The ideal configuration for an assemblked PC

Hello all,

I am planning to buy an assembled PC at home. Will be used for:
- Normal PC usage
- Video games
- TV ( I have a Pinnacle TV tuner)
- Browsing ( have broadband at home)

Can someone help me in giving me the best configuration that would allow for good speed of the PC, good browsing speed and good visual effects on video games.

I am from India - hence please dont mention brand names of hardwares coz I am not sure to get the same here.

Also, please advice the most dependable OS. I had windows 2000 all these days for my old pc which was very good until recently. Is Vista a good option or can I rely upon Windows XP home edition???

:-o As yo:-ou may realize from my questions above, I am not a MAJOR GEEK like u all but a minor geek...

 

How much are you looking to spend.

 

I dont have a specific budget in mind. But I am planning for the following:
- 100GB+ hard drive
- ATleast 256MB RAM ( is this enough for video games?)
- LCD monitor
- DVD writer ( is there something called single layer and multi layer???)
- Enough USB ports
- A good UPS
- Optical Mouse

Other than the above, for hardware requirements for the CPU, I would need help, like which is a good quality mother board, ideal processor for domestic needs, etc.

Awaiting for a reply

 

We have another member from India who knows his stuff so if he gets involved you would get a lot of help about what is available in your country.

http://forums.majorgeeks.com/member.php?u=105140

The basics are a good powerful PSU around 600watts + and then you don't need to worry about upgrading later,then for good video you will need a good quality graphic card with a decent amount of memory, next is a decently fast processor but all this depends on how much you want to spend as the sky is the limit in the hardware department.

 

Thanks for the reply. i am new to this forum and am unable to send a private message to sikvik. Can you help me ?

 

One thing that you can help us with is giving us a list of the games that you play or want to. This will help in determining the most expensive component for gaming, the video card.

 

I have sent a PM to Sikvik so when he comes on line he will know where to find this post.

 

Well, I already have

- EA Sports - Cricket and Soccer
- Age of empires - Premium edition

I am planning to buy a few and I would revisit this forum for suggestions.

Gaming is not high priority right now. A reliable set of hardware for the CPU is what I am looking for.

 

Ok. I guess the discussion is getting more technical on areas where my priorities are marginally lower.

To sum up.... Please suggest me a,..

- Good mother board
- More reliable processor
- How much RAM capacity is required for decent speed.
- A moderately expensive gaming card
- ANy other suggestions.

I guess I am confusing people.. but hope all of u realize that I am not a techie and have medium understanding of a computer. My usage is limited to browsing, gaming, watching movies, collecting songs and the rest.

I also have a pinnacle tuner with which I plan to do some editing...but thats later. Much later.

Hope this helps....

 

We are very willing to help you with this but one of the most important things we need to know is your budget because otherwise we may suggest things that are way too expensive (a GTX 295 graphics card is over $500) so you see our dillema.

 

Ok. My budget would be around 30k. Thats around USD 700. In India PCs are probably a lot more cheaper, but I am told, you can get a decent PC for this price.

 

Thanks for the help.

 

Ok. I have read the AMD vs Intel thread and have come to the conclusion that I shall buy the i7 core of intel if its not prohibitively expensive.

Any guesses how much the i7 costs???

 

That is without doubt a top CPU but depending on which version you get it can be expensive.

http://www.extremetech.com/article2/0,2845,2333764,00.asp

 

According to latest updates, Intel Corp, California-based chip maker has announced its plan to rule out the majority of its Core i7 processors, including the recently launched 950 model.

The company said, in future, the Nehalem-based chips would be replaced by Intel's much anticipated Lynnfield models, which will be introduced alongside a new platform, featuring the new LGA1156 socket. The only CPU that seems to have a longer life on Intel's product line is the new 3.33GHz Core i7 975 part.

In a recent update, the company has called that Intel's Core i7 920, 940, 950 and 965 processors will be end-of-life (EOL) by the end of next-year. These are part of the chip maker's initial wave of Nehalem-based CPUs, providing users with an increased performance level and a new high-end platform.

The Intel Core i7 975 and the new LGA1366-capable 6-core processors will be available for the company's current flagship desktop platform, with an upcoming wave of Lynnfield processors and new platforms will provide users with support for the mainstream market segment.

However, there are no specific details from the company as to when they plans on phasing out the aforementioned products.

 

I just figured out that the i7 975 costs $1100. This one is definitely out. Its top of the line CPU and i obviously dont need it. Plus look at the cost!!!

 

Hey Madhurima welcome to MG's
We need to know you budget.
The following link is a nifty price guide for ''SOME'' products available at New Delhi Mumbai, Chennai, Bangalore and Hyderabad. All prices in INR..

http://www.techenclave.com/pc-peripherals/techenclave-price-guide-137081.html#post1144385

As for building the rig - previous posters are way more qualified than me :-D

But once again, one needs to know your budget

Hope this helps..

