Budget gaming rig < 40k

[iGamer]

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:
Mainly for Heavy games like ME3, BF3, Dirt 3, Elder scrolls, witcher 2 at medium settings(1080p if possible)
occasionally for softwares like video editing, photoshop, eclipse

2. What is your overall budget? If you can extend a bit for a more balanced configuration, then mention this too.
Ans:40k can add 5k if needed

3. Planning to overclock?
Ans:Yes(GPU definitely, CPU not sure) if possible without custom cooling

4. Which Operating System are you planning to use?
Ans:Windows 7 64 bit

5. How much hard drive space is needed?
Ans:500 GB

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, 22" with 1920x1080 resolution

7. Which components you DON'T want to buy or which components you already have and plan on reusing?
Ans:Mouse, keyboard, DVD Writer, Speakers

8. When are you planning to buy the system?
Ans: next month

9. Have you ever built a desktop before or will this be done by an assembler?
Ans:No, But can manage it

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 can buy the processor, Ram and HDD locally
Other parts will be from online (shop suggestions are welcome)

11. Anything else which you would like to say?
Ans: After lot of researching I have planned this rig

Component Make Price
Processor Intel Core i3-2100 6100
Motherboard Asus P8H61-M-LX 3048
Graphic Card HIS Radeon HD6870 IceQ X 1GB GDDR5 11725
RAM Transcend DDR3-1333 4 GB 1194
HDD Seagate Barracuda 500GB 5325
PSU Corsair CMPSU-500CXV2UK 3611
Case Cooler Master Elite 310 1600
Monitor Benq 21.5inch(G2222HDAL) 7690
UPS Zebronics 600VA 1275
Total 41568

Now any improvements/suggestions in this are most welcome
Should I get a 6950 instead of the 6870? will that be worth the extra 4k?
I would be using this system for the next 2yrs for gaming, might upgrade either CPU or GPU or RAM in future but not all.

Thanks in advance

 

[RiGOD]

Component Make Price
CPU AMD Phenom II 960T 6960
Motherboard Gigabyte GA-880GM-D2H 4030
GPU MSI GTX 560 10700
RAM G.Skill RipjawsX 4GB DDR3 1550
HDD WD Caviar Blue 500 GB 4300
Case NZXT Source 210 Elite 2400
PSU Seasonic S12 II 520 3770
Monitor Benq G2222HDL 7500
UPS Intex 1KVA 3500
Total 44710

>Go for the USB 3.0 version of the board if budget permits.

 

[Cilus]

For current gaming, i3 2100 is okay but for video editing and Photoshop, I think a Phenom Quad processor is what you should be looking for. It will provide decent enough performance for gaming as well as very well multi-threaded performance for Photo/Video editing jobs.

Here is my suggestion:-

AMD Phenom II X4 960T Zosma @ 6.9K
Gigabyte GA-880G-USB3 @ 4.8K
G-skill RipjawX 1600 MHz DDR3 @ 1.5K
Seagate/WD Blue 500 GB HDD @ 4K
CM Elite 370 Cabinet @ 2K
Corsair GS600 @ 4K
BenQ G2220HDL @ 7.5K
HIS HD 7850 2 GB GDDR5 @ 15.3K

Total 46K. This config can handle any games at full HD resolution.

 

[iGamer]

Hey thanks for the reply
Now as per my research I think that(do correct me if I am wrong)

Intel Core i3-2100 at 6100 is better than AMD Phenom II 960T at 6960
Also HD 6870 is better than GTX 560 according to Anandtech

As for USB 3.0 I am not sure I will be using it in near future, it is a good feature to have but the MO with it will not be cheap and hence I think it will be better to spend that money on a better GPU or CPU.

I may be wrong in my observation(you all are the experts after all), so please help me understand this concepts.

Thanks

 

[iGamer]

For current gaming, i3 2100 is okay but for video editing and Photoshop, I think a Phenom Quad processor is what you should be looking for. It will provide decent enough performance for gaming as well as very well multi-threaded performance for Photo/Video editing jobs.

