PC Upgrades Review and Advices: Buying Soon!

[Xai]

I am planning to upgrade my Monitor, CPU, Mobo, RAM and Case.

My current configuration for your reference:

CPU AMD Phenom II X2 550BE
Mobo Biostar TA790GXBE
GPU Sapphire Radeon HD 6850 1 GB
PSU Corsair 650W
RAM Corsair XMS2 TWIN2X4096-6400C5 (2 X 2GB DDR2 800MhZ C5)
Display Samsung 2033SW 20" Widescreen
Cabinet Cooler Master Elite 335 Mid Tower
UPS APC 1100 VA


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: Primary purpose is gaming. I mostly play WoW. I am currently playing Skyrim, LA Noire and switching to SWToR. I play the big names when they come out - like, CoD franchise, Battlefield franchise, Arkham Asylum, Wicther 2, Dragon Age 2.

2. What is your overall budget? If you can extend a bit for a more balanced configuration, then mention this too.

Ans: 25-30K. Required components are CPU, Mobo, Monitor, RAM, and Case. I may extend maybe 1-2K if required. If the budget is stretched to, say 5K-ish, I will have to delay the purchases for a couple of months.

3. Planning to overclock?

Ans: Unlikely.

4. Which Operating System are you planning to use?

Ans: Windows 7 Ultimate

5. How much hard drive space is needed?

Ans: I already have two HDDs. No plans to buy more at the moment.

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: Yes. A minimum 22" monitor with 1920x1080 (1080p) native resolution is preferred. I would have liked to go for a 24" display, but I am not being able to fit that in the budget, so might as well work with 22".

7. Which components you DON'T want to buy or which components you already have and plan on reusing?

Ans: I have heard reports of bad customer service by Benq, so a bit iffy about Benq G2222HDL. Besides I could not find that in Kolkata anyway.

I already have the following components that I am going to use:

Sapphire Radeon HD 6850 1 GB
Corsair TX650W
Samsung DVD R/W
WD HDD
APC 1100 VA

8. When are you planning to buy the system?

Ans: This month. Today, if possible, otherwise, next weekend.

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

Ans: Probably will get an assembler to put the components together - I have a tendency to bend pins!

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: I live in Kolkata. I will buy either directly from Chandni Chawk myself, or get an assembler to buy the components for me.

11. Anything else which you would like to say?

Ans: My initial plans were to go for a AMD Phemon II X4 955 BE combined with Gigabyte GA-880GM-USB3 (rev 3.1). However, I think I will switch to a i5-2400 combined with DH67CL motherboard.

Initial upgrade plan:

CPU AMD Phemon II X4 955 BE ~ Rs 6500
Mobo Gigabyte GA-880GM-USB3 (rev 3.1) ~ Rs 5000
RAM G-Skill F3-10600CL9S-4GBNT (4Gx1) * 2 ~ Rs 2500
Case NZXT Gamma/CM Elite 430 Black ~ Rs 2500 – 2700
Display Del l ST2220HDL/Dell ST2420L ~ Rs 8500/Rs 13,000


The upgrades I am now planning are:

Intel Core i5 2400
Intel DH67CL
G-Skill F3-10600CL9S-4GBNT (4Gx1) *2
Dell ST2220HDL
NZXT Gamma

Do the options look okay? Should I go for the i5 or the Phenom II X4 set up?

 

[Tech_Wiz]

Your current motherboard is compatible with Phenom X4. So Just change the Processor.

Maybe a BIOS update would be required for 955BE as default bios supports upto 945 if I recall it correct.

4 GB DDR2 Ram is good enough no need to go DDR3 as there is no noticeable speed increase for you.

GFX is good enough for HD res gaming at Mid/High Setts for the games mentioned. So Just buy the Monitor & Proccy and save money.

(Take Advantage of the AMD's Main Power )

 

[Xai]

Your current motherboard is compatible with Phenom X4. So Just change the Processor.

Maybe a BIOS update would be required for 955BE as default bios supports upto 945 if I recall it correct.

4 GB DDR2 Ram is good enough no need to go DDR3 as there is no noticeable speed increase for you.

GFX is good enough for HD res gaming at Mid/High Setts for the games mentioned. So Just buy the Monitor & Proccy and save money.

(Take Advantage of the AMD's Main Power )

Thanks for the advise. Actually, my mobo is the TA790GXBE one, which I think does support Phenom II X4 955 BE. So your advise looks economical and good.

TA790GXBE :: Motherboard :: BIOSTAR

However, one thing is that the small clip holding the Gfx card is broken. While I have the card screwed to the case, sometimes I think it gets a bit loose, and my screen freezes with colored (usually single color) lines on display. Re-seating the card fixes the problem in most cases.

Changing the CPU is also a priority, as it gets overheated. While I can try applying some thermal paste, I am looking for an upgrade while the opportunity presents itself.

The problem with DDR2 is that I can't seem to find that in shops. Its DDR3 everywhere. So I cannot increase my RAM if I wanted to.

