Pentium G2020 or i3 for everyday usage

[arunksblr]

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.')
: Mostly watching HD movies along with everyday usage like listening music, web browsing, MS office applications. I am not an avid gamer but like to play NFS and other casual games occasionally.

2. What is your overall budget? If you can extend a bit for a more balanced configuration, then mention this too.
: Preferably under 20k-22k but ready to extend upto 25k-27k if worthy.

3. Planning to overclock?
: No

4. Which Operating System are you planning to use?
: Windows 7 Home Premium 64 bit

5. How much hard drive space is needed?
: 1 TB

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.
: Already own a Samsung SyncMaster 22" LCD (1920 x 1080)

7. Which components you DON'T want to buy or which components you already have and plan on reusing?
: Will retain monitor, Microsoft mouse & keyboard, Creative 2.1 speakers

8. When are you planning to buy the system?
: In 1 or 2 weeks

9. Have you ever built a desktop before or will this be done by an assembler?
: I would like to build myself if I can find any tutorial/help from a reliable source. Kindly let me know if available. Otherwise I will get it assembled.

10. Where do you live? Are you buying locally? Are you open to buying stuff from online shops if you don't get locally?
: Bangalore. Planning to visit SP road to find the stuffs myself. Ready to buy online if required.

11. Anything else which you would like to say?
: I have pretty much configured my system but have 2 questions for the experts. Also suggest me better alternatives, if any, for my configuration.

i) Pentium G2020 vs i3 3220 or i3 4130 - I want to know if Pentium G2020 is enough for my usage or should I go for an i3? Need to know this keeping in mind that I won't upgrade for next 3-5 years. There is a significant difference in price (almost 4k to 5k).

ii) Branded PSU vs. Built in PSU - Should I get a branded power supply or the built in PSU in the cabinet is sufficient? I am looking at Zebronics, iball or circle cabinets. Not sure how good the power supply will be in those cabinets.

Below is my build:
CPU: Intel Pentium G2020 (Or i3 3220/i3 4130)
MB: Gigabyte GA-B75M-D3H for Ivy Bridge. Haven't decided yet for Haswell
RAM: 4GB, 1600 MHz - Corsair Vengeance DDR3 OR G.Skill RipjawsX DDR3 (Suggest me which is better)
HDD: Western Digital Blue Caviar 1 Tb HDD
PSU: Corsair CX430 80+ Bronze Certified
Cabinet: Circle CT/Zebronics/iball cabinet or Cooler Master Elite 310/334u
Optical Drive: Asus / LG
UPS: APC 600V

 

[whitestar_999]

get i3 3220,elite 311 & antec psu since you are not going to upgrade for 3-5 years.

 

[arunksblr]

get i3 3220,elite 311 & antec psu since you are not going to upgrade for 3-5 years.

Thanks for the suggestion whitestar_999. Qutoestions though:
1. Is i3 4130 worth spending extra Rs.800 on top of i3 3220? I know it may shoot up my budget little more because the MB is also going to be more expensive but as I mentioned before I am ready to shell additional 2k if it's worthy..
2. Is there a particular reason for suggesting Antec PSU? I shortlisted Antec VP450, Corsair CX430 & Seasonic S12ii 430. All 3 had fairly good reviews but I decided to go for Corsair as it is the only power supply which has 80+ Bronze certification whereas other 2 are only 80+ certified. Also Seasonic is very expensive.

 

[harshilsharma63]

Thanks for the suggestion whitestar_999. Qutoestions though:
1. Is i3 4130 worth spending extra Rs.800 on top of i3 3220? I know it may shoot up my budget little more because the MB is also going to be more expensive but as I mentioned before I am ready to shell additional 2k if it's worthy..
2. Is there a particular reason for suggesting Antec PSU? I shortlisted Antec VP450, Corsair CX430 & Seasonic S12ii 430. All 3 had fairly good reviews but I decided to go for Corsair as it is the only power supply which has 80+ Bronze certification whereas other 2 are only 80+ certified. Also Seasonic is very expensive.

> Yes. Why go with older gen chips?

> CX430 had frequent faluires in the past (which is likely resolved AFAIK), S12II 430 costs extra 1k over the other too (but is rock solid product), hence the suggestion for VP450.

 

[whitestar_999]

if you can spend extra on mobo then get i3 4130.

