PC Buying Guide - March 2011

[topgear]

^^ Get a APC 600VA UPS @ 1.8k
Change that PSU and get FSP SAGA 400W @ 2k or 500W @ 2.2k
For GFX card HD 5750 is around ~7k and GTS 450 is around ~7.5k.

@ Cilus - I got your point buddy. Actually I've confused things a little bit. I thought you are going to get a complete new rig. I appreciate your efforts for gathering so much infos about physx and all.

But toms guys has used only one game to show physX performance and Mafia 2 is using some physx SDK 2.x version as far as I know. So I think the physx performance comparison is not future proof enough. And those system builders though made some really good builds but everything always can't be perfect.

I've suggested GTS 450 for low power consumption, smaller size and in physX it will deliver performances neck to neck compared to GTX 260 or may even outperform it - in 3DMark vantage it has outperformed GTX 260 with less SP count as GTS 450 has improved architecture.

Also GTS 450 has a feature called concurrent kernel execution which will be used in future physx SDK ( say from version 3.x ) so I thought GTS 450 is the best as a future physx card.

Concurrent Kernel Execution and Application Content Switching

With graphics operations, PhysX execution, CUDA and general purpose computing, the GPU is no longer a simple-minded, single-function amassment of transistors but has to be flexible to switch between the different applications and tasks on the fly. Each category of application has its own kernel or number of micro-kernels and, particularly in applications that are intertwined like graphics processing with PhysX, it is necessary to switch as quickly and efficiently between different kernels.

In the G80 and GT200 architecture, kernel execution was strictly serial, that is one kernel was executing and only after completion of the task would the processor be capable to load the next kernel. In the GF100 architecture this problem is overcome by enabling concurrent kernel execution, meaning that simultaneously different kernels (for example PhysX and graphics) can be running with the sole limitation that this is only possible if the different kernels are from the same application. If the different kernels are from different applications, they will have to run sequentially.

Source

One is the ability to run multiple, independent "kernels" or small programs on different thread groups simultaneously. Although graphics tends to involve very large batches of things like pixels, other applications may not happen on such a grand scale. Indeed, Nvidia admits that some kernels may operate on data grids smaller than a GPU like Fermi, as illustrated in the diagram above. Some of the jobs are smaller than the GPU's width, so a portion of the chip sits idle as the rest processes each kernel. Fermi avoids this inefficiency by executing up to 16 different kernels concurrently, including multiple kernels on the same SM. The limitation here is that the different kernels must come from the same CUDA context—so the GPU could process, say, multiple PhysX solvers at once, if needed, but it could not intermix PhysX with OpenCL.

Read more ..

So future games and apps which will use future physX SDK ( and I think they will for sure ) will benefit more from GTS 450 in physX.

 

[Cilus]

topgear. I wish I could go for a Sandy Bridge..... But the budget is a constraint.
Actually Tom's Hardware is using MAFIA II because its PhysX is one of the most demanding ones. Sometimes enabling the phySX reduces the fps to almost half.

And really great piece of info buddy. The thing is in India the price is so high for Gfx cards. That's why suggested 9800 GT instead of GTS 250 or GTS 450.

But for now we can go with 9800 GT as the number of titles with very demanding PhysX requirement is very low. Let the price to be dropped a little.. will upgrade the physX.

By the way some low latency RAm info bro...within 4 to 4.5K.

 

[Ishu Gupta]

4GB 1600MHz CL7 - 4.7k
4GB 1333MHz CL7 - 3.7k

Or do you want lower latencies?

 

[Cilus]

Thanks for the info Ishu... If possible provide the full spectrum. We can use the higher end models for our high end suggestions.
Actually I want to make the suggestions more optimized. Asking for low latency ram for optimizing AMD configs.
AMD memory controllers are much sensitive to Latency instead of speed from the beginning whereas before Core i7/i5 all the Intel processors are much sensitive to Ram speed as they are using FSB to transfer data.
After integrating the memory controller inside the CPU die, now Nehalem architecture can take benefit from both low latency and higher speed.
But AMD memory controller are still mainly dependent on latency of the rams. So for AMD configs we should suggest low latency 1333 MHz rams

 

[Jaskanwar Singh]

CILUS
rams -

G.Skill F3-10666CL7D-4GBRH (2Gx2) @ 3.7k
G.Skill F3-12800CL7D-4GBRM (2Gx2) @ 4.7k
G.Skill F3-12800CL8T-6GBRM (2Gx3) @ 6.2k
G.Skill F3-12800CL8Q-8GBRM (2Gx4) @ 7.5k
Mushkin Blackline 998771 @ 9.6k

and can i now add the sub 100k rigs on the front page.

