Gautham's guide to building the Perfect Mainstream Value PC
Many of us are at a loss as to what to buy, when we are hunting for a new PC. To solve some of those problems, I am presenting here a tutorial to build a mainstream, i.e. average level PC, which should fit quite well for most people. I am going to describe here in this tutorial how you can build the perfect Value PC, which has all the features needed by a mainstream PC, and still keeps its price under the hood. Overclocking is an excellent way to get more juice out of your PC, so I shall recommend thee a good overclocker system, i.e. - a PC which can be overclocked to much more power. The machine I am designing will definitely qualify as a mainstream PC, so no eXtreme budget parts. The PC will be of an Intel based platform, because sadly, AMD is no longer living up to its expectations as far as cheap and good quality processors are concerned. All of its processors, perhaps with the exception of the extremely rare and elusive Athlon 64 X2 5000+ Black Edition are far below similarly priced processors from Intel.
The PC is intended to be as future proof and upgradable as possible, so that you need not suffer later by having extremely outdated parts. Expansion slots, ability to overclock, usability of some parts later in future, etc are given due importance. I won't blindly suggest a rig here and you are expected to read the contents fully and only then, make a purchase after deciding what you need and what you don't.
So lets get down to business and do the dirty work shall we ?
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Motherboard~~~~<<<<<<<<<<####
And old saying goes: A mother is a person's biggest asset. And its no different when it comes to a PC. A good PC needs a good, rather, excellent Motherboard. It holds all your components together, and hence any fault in it can damage all other parts of your PC. So I am not going to be stingy here.
Board: Abit IP35-E
Technical Specifications/Features( source: www.overclockersclub.com ):
Abit Engineered
Abit SoftMenu™ The original jumperless motherboard design allows for CPU setting changes completely through the BIOS. For GigaOverclocking! Boost your PC's Performance by up to 50%. Convenient and easy-to-use fine tuning from within a self-explanatory
CPU
Support Intel® Core™ 2 Extreme/Duo/Quad processors with 1333/1066/800MHz FSB
Support Intel® Core™ 2 Extreme/Quad/Duo & Pentium® Dual Core Processors Chipset
Intel® P35 Express / ICH9 Chipset Memory
4 X 240-pin DIMM sockets support max. memory capacity 8GB
Supports Dual channel DDR2 800/667/533 un-buffered non-ECC memory LAN
Onboard Gigabit LAN controller supports 10/100/1000M Ethernet (MARVELL 88E8056) Audio
On board 7.1 CH HD Audio CODEC (Realtek ALC888)
Supports auto jack sensing and optical S/PDIF Out
HDMI ready header (SPDIF header)
Expansion Slots
1 x PCI-E X16
2 x PCI-E X1
3 x PCI
Internal I/O
1 x Floppy Port supports up to 2.88 MB
1 x ATA 133/100/66/3 IDE connector
4 x SATA 3Gb/s connector
4 x USB header (support 8 ports)
1 x FP-Audio
Back Panel I/O
1 x PS/2 Keyboard, 1 x PS/2 Mouse
1 x S/P DIF Out
7.1 CH Audio connector (Front, Line-in, MIC-in, Center/Subwoofer, Surround, Rear Surround)
4 x USB 2.0
1 x RJ-45 LAN connector
Serial ATA
4 x SATA 3Gb/s through Intel® ICH9 Form Factor
Misc Data
ATX form factor 305 x 245mm
PCB Color: Blue
RoHS - 100% lead-free process and RoHS compliant
This motherboard has been proven to be one of the best semi-budget/mid-range board out there. You can overclock a good processor to 40% easily without any difficulty, and with some or no cooling, even 100% OC is achievable on certain processors, like those from the E2xx0 series. It costs about Rs. 5,500/-.
This motherboard is not the cheapest in the world, but is a semi-performance board with a chipset which is assured to be able to live for atleast three years, gobbling newer generation processors without much difficulty.
If you want to get another board, its fine, but try to ensure that you get one which uses the Intel P35 chipset.
For a cheaper alternative consider the Biostar TP35D2-A7 motherboard, which comes for Rs. 1,100/- less. But you may loose some small amount of overclocking headroom on this one, along with some features. As one must never be stingy for the motherboard, I recommend the Abit IP35-E only. But the choice is still there, and this can be the first downgrade option you have if there is some budget constrain. Again, I recommend that you start with the Abit IP35-E, then you can fall down to this if you need to invest money elsewere.