 

[rijinpk1]

Thanks for the suggestion whitestar_999. Qutoestions though:
1. Is i3 4130 worth spending extra Rs.800 on top of i3 3220? I know it may shoot up my budget little more because the MB is also going to be more expensive but as I mentioned before I am ready to shell additional 2k if it's worthy..
2. Is there a particular reason for suggesting Antec PSU? I shortlisted Antec VP450, Corsair CX430 & Seasonic S12ii 430. All 3 had fairly good reviews but I decided to go for Corsair as it is the only power supply which has 80+ Bronze certification whereas other 2 are only 80+ certified. Also Seasonic is very expensive.

i would suggest to go for i3 4130 and any gigabyte/asus h81 motherboards.
antec vp450p is very efficient. it missed 80 plus certification only because it works with 230v main supply only. to be eligible for 80 plus certification, psu must operate on both 230v and 115v main supply.
read here a review. use google translate.www.EasyCOM.com.ua: antec vp450p reaching maximum of 89 % efficiency.

 

[URPradhan]

if you can spend extra on mobo then get i3 4130.

If you do not need a HDMI port and VGA will serve your purpose then no need to spend more on Haswell MB. Basic H81 board will cost approx 3.5k

 

[arunksblr]

i would suggest to go for i3 4130 and any gigabyte/asus h81 motherboards.
antec vp450p is very efficient. it missed 80 plus certification only because it works with 230v main supply only. to be eligible for 80 plus certification, psu must operate on both 230v and 115v main supply.
read here a review. use google translate.www.EasyCOM.com.ua: antec vp450p reaching maximum of 89 % efficiency.

Hmmm.. Initially I was wondering whether I really need an i3 processor? My original choice was G2020 as I felt it is more than sufficient for my purpose. But now im tempted towards i3 4130!
What are the main differences between H81 & B85 chipset based boards? Because there is a significant difference in price. And out of the 2, which is better both from value & performance wise? Also if I need to add a descrete graphic card in future, which is preferred? I will re look at my budget and see where can I save few bucks.
Finally what about my 2nd question about going for an inbuilt power supply fitted in Zebronics, iball or Circle cabinets? Anyone using such cases?

 

[Nerevarine]

Finally what about my 2nd question about going for an inbuilt power supply fitted in Zebronics, iball or Circle cabinets? Anyone using such cases?

My brother used to, now RIP PC after a thunderstorm
Get a 350/400 w psu if u dont want GPU, they cost for like 1.5k..
AFAIK, some local PSUs will run your PC fine, ask around which ones they are

 

[arunksblr]

My brother used to, now RIP PC after a thunderstorm
Get a 350/400 w psu if u dont want GPU, they cost for like 1.5k..
AFAIK, some local PSUs will run your PC fine, ask around which ones they are

Even my current set up has built in PSU which came with iball cabinet. I haven't had any issues until off late the system started to switch off automatically. Thanks for the reply..

 

[rijinpk1]

Hmmm.. Initially I was wondering whether I really need an i3 processor? My original choice was G2020 as I felt it is more than sufficient for my purpose. But now im tempted towards i3 4130!
What are the main differences between H81 & B85 chipset based boards? Because there is a significant difference in price. And out of the 2, which is better both from value & performance wise? Also if I need to add a descrete graphic card in future, which is preferred? I will re look at my budget and see where can I save few bucks.
Finally what about my 2nd question about going for an inbuilt power supply fitted in Zebronics, iball or Circle cabinets? Anyone using such cases?

getting a good quality system is very important. you cant just ignore by saying that my system works well with those cheap psus. not only the power delivery to other components are important , cheap psus can cause bad sectors on hdd which may cause loss of data in the long run.
you can go for h81 to save money. i still suggest to go with i3 4130. will be good for future for your works.

 

[URPradhan]

Hmmm.. Initially I was wondering whether I really need an i3 processor? My original choice was G2020 as I felt it is more than sufficient for my purpose. But now im tempted towards i3 4130!
What are the main differences between H81 & B85 chipset based boards? Because there is a significant difference in price. And out of the 2, which is better both from value & performance wise? Also if I need to add a descrete graphic card in future, which is preferred? I will re look at my budget and see where can I save few bucks.
Finally what about my 2nd question about going for an inbuilt power supply fitted in Zebronics, iball or Circle cabinets? Anyone using such cases?

Woh ! I too came from g2020 to finally i3-4130
The ranking of Haswell chipsets are: H81 < B85 < H87. The difference between H81 and B85 is, B85 has PCIe3.0 support, and few extra USB and SATA ports, which is really not required for a basic home PC.

GIGABYTE H81M-S1 :*www.snapdeal.com/product/gigabyte-h81ms1-motherboard/1523372960: 4000 - 10% cash back with Citi bank CC = 3600

This board does not have a HDMI port hence I went for B85 based board. But as you will buy a discrete graphics in future then go for this board.

 

[arunksblr]

If you do not need a HDMI port and VGA will serve your purpose then no need to spend more on Haswell MB. Basic H81 board will cost approx 3.5k

Thanks URPradhan! But after researching a bit, I decided to go with B85 board.