Here is my suggestion:-

AMD Phenom II X4 960T Zosma @ 6.9K
Gigabyte GA-880G-USB3 @ 4.8K
G-skill RipjawX 1600 MHz DDR3 @ 1.5K
Seagate/WD Blue 500 GB HDD @ 4K
CM Elite 370 Cabinet @ 2K
Corsair GS600 @ 4K
BenQ G2220HDL @ 7.5K
HIS HD 7850 2 GB GDDR5 @ 15.3K

Total 46K. This config can handle any games at full HD resolution.

I agree with you regarding the AMD Phenom II X4 960T, but I chose i3 2100 because
1) I may upgrade to i5/i7 in future(after 1 yr) hence need intel MO.
2) i3 + MO cost < AMD + MO cost by around 2.5k
3) This PC will be mostly used for gaming(sorry for confusing you, have corrected the main post now)
4) I don't want to OC the CPU very much

Please tell me if my points justify the need for i3 or do you still recommend AMD? If you think AMD is still best then please tell why?

Thank

 

[doomgiver]

Intel Core i3-2100 at 6100 is better than AMD Phenom II 960T at 6960
Also HD 6870 is better than GTX 560 according to Anandtech

cilus mentiioned the 7870, not the 6870
also, phenom is better at cpu-intensive applications

 

[Cilus]

i3+ Intel motherboard is cheaper because you've chosen H61 chipset based motherboard which is the cheapest entry level product and mainly released to be used with Dual Core processors like the Intel Pentium G600 and G800 series or i3 series. Pairing them with higher end quad cores like i5 2300/2400 or 2500 is not a good idea. Also you'll lose USB3.0 and SATA 3.0 features. Now if you go for a H67 chipset based motherboard then the standard one will cost you around 5K.

2ndly, I've suggested you HD 7850, not HD 6870. HD 7850 is slightly better than HD 6950, far more power efficient and overclocking friendly. It'll also help you to play upcoming games with higher settings.

Another thing, the gigabyte motherboard I've suggested is an AM3+ motherboard and will support both AMD Bulldozer and most probably upcoming Piledriver processors. So upgrade path is pretty much open in AMD side.

 

[SunE]

OP what Cilus has suggested is a very good config. You should definitely go with that.

 

[iGamer]

cilus mentiioned the 7870, not the 6870
also, phenom is better at cpu-intensive applications

doomgiver that post was for RiGOD, my 1st 5 post are manually moderated thats why it came after Cilus. And I completely agree with Cilus that 7850 is much better than 6870

i3+ Intel motherboard is cheaper because you've chosen H61 chipset based motherboard which is the cheapest entry level product and mainly released to be used with Dual Core processors like the Intel Pentium G600 and G800 series or i3 series. Pairing them with higher end quad cores like i5 2300/2400 or 2500 is not a good idea. Also you'll lose USB3.0 and SATA 3.0 features. Now if you go for a H67 chipset based motherboard then the standard one will cost you around 5K.

Yes you are right, I think I will have to try and fit the H67 board in my budget.

Another thing, the gigabyte motherboard I've suggested is an AM3+ motherboard and will support both AMD Bulldozer and most probably upcoming Piledriver processors. So upgrade path is pretty much open in AMD side.

Once again you are right, but I have read at many places that the buldozer series is crap against the 2nd gen intel processors at same rate. True that they are good for overclocking but even i5/i7 k's are highly overclockable.

Well I read some reviews/benchmarks/forums etc about the suggested CPU's.
This is what I have inferred from them about the AMD Phenom II X4 960T and buldozers(please do correct me if I am wrong anywhere in my assumption )

1) They are excellent choice for OC, they may even OC upto 4 GHz
2) But they are power hungry beast even at stock settings and consume almost double power at load. And even more power if OCed.
3) Because of the high power consumption they get very hot even at stock and extremely hot when OCed. Hence they require a powerfull after market CPU cooler which might increase overall cost.
4) In the same price range at stock settings their performance is lower then their Intel counterparts and sometimes even struggle to keep up with them.
5) But when OC they are better than their intel counterparts(non-k CPU's), but again the cost of a powerful cooler increases the total CPU cost, at which we can easily buy a much better intel CPU which gives the same result at stock settings.

