***requesting config. for a multimedia pc***

K

hi everyone,
i am new to digit but already in chip.i am planning to buy a new assembled desktop pc (my first and special one) and here s my requirements,,,,,

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:moderate gaming, internet surfing, hd movie ing, listening music
2. Are you open to alternate ideas/products giving similar better performance but offering more VFM/ sellers? If not- why?
A:yes
3. What is your MAX budget?
A:40000
4. Planning to overclock?
A:no
5. Which OS are you planning to use?
A:windows 7 home premium
6. How much hard drive space is needed?
A:min 500gb
7. What resolution will the screen run at & whats the size of the screen you want?
A:1092*1080(high definition)
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:done by an assembler
10. When are you planning to buy the system?
A:in a month
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:no i need complete config with ups,cables and essential accs
13. Which city do you live in and are you open to buying from shops from other city/states?
A:chidambaram(tamilnadu)
14. Mention any other points if deemed necessary
A:need full hd led monitor,5.1 speaker system.

i tentatively laid following config .

intel i3 530 =5.3k
gigabyte GA H55M D2H = 5.2k
corsair 2*2= 4gb ddr3 = 4.1k
seagate 500gb = 1.8k
dell 21.5" full hd with led = 9.5k
gigabyte superb 460w psu = 2.1k
sony dvd dual layer drive=1.3k
nzxt gamma atx = 2.1k
logitech internet pro k&m = 0.8k
creative inspire 6060 5.1= 4k
PowerColor HD5670 1GB GDDR5=5.8k
zebronics or intex ups=1.1k
plus hdmi,dvi cables, software installation,etc - 2k
total === Rs.45,100 (exceeded max amt by Rs.5100)

please give your comments regarding this and alterations to reduce the total amount as much as possible. (i dont think there s any way other than to touch the processor)
expecting your reply.,
Dr KaRtHiK.

1st of all, 40k is not a good budget to get a well balanced Intel based solution. You can only marginally get the Core i5 7XX series quad cores but have to sacrifise the graphics and some other components. All you can get the dual core Core i3 and and Core i5 processors which are very highly priced compared to the performance they offer.
And the resolution should be 1920X1080 (full HD), not 1092X1080.

Here goes your configuration:-

Athlon II X4 630 2.8GHz @ 4.4k
Kingston 2 X 2 GB 1333 MHz DDR3 @ 4.2k
MSI 880GMA-E45 @ 5.8k
Seagate/WD 500 GB SATA II @ 1.7k
Corsair VX450W @ 3.8k
NXT Gama @ 2k
BenQ G2220HD Full HD Monitor @ 7.3k
Biostar HD5770 1GB GDDR5 @ 8.7k
LG 22X SATA DVD Writer @ 1k
Creative Inspire M5300 @ 3.3k

Total is 42.2k.
The above configuration will be more than enough for all type of applications you have mentioned. Playing HD movies, browsing or music will be not at all any challenge to the system.

And for gaming, actually above average gaming experience is possible. All the current gen games will run with higher detail in full HD and future games will be possible with little lower detail.

Total 42.1k

Core i5 760 2.8GHz
@ 9.8
Gigabyte GA-P55M-UD2
@ not sure.
2 GB kingston 1333 MHz DDR3@ 2.3k
WD 500GB Blue @ 1.7K
BenQ G2220 @ 7.5K
FPS SAGA II 500w @ 2.2k
AMD HD5670@ 5.8k
CM elite 310 @ 1.5k
Logitech basick KB+Mouse @0.6
Basic Headgear @.2
.
TOTAL = 31.6 excluding mobo.
.
I skipped out UPS etc cause quite frankly i dont know the costs.
.
You can also go for hd5770 @ 9k or GTX 260 786MB @ 10k if you will be gaming more than average.
.

K

thank you,toad_frog09 & Cilus

.
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^^^ I set my config with moderate gaming in mind.
This is what i'd like to change in your rig to get good above average gaming experience.

