PC Buying Guide - July 2011

vickybat · Jun 15, 2011

^^ Ya but the victories are too marginal and also the 955 is getting beaten by others in most of the benches. Actually buddy this thing got in my mind when my brother called me yesterday after looking at these benches.

He was skeptical about the 955be's performance and the fact that a dual core beating a quad core even in heavily multithreaded apps or maybe performing on par hit him like a bulldozer. So he started complaining over phone that why you are suggesting this and i can safely go with a core i3 now and upgrade later to ivybridge.

If you read the tomshardware review of llano, you will find that they also stated the same thing there i.e a $125 core i3 2100 is performing on par or even beating the $150 phenom 2 955be in almost all benchmarks. Intel's per core performance is so strong that its even challenging a full fledged quad core and beating it even in multithreaded apps or maybe performing on par.

That's why i decided to put this question here. We should have a thorough look at this aspect. Moreover 955be is a very hot cpu with high thermal levels and power consumptions being a 125watt cpu. So why recommend that when i3 2100 is performing as good and also consuming much lower power and running cooler too?

Cilus · Jun 15, 2011

Phenom II 955 B3 revisions, which actually sells now, are of 95W TDP, not 125W. I think you make a point but in the Tomshardware and Anandtech reviews of i3 2100, they also stated that for multi threaded applications get the Athlon II 645 or Phenom II 955. Please have a look at it.

Jaskanwar Singh · Jun 15, 2011

topgear said:
cheapest/basic SB rig and if there's any better in your mind feel free to decide

ok

and what about others on core i3 2100 topic going on? reply fast so that i can put them.

till now this is decided-

Sub 20k (Best for office work,movies,downloading)

Basic Sandybridge Rig (Best for office work, multimedia)

Sub 30k (Casual gaming,multi media)

Optional upgrades for 30k -

Sub 35k (Entry level gaming,multi media)

Optional upgrades for 35k -

Component | Make | Price Graphic Card |MSI R6850 Cyclone Power Edition|9800

Sub 40k (Mid level gaming,multi media)

Optional upgrades for 40k -

Component | Make | Price Graphic Card |Sapphire HD6870|11200

Sub 50k (Mid range gaming)

Optional upgrades for 50k -

Component | Make | Price Headset |Steelseries 3H|1500

Sub 60k (Mid range gaming)

Optional upgrades for 60k -

Component | Make | Price Headset | Steelseries 3H |1500

Sub 70k (Mid range gaming)

Optional upgrades for 70k -

Component | Make | Price Headset |Steel Series Siberia Full-Size Headset(White)|3100

Sub 85k (High end gaming)

Optional upgrades for 85K -

Sub 100k (High End Gaming)

Optional upgrades for 100k -

Component | Make | Price Headset |Roccat Kave|5000

Sub 130k (Ultra High End Gaming)

Optional upgrades for 130k -

replaced sapphire 6850 with msi 6850 cyclone power edition
replaced msi 6950 TFII and 560ti HAWK with MSI R6950 Twin Frozr III Power Edition/OC

vickybat · Jun 15, 2011

^^ Better put a good psu in the cheapest sandybridge rig. Something like an fsp sagaII 500 as a bare minimum because people can upgrade to a 6850 class gpu and believe me, this rig will then out perform the current 35k rig with an athlon x3 440 and even the x4 based rigs.

You can also change the athlon x3 based rigs with core i3 2100. Its far powerful.

Now talking about the 85k and 100k rigs, i think you can suggest an sli based rig here. Since the 85k rig has 6870*2 cf, the 100k rig can have a 560-ti*2 sli.

You know that 560-ti sli > 6870 cf. So the 100k rig can have msi gtx 560-ti twin frozr II sli @ 27k. Will be a worthwhile decision imo.

The same can be done in the 60k rig. The 50k rig has a 6870. Why suggest it again in the 60k rig? You can recommend a gtx 560-ti twin frozr II here. This way there will be more spacings between the config. Similarly specced configs at different pricepoints makes little sense. Think about it buddy.

Cilus · Jun 16, 2011

Buddy, I we can suggest a GTX 560 Ti 60K config instead of HD 6870 but for the 100k config, I did not finf any Oced version of TX 560 Ti within 14K. Cheapest one is the Twin Frozer II @ 13.9K which is too close to suggest HD 6950 price and you know HD 6950 is better option in CF than GTX 560.

