# How is this for an upgrade?



## shirazhansen (Jan 20, 2015)

How is this for an upgrade? Please refer to this attachment : 




My existing config is in my signature.

Thanks in advance!

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Forgot to add:

I'll be using this PC primarily for image/video editing, 3D modelling & rendering and only moderate gaming.

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And i've already stretched my budget of 30k by 5000 here..


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## kg11sgbg (Jan 20, 2015)

^You have posted in wrong thread section.


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## anirbandd (Jan 21, 2015)

What is the point of asking after you have bought the components??


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## shirazhansen (Jan 21, 2015)

I'm looking for buying advice.. Isn't this the right thread for that?

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I didn't buy anything yet.. That's just a screenshot of my cart page so u can see the components and the prices..


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## eureka (Jan 21, 2015)

This is the buying advice section for _Mobile Phones_ mate.

And yes, from Q6600 a 4690 is a definite upgrade.


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## shirazhansen (Jan 21, 2015)

eureka said:


> This is the buying advice section for _Mobile Phones_ mate.
> 
> And yes, from Q6600 a 4690 is a definite upgrade.



Oops! 
Thanks for pointing that out.. looks like i should've paid more attention before posting.
Will re-post in the proper section. Thanks for the input!


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## Vyom (Jan 21, 2015)

shirazhansen said:


> Oops!
> Thanks for pointing that out.. looks like i should've paid more attention before posting.
> Will re-post in the proper section. Thanks for the input!



No need. I have moved the thread to appropriate section. Ask away...


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## adityak469 (Jan 21, 2015)

OP fill up the questionnaire, and also upload the pic to some pic hosting
 sites like imgur, TDF attachments dont work.


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## shirazhansen (Jan 21, 2015)

*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: _3D Modeling & rendering (3ds Max/Maya/ZBrush), Image Editing (Photoshop/Lightroom), Heavy Browsing, Moderate gaming. Haven't decided which games yet._

*2. What is your overall budget? If you can extend a bit for a more balanced configuration, then mention this too.*
Ans: _30k. Wouldn't want to stretch it unless there are some serious performance gains._

*3. Planning to overclock?*
Ans: _Nope._

*4. Which Operating System are you planning to use?*
Ans: _7 & 8.1 Dual Boot. Most probably._

*5. How much hard drive space is needed?*
Ans: _None for this build, already have HDD._

*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: _Not right now._

*7. Which components you DON'T want to buy or which components you already have and plan on reusing?*
Ans: _Re-using my ATX Cabinet, PSU, HDD, Graphics Card_

*8. When are you planning to buy the system?*
Ans: _This week._

*9. Have you ever built a desktop before or will this be done by an assembler?*
Ans: _I'll need to find an 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: _Bangalore. Will most probably buy online._

*11. Anything else which you would like to say?*
Ans: _My current build's in my signature._

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This is what i've narrowed my list down to : Image

*Couple of questions though :*

1) I know the Asus H97 boards are quite capable of doing the job for non-overclockers, but i read somewhere that the overall quality of the materials used on the board are better in Z97 series. I'm looking for at least 5-6 yrs of life from the mobo. Would an H97 last that long? If yes, then i wouldn't mind saving some cash and going for an H97 Plus..
2) I have a corsair tx650 psu. Would there be any compatibility issues?

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Vyom said:


> No need. I have moved the thread to appropriate section. Ask away...



Thanks Vyom!


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## adityak469 (Jan 21, 2015)

for your needs i'll suggest

 FX 8350 - 12k
Asus M5A97 EVO R2.0 - 8k
HyperXFury 2x4GB - 6k
CM Hyper 212X - 2.8k

overclocking will help in your requirements. More cores and faster clocks will give a good boost.

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Also H97/Z97 and LGA 1150 will become outdated as Skylake releases.


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## harshilsharma63 (Jan 22, 2015)

Which 650 W Corsair PSU do you have? VS?


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## topgear (Jan 22, 2015)

Op has corsair tx650 psu. Post no. 9


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## shirazhansen (Jan 27, 2015)

adityak469 said:


> for your needs i'll suggest
> 
> FX 8350 - 12k
> Asus M5A97 EVO R2.0 - 8k
> ...