 

I should read more carefully - 30k.

http://www.techenclave.com/buying-guides/pc-buying-guide-may-2009-a-134645.html

OS will be extra...

Cheers...

 

Re: The ideal configuration for an assembled PC

Thanks a ton Sikvik. Wow..... The link is so informative, it has made my job very easy now.

As I am unable to send u a private message, please visit my thread for a few more querries I might have as I make my decision.

 

Sikvik, I am confirming the below list. Need your suggestion on the rest.

Motherboard - Please suggest
Processor - Intel E5200 - 3.5k
Cooling - Is this required?
RAM - 2x2.2GB DDR2 800MHz - 2.2k
GPU - WHats this and is this req?
HDD - 250gb SATAII - 2.3k


Thanks

 

Hmm, who will be building this machine, a friend? The processor is decent and if you buy the retail box then a 'heat sink fan' is included. I assume this is what you meant by cooling.

I think 4GB of RAM is overkill for you, 2GB should suffice.

GPU is your video card, definitely necessary! Do not get onboard graphics motherboard as that will disappoint you greatly! This is where you can seriously overspend if you buy more than you need. This is where the budget and gaming needs kick in.

HDD is perfect as is.

If you have the retail version of XP Home then you can transfer that license over to the new machine, otherwise you'll have to buy an OS unless you are buying this from a shop. If you are going to buy an OS then I would install the trial of Windows 7 now and when it comes on the market later this year you can purchase it.

Oh, on the motherboard, it needs LGA 775 CPU socket and one PCI-E X16 slot for your video card(don't get an AGP type). I'm assuming your TV tuner card needs a PCI slot.

One last detail, depending on what you decide on a video card then get a proper brand name power supply with enough power, ya it costs more but you'll have peace of mind.

I'll stop here as I'm sure your head feels kind of light at the moment.

 

Wow.. does my head feel light?... I guess YES!!!!

Let me analyze this info and get back to you asap!.

 

I have to get the PC assembled from a vendor. No friend:-o

Please advice if the below list looks good

Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-G31-S2L
Processor: Intel E5200
Cooling: OCZ Vanquisher
RAM: Transcend 2GB DDR2 800MHz
GPU: Palit HD 4670 512MB DDR3
HDD: Seagate 250GB ST3250310AS SATAII
Cabinet: iball
SMPS: 360W

I need your help on the motherboard. Do you think this one has the LGA 775 CPU socket and one PCI-E X16 slot ? Also with this motherboard is the OCZ vanquisher required??? ( the vendor says so)

 

hi all.. i would say go with wt sidhupunjab suggest on techenclave.. its as gud a config as u can get arnd 30k imo
I'll post it here fr all to have a look
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-G31-S2L - 2.5k
Processor: Intel E5200 - 3.5k
RAM: Transcend 2x2GB DDR2 800MHz - 2.2k
GPU: Palit HD 4670 512MB DDR3 - 4.3k
HDD: Seagate 250GB ST3250310AS SATAII - 2.3k
Cabinet: Zebronics Bijli ATX - 1.1k
SMPS: Corsair VX 450W - 3.8k
Optical Drive: L.G. GH22NS30 SATA/Samsung SH-S22F SATA - 1.1k
Speakers: Creative Inspire 2.1 M2600 - 1.8k
Monitor: Dell S1909W 19" LCD - 6.5k
Key/Mouse :take your pick

i made a few changes.. removed the cooling and changed the smps to somethng better.. rest all is excellent i would suggest u to invest in a 22 inch lcd.. something like the samsung 2233 or one of the Dell's.. bt tht would take ur budget to 35k..

 

Hello,
Power Supply (SMPS) does not look like it has enough wattage to me.

The power supply is one of the most critical parts of your build, as if you get a cheap one, it is much more likely to damage not only itself, but some or all of your system components if it fails.

I know you don't want brand names suggested, but this list of good power supplies may help you anyway: http://forum.pcmech.com/showthread.php?t=208143

The Motherboard you have selected supports LGA775.

If you are careful to purchase a CPU with a HSF (HeatSink and Fan), then you will not need the OCZ vanquisher. Your vendor may be trying to force you into buying a component you do not need. Please note though that there are CPUs available that are not sold with HSFs, so make sure you get a CPU with one.

Hope this helps,

 

where are you buying this from?? online or frm local vendor??
should have edited the above post.. why can't i find the option to delete a post

 

With the replies that I have got, I will take the Corsair 450W for the power supply. Will that do?
Is the brand of the motherboard good enuf?
I shall insist for the CPU with a heatsink and fan.