Athlon II X4 635 @ 4.7k
Gigabyte 880GA UD2H @ 4.5k

Kingston 2 X 2 GB 1333 MHz DDR3 @ 4.2k

Seagate/WD 500 GB SATA II @ 1.7k
Corsair VX450W @ 3.7k
CM Elite 310 @ 1.5k
BenQ G2220HD Full HD Monitor @ 7.3k
Zotac GTX460 786MB GDDR5 @ 10k
LG 22X SATA DVD Writer @ 1k
Creative Inspire M5300 @ 3.3k

.

Again I am pointing someone else.
I was pointing cilus..
@ op, you are welcome.
Btw, can i ask what would be the biggest game you'd be playing in terms of hardware requirements??

K

hi toad,
frankly i doesnt know a lot bout recent games now. i now hav a p4,foxconn mobo rig without gr card. but will be playing call of duty-mf, blur,medal of honour after getting this rig. then if possible pl suggest me of nice pc games. ( i like more of strategy type-AOE3 and call of duty like direct action stuff).

K

toad_frog09 said:
.
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^^^ I set my config with moderate gaming in mind.
This is what i'd like to change in your rig to get good above average gaming experience.

Athlon II X4 635 @ 4.7k
Gigabyte 880GA UD2H @ 4.5k

Kingston 2 X 2 GB 1333 MHz DDR3 @ 4.2k

Seagate/WD 500 GB SATA II @ 1.7k
Corsair VX450W @ 3.7k
CM Elite 310 @ 1.5k
BenQ G2220HD Full HD Monitor @ 7.3k
Zotac GTX460 786MB GDDR5 @ 10k
LG 22X SATA DVD Writer @ 1k
Creative Inspire M5300 @ 3.3k

.

y not gigabyte superb?

y not dell LED? many guys dont recommend led. but they are indeed brighter, wider angled, future proof na? specs give lot of difference with led vs lcd.

if i m choosing ati type, y not 5670.i heard they will do just for hd gaming.
( i m asking these just to improve my knowledge)

kadirmkarthik said:
y not gigabyte superb?

y not dell LED? many guys dont recommend led. but they are indeed brighter, wider angled, future proof na? specs give lot of difference with led vs lcd.

if i m choosing ati type, y not 5670.i heard they will do just for hd gaming.
( i m asking these just to improve my knowledge)

.
.
firstly, you can ask all the questiones you want to. Even the one you might think are dumb. People here including me will be more than happy to solve your queries.
.
I am not so sure what exactly do you mean by gigabyte superb? Is it a type of motherboard?
.
Next, as far as I know, the only advantage of LED over LCD is that they are thinner.
The scale of brightness can go all the way up on paper with highly overpriced alienware LCD screens aswell. But i dont think you'll be noticing much difference in real life apart from the lightness of your wallet when you spend double the money for little preformance.
I am no expert in displays, but the G2220 @ 7.3 is one of the best vfm screen in market right now.
Wider angle....i dont see how wide can someone sit while working on computer with keyboard still at reach.
.
HD5670 is a good piece at its price range but dont expect much performance from it.
And with 22" screen, I think it'll run games at nothing better than medium low settings.
GTX460 786MB @ 10 k beats the crap outta most of the cards at its price range. And it'll also be future proof.
.
If possible, i'll suggest you to wait for a week or two till amd 6xxx series launches so that prices drop.

Regarding your LED Monitor query, LED displays are far over-hyped than the performance they offer compared to a LCD display. Note it down, LED monitors are nothing but some modified LCD monitor where the background is produced with LED compared to the fluorescent lights used in traditional LCD display.
Ya, they are definitely lighter and some extent brighter, but believe me that performance difference is not at all any earth shattering thing,nothing like they are the future.
Rightly pointed out by toad_frog09, you will hardly notice any performance difference.
And toad_frog09 is again right about the Graphics card. I have suggested HD 5770 to keep everything as close as possible to your budget. If you can extend a little then get the GTX 460 768 MB @ 10.2k. It is the best card on this range.