 

[Ishu Gupta]

2x2GB 1333MHz 7-7-7-21-2N @ 3750
2x2GB or 1x4GB 1600MHz 7-8-7-24-2N @ 4750
3x2GB 1600MHz 8-8-8-24-2N @ 6250
2x4GB 1600MHz 8-8-8-24-2N @ 7500

 

[Jaskanwar Singh]

another problem now -
M4A87TD EVO has 8+1 phase design but 4 pin eps connector . is it fine?

 

[Cilus]

Well I think we need to ask our Sorcerer Supreme .

 

[sasi_geeked]

Hey,

Great job on this buying guide.

I would like you guys to suggest something for pure programming purpose.

I would like to buy a intel one with good ram & processing power under 25k
without the monitor.

I would like to do mainly java development & plan to install ubuntu on it.

Please suggest the configuration...

Thanks,
-Sasi

 

[vickybat]

@ sasi_geeked

Hello and welcome to TDF. First and foremost, all the configs suggested in this guide are perfect or more than perfect for all types of programming. In fact programming is a piece of cake even for the cheapest rig mentioned here.

Eclipse and ubuntu will run like a breeze in the sub 20k category system. If you want an intel rig then check the following:

Intel Core i3 540 @ 5k
MSI H55M-E33 @ 4.5k
G.Skill F3-10600CL9S-2GBNT (2Gx1) @ 1.5k
Seagate 500GB 7200.12 @ 1.7k
LG 22X SATA DVD @ 0.9k
FSP saga II 350W @ 1.5k
Zebronics Bijli w/o psu @ 1.1k
Benq G922HDL 18.5" @ 5.7k
Zebronics OEM K & M @ 0.3k
Zebronics 600VA @ 1.1k
Altec Lansing VS2621 @ 1.6k

Total = 24.9k

If you want amd which would be better , then go for these instead of i3.
AMD Athlon II x4 635 @ 4.5k
Gigabyte GA-880GM-UD2H @ 4.5k

 

[Vishw]

Anyone knows the price of Dell U2211h?

 

[Jaskanwar Singh]

guys please use this thread for the purpose its meant to be!

BTW sorcerer said its fine for 95w cpus only.

 

[Gyati]

anyone online ?
I have to ask about low budget graphics card compatible with Asus M4A78 – PRO.
I m bringing down the graphic card to match my budget, later I want to change it. I have already reduced the RAM also. So, can anyone give me a good lead here for a lower budget graphic card ?

The other components are as follows:-

Processor - Phenom X4945
RAM - 2GB DDR2 800MHz (Corsair)
Hard Disk - Seagate 500GB 7200.11
Cabinet - Cooler Master 690
Power Supply - Corsair VX450

Please reply soon.

 

[topgear]

another problem now -
M4A87TD EVO has 8+1 phase design but 4 pin eps connector . is it fine?

I don't think that should be a real issue - I've read on other forums that people have reached upto ~4GHz with 965BE ( which is a 125W TDP cpu ) using this mobo though they have used top end air coolers like noctua DH14.

BTW, I've some little advices about the configs :

Sub 20k : Suggest APC 600VA UPS Instead - though it may hike the price upto20.1K but I think it's worth it.

If possible don't suggest zebronics KBs - I've used them and the keys are really stiff - you better suggest something from Enter or TVS Champ keyboards ( Rs. 250 may be ) and one optical mouse can be found for as low as Rs. 110.

Sub 50k - The price of 955BE is around ~6.7K
You should really consider adding HD6850 ( @ 11.2k ) instead of GTX 460 768MB - HD 6850 betas GTX 460 in every benchmarks and even when OCed.

 

[Jaskanwar Singh]

Topgear sorcy said its ok only for 95w cpus.
Asrock extreme one is just 0.8k more.
I will do the changes. I had suggested 460 as 6850 was overshooting budget.

 

[Cilus]

I too think Asrock 890GX extreme @ 7.2K is a better choice. Highly Overclockable components, 3 PCI Express X16 slots, core unlocking utility etc. But the main problem is Asrock is not available in all the stores. So we can keep the both the options, ASUS 870 and Asrock 890GX one.

 

[Jaskanwar Singh]

cilus shall i put up those physx configs?

if i put HD6850 instead of GTX460 overshoots the budget . have a look there guys. in the sub 50k.

 

[Cilus]

Ya Jaskanwar , put those PhysX configs. Just change the mobo in the Sub 100K config as I suggested.. Looking at your 50K configuration.

 

[Jaskanwar Singh]

ok cilus..will change the mobo.

see this - Welcome to CGarchitect.com

 

[rajan1311]

yea i too read that the 4+1 phase issue was only with hexa core chips and not with quads. Is it possible that it has something to do with their clock boost system ? i say that cos the voltages reach pretty high levels at stock setting, 1.475V aint no joke..or is it just that they take more juice. Anyways, a different issue all together and not to be discussed here.