May be street price is less in some areas but lets other member confirm that price has been reduced for it in different areas. The Direct Cu II non Oced version is available in Lynx-india @ 13.53K without tax and adding 5% tax, it is 14.17K. Obviously the Oced version will be more costly, near to 15K I guess.

vickybat · Jun 16, 2011

^^ lynx india prices are higher. locally the direct cu II non top is 12.5k and the 900mhz GTX 560 direct cu II is 13.5k here in rashi.

So i think we can easily recommend that. Besides there is a 6950 2gb cf setup for 130k rig. No need of suggesting that in the 100k rig again.

Besides we are recomending a fullhd monitor with these and in performance pov, there will be no significant difference at these resolutions.

Also the 560 sli config can handle physx easily. No harm in putting that in 100k rig. The newest driver i.e 275.33 has better scaling and anti-aliasing performance. In fact it gives improvements in the following titles:

Up to 6% in Crysis 2
Up to 5% in Civilization V with SLI
Up to 8% in Portal 2
Up to 14% in Batman: Arkham Asylum with PhysX High
Up to 15% in Bulletstorm with Antialiasing enabled

So its surely gonna perform better than hardocp review as they had tested with older drivers and actually it didn't perform relatively well with aa on in the highest setting. Now its fixed and so expect some serious scaling and aa performance. So expect good aa performance with all titles which was previously not present.

I will check msi twin frozr II prices here locally and also from lamington road as my brother's gonna visit that place in the coming days. I will post the prices as soon as i find them. Online prices are a bit higher than retail and especially lynx india.

Jaskanwar Singh · Jun 16, 2011

sorry buddy but due to shortage of free time these days i cant debate.

i am putting up those configs.

i will mention single gpu options along with crossfire in 85k and 100k and 130k in separate table below.
85k - 6970 Lightning
100k - 6970 Lightning
130k - 580 Lightning

and those who want changes can discuss with others and tell me.

vickybat · Jun 16, 2011

^^ What you are doing is giving too many similar options. The multigpu setups were fine but needed some spacings to distinguish between them. The 50k and 60k are almost similar in performance.

So are the 85k and 100k configs. I was simply recommending to put the 560-ti in place of 6870 in the 60k rig and put a 560-ti sli in place of 6870cf in the 100k rig so that the 85k and 100k will be completely distinguishable.

You have a 6950 2gb cf for 130k rig and that is absolutely fine. Just the 60k and 100k configs needs the above changes according to my opinion buddy.

Just repeating this part in case you didn't notice in my above post:

Better put a good psu in the cheapest sandybridge rig. Something like an fsp sagaII 500 as a bare minimum because people can upgrade to a 6850 class gpu and believe me, this rig will then out perform the current 35k rig with an athlon x3 440 and even the x4 based rigs.
You can also change the athlon x3 based rigs with core i3 2100. Its far powerful

Just see if you can do something about the points i mentioned buddy. :smile:

The Sorcerer · Jun 16, 2011

Rather than trying to make different sorts of config draft in every budget possible, put a draft of 3 Balanced configs belonging to 3 different price range: 25k, 50k, 65k. For each budget, suggest a minor upgrade- that's it. Anyone who need anything specific as usual will create their own thread.

Overclockers know what they need (or else they're not much of an overclocker). Except first timers, most of the rendering guys know what they want.

Gamers who need the systems for everyday use will need such list and the population need a balanced config is significant. Suggest both intel/AMD alternate. There ya go! You get about 3 system configs each having an alternate and a recommendation.

Just keep the PC Build draft guide concise.

vickybat · Jun 16, 2011

^^ All the configs are balanced mate. I was just asking jas to make some minor modifications so they don't look similar. Looking similar doesn't mean they are not balanced.

Currently you see more intel configs than amd simply because the balance has shifted towards inteln after sandybridge's launch. Expect a balance shift towards amd once bulldozer and desktop llano parts are launched.

venram87700 · Jun 17, 2011

hey guys any suggestions as to which model of 6950 2gb is the cheapest coz im gonna buy a gfx card nxt month coz i think it will suit my config in the long run also will help me in using gfx heavy apps n games right n cud u guys also suggest the best fans for my 430 cabinet coz it came with only 2 fans i mean is it better to get a 120 mm fan or a 140mm fan suggestions for both with and without led are welcome lemme know the prices as well

Skud · Jun 17, 2011

First quote your budget.

Jaskanwar Singh · Jun 17, 2011

vickybat said:
^^ What you are doing is giving too many similar options. The multigpu setups were fine but needed some spacings to distinguish between them. The 50k and 60k are almost similar in performance.