HD 5770 is also good but GTX 460 offers more value for money.

kadirmkarthik said:
hi toad,
frankly i doesnt know a lot bout recent games now. i now hav a p4,foxconn mobo rig without gr card. but will be playing call of duty-mf, blur,medal of honour after getting this rig. then if possible pl suggest me of nice pc games. ( i like more of strategy type-AOE3 and call of duty like direct action stuff).

.
.
Even I'd like to be frank on my side with the fact that after playing so many games, it seems too hard to point out the best ones to play.
Civilization IV/V are both wonderful games in stratergy department and COD series, BFBC2, Crysis are some of the best intense FPS' i ever played.
Nevertheless, you can click here if you want the list of best games of all types.

@cilus.
Please, just call me Mr. Toad. Or Mr. Frog.
God my name does suck.

K

toad_frog09 said:
.
.

I am not so sure what exactly do you mean by gigabyte superb? Is it a type of motherboard?
.
.

its the PSU.link,mr.toad,,,...
Superb 460 - GIGABYTE
its been advised from chip forums. they suggested this for a 5670hd plus same config.

in my place, the assembler(got nice reputation here) puts up just 1800 bucks worth 512mb graphics cards and 2300 bucks worth 1gb card. how come the guys having those cheap ones play games. i have seen many playing nfs-carbon type games.hows tat possible.

then when i asked for pc quotation, he has just put up 700 bucks for both cabinet and psu.i dont think anybody comes back wit problems.its a regular thing happening.

he strongly opposed( ie did not recommend) AMD even though i asked for AMD phenom2 x4 first.he told in future i may not get compatible mo.bo for AMD,and he pointed out the AMD heating issue.(in tamilnadu i have heard many saying amd-no.). but here in forums,many recommend amd. i could not understand y?

K

toad_frog09 said:
.
.

I am not so sure what exactly do you mean by gigabyte superb? Is it a type of motherboard?

its a psu dude. link====Superb 460 - GIGABYTE

^^
the same goes for ur pic
:lol:

@cilus and toady

-D)
you are forgetting that his budget is 40k and he has to get a ups too.

piyush120290 said:
^^
the same goes for ur pic

..

to get an idea on prices-
Delta - The Best in IT in INDIA

The stuff you chose (please check for correct prices)-
intel i3 530 =5.3k
corsair 2*2= 4gb ddr3 = 4.1k
seagate 500gb = 1.8k
sony dvd dual layer drive=1.3k
nzxt gamma atx = 2.1k
logitech internet pro k&m = 0.8k
creative inspire 6060 5.1= 4k
plus hdmi,dvi cables, software installation,etc - 2k

stuff like dvi cables is usually free with LCD monitor.
So please do check what all you get charged for.

The stuff i add-
- ASUS P7H55 motherboard - 5.5K approx (you can buy ATX motherboard with good features as you are getting a decent gfx card)
*www.asus.com/product.aspx?P_ID=qpc2bo5ohh8aJCGY
- Corsair CX400 PSU (good for long run imho)
- You seem very keen on getting 22" LED monitor.
But you can save some money by getting 22" full HD LCD.
Try to get a 24" preferably (esp as it seems you like watching HD movies)]
- 5670 1GB is a good card but has it's limits in playing new games.
Try to get a GTS450/HD5770 for some decent gaming imho.
- Get a decent UPS- atleast a 600VA from some good brand for some decent backup time

K

toad_frog09 said:
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Wider angle....i dont see how wide can someone sit while working on computer with keyboard still at reach.

ha.. ha... its true.

K

toad_frog09 said:
.

Athlon II X4 635 @ 4.7k
Gigabyte 880GA UD2H @ 4.5k

.

hi mr.toad,

is athlonII x4 635 better in performance than core i3 530? the latter has L2 cache 4mb but former has only 2mb. is the quadcore more important than cache memory?

are you sure about the mobo model you gave?i think its 880gma ud2h Or 880ga ud3h u wanna quote.

i m thinking to give up 5.1 speakers. i dont think its damn essential , is it not?give your opinion,also suggest me a nice 2.1 speakers with fine bass in 2-3k budget please.

