Building PC for High-end Java programming (no gaming)

[getzafar21]

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: I'm a Integration developer by profession so I'll be primarily doing development of Advanced Java (and related technologies). This require me to be able to smoothly run Java IDE (Eclipse) + IBM runtimes + Database server + Database Client + couple of XML editors + couple of Java tools + MS Office (Outlook/Word/Visio/Excel/Powerpoint). In worst case (i.e. very often) all of them will be running in parallel.

When I'll not be doing all these parallely, I'll be using photoshop kind of softwares for editing and managing photos from my DSLR. I'll also be editing/rendering HD videos. And I'll also be creating stop-motion videos.

I'll * NOT * be using this desktop for gaming. But, in future if I get time for it, the mobo and processor should be cordial to the Graphics Card.

So, please don't suggest the graphics card for now, just some finely performing processor to handle my requirements. I guess, a processor with integrated Graphics Card should be sufficient for me. Based on my limited knowledge I've shortlisted Intel Core i5 3570k for myself. Am still very open for other better suggestions and discussions about it.

2. What is your overall budget? If you can extend a bit for a more balanced configuration, then mention this too.
Ans: 55k. (+5k if really necessary).

3. Planning to overclock?
Ans: Yes. Although, I haven't done that ever but would like to go for it as soon as I start feeling limited by the proc speed. As of now, the proc should be able to provide the required speed without OC.

4. Which Operating System are you planning to use?
Ans: Windows 7 + Ubuntu

5. How much hard drive space is needed?
Ans: 500 GB + 120/128 GB SSD

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: Yes, minimum 21" with good resolution suitable for HD photo/video editing.

7. Which components you DON'T want to buy or which components you already have and plan on reusing?
Ans: I'll be building this PC from scratch. So list them all for me.

8. When are you planning to buy the system?
Ans: I'm in no hurry. But would like to buy as soon as I'm able to finalize. If decided, I can buy it within 2 days.


9. Have you ever built a desktop before or will this be done by an assembler?
Ans: Built a desktop almost 10 years back. Have preliminary knowledge from DIY videos and websites. Would like to do it myself unless there is some critical recommendation about not doing so.

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: I'm from Bangalore. Can do search/research at SP road. Open to online buying. Just want a good deal.

11. Anything else which you would like to say?
Ans: Few specific requirements:

a. I'll be using a single monitor right now. What does it take to use more than one monitor in future? Do I have to consider something specific in processor or the motherboard or do I need a graphics card?

b. I'm looking for a proper reasoning for deciding about the size/speed of RAM. How significant is it in evaluating the performance of PC? In offices, I always hear those managers/architects demanding a PC with higher RAM (4 GB+) for their developers as if that is the only criteria of deciding the performance of a developer's PC. Surprisingly, no one talks about the Processor speed, ever.



All the experts and seniors of the forum, kindly be very patient with my queries. I'll be asking lots of WHYs and WHY-NOTs for your suggestions. Not because I'll be doubting your abilities, but rather because I believe that collectively you all are going to help me build.

As I already said that I'm in no hurry for this PC, I'll keep looking for answers until I get sufficient reasoning (references would do) to make decisions. At the same time, I don't like to keep procrastinating so please help me decide soon.

 

[panwala95]

for java for number crunching you need a powerful processor and lots of ram
do consider this-
asus maximus gene v -15.6k
i7 3770k-22.1k
gskill 4gbx2-rs 2.7k
wd caviar blue -3.8k
cm elite 430 -2.5k
fsp saga2 400k -2k
ocz agility 60gb x2 in raid 0-10k
total-58.7k
you can cheap out on the proceesor to buy a i5 3570k but that is not recommended
also as you are not gaming then hd 4000 igpu should suffice for you

 

[d6bmg]

My Suggestion:

Component	Name	Price
CPU	Intel Core I7-2600K	17,500
Motherboard	Intel DH67-CL (b3)	5,500
CPU Cooler	CoolerMaster Hyper 212 EVO	1,900
RAM	G.Skill RipjawsX 1600MHz 8GB (1x4GB)	3,000
PSU	Corsair GS600	4,100
Cabinet	NZXT Source 210	2,400
HDD	WD Blue 1TB	5,400
SSD	Corsair Force GT 120GB	8,200
Monitor	Dell ST2220L	8,100
Optical Drive	Asus DRW-24B5ST	1,050
Keyboard & Mouse	Logitech MK200	700
Speaker	Logitech Z313	1,700
	Total	58,500

While running the specefied softwares, and dev bundiles, you will NEVER be limited with processor speed (at least for next 5 years). If you really want, you can OC locked 2600 to 3.8GHz.
Suggested GS600 so that you can accommodate a mid-end or high-end GPU in future without changing PSU.