 

[arunksblr]

getting a good quality system is very important. you cant just ignore by saying that my system works well with those cheap psus. not only the power delivery to other components are important , cheap psus can cause bad sectors on hdd which may cause loss of data in the long run.
you can go for h81 to save money. i still suggest to go with i3 4130. will be good for future for your works.

Agreed... I decided to go with Antec vp450p PSU & B85 board. Would have loved to have Seasonic S12ii but it's tad expensive. Corsair CX430 80 + Bronze Certified PSU also has positive reviews but went with expert's advice..

 

[arunksblr]

Lol.. It always happens with me that I decide on something and end up getting something else. But this time I feel it's for better. Finally I'm done configuring my system. Placed an order with iTerials (Binary World).

 

[arunksblr]

Hi guys, finally im done with the configuration. Placed an order with iTerials (Binary World) for below components:
Intel i3 4130
Gigabyte GA-B85M-D3H
G.Skill RipjawsX DDR3 4GB, 1600 MHz
Western Digital Blue Caviar 1 Tb HDD
Antec VP450P
Cooler Master Elite 311
Asus DVD Writer
APC 600V
It went above my budget but I'm extremely satisfied with my selection of components. Having said that I still have a question!!
How beneficial it is to use the RAM in dual channel? In other words, will I get a significant boost using 2GB RAMs in dual channels? The reason I'm asking this is I have ordered single 4GB stick. Should I go with two 2GB sticks?

Also I've decided to build the system by myself. This is going to be my first build. Can I find some reliable tutorials or source to refer (most relevant to the components I'm using)? Please suggest..

 

[whitestar_999]

now-a-days dual channel ram means 2*4gb ram sticks so no issue there.as for tutorial just search youtube & you will find lots of videos.only tricky thing in my opinion is installing the processor,rest all is just connecting wires.try these 2 videos for some basic idea(do read the manual that comes with processor & mobo for even better clarity):
Computer Assembly Process - INTEL i3-4130 & GTX 650 System - YouTube
Computer Assembly Process - INTEL i3-4130 & GTX 650 System - YouTube

recommended video:
Newegg TV: How To Build a Computer - Part 2 - The Build - YouTube

 

[URPradhan]

Hi guys, finally im done with the configuration. Placed an order with iTerials (Binary World) for below components:
Intel i3 4130
Gigabyte GA-B85M-D3H
G.Skill RipjawsX DDR3 4GB, 1600 MHz
Western Digital Blue Caviar 1 Tb HDD
Antec VP450P
Cooler Master Elite 311
Asus DVD Writer
APC 600V
It went above my budget but I'm extremely satisfied with my selection of components. Having said that I still have a question!!
How beneficial it is to use the RAM in dual channel? In other words, will I get a significant boost using 2GB RAMs in dual channels? The reason I'm asking this is I have ordered single 4GB stick. Should I go with two 2GB sticks?

Also I've decided to build the system by myself. This is going to be my first build. Can I find some reliable tutorials or source to refer (most relevant to the components I'm using)? Please suggest..

I have almost same configuration too with some minor change and all components are from snapdeal with 10% cask back.

1. MSI B85M-G43 Motherboard : 5900 - 10% = 5310
2. Intel i3-4130 : 8200 - 10% = 7380
3. Corsair DDR3 4GB Desktop RAM: 2794 - 10% = 2515
4. Antec VP450P SMPS : 2625 - 10% = 2363
5. HDD will buy locally (confused between WD red 2TB or Seagate 2tb sata3)
6. Case will buy locally (ColerMaster Elite 311)

 

[harshilsharma63]

Hi guys, finally im done with the configuration. Placed an order with iTerials (Binary World) for below components:
Intel i3 4130
Gigabyte GA-B85M-D3H
G.Skill RipjawsX DDR3 4GB, 1600 MHz
Western Digital Blue Caviar 1 Tb HDD
Antec VP450P
Cooler Master Elite 311
Asus DVD Writer
APC 600V
It went above my budget but I'm extremely satisfied with my selection of components. Having said that I still have a question!!
How beneficial it is to use the RAM in dual channel? In other words, will I get a significant boost using 2GB RAMs in dual channels? The reason I'm asking this is I have ordered single 4GB stick. Should I go with two 2GB sticks?

Also I've decided to build the system by myself. This is going to be my first build. Can I find some reliable tutorials or source to refer (most relevant to the components I'm using)? Please suggest..

> Congrats.

> Dual channel is faster than single channel but the difference is only occasionally visible.

> Look on YouTube. Do read the product manuals before assembling.

 

[arunksblr]

Thanks for the assistance.. I'll buy another 4GB stick after couple of months when the RAM prices comes down. The dealer said the prices shot up afrer a fire incident last year in some place and also stringent import policy. He believes the prices to come down after elections if there is a change of government.