My answers are in red
.

kadirmkarthik said:
its the PSU.link,mr.toad,,,...
Superb 460 - GIGABYTE
its been advised from chip forums. they suggested this for a 5670hd plus same config.

oh! My bad. I didnt realise you were speaking of PSU.
Yeah, gigabyte superb is a good choice, same as FPS SAGA II 500W @ 2.2K, for low-mid ranged gcards like 5670hd.
.
in my place, the assembler(got nice reputation here) puts up just 1800 bucks worth 512mb graphics cards and 2300 bucks worth 1gb card. how come the guys having those cheap ones play games. i have seen many playing nfs-carbon type games.hows tat possible.

Do you know that carbon can run pretty much easily on IGP? That is free of cost. What screen were they playing on 15"? 17"?
Do one thing, take Crysis to your assembler and ask him run it on that 2000rs Gcard. And watch him as he leaks his skirt and comes up with shameless reasons like,'arre game ke setup me problem hoga. Etc.etc.
.
Trust me, guys here know that they are talking about.
.
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then when i asked for pc quotation, he has just put up 700 bucks for both cabinet and psu.i dont think anybody comes back wit problems.its a regular thing happening.

i myself have not faced any problems wit my faithful 4 years old local psu, but i cannot emphasis more on how important a good psu is. Remember, it ever psu fails, it can take gpu/mobo along, if not the whole rig.
Regarding cheap cabbi, you might as well keep your mobo in cardboard box. Cheap 500-600rs cabbies dont create any nuisance as such, but imagine your 30k worth gold kept in something that resembles a steel shoe box. Trust me, they are very very small.
I'd suggest you to atleast go with Zebronics Bijli @ 1.2k as the last resort. Also, airflow is an important factor to consider while buying a cabbie.
.
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he strongly opposed( ie did not recommend) AMD even though i asked for AMD phenom2 x4 first.he told in future i may not get compatible mo.bo for AMD,and he pointed out the AMD heating issue.(in tamilnadu i have heard many saying amd-no.). but here in forums,many recommend amd. i could not understand y?
I have laughed so many times on such foolish 'experts' thats i dont find it funny anymore.
Ok, just ask that assembler two questions.
1st. What socket do the athlon II and Phenom II use?
.
Answers.
1st. AM3

I can crack thousands of such really really bad jokes on shopkeepes/dealer
who try to sell their overpriced underperforming old stock of intel core2duo and shamelessly earn profit with old timer cliches like 'heating problems' and bad performance from AMD. Go to anandtech website and see their benchamarks, take a print of page comparing his suggested 6k processor vs. our athlon II X4 635 @4.7k and show it to him.

.

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Original msg edited.

K

toad_frog09 said:
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many thanks mr.toad..... ha ha ha...i agree to your suggestions and jokes. will be going defnly wit AMD. so tat i can save 1k and invest in gpu or psu.

kadirmkarthik said:
hi mr.toad,

is athlonII x4 635 better in performance than core i3 530? the latter has L2 cache 4mb but former has only 2mb. is the quadcore more important than cache memory?

are you sure about the mobo model you gave?i think its 880gma ud2h Or 880ga ud3h u wanna quote.

i m thinking to give up 5.1 speakers. i dont think its damn essential , is it not?give your opinion,also suggest me a nice 2.1 speakers with fine bass in 2-3k budget please.

.
.
I posted one anandtech website, check it out throughly for yourself.
Hope it helps you set your mind.
.
I might have mistaken my mobo name. I'l check it out and let you know asap.
.
If you want a complete home threater experience, i'd urge you to get 5.1 set.
You can wait and save up some money if you cant afford it now.
.
Question - how big is the room in which you plan to keep your pc??
.
Still if you want, i'll look for a good 2.1 set. It'll take a bit of time as I am not so much of an audiophyle.
So let us just hope someone else suggests you something before I can.
.
I am 19 years old btw. Dont cal me Mr.toad.
Just toad will do as long as you bow and salute me.
Hehehe.