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Processor~~~~<<<<<<<<<<####
A processor is the heart of the system. And Intel makes good hearts. Almost all of them are excellent, and I shall recommend the two best VFM processors here.
1. Intel Pentium Dual Core E2160
This is the best baby out there. Though called Pentium Dual Core, its in no way related to those electric stoves the Pentium 4 series and the Pentium D were. This is a re branded Core2Duo processor based on the "Allendale" core, and is one of the meanest out there. It does not come with certain features like Intel Virtualisation Technology, and has only 1 MB of Shared L2 Cache, etc, but its all worth its wondrous price: Its only Rs. 2,700/-, and its default clock speed of 1.8 GHz can be zoomed up and taken to 3.0 GHz safely on the Abit IP35-E motherboard. You can get even 100% OC, at 3.6 GHz, with some luck or with a cooler(this, although not quintessential, does boost performance, and mainly gives you respect for being a 100% OCerl; and 3.0 GHz is recommended for being a safe limit). It has a 9x multiplier if you want to overclock. Other than all this, this is manufactured from the older 65nm process, and newer 45nm versions have not yet come out. But ITS STILL WORTH IT. What more could you ask for at Rs. 2,700/- ? This thing owns almost every single AMD Dual Core processor out there when given its share of overclocking, and hell ya its worth doing it.
2. Intel Core2Duo E7200
This little guy really IS little. Made from a 45nm process and belonging to the new Penryn family of Core2Duo CPUs, this processor comes at a default clock speed of 2.53 GHz, a respectable number indeed, and it dozen't need to be overclocked to achieve great performance. It consumes very little power too. Most of you will be tempted to push it to 3.0 GHz, which is a highly achievable limit with Abit IP35-E, as it already comes at 2.66 GHz. Sure, go ahead, and enjoy yourselves; but be warned that at Rs. 5,700/-, Rs. 3,000/- more than E2160, this thing looses warranty on OCing. So you need to meet the risks of OCing a more expensive Processor like this. But prices are expected to come down, and lets wait and hope for the best. It has 3 mb of L2 cache, just the amount needed by most software, especially games. It has a Front Side Bus Speed of 1066 MHz, and should effortlessly run on Abit IP35-E. It has a 9.5x multiplier for overclocking. And yes, this also lacks Intel Virtualisation technology, but its of little concern to most people here. It needs to be mentioned that this is the cheapest penryn, but as in the case of E2160 appearing after E2140 and excelling its predecessor in every way and still costing only a trifle(Rs.200) more, we need to wait and see how E7300 turns out to be when it comes. But E7300 just has 10x multiplier and 2.66 GHz clockspeed, definitely not an improvement remarkable enough to consider over its predecessor, unlike the case of E2160, where its predecessor had only an 8x multiplier making all the difference in the world.
The Choice:
Personally speaking, I find both equally tempting. Each is the best at its price, so choose wisely. Both are evenly matched in potential, although E2160 is the best bang intel offers for your buck. If you need to perform processor intensive tasks, select the E7200. But if you don't need too much of processing, E2160 will do. Besides, it can OC, and not many need over 3.0 GHz clock speed. The price difference of Rs. 3,000/- is good enough to offer some serious upgrades, so I recommend with maximum hesitation the E2160. Debatable.
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RAM~~~~<<<<<<<<<<####
The ram is one of the main thing a PC needs, and too little of this can make your computer dreadfully slow. But at the same time, too much of it is just a waste of money in maximum of the cases. You don't usually need more than 4GB of it, and just 2 GB of Dual Channel 800 MHz DDR2 memory is the standard for today, and I too recommend it. Never go for 3 GB memory, its something like neither here nor there. Go for either a 1GB + 1GB configuration in Dual Channel, or a 2GB + 2GB configuration in dual channel. With the power needed to power the PC I am currently building for you, 2GB is enough.
Transcend Value RAM 2GB
This is a 1GB pair, consisting of two 1GB sticks of 800MHz each.
This is value ram, hence is really basic in functionality.
Latency: 5-5-5-18
Without heat spreader
Cost: Rs. 1,800/-
The ideal ram. This is Transcend's value RAM, and it offers just that. You get affordable 800MHz DDR2 memory, which can serve you for quite a long time, as DDR3 looks far away as of now.