I got all this info from HERE and read some reviews and benchmarks from many other sites.

Now I don't say that the AMD CPU's are bad or that AMD Phenom II X4 960T is bad, my point is that
1) As I mentioned before I want a PC mostly for gaming and occasionally for other apps(few seconds wait in apps is ok, but few frame rates in game is not )
2) I don't want to OC the CPU much. Actually I don't want to experiment OC for the 1st time in this hot and humid weather

Well this is basically what I understand about the CPU's.

So should I go for i3 2100 or Phenom II x4 960T??

All experts are welcome to correct me and help me understand all this jargon!!

2ndly, I've suggested you HD 7850, not HD 6870. HD 7850 is slightly better than HD 6950, far more power efficient and overclocking friendly. It'll also help you to play upcoming games with higher settings.

Again as I said to doomgiver that post was for RiGOD, not you .
Thanks to you I will now be going for 7850

But now, thanks to Cilus, the GPU 7850 is decided then.
Are there any preferable brands for the GPU?
HIS/Saphire/MSI ? Currently only theitwares has HIS referenced model at 15k.
If I want to OC it then should I wait for IceQ model? Will the prices fall in near future?

Some more questions!!!

What are the benefits of H67 chipset over H61, except the No. of USB ports, SATA 6GB/s and RAID? (I won't need this features for at least 1yr)
Will the performance of my system be affected with H61?


Thanks again to all those who are replying

 

[Cilus]

Sapphire HD 7850 is also very good because of its dual fan based custom cooler. It is retailing in Kolkata M.D. Computers at 15.6K.

For gaming, GPU is more important than CPU, especially in higher resolution like 1080P. All you need a CPU capable enough to handle the GPU without bottlenecking it.
Ya, you're right about that Bulldozer is very power hungry but 960T isn't. Another reason for 960T is that there is a high chance of unlocking it to a Phenom II 6 core, 1065T.

 

[iGamer]

Sapphire HD 7850 is also very good because of its dual fan based custom cooler. It is retailing in Kolkata M.D. Computers at 15.6K.

Ya I saw that too, but I think I can 1 or 2 weeks for a factory OC one from either HIS/Sapphire/MSI. This card OC like hell with better cooling so better to wait for them and even the prices might drop by then!!

Ya, you're right about that Bulldozer is very power hungry but 960T isn't. Another reason for 960T is that there is a high chance of unlocking it to a Phenom II 6 core, 1065T.

Agreed but in comparison with i3 the 960T still consumes a lot more power at load. This might become costly in the long run with heavy gaming.

I also checked the diff bet the H67 chipset over H61 which is none except the No. of USB ports, SATA 6GB/s and RAID and I won't need this features for at least 1yr(after all this is a budget PC )

 

[RiGOD]

^^I3 beats the Phenoms in gaming for sure. But while gaming at 1080p you'll need a really good GPU and somewhat good CPU that won't bottleneck your GPU. No just that, in future when games start to use more cores you'll be on the safer side with a quad core in your rig.

 

[iGamer]

while gaming at 1080p you'll need a really good GPU and somewhat good CPU that won't bottleneck your GPU.

I don't think that i3 will bottleneck 7850, do you think that?

in future when games start to use more cores you'll be on the safer side with a quad core in your rig.

That will take at least 6 months if not a year and by that time I might upgrade my CPU to i5/i7 IVB. So it wont be a problem in future.

 

[RiGOD]

^^I never told that the i3 will be a bottleneck. Just suggested that for 6k its better to get a quad core Phenom than the i3. BTW if you're upgrading in 5-6 months time, why not the G620? It'll not bottleneck the HD 7850 too.

 

[iGamer]

Just suggested that for 6k its better to get a quad core Phenom than the i3. BTW if you're upgrading in 5-6 months time, why not the G620? It'll not bottleneck the HD 7850 too.