M

ah these assemblers ... all they know in graphics cards is 512 mb and 1gb ... they dont give **** about performance

You say u wanna game .. they will happily give you the outdated and cheapest 1gb card they have ... saying 1gb hai .. best hai ... sasta hai .. latest games chalega .. aajkal sab cards mein 1 gb rehta hai koi bhi le lo..

kadirmkarthik said:
hi mr.toad,

is athlonII x4 635 better in performance than core i3 530? the latter has L2 cache 4mb but former has only 2mb. is the quadcore more important than cache memory?

are you sure about the mobo model you gave?i think its 880gma ud2h Or 880ga ud3h u wanna quote.

i m thinking to give up 5.1 speakers. i dont think its damn essential , is it not?give your opinion,also suggest me a nice 2.1 speakers with fine bass in 2-3k budget please.

manish_bhaumik said:
ah these assemblers ... all they know in graphics cards is 512 mb and 1gb ... they dont give **** about performance

You say u wanna game .. they will happily give you the outdated and cheapest 1gb card they have ... saying 1gb hai .. best hai ... sasta hai .. latest games chalega .. aajkal sab cards mein 1 gb rehta hai koi bhi le lo..

Exactly,
"arre yeah 9500 1gb is better than 8800 512mb.."
sorry i got that wrong.
They cant speak such good english.

K

Re: ***requesting config. for a multimedia pc*** GOING TO BUY IN 2 DAYS..

hi everyone,
very many thanks to all of u who have given me suggestions.
i have increased my budget to 55k and am going to buy the pc in one or two days. as per your suggestions and little bit of my searches i have finalised the following config.... please come forward to make corrections or critizisations so that i get a system which is value for money.... thanks again.(in advance).

proccy --- AMD athlon II x4 635 - 4.8k
mobo ---- gigabyte GA880GM-UD2H - 5k
RAM ---- 2 x 2GB 1333mhz - 4.2k ( hynix?)
HDD ---- 500gb seagate or western digital 7200rpm - 1.8k
monitor -- dell u2311h ips - 15k
ODD ---- LG 22x combo drive - 1.1k
keyboard n mouse -- logitech (basic ones) - 0.8k
cabinet --- CM centurion 5 II / nzxt gaurdian 921 RB - 3.5k/4k ( help me which one to choose)
PSU ---- corsair vx450 - 3.8k
GPU --- XFX ATI radeon HD 5770 1gb - 8.7k
APC --- APC Back UPS 1100 - 5.4k
totally it comes to 54k plus.

*RAM which one to choose- hynix, kingston, corsair, gskill?
* HDD which is best?
*cabinet , nzxt gaurdian worth buying? it has 3 fans included. then btw primeabgb is it reliable for buying online?

regarding speakers, i went for a demo in my place for onkyo HTS3300, got attracted to and have booked it. will be making my pc a HTPC.

i am expecting your comments.

Again 55K is a very good budget and you can put a lot of juice in that budget compared to your current configuration.

Modifying some of the components:
Phenom II X4 945 @ 6.5K ( 3 GHz, 2 MB L2, 6 MB L3)
MSI 880GMA-E45 @ 5.8k
Kingston 2X2 GB 1333 MHz DDR3 Ram @ 3.2K
Seagate 1 TB SATA @ 2.7K
Monitor: BenQ G2420HD @ 11.5K
keyboard n mouse -- logitech (basic ones) - 0.8k
corsair vx450 - 3.8k
ZOTAC GTX 460 768 MB @ 10.25K
Cooler Master Elite 430 @ 2.6k
APC Back UPS 1100 - 5.4k (its a overkill)