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Hard Disk~~~~<<<<<<<<<<####
The Hard Disc is supposed to contain all your precious data, and should be chosen with care. You must decide how much of data you may be storing, and buy a hard disc accordingly. But 320 GB is the minimum quantity, with 500GB being the mainstream number.
Seagate ST3500320AS
This is THE HDD I recommend to all of you.
It costs Rs. 4,150(from theitwares.com)
With 32 mb buffer and 500GB disc space, its a killer.
It gives you excellent value for your money.
And this 7200.11 model is the best in the market.
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Optical Drive~~~~<<<<<<<<<<####
An optical drive is quintessential for taking backups, carrying/delivering data to friends, etc. Today, we shall concentrate on only DVD drives, as Blu Ray Drives are quite quite far off. We are looking at DVD Writers which can read/write to DVD+-RW, DVD+-R, DVD-RAM, CD-RW, CD-R, etc. SATA will be the prefered interface, and speed is not a problem. DVDs today come at only 16x, while writers come at atleast 20x.
Samsung SH-S203D
This is the chosen DVD-RAM drive. Its the best there is in the overall mainstream category. Its the world's first 16x Dual Layer DVD Writer. Ordinary DVDs can be written at 20x. It takes all formats effortlessly, and verbatim, sony, moser baer, etc perform excellently in it costs Rs. 1,250/-, and comes bundled with the usual Nero 7 Essentials. Definitely no competition to this drive, as its expected to stay for atleast 4 years, with DVDs comming at only 16x and as I said before, Blu Ray Drives are too expensive now. And this thing has aced over other drives in benchmarks too.
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Cabinet~~~~<<<<<<<<<<####
You need a good looking and sturdy cabinet to hold the PC of yours. Go for one with USB, Line in and Line out ports in the front. I recommend two models:
1. Zebronics Gaming Series Bijli cabinet
This one is a serious looker and a real sturdy one. It has a structure looking like a portable CD Player in the front containing a Temperature Monitor, Two USB ports, a speaker jack, a line in jack and the start/restart keys. This is priced around Rs. 1,500, and is definitely worth it.
2. iBall Entry Level Designer Cabinet
This series has good budget cabinets at around Rs. 600-650.
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Keyboard and Mouse~~~~<<<<<<<<<<####
These, being the primary input devices, should never be taken lightly. Ideal input devices should be durable, fully functional and most importantly, Ergonomic. Nobody looks at mice which have only two mouse buttons. Ball Mice are history. Scroll is quintessential. And Laser mice are the way to go. So we are looking for a Laser 3 Button Scroll mouse. Keyboard + Mouse combos from some companies are rather good and offer excellent value for your money.
I recommend Microsoft or Logitech Multimedia wired keyboard + laser mouse combo. Both brands are highly ergonomic, and have all the buttons you will possibly need for customisation. The basic recommended sets I am talking about cost Rs. 1,200/- approximately for both brands.
If you want to go more cheap, try iBall Optical keyboard/mouse combo. Its only Rs. 500/- and the keyboard has excellent feedback, the keys being really great to press, being neither too laptopishly soft, nor disgustingly hard to press.
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Power Supply Unit~~~~<<<<<<<<<<####
This is the component that's even more highly placed in computer importance hierarchy than motherboard, because one fault on your PSU, and the entire PC may burn out. Also, getting the correct wattage is important because your computer needs sufficient power to run.
1. Cooler Master eXtreme Power 500W
This is what you should get if you care a lot about your PC. It sets you back by about Rs. 2,500/-, but.... lets leave this PSU for the higher end rigs shall we ? I am trying to stay on budget here...
2. VIP 600W PSU
This is the more down-to-earth "standard" PSU, for around Rs. 1,000/-
3. Zebronics 400W PSU
This baby is bundled with the Zebronics bijli cabinet I suggested you to buy. I suppose it can successfully manage to run the PC, if you are using a low power rig, and is worth a try. Good if you want to save some cash, because an awesome looking cabinet in combination with a decent PSU for a budget PC at a Budget rate is not something that's too common these days.