 

Buying it from a local vendor. Hope my wishlist is available with him

 

I am unsure of how it works in India but for me if the vendor does not have what i want he can usually get it in 7 days or less, so maybe a short wait for all your parts,
If this is the same vendor who is going to build your machine i would expext him to be helpfull.

I am glad you got the help from local members who have a better on the ground knowledge than me.

If you are not going to run a big powerful GPU 450watts should be ample as normally factory built PCs have a 300 watt PSU.

 

According to this online calculator, you would only need 167W.
http://extreme.outervision.com/PSUEngine

However, having a higher rated PSU is always a good idea.

The motherboard is a good brand.

 

You cannot imagine the amount of help I have recieved from this forum. Although my search for the ideal PC continues, I am already a big fan of Major geek now. I am not a pro and may not be able to contribute to this forum, but, anything important, I shall remember to post here.

 

Thanks for the reply. I guess I am clear on some key components now. I shall sum it up once I regroup my thoughts.!

 

Today when I go to the vendor, this is the list I am going to put forward:

Motherboard - Gigabyte GA-G31-S2L
Processor - Intel E5200 with HSF
RAM - Transcend 2GB DDR2 800MHz
GPU - Palit HD 4670 512MB DDR3
HDD - Seagate 250GB ST3250310AS SATAII
Cabinet - Zebronics Bijli ATX
SMPS - Corsair VX 450W
DVDRW - LG
Monitor - Samsung 2233 LCD
Mouse - Logitech optical mouse
(speakers and Keyboard not req.)

HOW DOES THE ABOVE SOUND guys???... Close to ideal for my usage???

 

looking gud.. where u frm?? one of the metros?? should be able to get all of the parts easily.. if ur frm one of the smaller cities then the gfx card and mobo would probably pose a problem.. in that case its alwyz possible to buy online.. do check in once with the prices you get if they're higher then wt we've quoted here..
and while you're at it.. get some newer games like cryis and call of duty 4 to really put tht gfx card through its paces :-D

EDIT: didnt notice the Ram u changed to 2 gigs.. i suggest u get the full 4 gb.. its dirt cheap and get 2x2GB sticks.. nt a single 4 GB one :-D
EDIT2: also make sure you get the GDDR3 card and NOT the DDR2 one.. doesnt matter if its more then 512 mb.. ddr2 is NOT worth it.. Make sure its GDDR3.. i've a Palit HD4670 Super edition.. gud card

 

Looks fine to me.

One thing I would do though is to get the RAM in 2 x 1GB sticks. This way, the RAM can be run at dual-channel speeds instead of single-channel.

A better explanation of RAM channels is here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dual-channel_architecture

 

Configuration looks good Nicely done for a days work The vendor must not be happy with the pricing details :-D

Have you decided on the OS.

I'd go with Augie's suggestion regarding Win7 RC trial. Have the vendor install it for you. And purchase it in october, as it's expected to be launched around the third week.

As for an Av I'm using Avast Home - It's free :-D and works fine on my Win 7 setup.

http://www.majorgeeks.com/Avast_Home_Edition_d1968.html

Bill and Augie both use Win7 and could inform you of their choice of AV.

An excellent spyware scanner is MBAM. Works fine on Win7.
http://www.majorgeeks.com/Malwarebytes_Anti-Malware_d5756.html

I think it would be prudent to mention that SAS is NOT *yet* compatible with Win7
http://www.majorgeeks.com/SUPERAntiSpyware_d5116.html


I'm just mentioning this if you go for Win7. It's a great scanner and very well recommended on MG. But crashes the Sys while installing. Just did not want a fellow geek to get the fright of their life, what with the new sys and all :-D

Cheers...

 

Looks good, I think the vendour buys the OEM version of the CPU so that he has to add the Vanquisher or similar HSF. Also, for some reason I thought you were getting DDR3 RAM so I thought 4GB was too costly but since you're getting DDR2 then go for 2X2GB, it's cheap RAM as was said above.

You're going to like this very much!

 

Dhruv, Collins, Sikvik and augiedoggie... Thanks a ton for all your inputs. Its helping me a lot to figure out what I need to buy!

With all your inputs in place, I have made a few changes in my final list. Hope you guys would okay it !

Motherboard - Gigabyte GA-G31-S2L
Processor - Intel E5200 with HSF
RAM - Transcend 2x2GB DDR2 800MHz (change made as per dhruv & augie)
GPU - Palit HD 4670 512MB DDR3 (dhruv - shall stick onto this one)
HDD - Seagate 250GB ST3250310AS SATAII
Cabinet - Zebronics Bijli ATX
SMPS - Corsair VX 450W
DVDRW - LG
Monitor - Samsung 2233 LCD
Mouse - Logitech optical mouse
(speakers and Keyboard not req.)