Man, I almost wish you hadn't suggeted AMD.. I've been going over reviews of the 8350 these last 2 days, and my head hurts!

Basically, these are my concerns about the FX 8350:

1. It is an old chip.. (2011?) 
2. It is power hungry. (I'm not worried about my electricity bill that much, but more power means more heat, and consequently, less life, and/or problems.)
3. I saw a lot of benchmark comparisons where the FX managed to outperform some 2nd gen core i5 processors. But intel's into it's 4th gen now, and i wonder if it can still hold it's own against the likes of the i5 4570 (~14k).
4. The FX 8350 seems to do well in multi threaded applications alright, but i keep seeing reviewers mention that single threaded processing is even worse than core i3 (2nd gen) processors. And even multi threaded applications tend to use 4 cores better than 8, so would i be better off with an i5? I may get slightly reduced performance while rendering, but how about better overall system performance?
5. I haven't used an AMD CPU before, but i have had driver trouble with my ATI/AMD graphics card earlier. I don't think CPU's (or APU's) generally have driver issues, but could there be any other sort of incompatibility with software or hardware compared to intel processors?
6. You say the price of the FX 8350 is 12k, but on flipkart, i see it retailing for 14k. Could you share where you saw it going for that price?


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## adityak469 (Jan 27, 2015)

Spoiler






shirazhansen said:


> Man, I almost wish you hadn't suggeted AMD.. I've been going over reviews of the 8350 these last 2 days, and my head hurts!
> 
> Basically, these are my concerns about the FX 8350:
> 
> ...






1. Yes indeed it is. Next batch of AMD CPUs will launch 2016 maybe idk i just heard tho. But the thing is your requirements. A FX 8350 competes with an i7 for you needs. 

2. Being old yes it is power hungry. If you are concerned about heat then a cooler is already suggested (so is overclocking). There won't be any problems due to power demands . On a side note, isn't Q6600 also power hungry? But hasn't it still been running fine for you? 


3. See 1.
4. The FX8350 does very well compared to i5 in multi threaded tasks and the overclock would also add a good boost to it. I can't say much about this but  [MENTION=135617]rijinpk1[/MENTION] and [MENTION=140941]harshilsharma63[/MENTION] may.
5. There's no denying the fact that AMD's earlier GPU drivers were bad but the Omega drivers have fixed things up. Also there won't be software orhardware compatibility until its built specifically to run on Intel.
6. Looks like the prices have increased (again). The cheapest is on snapdeal. Also you can search using the link pc config guide for pc parts.


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## harshilsharma63 (Jan 27, 2015)

shirazhansen said:


> Man, I almost wish you hadn't suggeted AMD.. I've been going over reviews of the 8350 these last 2 days, and my head hurts!
> 
> Basically, these are my concerns about the FX 8350:
> 
> ...



Ask Cilus. He is running an overclocked FX 8350 for like 2 years or maybe more.


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## shirazhansen (Jan 27, 2015)

adityak469 said:


> 1. Yes indeed it is. Next batch of AMD CPUs will launch 2016 maybe idk i just heard tho. But the thing is your requirements. A FX 8350 competes with an i7 for you needs.
> 
> 2. Being old yes it is power hungry. If you are concerned about heat then a cooler is already suggested (so is overclocking). There won't be any problems due to power demands . On a side note, isn't Q6600 also power hungry? But hasn't it still been running fine for you?
> 
> ...




"A FX 8350 competes with an i7 for you needs" : Are you referring to a 4th gen i7 or a 2nd/3rd gen? 

I would like my build to last the next ~5 years. Given that the FX8350 is already a little long in the tooth, only marginally outperforms an i5 4670k in heavily multithreaded applications, and lags behind by a bigger margin in single threaded applications (At least according to benchmark tests), here's what i'd like to know:

1. How is the FX8350 in real life situations, like browsing a folder with thousands of files, or using multiple chrome instances with lots of tabs open in each, etc etc? 