So are the 85k and 100k configs. I was simply recommending to put the 560-ti in place of 6870 in the 60k rig and put a 560-ti sli in place of 6870cf in the 100k rig so that the 85k and 100k will be completely distinguishable.

You have a 6950 2gb cf for 130k rig and that is absolutely fine. Just the 60k and 100k configs needs the above changes according to my opinion buddy.

Just repeating this part in case you didn't notice in my above post:

Just see if you can do something about the points i mentioned buddy.

look, 560ti is no longer 13.5k for TFII. its 14k min. and HAWK is at smc for 14.5k

and i want to make the config i mentioned futureproof for sli or cfx.

so min i will require is -

please now tell me some ideas to reduce price to 60k.

coming to 560 sli and 6870 cfx, they are almost equal.

Introduction - MSI N560GTX Ti Twin Frozr II OC SLI Review | [H]ard|OCP

coming to driver update hardocp tested with only civ5 from your mentioned!
and amd also updates drivers.

also 100k is completely balanced imo.

560 sli will increase cost by almost 6k!

now 85k and 100k are different in respects for processor and SSD and cpu cooler.

coming to i3 and all.
phenom will remain.

AnandTech - Bench - CPU
going by this in most of multithreaded tests phenom is ahead.
and game difference is varying. almost equal in some games.
additionally you can oc the black edition 955 easily.

d3p · Jun 17, 2011

Add a Corsair TX850 v2 - 6.8k from media home.in in 100k sub config.

Link : Corsair TX850 - V2

Jaskanwar Singh · Jun 17, 2011

^buddy 60k includes a TX650 V2

d3p · Jun 17, 2011

oh sorry dude, i want to include 850v2 in 100k sub

Jaskanwar Singh · Jun 17, 2011

d3p5kor said:
oh sorry dude, i want to include 850v2 in 100k sub

why sorry buddy?
ok will put a TX850 V2 in 100k.

venram87700 · Jun 17, 2011

my budget is around 15 to 17k for the gfx card so thats the reason im lookin at both the 560ti n 6950 so gimme ur opinions n ill see wat i can whip up from the shops around lamington rd for the prices

Skud · Jun 17, 2011

venram87700 said:
my budget is around 15 to 17k for the gfx card so thats the reason im lookin at both the 560ti n 6950 so gimme ur opinions n ill see wat i can whip up from the shops around lamington rd for the prices

Then get this, eyes closed:-

MSI R6950 Twin Frozr III Power Edition/OC--Free Shipping

vickybat · Jun 17, 2011

@ jaskanwar

Hey buddy saw your post. Actually i want to mention that asus direct cu II N560 TOP version is available @ 13.5k in orissa. So it should be available everywhere at this price. The non top model is 12.5k. I guess a pune member confirmed the price here.

The top model is clocked at 900mhz and the non top is 830mhz (default).

So i think they will be a worthy addition. It would be even nice if you can locally confirm the price through rashi from your city.

Talking about performance, 560's or rather the entire 5 series cards antialiasing performance has increased in the recent 275.33 drivers. So is the scaling.

Amd's never lagged in aa performance and their scaling were almost 2x. I don't think further driver optimizations will allow them to scale more than 2x.

Check this review from hardocp.

Particularly look at the 560 and 6870. Check the improved aa performance of nvidia cards. Despite this game being amd biased and having aa tweaks in the amd control panel, nvidia cards performed nicely with aa on despite having a slight disadvantage. And remember, this is a stock gtx 560-ti.
The 275.33 drivers have greatly improved aa performance.

I think scaling has improved than the previous review. There are almost no difference between amd 11.4 and 11.5 drivers but a great deal of difference between nvidia's 266.66 and newer 275.33 drivers. Guru3d mentioned the same thing in their gtx 560 non-ti sli review.

Now coming to the rigs, i never said to change the phenom 2 955be but the athlon 2 x3 . Its no match to the i3 and i think will never be able to catch up in future.

Now in the 60k rig, suggesting the asus direct cu II @ 13.5K and giving the razer cyclosa bundle and goliathus as optional will reduce the prices near 60k.

In the 100k rig, giving the asus 560-ti sli instead of hawk will reduce the price to 2k.Recommend a cheaper ssd like a 60gb one will further reduce the prices.

That's more like it. Tell me your inputs and comments buddy.

PC Buying Guide - July 2011

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