clearly or Amazon for not mentioning correct revision number but I definitely feel cheated as I ended up paying money for an inferior product.
Amazon.in: Buy Gigabyte B85M-D3H Intel ATX Motherboard USB 3.0, SATA 3 Online at Low Prices in India | Gigabyte Reviews & Ratings
What about this review?
Should I go with Gigabyte B85M-D3H? What is the general consensus about Intel motherboards?

W

i think he is this same person,go through this thread as i have answered most of the queries & just for the info i always check official specs,in this case various versions of same mobo on gigabyte site first,for any missing/added feature instead of relying on flipokart description which everyone should do.:
*www.digit.in/forum/cpu-motherboard...ds3h-motherboard.html?highlight=parts+missing

also this is just my experience but i have lost 2 intel mobos in last 3 years to hardware failure & even without that they offer lesser features for same price as gigabyte/asus/msi mobo.i am currently using gigabyte mobo for 6 months now without any issues but only time will tell how it performs compared to intel ones.i don't recommend intel mobos unless you absolutely trust intel for whatever reason.

T

whitestar_999 said:
i think he is this same person,go through this thread as i have answered most of the queries & just for the info i always check official specs,in this case various versions of same mobo on gigabyte site first,for any missing/added feature instead of relying on flipokart description which everyone should do.:
*www.digit.in/forum/cpu-motherboard...ds3h-motherboard.html?highlight=parts+missing

also this is just my experience but i have lost 2 intel mobos in last 3 years to hardware failure & even without that they offer lesser features for same price as gigabyte/asus/msi mobo.i am currently using gigabyte mobo for 6 months now without any issues but only time will tell how it performs compared to intel ones.i don't recommend intel mobos unless you absolutely trust intel for whatever reason.

I agree, as I have also encountered a lot of trouble with Intel boards.
Thanks! So what mobo would you finally recommend for my configuration? I mean a specific model?

W

unlike processors thee is much variety in mobos so i recommend searching based on price range & form factor followed by brand preference(usually asus>gigabyte>msi>asrock).look for features like usb 3 port header(for cabinets having front usb 3 ports),no. of pci/pci-e slots & their positions(from whatever i have seen almost all m-atx mobo have this issue where if you install a gfx card with big cooler/dual slot card(7770 is a cheap card which is dual slot) it will effectively block all pci-e slots(almost always 2) beneath it.same is the case with some sata ports on some mobo.

T

whitestar_999 said:
unlike processors thee is much variety in mobos so i recommend searching based on price range & form factor followed by brand preference(usually asus>gigabyte>msi>asrock).look for features like usb 3 port header(for cabinets having front usb 3 ports),no. of pci/pci-e slots & their positions(from whatever i have seen almost all m-atx mobo have this issue where if you install a gfx card with big cooler/dual slot card(7770 is a cheap card which is dual slot) it will effectively block all pci-e slots(almost always 2) beneath it.same is the case with some sata ports on some mobo.

Thanks!
I'm looking at
Asus B85M-G Motherboard. Probably that would work well for me!

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The processor is almost Rs 1500 cheaper on TheItWares.com (Mumbai), and I live in Thane. Should I order from them?

Asus B85M-G
Antec 450P
Intel i5 4400

whitestar_999 said:
if primary usage is virtual machines & photoshop then more the no. of physical cpu cores & ram,the better it is.amd has more cores(6 vs 4) & is cheaper but will require a cheap 2k graphics card.msi board seems good but don't know much about their after sales support quality.gigabyte & asus are also very good but a little bit costlier.

GA 78LMT has onboard GPU if I remember correctly.

Based on your requirements, I'll say go with FX6300 or FX8320. They'll be better suited for you.

T

Please suggest a PSU. Does Antec VP450P have some issues with noise? I want something which will not make a noise. Heard corsair PSUs are extremely quiet. Corsair 430v2 vs. Antec VP450P which one would produce the least noise?

W

yes,i forgot about onboard gfx amd mobos like 78lmt.in that case amd is better.

T

I could have opted for AMD but then I read some reviews that multi core AMD is not good for single threaded applications, although it is awesome for multi-threaded. Anyway, I am not going to play high-end games either, so it should be fine for me. I just need it to run Ubuntu via VMWare, and I'll be using it only for basic software development so probably won't affect much.

Umm, I placed the order for
i5 4400, Antec VP 450P, and Asus B85M-G Motherboard. Thank you everyone for your suggestions! I'll update this thread once I receive the parts. I ordered via Flipkart and they have already shipped it!

The Conqueror said:
I could have opted for AMD but then I read some reviews that multi core AMD is not good for single threaded applications, although it is awesome for multi-threaded. Anyway, I am not going to play high-end games either, so it should be fine for me. I just need it to run Ubuntu via VMWare, and I'll be using it only for basic software development so probably won't affect much.

Umm, I placed the order for
i5 4400, Antec VP 450P, and Asus B85M-G Motherboard. Thank you everyone for your suggestions! I'll update this thread once I receive the parts. I ordered via Flipkart and they have already shipped it!

Good purchase

FX 8320 would've been better but i5 4440 is good too

Do post pics