2. Since FX8350 needs to be overclocked for optimum performance, i'll have to invest in a CPU Cooler. The CM Hyper 212X, i read, is not going to be adequate for any overclocking above 4.5 GHz, and even that is stretching it. 

But assuming i go for it, the cooler + CPU will cost me around 16k (13k +3k). 
For around this price, i could get an i5 4670 4th gen. Would you still recommend the FX8350 without it's price advantage over intel? Is it really that good?

Sorry if i'm being a little anal with the queries, it's just that i haven't used an AMD build before.


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## adityak469 (Jan 27, 2015)

[MENTION=140941]harshilsharma63[/MENTION] please take over? I can't explain it now. Too deep for me.

  [MENTION=68896]Cilus[/MENTION] could you tell us how your expirience with FX8350 has been?

@OP you are not being 'anal', its just that I'm lazy and misinformed I think..


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## harshilsharma63 (Jan 28, 2015)

shirazhansen said:


> "A FX 8350 competes with an i7 for you needs" : Are you referring to a 4th gen i7 or a 2nd/3rd gen?
> 
> I would like my build to last the next ~5 years. Given that the FX8350 is already a little long in the tooth, only marginally outperforms an i5 4670k in heavily multithreaded applications, and lags behind by a bigger margin in single threaded applications (At least according to benchmark tests), here's what i'd like to know:
> 
> ...



In single threaded apps it lags behind slightly than an i5 but has a good lead in multithreaded apps. It works fine for day to day tasks. You are safe to go with it. You can get a cooler late when you require more power.


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## shirazhansen (Jan 28, 2015)

Ok, so i've decided to bite the bait and try an AMD build this time. Hope it won't give me too much trouble!

These are the parts i've decided on:

*i.imgur.com/loptrBx.png

Thought i'd go for the M5a99fx pro, since this mobo was apparently designed specifically for the FX8350, whereas the M5a97fx has to be updated.
And i'm thinking of getting another 8GB of RAM somewhere down the line, that's why i'm going with the single stick for now.
Also, i think i'll get for the CPU cooler later. Let me see how the rig does at stock speeds first.

Any last minute thoughts anybody? Thinking of placing the order this evening. 
Do the prices seem right?


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## UndercoveredKnight8492 (Jan 28, 2015)

No, I think your analysis is right, an i5 4670k can be found in as low as 15.7 k, that too online, local prices maybe cheaper, if you are buying fx 8350 at "that" price (I think its overpriced as hell at 13.3k) it's better to invest in 4670k. for the same amount of money you can get Asus z97k, get a cooler later

PROCESSOR INTEL CORE I5 4670K


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## shirazhansen (Jan 28, 2015)

So, you're saying that if there's no real price difference, then i should go for the 4670?

In that case, should i go for an Asus z97-A board instead of the K? 
Remember, i'm not going to be doing any overclocking if i can help it, i'm just selecting overclockable boards because they tend to have better quality materials and port options..

Here are the best prices i could find: 

Intel 3.4 GHz LGA 1150 4670K i5 4th Generation Processor = RS 16990
Asus Z97 A = 14874
Kingston HyperX DDR3 8 GB (1 x 8 GB) PC RAM (KHX1600C10D3B1/8G) = Rs 5016

Total = 36880


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## UndercoveredKnight8492 (Jan 28, 2015)

That's what I'm saying, and vedant computers is a good shop .many forum members have purchased their components from them, so you can too, and z97a is great, I didn't know you had the budget for that, if that's the case, my apologies for underestimating it and you can go with it

P. S. Did my link worked or not?


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## rijinpk1 (Jan 28, 2015)

shirazhansen said:


> Basically, these are my concerns about the FX 8350:
> 
> 1. It is an old chip.. (2011?)


yes it is. but what you have to care more is on performance not on these silly things.i would say intel sandybridge i5 2550k/i7 2770k is still a great cpu that go near 5GHZ with the help of great cooling. with haswell, you better settle at 4.4ghz stable (or even lower: depends on the chips) 


> 2. It is power hungry. (I'm not worried about my electricity bill that much, but more power means more heat, and consequently, less life, and/or problems.)