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Monitor~~~~<<<<<<<<<<####
Now comes the slightly tough part: Your needs may vary all the time, so I can't go into a great deal of detail. So I shall just suggest a commonly accepted and wanted size: 19" Wide Screen
1. Dell SE-198WFP
Features:
1000:1 typical contrast ratio
1440:900 ideal resolution
Brightness 300 cd/m2 typical
160° / 160° typical viewing angle
5ms typical response time
DVI-D with High Definition Content Protection (HDCP)
Video Graphics Array (VGA)
AC power cord connector
Kensington® security port (cable lock sold separately)
VESA-compliant mount (100 mm)
cable management
3 years on-site next day replacement warranty
Adjustability: Tilt
Rs. 9,200
This is another of those good looking and highly functional monitors from Dell. Its definitely a great buy, and can handle all games you throw at it effortlessly, unlike some other LCDs.
2. Samsung Flat 798MG
17" Flat CRT monitor
Rs. 5,700/-
this is a more budget oriented monitor, and performs quite well. I have used it myself, and its not bad.
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Graphics Card~~~~<<<<<<<<<<####
Things get interesting here, because the Graphics Card is one of the most talked about things in PCs and is essential for activities like Gaming. As the P35 based motherboards come without an onboard GPU, you need to buy a dedicated card for your video processing needs. This is a Value PC building guide, but I am still going to suggest some higher end cards just to give you an idea of what choice you have, and if you are a gamer, you can still manage to reduce budget allotment for the motherboard by going for the BioStar model, go for the standard keyboard/mouse combo instead of higher end multimedia combos, skip cooling, and then buy a high end GPU and play games like Crysis. It might not be worth it for some, but others might want it. That's why I have suggested some cost cutting options occasionally.
1. MSI nVidia GeForce 8800GT 512MB GDDR3 OC Edition
This is (one of) the most VFM GPUs out there. Comming at Rs. 12,000/-, and being able to comfortably handle games like Crysis at high settings, this GPU is a Killer. Though its next generation, the 9xxx series is out, only the 9800GTX, 9800GX2 have been released in the high end segment, which are not at all worth the money you need to spend for them, and the 9600GT, which is only slightly less than the 8800GT OC edition, but not with comparable performance(the next card is only a rebranded 8800GS, so it doesn't qualify as a proper 9 series card). Its not yet compatible with DirectX 10.1, but more than makes up for this shortage with its amazing performance.
2. Palit Sonic nVidia GeForce 9600GSO 384MB GDDR3
This is currently the king of cards with maximum Value for Money out there. Its actually a rebranded 8800GS, and performs excellently available at just Rs. 6,300/-. I recommend this card to those who seek to build a system that is a power horse but is still cheap. Its performance is similar, though slightly lower, when compared to the Radeon HD3870, meaning its a perfect powerhorse card for the masses. It happily and effortlessly plays all the games released till date at maximum settings, with only a few exceptions like Crysis. There is also a rumour going around that for a particular brand of this card, some modding can be easily done to make this perform at par with the 8800GTS. Great indeed.
3. Mercury nVidia GeForce 8600GT 256MB GDDR3
This card is now a monster, being available at just Rs. 3,000/-. Perfect mid to low range performance is offered by the 8600GT, and due to its recent cost dip, it has become very attractive indeed. This card can also play crysis at sub medium settings, but anything high and this will start whining and complaining a lot. It has no difficulty with most games. It lacks DirectX 10.1 support, but that really isn't an issue these days because the propability of exclusive directx 10.1 games hitting the market looks atleast 2 years away.
The Choice:
I recommend the last card, Mercury 8600GT if you want a PC with casual or slightly lighter gaming needs. If you are going for only upto 1024x768 gaming, this is perfect. The middle one is for the happy gamer looking for a card that's cheap, reliable and usable for playing even games like Crysis at high quality. As I said in its description, the 9600GSO is just too good. 8800GT only if you NEED to game, and by NEED I mean Never Ending Explicit Desire. Since the arival of 9600GSO, 8800GT has now become almost pointless on a VFM system like this. Its definitely not recommended at this budget, but, its all your choice in the end.
ATI cards are actually as cheap as, and often cheaper than similar performing nVidia cards abroad. They support directx 10.1 and are manufactured from a 55nm process as opposed to nVidia's 65nm. They are also higher on features. But they come at huge prices in India, so with deepest regret, I have revised this article removing them. If you go abroad, then definitely buy HD3870, HD3650 or HD3450. These are dirt cheap abroad and in similar guides written by someone from the US, these cards will be mentioned.