 

[the_conqueror]

You forgot to mention a graphic card. So if you go for the mentioned i5 setup with a good graphic card it will cost you around 35k.
Better go for this:
AMD Phenom x6 1090T @ 9k
Mobo Gigabyte GA-880GM-USB3 (rev 3.1) @ Rs 5k
Corsair XMS3 DDR3 4gb 1333 MHz @ 1.5k
MSI HD 6850 @ 9k
Benq G2222HDL @ 7k
Use the cabinet and PSU you are already having.

 

[RiGOD]

Better go for this:
AMD Phenom x4 1090T @ 9k
Mobo Gigabyte GA-880GM-USB3 (rev 3.1) @ Rs 5k
Corsair XMS3 DDR3 4gb 1333 MHz @ 1.5k
MSI HD 6850 @ 9k
Benq G2222HDL @ 7k
Use the cabinet and PSU you are already having.

I'd say Phenom x4 960T + MSI/Zotac GTX 560 would be a better choice.

 

[Xai]

You forgot to mention a graphic card. So if you go for the mentioned i5 setup with a good graphic card it will cost you around 35k.
Better go for this:
AMD Phenom x4 1090T @ 9k
Mobo Gigabyte GA-880GM-USB3 (rev 3.1) @ Rs 5k
Corsair XMS3 DDR3 4gb 1333 MHz @ 1.5k
MSI HD 6850 @ 9k
Benq G2222HDL @ 7k
Use the cabinet and PSU you are already having.

I already have Sapphire Radeon HD 6850 1 GB graphics card.

I called up some of the dealers and got the following quotes (exclusive taxes) for the i5 setup:

Intel Core i5 2400 @ 10.5K
Intel DH67CL @ 5.5K
G-Skill/Corsair Ram 4GB @ 1.5K
Dell ST2220HDL @ 8.5K (inclusive tax)
NZXT Gamma @ 2.8K

My current cabinet got dented while transporting my PC from Mumbai about an year and half ago. The right side panel does not close properly, so I keep the case half open. That's why I was looking for a new case as well. NZXT Gamma prices seem to have gone up though. How is NZXT Source 210 Elite compared to Gamma?

How does AMD Phenom x4 1090T (or is it X6?) compare to the i5 2400 setup, with my current gfx card?

Are the Phenom X4 960T or 1090T compatible with Biostar TA790GXBE (ver 6.0)? In their site, they mention Phenom II x4 955 BE, but I read somewhere on the internet that with bios updates the board may be able to support x4 960T and 6-core CPUs.

Can anyone please confirm this? Is it safe for the motherboard to put a x4 960T/1090T in that board?

 

[Xai]

When is the Ivy Bridge coming out in India, or any new AMD equivalent?

Should I rather buy an i5-2400/X6 1090T/X4 960T setup now, or wait for Ivy Bridge to come out? How much better would Ivy Bridge be? I suppose it will be costly on release?

Also, kindly advice on this query:

How does AMD Phenom x6 1090T compare to the i5 2400 setup, with my current gfx card?

Are the Phenom X4 960T or 1090T compatible with Biostar TA790GXBE (ver 6.0)? In their site, they mention Phenom II x4 955 BE, but I read somewhere on the internet that with bios updates the board may be able to support x4 960T and 6-core CPUs.

Can anyone please confirm this? Is it safe for the motherboard to put a x4 960T/1090T in that board?

 

[Xai]

Hey guys, thanks for all your inputs so far.

So far, I bought a Dell ST2220L monitor.

For the CPU overheating problem, I applied some Arctic Silver 5, and cleaned the dust from the heat-sink fan (stock), and my temps came down considerably.

I have decided to wait for IVB to be available in the market. Then depending on the price-tag, I will either go for a new IVB proccy, or a cheaper (hopefully) equivalent SB option.

Since it might take a couple of months for IVB prices to settle down after the release price, I will not be buying the CPU+mobo, ram, and cabinet by before May end-June. At which time, I will again go through the options here.

Thanks for your time and help. This thread can be closed now, if the moderators so wish.

 

[RiGOD]

^^Congrats buddy. Do post some pics

 

[mastercool8695]

why close this thread..
better carry on with this one when you want to..

 

[Tech_Wiz]

Ivy Bridge is still away and its cost will be in 5 Digit for processor itself so I propose you stick with Phenom II BE or 960 T or if you feel more power is required then 1055T etc.

 

[Xai]

Ressing this old thread for some queries.

My budget has increased over the gap since the last post, and now I can consider upgrades around i5-2500K. I may end up delaying the purchase even more, so utilizing the time to do some more research.

From what I have read so far, Asus seem to be better than AsRock for motherboards. I have narrowed down a few boards, that I may be interested in buying.

Motherboard Price (~)
Asus P8Z77-M 10,500
Asus P8Z77-M PRO 13,000
Asus P8Z77-V LX 11,500
Asus P8Z77-V 15,500

Which of these boards is most suited for i5-2500K, for some minimal to mild OC-ing (I am inexperienced in OCing)?