it is power hungry. but it runs cooler than intel 


> 3. I saw a lot of benchmark comparisons where the FX managed to outperform some 2nd gen core i5 processors. But intel's into it's 4th gen now, and i wonder if it can still hold it's own against the likes of the i5 4570 (~14k).


please have a look at here More on Haswell: Core i5-4670K, Core i5-4670, Core i5-4570 and Core i5-4430 Processors Review. Page 6 - X-bit labs


> 4. The FX 8350 seems to do well in multi threaded applications alright, but i keep seeing reviewers mention that single threaded processing is even worse than core i3 (2nd gen) processors. And even multi threaded applications tend to use 4 cores better than 8, so would i be better off with an i5? I may get slightly reduced performance while rendering, but how about better overall system performance?


single threaded performance is quite bad. single threaded apps are also rare. all apps are getting support  for multithreading. it all depends on your work, if you heavily depend on rendering stuff, i would better suggest an fx 8350.


> 5. I haven't used an AMD CPU before, but i have had driver trouble with my ATI/AMD graphics card earlier. I don't think CPU's (or APU's) generally have driver issues, but could there be any other sort of incompatibility with software or hardware compared to intel processors?


nothing like that. dont worry.


> 6. You say the price of the FX 8350 is 12k, but on flipkart, i see it retailing for 14k. Could you share where you saw it going for that price?


cheapest i could find is AMD PROCESSOR FX 8350 (FX 8350 - FD8350FRHKBOX - ).
you may get better deal locally.

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shirazhansen said:


> So, you're saying that if there's no real price difference, then i should go for the 4670?
> 
> In that case, should i go for an Asus z97-A board instead of the K?
> Remember, *i'm not going to be doing any overclocking if i can help it*, i'm just selecting overclockable boards because they tend to have better quality materials and port options..
> ...



if you are not overclocking, then what is the use of expensive 4670k? it simply behave like a 11k i5 4440 with a slightly higher clock speed.
price of the ram is great. you must not miss that


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## shirazhansen (Jan 28, 2015)

UndercoveredKnight8492 said:


> That's what I'm saying, and vedant computers is a good shop .many forum members have purchased their components from them, so you can too, and z97a is great, I didn't know you had the budget for that, if that's the case, my apologies for underestimating it and you can go with it
> 
> P. S. Did my link worked or not?




No apology reqd! It's actually 6k over my actual budget, whereas the AMD build would sit comfortably at 30k.. 
And the link worked, it's just that i'm not familiar with Vedant, that's all. Do they deliver in b'lore?

Still trying to figure out if the FX8350 build would still make sense today.. I'm sure it must've been a beast of a processor in it's day, but AMD have been sitting on it for the last 4 years now.. and from what i hear, things aren't looking very good for them with their laying off a large part of their workforce and stuff. 

And then there's this review from Anandtech, a source i often refer for anything techy. It doesn't look very good for the FX8350, especially since it no longer has the price advantage over the 4670k.

It felt like AMD was focussing more on the professional crowd rather than gamers with this processor, going by the way companies like Autodesk and Adobe were leaning towards multi threading. 
But then again, even Sony and Microsoft are using octa core AMD Processors in the PS4 and XBox.. 

Looks like i'll have to sleep on it again. Was hoping to arrive at a conclusion by today.


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## UndercoveredKnight8492 (Jan 28, 2015)

Well I'm agreed on everything you said, to me, I want amd to win, but it's said with this búlĺ **** architecture and there derivatives ,they simply can't, and they sort of accepted it, there's news that amd would countinue with piledriver all the way in2016,only then a new architecture zen will arrive that too in q3 2016 ,ditching the bûĺĺ **** architecture completely and CMT , I hope when you wake up things will be clear in your head 
Gn


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## shirazhansen (Jan 29, 2015)

Ok, i've made up my mind! 
Decided to go with the AMD build. Hope it's extra cores work well wtith the multi threading optimization of 3D applications, and translate to decent performance at the end of the day!

