PC Configuration needed for 15-18K without Monitor

cool.aquarian · Feb 15, 2012

Hi,

Please suggest the best configuration.
Below is the needed information:

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: The computer will be mainly used by parents for Internet browsing(Firefox, chrome), downloading(torrents, http, ftp), video chat(yahoo messenger,skype,gtalk), music(iTunes, winamp), movies(vlc), Office Applications like MS Office, Excel 2007. Also I would be staying away from my parents for about 1 year, so want it to be less problematic/easily repairable. My brother also likes to occasionally play games like Quake3/Unreal, COD2, GTA Vice City/SanAndreas. I wish the system to be still upgradeable with newer Processor, Graphics Card after maybe 2-3 years.

2. What is your overall budget? If you can extend a bit for a more balanced configuration, then mention this too.
Ans: 18K or below

3. Planning to overclock?
Ans: No

4. Which Operating System are you planning to use?
Ans: Ubuntu(Linux Mint) and Windows 7

5. How much hard drive space is needed?
Ans: 320/500GB

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: No. I already have my old 17" CRT monitor with 1024x768 resolution.

7. Which components you DON'T want to buy or which components you already have and plan on reusing?
Ans: I dont want to buy Speakers and DVD Drive, but I need to buy a webcam.

8. When are you planning to buy the system?
Ans: In about 2-3 days

9. Have you ever built a desktop before or will this be done by an assembler?
Ans: Will be done by assembler.

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: South Delhi. Yes would be buying from Nehru Place(either personally or through assembler).. Yes, I am little skeptical about warranty and quality when buying things online.

11. Anything else which you would like to say?
Ans: I have asked my assembler to give his recommendation. Following were main things I observed about his recommendation(not sure how much is truth):
1. He recommended a Intel core i3 based rig for 17K.
2. He was against AMD due to noise/heat(50-50 chance) and warranty/support issues.
3. He was against GSkill/Corsair RAM due to support issues and preferred Kingston or Mercury.
4. He suggested Seagate 500GB HDD and was against WDC (again due to support/reliability)
5. For UPS, he was suggesting iBall or Beetle 700VA (quoting better support as reason)
6. Cabinet/Power supply: He suggests Intex/Odyssy

Please provide your priceless advice on my requirements.. This was the configuration I had in my mind before the assembler gave above feedback:

Processor AMD Athlon x4 645
Motherboard Gigabyte GA-78LMT-S2P (rev. 3.1)
RAM 2GB G-skill F3-10666CL9S-2GBNK/Corsair 1333 MHz Value DDR3
HDD WDC 500GB

Thank you :wink:

whitestar_999 · Feb 15, 2012

first rule of shopping:never listen to what shopkeeper says.

your configuration is good except athlon II processors are discontinued & very hard to find.you can still find x2 but x4 i doubt you will find.they are gone from nehru place for weeks now.for your mentioned usage though even a x2 is enough & that gigabyte mobo is also compatible with amd's new AM3+ processors but make sure you get a rev3.1 & not 4.0 because rev3.1 has better 4+1 power phase which means it can support processors above 95W TDP & is also better capable of providing extra power to an overclocked processor.for ram my suggestion is corsair value 1333 because of its 10yr warranty.for psu get a corsair cx430v2 for 2200 from PL Computers in nehru place.you can get an entry level graphics card for ~3000 for above mentioned games.

rajatGod512 · Feb 15, 2012

1.This AMD rig is good it has a quad core processor and way better IGP than a core i3 which will help you to play more modern games (as your Max res. is 1024x768).

2.Nope , I have worked in many AMD based rigs and there are many members here in this forum having amd in their machine which works great. I wouldnt say noise/heat a issue and there isnt any support issue either.

3.Mercury . LoL!!! Kingston's Hyper X memory are good but not other Gskill is way beter and Corsair is good to.

4.Both the company can be considered feel free to buy anyone (just dont buy WD Green)

5.Get An APC 600VA or Intex 1KVA.

6.Both are cheap Desi brands , used both of them neither one are good. I suggested Bijli even though Zebronics is also Indian brand but this model of theirs has got good features and is quite good at a low cost.

whitestar_999 · Feb 15, 2012

@rajatGod512,seems like you did not read the op's post.