Flexibility of budget:

1. About RAM: If you feel 8GB is not enough, then buy another 2x4GB. It will cost you another 3000.
2. About CPU: You will need HT enabled processor to do parallel programming.
3. You can save 1.1K if you choose Corsair Force 3 series SSD.

 

[getzafar21]

Thanks a lot for quick suggestions. Although two of them were vastly different, I have some basis of making decision based on these.

@panwala95 - You completely ignored the monitor requirement for me

My Suggestion:

Motherboard: Intel DH67-CL (b3) 5,500

and

for java for number crunching you need a powerful processor and lots of ram
do consider this-
asus maximus gene v -15.6k

How do I make a decision? MoBo is perhaps the most difficult decision factor for me. I'm just not aware of what parameters I've to choose from. @panwala95 and @d6bmg please support your respective recommendations with some reasoning for me.

 

[acewin]

yeah RAM is what is always a bottleneck, for core development. I know. I do a lot of multi tasking.
Do not think of 8 gigs of ram seek 16 gigs. why so, sometime later you may also wanna run virtual machines to have some linux OS running on top of your windows.
core i5 is good enuf no need for core i7 so there your choice is good if you do not want it.
Running long hours will be quite regular, so trying to reduce power consumption here using core i5

Will not suggest anything particular mobo
but make sure you have something like below config. I checked DH67 intel board suggested as above
Four 240-pin DDR3 SDRAM Dual Inline Memory Module (DIMM) socketsSupport for DDR3 1333 / 1066 MHz DIMMsSupport up to 32 GB of system memoryTested system memory

Do not think SSD will be worth for you. Rather lookout for mobo with more SATA 3 ports. and buy SATA 3 HDDs as well. SATA3 is huge leap over SATA2

Flipkart provides RAM prices you can check them -- out of below I would suggest corsair venegance. So basically you are looking at RAM modules which have single chip of 8GB
G.Skill RipjawsX DDR3 16 GB PC RAM (F3-12800CL10D-16GBXL) | Ram | Flipkart.com
G.Skill NT DDR3 8 GB PC RAM (F3-10600CL9S-8GBNT) | Ram | Flipkart.com
Corsair Vengeance DDR3 8 GB PC RAM (CMZ8GX3M1A1600C10) | Ram | Flipkart.com

here is asus mobo link as well as the intel one. Another point you need to make sure about mobo is they should have intel VT enabled, which generally the case of high end mobos
*www.flipkart.com/asus-maximus-v-gene-motherboard/p/itmd8b8vgegxuhae?pid=MBDD8B8VWZZCWG6D&ref=9d6baf4a-932a-42ef-97aa-623b7e92e76a

*www.intel.com/content/www/us/en/motherboards/desktop-motherboards/desktop-board-dh67cl.html

looking up the mobos, I remembered the first config is 3rd generation core i7 where as 2nd (i7 2600K) is 3nd generation proccy, hence the different chipset first being Z77 and second being H67.

Core i5 3570k is 3rd generation

putting the comparision links for mobo, hence I personally think ASUS P8Z77-V Motherboard is better than ASUS Maximus V GENE Motherboard, as it also has onboard wireless and more ports, rest being same spec
*www.flipkart.com/motherboards/compare?ids=MBDD8B8VWZZCWG6D,MBDD8B8VGT4WPZ8T,MBDD8QH4WRPYYKPU,MBDD8QJJ5GW3ZSF5
*www.flipkart.com/motherboards/compare?ids=MBDD8B8VKSWAZBGN,MBDD8B8V5NME4PWJ,MBDD8B8VWZZCWG6D,MBDD8B8VGT4WPZ8T

Also maximus advantage is better sound card.
choices you have is H77 or Z77 chipset. Z-series is considered to be server grade chipset.

 

[Cilus]

Guys, I do have little experience in Java programming with different IDE. Is Core i7 really needed for that, even if you are planning to run multiple OS in VM?