Total cost works out to Rs 32640, without the cooler. Will wait and see if i need one first. 
Also, i opted for a HyperX Fury 1866 instead of the 1600. If all goes well, i might get another 8 GB stick in a month or so. 16 GB should last me a while i think.. 

Thanks a lot for the input guys! I've been out of touch with PC internals since my previous build, back in 2007! I'll be happy if this build lasts even half as long!


Slightly OT, but can anyone help me assemble this thing? I live near Banashankari, B'lore..


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## rijinpk1 (Jan 29, 2015)

you can assemble it by your yourself. watch the video published by Newegg on youtube.


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## shirazhansen (Jan 30, 2015)

rijinpk1 said:


> you can assemble it by your yourself. watch the video published by Newegg on youtube.



Could u possibly share the link to that? i'm trying in vain to find it..


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## rijinpk1 (Jan 30, 2015)

shirazhansen said:


> Could u possibly share the link to that? i'm trying in vain to find it..



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

Newegg TV: How To Build a Computer - Part 3 - Installing Windows & Finishing Touches - YouTube

*m.youtube.com/watch?_e_pi_=7,PAGE_ID10,3792136343
There are new videos published by them , I think. Anyway this should do. Part 2 explains how to assemble a pc.


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## shirazhansen (Feb 1, 2015)

rijinpk1 said:


> Newegg TV: How To Build a Computer - Part 2 - The Build - YouTube
> 
> Newegg TV: How To Build a Computer - Part 3 - Installing Windows & Finishing Touches - YouTube
> 
> ...



Thanks a lot for those.. sorry i couldn't reply sooner, got caught up with work.
Will update soon..


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## rijinpk1 (Feb 1, 2015)

shirazhansen said:


> Thanks a lot for those.. sorry i couldn't reply sooner, got caught up with work.
> Will update soon..



you are welcome.


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## shirazhansen (Feb 15, 2015)

Hello all,

Just thought i'd post an update. I managed to put together my first PC build, and i'm feeling pretty pleased with myself! Thanks a lot everyone for providing me with encouragement and tips along the way.

Here are the final parts that went into the build :
*i.imgur.com/UdxyHq6.jpg

After attaching the CPU and Cooler:
*i.imgur.com/nEyktCn.jpg

Yes! It's working!
*i.imgur.com/9k1ri92.jpg

And finally, that's what it looks like right now : 
*i.imgur.com/JqxytbM.jpg

I know.. i'm already working on my budget so i can get a proper cabinet which would let me have better cable management!


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## harshilsharma63 (Feb 15, 2015)

You desperately need a better cabinet.


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## shirazhansen (Feb 15, 2015)

harshilsharma63 said:


> You desperately need a better cabinet.



 ....


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## adityak469 (Feb 15, 2015)

looks good to me, get a Deepcool Tesseract and you are good to go


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## topgear (Feb 16, 2015)

Thanks for the pics. Anyway, while getting a new cabinet don't forget to get some 120mm fans


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## rijinpk1 (Feb 16, 2015)

that rig deserves a better cabinet! 
nice pics


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## shirazhansen (Feb 18, 2015)

Glad you all liked the pics! Thanks again for helping me build it..

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adityak469 said:


> looks good to me, get a Deepcool Tesseract and you are good to go



I really like the layout of the Tesseract, but it doesn't look very impressive form the outside (personal opinion, no offence!)

I came across the Corsair Carbide Spec 01, and i like the way it looks..(kinda like a furnace, especially with the red led's..!)

*i.imgur.com/eztEWWg.jpg

 But at Rs 3530, it's toeing the budget-line i drew for myself.. 
Also, i'm not sure if my CPU cooler would fit in comfortably in there..

I also like the 'Understated' look of the Carbide 330R Titanium, but it's over twice my budget! 

*i.imgur.com/igIIrdV.jpg


Are there any other cool looking cabinets i could go for under 3500?

Here's what i'd like in the layout : 

- ATX form factor
- Side facing HDD bays with tool-less assembly (4 should be enough)
- Cable management 
- PSU at the bottom
- Dust Filters (The more the better!)


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## harshilsharma63 (Feb 18, 2015)

Spec 01 is good.