I wish the system to be still upgradeable with newer Processor, Graphics Card after maybe 2-3 years.

this is why i did not suggest a FM1 socket llano config.also no offence but i am tired of reading so many people posting zebronics bijli price as 1200.i & some others here who went to nehru place a few weeks ago couldn't even find bijli model in nehru place & when finally found it at a single shop price quoted was ~1700.

cool.aquarian · Feb 16, 2012

whitestar_999 said:
first rule of shopping:never listen to what shopkeeper says.

your configuration is good except athlon II processors are discontinued & very hard to find.you can still find x2 but x4 i doubt you will find.they are gone from nehru place for weeks now.for your mentioned usage though even a x2 is enough & that gigabyte mobo is also compatible with amd's new AM3+ processors but make sure you get a rev3.1 & not 4.0 because rev3.1 has better 4+1 power phase which means it can support processors above 95W TDP & is also better capable of providing extra power to an overclocked processor.for ram my suggestion is corsair value 1333 because of its 10yr warranty.for psu get a corsair cx430v2 for 2200 from PL Computers in nehru place.you can get an entry level graphics card for ~3000 for above mentioned games.

@whitestar_999 and @rajatGod512
Thank you for replies..

I have currently narrowed down to following:

With 5% Tax and 1 Year service(since I wont be at home for an year), it is amounting to 18K.

Few things:
1. Would you really advise Power Supply like Corsair CX430V2 or FSP Saga 400/500W for this config ? Coz there is a big difference in terms of price b/w combined Cabinet+SMPS(like iBall) and separate Cabinet-PSU.
2. ASUS DVD Drive is not available locally anywhere (except at flipkart). Should I still press for it as against LG ?
3. How is Beetle UPS? Or any other advice? (fyi.. I do have inverter at home, so duration of backup does not matter really)

Thank you again. I really appreciate your help.

whitestar_999 · Feb 16, 2012

if you are buying from nehru place then you will get all these items at same or lower price including tax etc.also there is no charge for service as dealers don't provide any unless you are referring to local computer technician charges.i don't know about beetle as i use intex & satisfied with its quality so far.some others here are also using intex ups for some time now & it provides 2 yr warranty(1 yr on batteries).i am using lg drive too & again faced no problems till now so get LG.you can get a FSP SAGA II 400W for ~1700 from PL Computers in nehru place & buy any cheap Rs.600 cabinet.much better than iball combo for just 1000 extra.

cool.aquarian · Feb 16, 2012

whitestar_999 said:
if you are buying from nehru place then you will get all these items at same or lower price including tax etc.also there is no charge for service as dealers don't provide any unless you are referring to local computer technician charges.i don't know about beetle as i use intex & satisfied with its quality so far.some others here are also using intex ups for some time now & it provides 2 yr warranty(1 yr on batteries).i am using lg drive too & again faced no problems till now so get LG.you can get a FSP SAGA II 400W for ~1700 from PL Computers in nehru place & buy any cheap Rs.600 cabinet.much better than iball combo for just 1000 extra.

yups.. my local computer technician is charging 2500 for:
1. Buying the parts from Nehru Place, or from his own sources (at the best prices I gave after fishing on Nehru Place)
2. Assembling them and bringing it to my place.
3. Providing any kind of service, warranty replacements of components for 1 year.

Just read the thread *www.thinkdigit.com/forum/power-sup...89-power-supply-blacklist-thread-newbies.html
PSU is most ignored thing. So, I am surely going for this better PSU now.

coderunknown · Feb 16, 2012

cool.aquarian said:
yups.. my local computer technician is charging 2500 for:
1. Buying the parts from Nehru Place, or from his own sources (at the best prices I gave after fishing on Nehru Place)
2. Assembling them and bringing it to my place.
3. Providing any kind of service, warranty replacements of components for 1 year.

if you can get it from SMC & have it assembled there it'll cost less. and even if the assembler guy is known to you don't waste money in those kind of 1yr warranty replacement thing. motherboard, processor already comes with 3yr warranty, ram comes with 10yr warranty, HDD comes with 1/2yr warranty (seagate/western digital). so wasting money in some kind of self claimed warranty is not a good idea.

cool.aquarian said:
Just read the thread *www.thinkdigit.com/forum/power-sup...89-power-supply-blacklist-thread-newbies.html
PSU is most ignored thing. So, I am surely going for this better PSU now.

for PSU, you may look for Corsair VS450. it cost just 2.1k but availability can be an issue.

whitestar_999 · Feb 16, 2012

@sam,ico bought corsair cx430v2 from the same shop i mentioned in my earlier post(PL Computers)~2 weeks ago for 2200 & that shop also has vs450 model last time i went there

also considering op's system i think fsp 400w is more than enough not to mention a saving of ~500.

cool.aquarian · Feb 19, 2012

Hey guys, I finally bought the below config:

rajatGod512 · Feb 20, 2012

congrats man

PC Configuration needed for 15-18K without Monitor

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