My suggestion will be a AMD FX 8150 8 Core Processor (12.5K)+ Asrock 990FX-Extreme 3 Motherboard (9K)+ 16 GB (2 X 8 GB) (4K)+ GT 430 1 GB (3K)(since 990FXA does not have on-board Gfx). It is more than enough for running any kind of programming environment.

 

[Sainatarajan]

Get ASUS P8Z77 M PRO @ 12K . This will be the good Choice . My Suggestion
I7 2600K @ 17.5K
ASUS P8Z77 M PRO @ 11.5K
GSKILL 2x4 GB RipJAWSx @ 3K
SEAGATE 1 TB @ 4.9K
ASUS DVD ROM @ 1.1K
CORSAIR GS600 @ 4K
NZXT Source Elite 210 @ 2.5K
Benq G222HDL @ 7.5K
Numeric 600 VA UPS @ 1.5K
LOGITECH MK200 @ 0.6K
Creative Speakers @ 0.4K
Cooler Master Hyper 212+ @ 2k
Total 53.5K
CORSAIR Force GT 120 GB @ 7.5K
Total 61.5K
You Can Also Go for FX 8150 . It has 8 Cores.

 

[panwala95]

sorry forgot the monitor
you can buy this one-
Dell 23 inch LED - ST2320L Monitor: Flipkart.com
its a great monitor for 10k
also i suggested to you a asus maximus gene v because if in the future you need more performance for java you can overclock it and gain extra performance free of cost
or
you could even go for a amd platform-
fx 8150-12.6k
asus m5a97-6.6k
wd caviar blue-3.8k
gskill 2x4gb-2.8k
cm elite 430-2.5k
fsp saga 2 400w -2k
dell monitor (link given)-10k
ocz agility 60gb x2-10k
xfx hd 6450-2.7k
total-53k

 

[d6bmg]

How do I make a decision? MoBo is perhaps the most difficult decision factor for me. I'm just not aware of what parameters I've to choose from. @panwala95 and @d6bmg please support your respective recommendations with some reasoning for me.

As gaming and overclocking processor like a crazy are not the highest priority for you, I've suggested Intel DH67-CL.

That Asus maximus gene-v is never a good suggestion for anybody unless the buyer is a diehard Asus ROG board fan.
Another thing, Intel makes some very good & most reliable lower mid end board which can run for the max period of time without having any problem.

And, I've suggested i7-2600K over fx-8150 because, you are going to need HT, present in 2600K for parallel programming and while running virtual OS.

also i suggested to you a asus maximus gene v because if in the future you need more performance for java you can overclock it and gain extra performance free of cost

Do you have any idea even about java programming? Please stop confusing OP.

 

[Cilus]

Agreed with D6bmg about panwala95. Please stop confusing OP about his requirement and don't talk rubbish.

 

[acewin]

True if you have some extra bucks to spend you can improve on either of proccy or combo based on your need.

I liked cilus post about AMD solution, was very happy when I found the mobo has 5 SATA 3 ports, which is reasonably better choice in case you want to run or Test RAID and different setups.
Also I found a little better mobo over extreme3 is extreme4 which is available on flipkart
ASRock 990FX Extreme4 Motherboard | Motherboard | Flipkart.com

Having 8 core in proccy will you really need HT. ??
Also comparing 8 core AMD proccy with 8 core; core i7 Intel proccy will be wrong. Because then only you count in HT; comparing it with core i5, is understandable.
Intel DH77EB Motherboard vs Gigabyte GA-Z77M-D3H Motherboard vs ASRock Z77 Extreme4 Motherboard vs ASUS P8Z77-M PRO Motherboard: Compare Motherboards: Flipkart.com

I am kinda Asus fanboy hence was mostly looking at Asus mobo, but after cilus pointed to check AsRock mobo I thought of checking AsRock and BioStar as well
I was really flattered have a look at this Z77 chipset mobo, price is quiet decent
ASRock Z77 Extreme4 Motherboard | Motherboard | Flipkart.com

my preference will always be on SATA3 port being in good number if you want your system to run long.

also will add this intel mobo into the list, with not much price increase (only 1.5K), you get newer chipset based mobo.
*www.flipkart.com/intel-dh77eb-moth...TTPS&ref=8ca9a35f-46d0-443c-9ca3-c61f4ced9f05

PS : I have not looked at chipset improvements intel has done in x6x to x7x (example H67 to H77 or Z67 to Z77), only clear understanding I get is support for 3rd gen intel proccy. In case of 2600K which is 2nd gen proccy you can rule out spending more to get newer chipset.