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Cooling System~~~~<<<<<<<<<<####
If you are looking to overclock the system a lot to increase performance, you might need a cooling system to ensure that you don't screw up. Its not needed for non OverClockers. But, if you are the kind of guy who wants to pump up his CPU clockspeed by 100%, and GPU speed by 30%, you need this. Its a good idea to get this and the E2160, because the money saved by skipping the E7200 can be put to making the E2160 much stronger than you can make E7200 without cooling. And this benefits the GPU as well.
What you need is a good budget cooler, as this is a value PC, not one where you can throw money into and get a high end vapour cooler. I am going to suggest two cheap and efficient air coolers. But these are ineffective without ventilation, so please take care of that. Its VERY important when it comes to Air Cooling. The following can manage decent levels of cooling, with milages like 15 Kelvin.
1. Cooler Master Hyper L2
2. Artic Freezer F7
Both these are good budget coolers and retail at around Rs. 1,700/-. This is quite good, because E2160+Cooler is cheaper and more performance when OCed than E7200 when OCed. Ofcource, nothing stops you from going E7200+Cooler, in which case you will end up with possibly 4GHz per core. And that means insanely high performance, especially with many games and applications today optimised for Dual Core and still to be optimised for Quad Core. But the budget may go a bit high with E7200 and Cooling, so take care there.
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Speaker System~~~~<<<<<<<<<<####
Next up, you need a good set of speakers, because the motherboard I have suggested has an excellent onboard audio. Good speakers mean that you get to turn your PC to a HiFi music system. From personal experience and that of many others, and taking into consideration budget related factors, here are the speakers I am suggesting:
1. Philips Easy Fit Earphones
This is not really an option for you, its just a pair of earphones I am mentioning not because they sound godly, and they certainly are not meant to replace your speakers. So why am I mentioning them ? I am mentioning them because they offer very clear sound quality, for almost all types of music, fit comfortably in your ears, and can last around 6 months of rough use. But the thing that's most special about them is their price. Rs. 45/- only. Just Rs. 45/-. Imagine what you can do now. By getting this pair of clear and neat earphones, which are amazingly good and VFM, you get to save up a lot of cash on speakers if you don't intend to buy a set or if you don't need to hear sounds from your PC very often. These earphones are much more worth their price than any other noisemaker out there, and weather its Creative EP630 or Apple iPod, no earphone can beat this thing when it comes to overall value for money. Several made in China (apologies to the Chinese readers here) earphones are costlier than this but still sound horrible. The easy fit headphones also exist, but they suck. This one is the best thing ever for the ultimate money saver.
2. Logitech R-10 2.0
This is the standard issue 2.0 speaker system. I have tested both this and the Creative SBS 2.0, and found that both sound about the same but this one packs a deeper bass. Both are priced around Rs. 425/- to Rs. 500/-, but Rs. 450/- is the common bargainable price in most places. So this guy wins thanks to the better bass(although both are bad, as in all 2.0 systems). Don't buy 2.0 speaker systems if you are into Heavy Metal music like me, or if you listen to lots of deep bassy music. This will spoil such music. 2.0 is more suited towards light Bollywood, Symphony, Classical and Pop music than heavier stuff. This will do if you need a basic clear sounding and working audio system.
3. Logitech R-20 2.1
Back to business now. One more from the Logitech R series. This is the set of speakers you need to be looking at if you are after listening to songs. Two speakers and a Subwoofer, deep sound, even frequencies, crystal clear audio. This set costs Rs. 1,200/- and is worth every rupee. If you want a general perpose speaker system that can do nearly everything effectively, I suggest this, because it has a good output, nice clarity, deep bass, and can be effectively used while gaming too. So if you are not sure which to buy, buy this.
4. Creative Inspire T6060 5.1
If you are a gamer, or if you watch a lot of DVD movies, you might want 5.1 audio. The sound card supports it, so I suggest you this set. A subwoofer and five speakers to deliver you the perfect yet budget surround sound. This set has one of the best quality audio output for 5.1 speakers. Creative Inspire T6060 sets you back by Rs. 4,200/-. It might appear a bit costly at first, but its sound makes it worth it. As not everybody will be interested in buying 5.1 speakers for a value PC, I have set this aside as the last option, but to some it might be the very first option.