Total 52.5K. Get a 5.1 Channel Speaker with the rest of the money.
Reasons:
CPU: going to spend 55K, so go with Phenom II, simply give you better performance.
Mobo: Mobo with SATA 3 and USB 3 support. So more future upgradable.
Ram: Price has bee reduced these days. Kingston value ram is enough for your system.
HDD: Your budget permits you to go for 1 TB.
Display: Reduced the budget allocated for Display. This BenQ one is one of the best 24" monitor within 15K. A lot of Tech reviews have awarded it with best buy award (even digit)
GPU: Get the GTX 460 768 Mb version. Better than HD 5770 and offers CUDA and PhysX. And please try to avoid XFX if other options are available.
Cabinet: Don't need high range Cabinet for casual gaming or movie watching unless you have special attraction for that. Reduced it to accommodate other things

my suggestion -

AMD Phenom II x4 955BE @ 7.2k
Gigabyte GA-880GM-UD2H @ 4.5k
G.Skill 4GB DDR3 1333MHz CL7 @ 3.7k
Sapphire HD6850 @ 11.2k
Seagate 500GB 7200.12 @ 1.8k
LG 22X SATA DVD @ 0.9k
Seasonic S12II 520W @ 4k
NZXT GAMMA @ 2k
DELL U2311H @ 14k
APC 1000VA @ 5k

Total - 54.3k

if you want speakers as cilus said get Benq G2420HD.

A

HDD -- clearcut way none are the best. APC 1100 UPS is a overkill but certainly gives option of running more appliances.

gfx card you do not sound as extreme gamer or anything, so I think even HD5670 will come out good
cabinet -- Cooler Master Elite 430 @ 2.6k or NZXT GAMMA @ 2k or CM Elite 310 @ 1.5k
these are good cabinets and I do not think you will find spending 3.5 K on little higher model will do much good. a buck saved here gets used somewhere else

DELL U2311H @ 14k -- this is a display panel which comes out clear cut winner in everything whether it being low power consumption or nice color production.... so spending 3K more on it will be a benefit you wont realize by reading our comments. but if you decide on Benq G2420HD that too is a very good display panel .

friends help him out by coming out on one decision rather than giving varied responses

I see proccy from proccy --- AMD athlon II x4 635 - 4.8k to AMD Phenom II x4 955BE @ 7.2k. I think OP has decided on AMD athlon II x4 635, so rather keep that. he

as cilus has put a nice feature packed mobo comes out as more future proof

G.Skill 4GB DDR3 1333MHz CL7 @ 3.7k -- certainly are better than kingston

OP, when you post do put what you have finalized, this would help others in suggesting

K

thanks a lot cilus,jas and ace.

*i chose athlonII based on anandtech and some other reviews who said there s no much of difference between the two if budget concerned. also i wanted to invest best on monitor,ups,speakers,psu,cabinet coz they will be stayin wit me for long. (when sandybridge,AM3+ mobo comes in, all these proccy n mobo here r lost.isnt it).
*btw, pl suggest me a gigabyte board with sata3 n usb3. i dont think they r commonly available tat too in chennai. if so give me the price.
*yes will go with gskill.
*regarding monitor i like to stick to ips as i cud see a lot of difference in colour reproduction between TN and IPS (youtube videos). then im mainly into movies than gaming.
*i chose centurion and gaurdian coz they come with 2/3 fans which is additional expense in elite 430.
*1.1kvs ups because i found it cheap than 800va APC in prime. may be its the old model.

more importantly, if my assembler denies r tells some products out of stock, i should go for online buy. in that case which online seller is most trust worthy?
but anyway i will refine the rig with your suggestions.

1. can go with Athlon II X4 630/635.
2. Gigabyte GA-MA880GMA-UD2H have USB 3.0 as well as Sata 3.0
3. 2 extra fan (non-led) will cost 500 bucks more.
4. SMC or ITwares. & of course Prime.

K

guys,
i have almost booked the system with my assembler.

i made few corrections from the config i described just before.
i asked for 880GMA-UD2H frm gigabyte so tat itll be future proof. then asked for corsair or gskill RAM, 800va APC ups, sapphire 5770 1gb, cooler master elite 430. rest all same.
btw,he is working out the price and availability of items and told me that he would call me when its all done for paying an advance amount.
hope everything comes out well.

^^

..