CPU Upgrade Advice

[cgi86]

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: Casual gaming , HD movie playback , downloading and general use.

2. Are you open to alternate ideas/products giving similar better performance but offering more VFM/ sellers? If not- why?
A:Yes. But I'm looking at Intel based configs with ATI Graphics Cards

3. What is your MAX budget?
A:35 k

4. Planning to overclock?
A:No

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

6. How much hard drive space is needed?
A:1 TB

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: Already have LG 22" LED @ 1920 x 1080

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: Yes . Have built rigs before.

10. When are you planning to buy the system?
A: Before sept end 2011

11. Are you one of the types looking out for "future proof" configurations?
A: Yes . As much as possible

12. Are there going to be any components that you don't want to include in this new rig? If yes, do mention.
A: Already have LED monitor , 5.1 Speakers , Kbd , Mouse and 500 VA UPS

13. Which city do you live in and are you open to buying from shops from other city/states?
A: Trivandrum . May buy online .

14. Mention any other points if deemed necessary
A: would like the rig to play modern gamees atleast in medium settings .


I would like to get advice from u techies abt the CPU upgrade i'm planning .
Below is the rig I have in mind :

Intel core i5 - 2400 processor
ASUS P8H67-M LE B3 mobo
Sapphire HD6770 1GB GDDR5
corsair 4GB DDR3 @ 1333 Mhz
Seagate Barracuda 7200.12 SATA 1 TB
lg 22x sata dvdrw
zebronix/cm case
FSP Saga II 500W

Pls suggest if there is a more value for money config for the same budget . I think the above config may cost approx 33- 34 k.

i have some doubts about above config too .
1. Is the intel H67 BL motherboard better value than this asus mobo or should i go for aus h67 evo mobo . Does any other h67 mobo have multi - gpu support and usb 3.0 , sata 6 gb/s etc ? i know the asus one does not have multi - gpu support and i can live with that . Also i need 2 normal pci slots. only asus seems to have this.
2. Is the sapphire hd 6770 better graphics card in this price range or should i go for some other company like msi ?
3. Pls advice me on better cpu case . is the zebronics one good ? i would need good ventilation , enough front usb slots and compact design .
4. Is 500 w psu unit required for this config - or 450 w will be enough ?
5. Is separate CPU cooler required for this config . If yes pls suggest suitable one .
6. Which ram is better at 2500 k range - corsair or kingston ? also what is single and dual channel ? whats the difference ?
7. Will my 500 va UPS be enough - or would i have to change that as well ? if so , how much va should i go for ?


Pls advise me on the above . Would much appreciate your help . Thanks in Advance .

CGi86

 

[saswat23]

1. Yes, Intel DH67BL-B3 is quite good and really a VFM board. Asus boards with such features will increase your budget. And for 2*PCIe slots, one will be running at 16x where as the other one will run at 4x so dual GPU steup will definitely run at 4x mode which is useless.

2. Yup, SAPPHIRE is a good brand. I would rate it 3rd after MSi and ASUS. Look for MSi ones. They have good cooling and OCing features as well. MSi HD 6770 will cost you around 6.5k.

3. Look for NZXT GAMMA at 2k. Else go with CM-Elite 430 at 2.5k.

4. A good 500W PSU like FSP SAGAII 500W is sufficient for handling your rig with HD6770. But dont ever rely on those generic/local (Frontech, Intex, Foxin etc) 500W for this setup. These local ones will simply burn ur rig one day.

5. A separate cooler is not required as of now. But use that money in a better GPU or PSU. You can buy a separate cooler later, if required.

6. Corsair RAMs are better than Kingstons. But Kingston is not that bad either. Look for Corsair 4GB 1333MHz DDR3 Value RAM at 1.5k.
(Whats that 2500k you have mentioned. 1k = Rs.1000/-. So, you mean you have a budget of 2500*1000 = 25lacks for RAM)

7. Your UPS wont be able to provide good backup i hope. If its in good condition, then no problem. You can use it. But if its unable to give backup then look for a new Zebronics 600VA UPS @ 1.2k else Intex 1000VA UPS @ 1.8 (provides a backup of ~30mins).

I Hope this will explain you dual channel memory/RAM clearly:
Dual-channel architecture - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 

[cgi86]

oops its a typo , i meant 2.5 k range.....

and the intel board has only 1 normal pci slot , i meant i needed 2 addl normal pci slots for an addl lan card and a tv tuner card.... the intel board does not seem to have provision for that .

so should i stick with the intel board or go with the more expensive asus board ?

hd 6770 is the best gpu i can get for this budget right ? i'll look up the msi and asus ones too.......

i'll stick with my current ups then , its working well as of now ......

regarding the ram i think u meant , 4 GB 1333 Mhz DDR3 Corsair . yeah i too had that in mind.

thanx for ur reply mate , what do u think of the rig i mentioned . is that the best for 35 k ?

guys what abt intel dh67cl mobo , is it any good for 6.5 k ?

also i'm thinking of getting a better graphics card - msi hd 6850 1 GB cyclone PE

 

[Cilus]

^^ Why do you need a lan card, all current gen mobos come with integrated 1000 Mbps Lan port.