Also, Dhruv, I am from Cochin. Wonder whether I'll get all of this. I could'nt go to the vendor today. Hope he wont disappoint me.

Sikvik - Do I need Win7 ? The vendor has assured me that he'll load WindowsXP. And when Win7 hits the market, how much would it cost? Any idea?

Thanks again ALL OF YOU!!!!

 

Nobody knows the prices on Windows 7 so far. It will be released on October 22nd of this year. So far the build is good, but like Collins said (and linked an explanation for) make sure you get matched pair of sticks of RAM. 4GB total should be your max for a budget machine, so get 2 x 2GB DDR2 sticks at a decent speed. You could make do with 2x1GB DDR2 sticks, but RAM is very cheap, so to allow you room in the future, get 4GB. Also, XP can not use more than 4GB, so you save yourself some problems there also. Let the tech install Windows XP for now, and you can try the free Release Candidate of Windows 7 (get it over here: http://tinyurl.com/832nco ) as a second OS install. Then if you like it you can buy it when the final release is out in October. Just remember that the Windows 7 RC only works until June 1 of next year (2010), but it is free. It just delays the cost of the purchase of the full thing if you like it. Otherwise Windows XP is fine for now.

 

Thanks Datacabbit for the info. I shall probably install windows7 now.

Dhruv, Sikvik - The Zebronics Cabinet comes with an SMPS and the vendor tells me that it has 450 - 460W power. Whats your opinion? SHall I stick on to Corsair 450w SMPS or go with the inbuilt the Zebronics one???

 

I would assume, that as the cabinet is made by Zebronics, that the SMPS in it will be cheap and nasty. As such, I would recommend you find a different cabinet without an SMPS, and save the extra money for the Corsair SMPS.

However, I am not really qualified to answer this question, as I have no idea of the SMPS manufactuers in India.

 

Thanks for the suggestion Collins. A friend of mine also suggested the same. I am planning to buy the PC by the weekend and I now have a good idea of what I want.

Does the gigabyte mobo that I planned support a DDR3 graphics card? The vendor had that doubt !!

 

No the Mobo only supports DDR2 but that will no make such a huge difference for your needs.

http://img196.imageshack.us/img196/7025/motherboardproductimagef.jpg

 

Guys... My vendor has come out with a different suggestion. Please help.

Motherboard - Gigabyte GA-G31-S2L
Processor - Intel E5200 with HSF
RAM - Transcend 2x2GB DDR2 800MHz
GPU - Palit 9400 512MB DDR2 ( The Mobo is not compatible with DDR3)
HDD - Seagate 250GB ST3250310AS SATAII
Cabinet + SMPS - Coolermaster 390W ( Says corsair is for heavy server duty.I dont need it) - A reputed SMPS as per a forum!?!
DVDRW - LG
Monitor - Samsung 2233 LCD

Whats your opinion?...

 

The GPU card is just as good as the previous one.
As for the power supply unit i don't know the model and was not able to find any revues on it. my personal preference is to go with a quality PSU if only for the fact that it is the main reason that other parts in the PC get fried if it fails hence the replacement cost for a new CPU/mobo can be averted.

 

Thanks again. So, I am changing the GPU to Palit9400. The cost differential is also significant with this change ( Almost half of HD4670)

The smps has had a very good review in the comparison with many brands. And I hope 390W is good enuf when the actual calculated wattage was 167.

RAM will be 2x2gb DDR2 800MHz.

The fog has gone and its a lot more clearer now. Shall post a picture of my PC once it all done

 

I look forward to seeing the completed PC.

See you in the forums.

 

Hey, just a minute! The RAM on the graphics card will make no difference to the motherboard! The original graphics card will work perfectly as the RAM on the graphics card is not used on the motherboard. I have a GDDR3 graphics card with a DDR2 motherboard and it is all working at advertised speeds.

Also, these days, a 450W PSU (SMPS) is not high-end at all. It is really mid-range. A 300W PSU, in my opinion would be too little these days. A high-end server PSU would be about 1000W.

However, as your computer is lower-end, 300W would be enough.

 

Sure Collins. But the cost is exactly halved if I take the 9400 GPU. Hence the decision to change!

I checked and many vouched for Coolermaster! Hope I wont have to eat my words later...confused

 

Well, granted the 9400 is half the cost and if that's of a real concern then by all means go for it. Perhaps you can afford going halfway and getting a 9800GT instead, much better than a 9400!!! Trust me as I have two of them.

Erm, XP can use more than 3.XX GB if it's X64, or any other OS for that matter. I believe any flavour of XP /Vista/W7/Linux etc. can use up to 128GB RAM as long as it's X64.

BTW, although the ultimate dead date for W7 RC is technically June 1st, it will only work for 2 hour periods after March 1st which essentially means dead to me. Who the heck wants to reboot every two hours eh?