 

[panwala95]

As gaming and overclocking processor like a crazy are not the highest priority for you, I've suggested Intel DH67-CL.

That Asus maximus gene-v is never a good suggestion for anybody unless the buyer is a diehard Asus ROG board fan.
Another thing, Intel makes some very good & most reliable lower mid end board which can run for the max period of time without having any problem.

And, I've suggested i7-2600K over fx-8150 because, you are going to need HT, present in 2600K for parallel programming and while running virtual OS.




Do you have any idea even about java programming? Please stop confusing OP.

sorry my bad am sorry!

 

[getzafar21]

Guys. Thanks a lot for all your responses. I've gone busy with lots of other stuff recently. Thus, not able to find time to continue my research for this rig right now. Will try to come back soon with more questions after considering all the suggestions properly.

Thanks again.

 

[getzafar21]

Ok so, after finally being able to find time to continue my analysis. Based on the variety of useful inputs, I could figure out to some extent as exactly how much percentage of my budget I may dedicate to CPU and mobo based on my requirements.

I've finalized intel core 3570k as the processor which I'm getting for around 14k at SP Road in bangalore. I did consider AMD solution, but all the benchmarks reviews and comparison results with intel proccy didn't give me satisfactory results in AMD's favor. Also, i7 series, apart from being overbudget, are actually more than what I require.

i5 3570k which comes with integrated HD 4000 graphics should be able to makeup for lack of dedicated GPU on my config. Remember, No gaming as of now

I was really flattered have a look at this Z77 chipset mobo, price is quiet decent
ASRock Z77 Extreme4 Motherboard | Motherboard | Flipkart.com

my preference will always be on SATA3 port being in good number if you want your system to run long.

@acewin - Going by your reputation in the forum, I assumed that you got flattered for some good reason So, I decided to choose this mobo. In fact I went ahead and discovered that even ASRock Z77 Extreme6 is also an impressive board for just ~2k extra. Why I got impressed by extreme6 over extreme4? Well, I just did a comparison and the former one looked more loaded with features (which probably I may never be able to utilise, but feels like good to have).

Now, my question to you is- Did you say that the mobo should allow more than two SATA3 port? Why would I like to have more than 2 SATA3 hard disks installed at once?

More questions for everyone-

1. What am I missing with my choice of cpu+mobo combo (i.e. i5 3570k + ASRock Z77 Extreme6)? Is there a bottleneck with either of these two in this combination?

2. I'm dropping the speakers and SSD from my requirements for now. Please suggest some good cabinet + PSU + cooler (do I need one without OC and GPU?). All these three, within budget of max 9k.

3. My question is still unanswered about multiple monitors. Does my rig so far capable of supporting multiple monitors without need of any extra hardware (ofcourse, apart from the monitors )?

If I don't get anymore distractions, planning to buy by this weekend.

 

[sharang.d]

1. What am I missing with my choice of cpu+mobo combo (i.e. i5 3570k + ASRock Z77 Extreme6)? Is there a bottleneck with either of these two in this combination?

2. I'm dropping the speakers and SSD from my requirements for now. Please suggest some good cabinet + PSU + cooler (do I need one without OC and GPU?). All these three, within budget of max 9k.

3. My question is still unanswered about multiple monitors. Does my rig so far capable of supporting multiple monitors without need of any extra hardware (ofcourse, apart from the monitors )?

If I don't get anymore distractions, planning to buy by this weekend.

1) No bottleneck. Buy an ASUS p8z77-m pro if you're willing to spend more.
2) You are buying a "K" series processor(read: made for overclocking) and you're not going to overclock? //Search the forums for "Sandy Bridge/Ivy Bridge CPU Cooler guide". It has coolers for all price ranges
PSU depends on which GPU you decide to buy
After PSU + CPU Cooler the money you get left with goes into this. Try to have at least 2.4k (NZXT Elite 210)
3) Ivy Bridge supports 3 displays. So yes you can.

