Upgrade for 20k

[saturdayniteguy]

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: Planning to upgrade my existing PC which I use to play CS1.6. Am looking for a budget Gaming computer. Purpose: Browsing, running Linux or WinXP/Win7 OS(64-bit), MS Office 2013, Mainly looking to play games like CS:GO and DOTA2, browsing, torrenting, watch 1080p HD movies. Would also like to make it a home media streaming server. Would that be possible?

2. What is your overall budget? If you can extend a bit for a more balanced configuration, then mention this too.
Ans: 20K for the upgrade excluding below re-use components, may go to 22k only if really needed and justified.

3. Planning to overclock?
Ans: No

4. Which Operating System are you planning to use?
Ans: Win XP, Win7 64-bit

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

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: Planning to reuse my current monitor, Samsung Syncmaster 2033SW, its got DVI and VGA ports with 1600X900 resolution.

7. Which components you DON'T want to buy or which components you already have and plan on reusing?
Ans: Already have above monitor, Keyboard, Mouse, Mouse pad, Speakers.

8. When are you planning to buy the system?
Ans: 3-4 weeks

9. Have you ever built a desktop before or will this be done by an assembler?
Ans: Yes, built before. Only thermal paste application and after-market cooler installation is new to me now.

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: Mumbai, planning to buy locally from Lamington Road, open to purchasing online, but heard online you don’t get box packed components.

11. Anything else which you would like to say?
Ans: Suggest Mumbai prices so that I can compare and buy locally from shop.

1. Regarding Mobo: Can you suggest the best m-ATX mobo for this which have atleast 2 USB 3.0 ports for front panel which can support atleast 1600Mhz RAM without OC.
2. Regarding cabinet: Also I need a mid-tower cabinet (so that it doesn’t take too much space under my table) which doesn’t have front and top vents for cooling fans. Heard that people have regular dust issues if u have cooling fan in front and top of cabinet. I am okay with sides and rear fans. Need it to have good cable management facility.
3. Will I also be able to make a compact small PC or HTPC using this budget?

 

[bssunilreddy]

Intel Core i3 4150 -7900, (newegg)
Gigabyte H81M-S1 -3500, (snapdeal)
Corsair Vengeance 4GB 1600Mhz -3000,
WD Caviar Blue 1TB -3500,
Antec VP450P -2500,
Deepcool TESSERACT -2700, (theitdepot)
Asus 24B5ST DVD/RW -1100.
TOTAL -24,200.

When buying online you always get box packed components.So dont worry about buying online.

 

[adityak469]

Intel Core i3 4150 -7900, (newegg)
Gigabyte H81M-S1 -3500, (snapdeal)
Corsair Vengeance 4GB 1600Mhz -3000,
WD Caviar Blue 1TB -3500,
Antec VP450P -2500,
Deepcool TESSERACT -2700, (theitdepot)
Asus 24B5ST DVD/RW -1100.
TOTAL -24,200.

When buying online you always get box packed components.So dont worry about buying online.

op can go with this rig, he wants to go with a low tower cabby, so he can buy local cabinet ~1k. he can also go with BP 300. he can also add a low end card like GT630.

 

[saturdayniteguy]

Intel Core i3 4150 -7900, (newegg)
Gigabyte H81M-S1 -3500, (snapdeal)
Corsair Vengeance 4GB 1600Mhz -3000,
WD Caviar Blue 1TB -3500,
Antec VP450P -2500,
Deepcool TESSERACT -2700, (theitdepot)
Asus 24B5ST DVD/RW -1100.
TOTAL -24,200.

When buying online you always get box packed components.So dont worry about buying online.

Is the i3-4130 a good option in terms of gaming performance esp in games like CS:GO, Dota2, Max Payne 3?

Only prob wit cabby is too many airflow outlets/inlets = more dust = more regular cleaning. I am a lazy bummer

 

[adityak469]

Is the i3-4130 a good option in terms of gaming performance esp in games like CS:GO, Dota2, Max Payne 3?

Only prob wit cabby is too many airflow outlets/inlets = more dust = more regular cleaning. I am a lazy bummer

CSGO-yes
Dota 2 - yes
Max Payne 3 - no. you would need a discrete GPU like R7 250/x

 

[saturdayniteguy]

Now that the local festival is over, I have shortlisted following config:

CPU-i3 4130=7000
Mobo-GA 85M-D3H=5600
RAM-4GB Corsair 1600=2800
PSU-Antec450P=2900
HDD-WD Blue 1TB=3700
DVD: LG=1000
Total: 23000 (without cabby)

Only pending is the Cabinet. Can you please help in suggesting a better cabinet. I reviewed Deepcool TEsseract and problem is that it has entire front side as mesh which will aid in dust accumulation inside the cabinet though there's filter in front. Tesseract has better cable mgmt system though but the front mesh is totally making me to avoid this. I need a cabby with rear and side cooling option, not front and top.

Checked out Cooler master elite 344, looks good as i needed a m-ATX cabby or mid tower one but dont know if it is better at cable mgmt to run through PSU cables between the mobo and the right side door of cabby. Saw one video on utube whch didnt show this(though is was Elite 343 which is similar to Elite 344)Need my cabby to look neat. Any suggestions on cabby?

 

[rijinpk1]

look at betfenix merc alpha.

 

[saturdayniteguy]

Also checked this out. It has option for 2 fans on top and 2 at bottom, which i don't like. Front one is good and okay. Actually enquired about Merc Beta but not available in India. These days more and more cabbys are coming with more vents for fans. Seems for better cooling these days u need sacrifice for dust accumulation. More dust inside cabby means more chances of hardware failure.

These kinds of cabby with more fan options is particularly not good for Indian atmospheric condition esp metros. Other countries dont have much dust problem as we do.

 

[rijinpk1]

check out cooler master elite 311. for any higher priced cabinet, you will be greeted with many options to install fans.why dont you like to install fans? do you hate the dust but love heat?you cant have both in your own way. you have to choose the right fan set up and clean the pc regualarly. these fans helps to bring cool air into your cabinet hence helps in cooling hdd, cpu ,gpu etc to some extend. one of the cause of the hdd crash is because of the heat generated. front intake fan helps to some extend!

 

[saturdayniteguy]

[MENTION=135617]rijinpk1[/MENTION]: the 311 has USB2.0 on front not USB3.0

BTW, I mainly hate the top side holes for fans, dust mainly enters when fans are not moving(PC is off). I am okay for 1 front fan with a concealed front panel, like the CM Force 500 or Bitfenix Merc Alpha but not like Tesseract. I am also okay to put fans on left side panel/door directly above CPU.

My old pc setup has a 40gb + 160gb samsung hdd for the past 10 yrs with no breakdown yet without any fans cooling the hdds.

 

[rijinpk1]

[MENTION=135617]rijinpk1[/MENTION]: the 311 has USB2.0 on front not USB3.0

it is your choice. look at Cooler Master K380 USB 3.0.

My old pc setup has a 40gb + 160gb samsung hdd for the past 10 yrs with no breakdown yet without any fans cooling the hdds.

do not expect these life spans for newer hdds no matter how careful you are