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## adityak469 (Feb 18, 2015)

You may look at Thermaltake Versa H21, it's a like Deepcool Tesseract, but with a different exterior. Also SPEC 01 is good!


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## rijinpk1 (Feb 18, 2015)

see  if you can find antex gx700. it is also a good cabinet.


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## shirazhansen (Feb 19, 2015)

Well, it turns out that none of the Carbide Spec series can house the hyper 212x.. 
The Thermaltake Versa doesn't seem to be available anywhere, and the Antec GX 700 is over 4k.. 

But that's not the main issue.. i happened to come across this beauty : 

*i.imgur.com/w1a192E.jpg

The NZXT Phantom 410.. I think i'm in love! 
I can't go back to 'regular' cabinets after seeing that, so i think i'll hang on to my current one for a few more months till i can get one of these, (It's currently retailing at around 6k i guess.)

Thanks once again for the suggestions everybody! Managed to learn a little bit about cable management and positive airflow and stuff like that..


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## shirazhansen (Mar 1, 2015)

Update : 

Managed to get hold of an NZXT Phantom 410. It's not Gunmetal Grey, but i can get used to the red.. Reminds me of a Ferrari everytime i look at it!

Cable management still not as neat as i would've liked, but had to make do for now since my PSU isn't modular.

Anyway, it's definitely a BIG improvement over my previous cabinet! 

*i.imgur.com/t0BMElx.jpg


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## adityak469 (Mar 1, 2015)

shirazhansen said:


> Update :
> 
> Managed to get hold of an NZXT Phantom 410. It's not Gunmetal Grey, but i can get used to the red.. Reminds me of a Ferrari everytime i look at it!
> 
> ...



Phantom 410 always brings tears to my eyes :')


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## shirazhansen (Mar 1, 2015)

adityak469 said:


> Phantom 410 always brings tears to my eyes :')



Lol! Why's that?!


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## adityak469 (Mar 1, 2015)

shirazhansen said:


> Lol! Why's that?!



you said it yourself 


> The NZXT Phantom 410.. I think i'm in love! I can't go back to 'regular' cabinets after seeing that



Its one of the most beautiful cabinets out there


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## shirazhansen (Mar 2, 2015)

adityak469 said:


> you said it yourself
> 
> 
> Its one of the most beautiful cabinets out there



 The Phanteks Enthoo series look quite cool as well.. Too bad it's so difficult to see these babies in India.


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## harshilsharma63 (Mar 2, 2015)

shirazhansen said:


> The Phanteks Enthoo series look quite cool as well.. Too bad it's so difficult to see these babies in India.



Take a look at this custom cabinet



> *www.million-dollar-pc.com/gallery-2011/reventon-mk2/reventon-mk2-00.jpg



Source: MDPC 039 | Reventon MKII by Paul Tan


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## topgear (Mar 2, 2015)

shirazhansen said:


> Update :
> 
> Managed to get hold of an NZXT Phantom 410. It's not Gunmetal Grey, but i can get used to the red.. Reminds me of a Ferrari everytime i look at it!
> 
> ...



looks so sexy .. looks like Marilyn Monroe in Red dress


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## anirbandd (Mar 2, 2015)

topgear said:


> looks so sexy .. looks like Marilyn Monroe in Red dress



now thats more like it, Clint, Thats more like it. 

*www.2luxury2.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/Gentlemen-Prefer-Blondes-publicity-poster.jpg

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oh.. you are phantom now. 

more like betaal


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## shirazhansen (Mar 3, 2015)

harshilsharma63 said:


> Take a look at this custom cabinet
> 
> 
> 
> Source: MDPC 039 | Reventon MKII by Paul Tan



Man, that is an impressive collection! Thanks a lot for the link!
Personally, i like the MDPC:043 and the Unique Edelweiss builds better. The CD slot on the Murderbox is just beautiful!
I'm not even gonna attempt to find out the prices of these.. i won't be able to handle the disappointment!

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topgear said:


> looks so sexy .. looks like Marilyn Monroe in Red dress



Lol! What a wonderful comparison!


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