The Choice:
Earphones for those who don't need to hear sounds from their PC often. Speakers in 2.0 for those who don't listen to much music or those who listen to only light music. Speakers in 2.1 for the masses, these are general purpose usable by everyone kind of speakers, and anyone from a gamer to a music enthusiast can get these. 5.1 for the avid gamer and/or movie buff; surround audio really IS a thing you MUST hear, but its on the expensive side.
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WebCam~~~~<<<<<<<<<<####
Most of you might be interested in video conferencing over the internet or recording video via your computer. For this, you need a web camera. I am going to present some common and efficient web cameras which are available in the market.
1. Logitech QuickCam Cam Family
1.3 megapixels = 800x600 video resolution
a good high quality webcam for home use
Rs. 1,400/-
2. Techcom Ssd-642k
low resolution webcam
built in microphone - a bonus
shaped like a human foot.
Rs. 450/-
3. The Choice:
The quickcam is a high resolution camera for those who need clear quality videos, and the ssd-642k is a budget webcam which produces low quality videos but is just usable. Take the former if you need high quality videos of a decent resolution, and the later if all you need is a cam to have your face seen by the person you are chatting with. The later has a built in microphone, which can help you knock off the costs from the products below.
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Microphone~~~~<<<<<<<<<<####
You can make voice calls to people for free over the internet. This reduces expense on normal phone. For this, you need a microphone. It can serve many purposes, from recording voice/music to chatting to voice commands to any voice recognition software to gaming.
1. Techcom Ssd-642k
already mentioned above...
this is a low end webcam with mic attached
2. Intex Headphone/Mic combo
This could have been in the speakers section, but due to the fact that these headphones don't sound good enough, I placed this item here. Anyway, this is a basic budget set of headphones with mic attached. Just Rs. 100/-. Average quality, good enough for the casual user.
3. Zebronics ZEB 1000SM
This a mainstream quality microphone, and it has a flexible stand.
Microphone : 6x5/58±2dB
Frequency Response : 30Hz~16,000Hz
Impedance : 2.2kOhms
Sensitivity : 105dB/mW
Plug type : 3.5mm stereo
Cable Length: Approx 1.8m
Rs. 200/-
[specs from zebronics website]
The Choice:
If you are not a serious mic user nor are you a serious webcam user, get the Techcom Ssd-642k. Its perfect for those who want to do nothing but chat. For a standard cheap headset, intex headphone/mic combo is the way to go. But if you are one who needs high quality, buy the Zebronics ZEB 1000SM. Its a minimum if you are looking to do activities like recording your own music, etc.
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UPS~~~~<<<<<<<<<<####
An Indian is an Indian only if he experiences lots of power cuts. Lets face it - we experience Way to many power cuts in India and hence a UPS for a computer is quintessential. We are not looking at 1 hour 2 hour backups, because for a home PC all we need is 10 minutes to save all open doccuments, close all applications and shut down the system. So we are going to look at one standard budget UPS.
1. PowerSafe 600VA
Good Quality Home UPS
Provides backup of ~10 minutes.
Rs. 1,950/-
I mentioned just one product here. Why ? Because its the best there is for budget conscious buyers. Its under two thousand rupees and provides enough backup time to turn the system off. Its also a reputed brand and you can rest assured that this thing will last.
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%%++++++++++++++++CLOSING ADVICE+++++++++++++++%%
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A computer needs to be only as powerful as the work given to it. So when you buy a computer, don't just try to go for the most powerful(and consequently most expensive) components. Plan out everything properly. For example, if your main need is multimedia and home theater, don't buy E7200 or 8800GT. At the same time, don't be too cheap either. If you plan to play Crysis at high resolutions, the same E7200 and 8800GT become a must, so don't get stingy.
Always choose components with priorities in mind. Invest more money in areas which are important to you. And in situations where you still have some extra cash, consider upgrades you can never go wrong with. Examples are better motherboard, more hard disc capacity, higher model keyboards, larger displays, etc. If you are short on cash, chip away in areas you won't regret cutting costs. For example, less ram/hdd, etc.
Do not be stingy when it comes to those components which are very important and whose malfunction can damage the system. This includes Power Supply Unit and the Motherboard, along with the UPS,
Finally, ensure that you buy products WITH warranty. Grey market maybe tempting, but expensive stuff without warranty is a strict NO. If you plan to buy an overclocking E2160, and if you intend to mod/mess with it which may void warranty, there is nothing wrong with grey market.