It seems, Asus P8Z77-M PRO comes well recommended. How does it compare to P8Z77 V LX and P8Z77-V boards?

PS: For a SB system, does Z68 make more sense than Z77?

 

[saswat23]

P8Z77-V LX is really not worth buying. Better take P8Z77-M instead.
If you can spend more then P8Z77-M PRO and P8Z77-V are better option.
You can also get AsRock Z77 Extreme 4 for around 10k. Its the best budget Z77 board.

Be it SB or IB, Z77 always make better sense than Z68, unless reasonably priced like the Biostar TZ68K+ which is available for 7.2k.

Check the comparison: ASRock Z77 Extreme4 Motherboard vs ASUS P8Z77-M Motherboard vs ASUS P8Z77-M PRO Motherboard vs ASUS P8Z77-V Motherboard: Compare Motherboards: Flipkart.com
The AsRock Z77 Extreme 4 has most features as that of Asus P8Z77-V.

 

[Xai]

P8Z77-V LX is really not worth buying. Better take P8Z77-M instead.
If you can spend more then P8Z77-M PRO and P8Z77-V are better option.
You can also get AsRock Z77 Extreme 4 for around 10k. Its the best budget Z77 board.

Be it SB or IB, Z77 always make better sense than Z68, unless reasonably priced like the Biostar TZ68K+ which is available for 7.2k.

Check the comparison: ASRock Z77 Extreme4 Motherboard vs ASUS P8Z77-M Motherboard vs ASUS P8Z77-M PRO Motherboard vs ASUS P8Z77-V Motherboard: Compare Motherboards: Flipkart.com
The AsRock Z77 Extreme 4 has most features as that of Asus P8Z77-V.

Thanks.

At ~15-16K, P8Z77-V is off my budget. But then, it might be a while before I actually buy stuff, so maybe I will be able to go for it.

Currently, I am inclined towards P8Z77-M-PRO @ Rs 13K.

Question is, how does a CPU Cooler like CM Hyper 212 EVO sit on a micro-ATX board? What about Deepcool Frostwin (I assume it will be wider, since it has two towers)?

I will be using my CM Elite 335 case, which has a top mounted PSU. So, whichever CPU Cooler I buy, I have to go for a "horizontal" air-flow, feeding air to rear exhaust fan. This arrangement may obstruct some of the RAM slots. How many slots will get obstructed on a m-ATX for CM Hyper 212 Evo or Deepcool Frostwin?

After some reading around, I have decided to not go for Corsair Vengeance, and instead go for Ripjaws (regular/X).

 

[mkerala]

I suggest you go for branded desktop or laptop. They are now very very cheaper.

 

[Myth]

Question is, how does a CPU Cooler like CM Hyper 212 EVO sit on a micro-ATX board? What about Deepcool Frostwin (I assume it will be wider, since it has two towers)?

I will be using my CM Elite 335 case, which has a top mounted PSU. So, whichever CPU Cooler I buy, I have to go for a "horizontal" air-flow, feeding air to rear exhaust fan. This arrangement may obstruct some of the RAM slots. How many slots will get obstructed on a m-ATX for CM Hyper 212 Evo or Deepcool Frostwin?

After some reading around, I have decided to not go for Corsair Vengeance, and instead go for Ripjaws (regular/X).

The p8z77-m pro is a little different from other m-atx mobos. It is spacious, sufficient vrm heatsinks, 4 memory slots, sli-crossfire support, more than decent overclocker, etc ,etc.

IMO, the CM evo is a great budget cooler with noctua(definitely not budget) being the only one above it. Adding a second fan wont bring about a drastic drop in temp. The temp can only go down as much as to balance it self with the ambient temp.

All single fan heatsinks can be accomodated if, the fan is in pull config (facing the case's rear) and they can fit into the cabinet.

With normal height rams and push-pull config, one fan will sit on the ram nearest the processor socket.

With taller rams and push pull config, the slot nearest the processor is unusable.

 

[Sainatarajan]

Branded Desktops dont use quality components like PSUs. Also you can get a very good config @ the same price as branded desktops.

 

[Xai]

Quick question - does Intel have International warranty?

I have a friend in the US who is an Intel employee, and he might be able to get me Intel proccy at a discount. He quoted i5-3570K @ $ 116 + shipping $27 (approx INR 8K), which is quite a bargain.

The bundle packages he suggested were:

i7-3770K + 240 GB SSD 520 Series @ $315 + shipping

i5-3570K + DZ77GA-70K + 240 GB SSD 520 Series @ 467 + shipping

i7-3770K + DZ77RE-75K + 180 GB SSD @ $507 + shipping

 

[Cilus]

No, they don't provide international warranty.

 

[Xai]

That's a bummer

If Intel sales ship the product directly to India, or my friend sends it to India (he will not be visiting India himself), will there be additional Custom charges applicable? If so, how much?