 

[acewin]

SATA3 are back compatible with SATA2 s well, but if u do not have more SATA3 ports then if later on ou do any change, or u get optical drives as well supporting sata3, you will miss on them.

Also reason for not looking at AsRock earlier because of its low profile compared to Asus/Gigabyte.

 

[getzafar21]

2) You are buying a "K" series processor(read: made for overclocking) and you're not going to overclock? //Search the forums for "Sandy Bridge/Ivy Bridge CPU Cooler guide". It has coolers for all price ranges
PSU depends on which GPU you decide to buy
After PSU + CPU Cooler the money you get left with goes into this. Try to have at least 2.4k (NZXT Elite 210)

I'm getting a K series so that I should be OC ready if I have to do so sometime in future. Currently, its not required as I'll not be gaming.

Since, no gaming, I'll not be buying a GPU for now but want my CPU+mobo to be able to accomodate one later. I guess HD 4000 of 3570k would serve to my non-gaming needs for now.

Couldn't really find a proper guide for CPU cooler even after searching with exact phrase. Can you pls provide the link to such guide if you have it handy.

SATA3 are back compatible with SATA2 s well, but if u do not have more SATA3 ports then if later on ou do any change, or u get optical drives as well supporting sata3, you will miss on them.

Also reason for not looking at AsRock earlier because of its low profile compared to Asus/Gigabyte.

Got the point. Thanks for clarifying.

1) No bottleneck. Buy an ASUS p8z77-m pro if you're willing to spend more.

Any particular reason for recommending ASUS p8z77-m pro over ASRock P8Z77 Extreme-6? The only good thin I noticed in former is its microATX form factor

*www.flipkart.com/motherboards/compare?ids=MBDD8B8V5NME4PWJ,MBDDAMFF5W2EZH9T,MBDDCNRE5UYAFUJ2

 

[sharang.d]

Only difference is build quality, reputation a few features nothin else.
The best part about asrock xtreme 6 is its totally vfm(bcz its cheap) which is why i said "if budget permits"
m-pro, v , v-pro are good z77 mobos from asus

I'll search fr the thread n post the link here. Hold on

Here you go: *www.thinkdigit.com/forum/cpu-motherboards/142397-cpu-cooler-guide-sandy-ivy-bridge-cpus.html

 

[getzafar21]

Only difference is build quality, reputation a few features nothin else.
The best part about asrock xtreme 6 is its totally vfm(bcz its cheap) which is why i said "if budget permits"
m-pro, v , v-pro are good z77 mobos from asus

On a second thought and further review reading, I decided that ASUS P8Z77 m-pro would be a safer bet than ASRock P8Z77 Extreme-6. IMO, the build quality would matter in longer run. Thanks for the timely suggestion

I'll search fr the thread n post the link here. Hold on

Here you go: *www.thinkdigit.com/forum/cpu-motherboards/142397-cpu-cooler-guide-sandy-ivy-bridge-cpus.html

I've read the guide and also read the similar PSU guide. Felt like revisiting my engineering syllabus once again

You've seen my requirements and hopefully I've explained my reasoning behind my selections. Can you please suggest me a good set of PSU+CPU Cooler (if required)+properly ventilated Cabinet. My total budget for these parts is fixed at around 9k.

Also, for whatever cooler you suggest, please consider this also:
1. Do I have to buy a thermal paste? I won't mind spending for this if it is really useful.
2. Is it blocking a RAM slot or any other slot? I would probably afford to have one out of 4 slots blocked, but not more than that.

 

[NoasArcAngel]

Thermal paste already comes applied to the heatsink bundled with the stock processor. If you want to go for an aftermarket cooling solution then a thermal paste is required in some cases.


I am making these suggestions assuming you will be running your computer pretty much 24 hours of the day.


PSU : corsair cx 430 @ 2.8k
Cabinet : corsair 300R @ 4.3k
After market cooler : Cooler Master Hyper TX 3 - Evo. @ 1.5k ( only reqd if ocing, else stock cooling is enough, thermal paste is pre-applied )
Case Fans : Cooler Master BC 80 x 2 fans @ 0.4k

All in all you will have 4 fans. in the cabinet depending on how you arrange them, your pc will be at sub-zero temps

@ OP, if you dont plan to oc. save some money and get a cheap SSD. for faster bootups and load times. even if it is 20GB