You can read the reasons that I explained to Cilus earlier or I explain it in short here
1) 960T is no match for i3 2100 at stock freq.
2) Power consumption of i3 2100 << 960T at load by around 70W
3) 960T has high TDP when OC hence need a powerfull ~2k CPU cooler(like Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO Cooler)
4) Total cost for 960T to reach i3 2100's level will be
960T (6942) + CM Hyper 212 EVO (2233) = Rs. 9175
Now add 9175 + 1400 ~= i5 2300 (10600) at stock freq with more efficiency
OR 9175 + 800 ~= Phenom II 1090T(9960) at stock freq with more efficiency
5) The 960T are good but only if you can OC to more than 3.8GHz.
6) i3 2100 has hyperthreading with 4 threads, which more than anything covers up for its lack of 4 cores.
7) 960T's upgrade path is also inefficient(not sure about the upcoming piledrivers).

Well this is what I am able to understand about 960T
This will be my 1st build, so I don't wanna try high OCing and at stock 960T is no match for i3. May be in future I can try with the piledriver's when I learn a bit more about the ART of OCing like you guys

Now as for your suggestion for the G620, earlier I said that I might go for i5/i7 as I am not sure when exactly that will happen so I want to better be safe and go for i3 .

Now I think almost everything is decided for(unless anyone has anymore suggestions), so now a very imp question!!!
Which case will be best for for <3k?
1) Cooler Master Elite 310 (1600)
2) Cooler Master Elite 335 (2185)
3) BitFenix Merc Alpha (2550)
4) NZXT Gamma Black Steel (2825)

Personally I am leaning towards either of the last 2 cozthe look COOL!!!
Which will have best airflow & cooling?

Thanks to everyone who have answered my queries!!

 

[RiGOD]

My vote goes to the Merc Alpha.

 

[iGamer]

My vote goes to the Merc Alpha.

EDIT :-
I also like it, but I found out yesterday that it does not have filters on its extra fan grills.
In my house I have heavy dust problem, so an unfiltered grill will roast my PC due to dust accumulation.

Are there any shops where 120mm fan grill filters are available? checked flipcart/itwarez/itdepot none of them have it.
Or are there any case which come with filters on all or at least some of the grills?

EDIT :-

I just read the Rashi's RMA problem thread and now I am in doubt regarding the Asus board that selected
Are the problems with Rashi still persistent or have they improved?
Should I go for some other company?
Asus P8H61-M-LX has many good protection features thats why I went with it. Other option can be GA-H61M-D2H at 3358 or an intel board(but they lack extra features that other companies have )

BTW this is what I have decided till now

Component Make Price
Processor Intel Core i3-2100 6100
Motherboard Asus P8H61-M-LX 3048
Graphic Card HIS Radeon HD7850 2GB GDDR5 15300
RAM G-skill 1x4GB 1333 MHz DDR3 1150
HDD Seagate Barracuda 500GB 4100
PSU SeaSonic S12II 620 4619
Case Cooler Master Elite 311 2100
Monitor Benq 21.5inch(G2222HDAL) 7690
UPS Zebronics 600VA 1275
Total 45,382

We don't have any power fluctuations in my area, So will the UPS be required or can forego it right now and by it in future?
The SeaSonic PSU has the protection, so will the UPS be needed?

Thanks in advance

 

[RiGOD]

^^Change that UPS buddy. You'll need atleast an APC 800VA or Intex 1KVA.

 

[iGamer]

^^Change that UPS buddy. You'll need atleast an APC 800VA or Intex 1KVA.

I know that it is very important to protect the system but, we don't have any power fluctuations in my area, So will the UPS be required or can forego it right now and by it in future?
The SeaSonic PSU has the protection, so will the UPS be needed?

Its just that the budget is already being stretched, and the APC UPS that you suggested will cost ~1.6k.

Thanks

 

[Cilus]

I also used to think that but after a single and sudden power cut destroyed my PSU and one Graphics card I got the 1 KVA APC. Get some quality UPS of min 800 VA from brands like Numeric, Frontech/Intex or APC.