As per your requirement, I'll suggest you to go with an AMD config with a motherboard with upcoming Bulldozer processor support. Then you can opt for a better graphics card for overall better gaming performance.

 

[saswat23]

Go for a 6850 with your rig.
And the Intel DH67CL-B3 only has additional PCI slots and costs 1k more.
And as many are not using PCI cards now a days so they go with DH67BL-B3 and save 1k for other parts.

For around 35k:
CPU: Intel i5-2400 -- 9k
Mobo: Intel DH67CL-B3 -- 6.5k
RAM: Corsair Value / GSkill 4GB 1333MHz DDR3 -- 1.5k
HDD: Seagate 7200.12 500GB -- 1.8k
ODD: LG/HP/SAMSUNG 22x DVD-RW -- 0.9k
PSU: Corsair GS-600 -- 3.8k
CASE: NZXT GAMMA -- 2k / CM elite 430 -- 2.5k
GPU: MSi HD6850 Cyclone Edition -- 9k
Total --- 34.5k / 35k

 

[cgi86]

@ cilus : i have a pci lan card which i use to connect my main sys with an older cpu that i have . the second pci slot i need for my tv tuner card ...... but , i can live with one pci slot too , the lan thing is not that essential .

@ saswat23: dh67cl- b3 has couple of pci slots more and 2 pci-e x1 slots .the asus one has 1 pci-e x 16 and 1 pci-e x4 ......it is unlikely that i'll multi gpu in crossfire ....... so what u said is true .... otherwise these boards are practically the same as dh67bl - b3 .... so i think i'll stick with dh67bl-b3

@ cilus : i'm currently using an amd rig .... this time around i'm bit partial to an intel config ..... i'm not that much an avid gamer . so i think hd 6850 should do me fine ......

@ saswat23 : is fsp saga II 500w enough or should i go for corsair gs -600 . my cpu will be left on for long periods for torrent downloads . gs - 600 costs a solid 1.8 k more ......


thanx for ur replies mates

 

[saswat23]

Yes, GS-600 is the best option for your rig with HD 6850. And HD 6850 can allow you to game at High settings.
But if you can find VX series say VX-450 at 3.5k or VX-550 at 4.3k then get it. VX series has better build quality. Also as you say your rig will be ON mostly so going for VX series would be better and also they come with 5yrs warranty.
If you are unable to find VX series then dont worry you can easily rely on GS-600.

 

[d6bmg]

is fsp saga II 500w enough or should i go for corsair gs -600 . my cpu will be left on for long periods for torrent downloads . gs - 600 costs a solid 1.8 k more ......

Buying GS series PSU from corsair is worth investing almost 2K mre that fsp. Corsair is famous for its flawless builds if nothing more. But as saswat23 posted before me, if your rig remain on for whole day, vx series PSU are beter choice than GS series psu although this option depends on availability.

 

[cgi86]

yeah ........... availability is the key issue here . i'm almost sure , most of these components may not be available here in my hometown...... and even if available , the prices will be way above the mumbai/kolkatha prices u guys quote . But i'm ok with getting the stuff online and assembling myself . Still , I hope i can get most from here locally itself

ok i went out and got 2 quotes today ..... one more vendor will get back to me tomorrow....

meanwhile this is an indicator of prices in trivandrum ,kerala

first vendor :

intel core i 5 - 2400 proc - 9200
intel dh67bl - b3 mobo - 5100
msi hd 6850 1 GB cyclone - 9600
corsair 4 GB DDR 3 @ 1333Mhz - 1200
Seagate Barracuda 7200.12 SATA 500 GB - 1900
LG 22x SATA 22x dvdrw - 930
Coolermaster elite 430 - 2700
Corsair CX 500 - 2900

total - 33540

they dont have gs 600 or vx 450/550

second vendor : same as above , with coolermaster elite 310 and w/o the GPU - 26000



hmmm..... is the cx 500, a good subst for gs 600 ?

 

[d6bmg]

CX500 is good but probably not as good as GS600.

A piece of suggestion: DO NOT buy all parts from one vendor. Check as many vendors as possible & then compare the deals offered for each component & buy from that vendor who offers you any component at lowest price tag.

 

[cgi86]

i consulted with 3 vendors mate , as it turns out , lowest prices for same components are the lowest with same vendor itself .....

instead of corsair cx 500 - i have opted for antec trupower 650 w . its costs 4350


complete cpu , this vendor has offered @ 35k . fits my budget .

intel core i 5 - 2400 proc - 9200
intel dh67bl - b3 mobo - 5100
msi hd 6850 1 GB cyclone - 9600
corsair 4 GB DDR 3 @ 1333Mhz - 1200
Seagate Barracuda 7200.12 SATA 500 GB - 1900
LG 22x SATA 22x dvdrw - 930
Coolermaster elite 430 - 2700
antec 650 watts - 4350

above is the config i'm going to buy along with individual prices . total 35 k

 

[Cilus]

CX500 is good but probably not as good as GS600.

A piece of suggestion: DO NOT buy all parts from one vendor. Check as many vendors as possible & then compare the deals offered for each component & buy from that vendor who offers you any component at lowest price tag.

There are two models of CX500, one is the old CX500 and the newly launched CX500 V2. Make sure you are getting the V2 version because the older one is not a good PSU.
All the old CX series PSUs are built to provide their quoted performance like 500W power output, 80+ efficiency in 30 degree Celsius and with the increase in temperature, their performance degrades rapidly. CX500 is actually a 450W PSU in 40 degree Celsius.
The V2 model has addressed those issues and really a good VFM product. They are 80+ certified and can deliver their quoted performance upto 40 degree Celsius.
The V2 model is available around 3K, check *www.theitwares.com/corsair-builder-series-cx500-500w-atx12v-plus-certified-active-power-supply-p-2265.html. The shipping charge is Rs 150 in theitwares. It also comes with 3 years of warranty (CX 500 has 2 years)

 

[cgi86]

since he quoted 2900 , it must be the older version ....... anyway i told him then itself i'm looking for better psu . he showed me cooler master 700w and antec 650 w ...... i chose the antec one as i mentioned above .

my only regret now is that the cabinet i'm getting is cm elite 430 but it does not have the transparent side panel..... otherwise its exactly the same .... the transparent panel would have been so cool ...... well one cant have everything , eh ?

 

[saswat23]

Stay away from CM PSUs. Better go for Corsair's. BTW which Antec PSU is he giving you? Any specific Model?

since he quoted 2900 , it must be the older version ....... anyway i told him then itself i'm looking for better psu . he showed me cooler master 700w and antec 650 w ...... i chose the antec one as i mentioned above .

You never know that. So, confirm it clearly

my only regret now is that the cabinet i'm getting is cm elite 430 but it does not have the transparent side panel..... otherwise its exactly the same .... the transparent panel would have been so cool ...... well one cant have everything , eh ?

Then why the hell is he chargimg you Rs.2700??
AFAIK members here have bought CM Elite 430 @ 2.5k with the Transparent Side Panel. So, better get from another shop (only the cabinet, rest prices are quite good).

 

[MegaMind]

@OP, if u are open to buy online, i recommend u get Seasonic S12II-520

 

[cgi86]

@saswat3 : this is the best price i got from local vendors for the chassis ...... its 2.7k including the tax. they had the transaprent version , but now out of stock . i read somewhere in this forum , that some other members here too have the version without the trasparent panel. none of the other vendors are having the cm elite 430 . the psu he showed is the older version , i believe. the 'v2' was not mentioned in the box . it was just corsair cx 500 .

the antec one i ordered is the antec truepower 650 .

@ megamind : i would rather buy this locally . the vendor has agreed to assemble the above config i mentioned for 35k

 

[d6bmg]

@ megamind : i would rather buy this locally . the vendor has agreed to assemble the above config i mentioned for 35k

If you can, ask the vendor to import some Corsair PSUs.

 

[cgi86]

Hi all .

I've got my rig !!

the config is same as in post 11 . the psu is not antec truepower 650 but antec earthwatts green ea 650 ..... hmmm....

total price - 35 k

i'll soon post pics ..... checked the rig out with nfs hp , mafia 2 and fifa 11 - very satisfactory frame rates at highest settings

my sincere gratitude to saswat23, cilus , d6bmg and megamind for ur invaluable suggestions and help .

@ d6bmg : i've asked the vendor abt corsair series psus ..... have to wait longer . so gone with the antec one ....

 

[Cilus]

cgi86, my heartiest congratulation for your new rig. The PSU, Antec Earthwatts EA 650W green is a very good PSU. It comes with 80+ Bronze (upto 88+) certification, dual 12V rail, capability to deliver almost 100% of its power through the 12V rails, provide 38A current to each of the 12V rail. It is also Nvidia SLI and AMD CrossfireX certified. Check the review Antec Earthwatts EA 650W green Review | KitGuru

 

[d6bmg]

@ d6bmg : i've asked the vendor abt corsair series psus ..... have to wait longer . so gone with the antec one ....

Antec is also an very good brand, and your rig looks good. Congrats.. Do post some pics of it when you get some time.