# Mid-range PC for A friend!! :-)



## justme101 (Sep 9, 2011)

Hii....guys this time  i am asking for a config for one of my friends. 

*P.S.* *It's his first PC, very tight on budget,is a movie freak (watches lots and lots of 'em) and recently become a games fan when he saw me play CRYSIS 2  (well of the graphics..not me)  * So, keeping all of this in mind, i would say he would do moderate amount of gaming but wants the graphics to be good..and would use the setup mostly for movies and music as he doesn't get much time from work.

I know about the template so here it is.

1. What is the purpose of the computer? (Note: If you are planning to say multimedia, you will have to be more specific as all types of systems are capable of doing that)
A: *Movies,music,downloading and moderate gaming*

2. Are you open to alternate ideas/products giving similar better performance but offering more VFM/ sellers? If not- why?
A: Sure *But please,please, try to keep the processor from intel* because he is not open to AMD...

3. What is your MAX budget?
A: 40000-42000 *MAX*

4. Planning to overclock?
A: *NO*

5. Which OS are you planning to use?
A: *Windows 7 64-bit*

6. How much hard drive space is needed?
A: *Atleast 500 GB for a start*

7. What resolution will the screen run at & whats the size of the screen you want? If you already want have one and want to use it, mention its resolution and size.
A: * A 20" LCD/LED monitor would be perfect *

8. How would you rate your hardware knowledge from the count of 1-10? (1 being the lowest, 5 being you are somewhat in sync with the current performers and 10 being the highest)
A: 7

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

10. When are you planning to buy the system?
A: * Somewhere in the next 15-20 days *

11. Are you one of the types looking out for "future proof" configurations?
A: *YUP*

12. Are there going to be any components that you don't want to include in this new rig? If yes, do mention.
A:*NO*

13. Which city do you live in and are you open to buying from shops from other city/states?
A: *Kolkta..not buying from outside*

14. Mention any other points if deemed necessary
A: *Main things to remember..* :
*1.No Overclocking....( because i have not tried it and don't want to experiment on someone elses rig)  
         2.Not High-End Gaming ... i mean playing at moderate settings would be fine..and should run games like crysis,bulletstorm,just cause 2 etc. smoothly.*


OK i have thought of some components let me know of changes and *PRICE*.. please..

Mobo : 1. Intel DH67VR, OR
           2. ASUS P8H67-M LE
Processor: 1. Intel Core i5 2400
GPU: 1. HD 6870 (if budget permits)
        2. HD 6850........(couldnt find equivalent cards from nVidia)

....waiting.... 

*UPDATE*:

By future proof config i mean it should serve well atleast for 3-4 years...I dont suppose SATA 6GB/s drives are going to some cheaper any soon so features like this *can* be overlooked.

*UPDATE 2*:

He also *specifically* asked for a 5.1 Speaker system


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## Cilus (Sep 9, 2011)

Here is my suggestion:-

Intel Core i5 2400 @ 9K
Intel DH67BL-B3 @ 5.4K
Corsair 4 GB 1333 MHz DDR3 value @ 1.2K
Seagate 500GB SATA 7200.12 @ 1.8K
Corsair CX500 V2 @ 3K
CM Elite 430 with Transparent Sidepanel @ 2.6K
Sapphire HD 6870 @ 10.8K
Dell IN2030M 20" LED Display @ 6K
LG 22X SATA DVD Writer @ 0.8k
Logitech MK200 Keyboad & Mouse @ 0.5K
Logitech SBS 5.1 A520 @ 2.5K

Total is around 43.65K. Now in Kolkata prices of the components like PSU, CPU and motherboard will be lesser than quoted price. For Shop, check M.D. Computer and Vedant.


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## justme101 (Sep 9, 2011)

@cilus 

Thanx man...i can reduce the price by opting for a simple multmedia keyboard mouse combo from HP or Logitech for around Rs.900..
Also wouldn't *CoolerMaster Smps Extreme Power 500W @ Rs.3000* work?? Got the price from MD Computers website..

Also..he needs a good *5.1 Sound System*...Sorry, forgot to mention that...just updated the template..


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## Cilus (Sep 9, 2011)

Don't even think about CM Extreme series PSU, they are termed as Time bomb by many review sites. The build quality and voltage Ripple handling is terrible in Extreme series and should be avaoided at all cost. If you want something cheaper then opt for *Corsair CX 500 V2 @ 3K*. Don't forget the V2 term, the normal CX series are not good. I've updated my previous config as per your requirement.
For Keyboard, get the Logitech Mk200 keybaod & Mouse combo @ 0.5K. 
For 5.1 channel speaker, get *SBS 5.1 A520 @ 2.5K*. In Kolkata, street price may be lower. For example the CPU may be available @ 8.5K


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## justme101 (Sep 9, 2011)

OK thanx for the info about the "time bomb" thing..  
I'll provide the config to my frined...hope he gets this...looks pretty good..!!

And since you are in kolkata as well...where would you suggest to get all these parts?? will MD Computers provide and assemble all this??

*And i want to ask that the Turbo feature of this processor would work on this board without any issues right??*


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## d6bmg (Sep 9, 2011)

justme101 said:


> *And i want to ask that the Turbo feature of this processor would work on this board without any issues right??*



Yes, it will, without any problem. 

P.S. don't you need UPS?


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## justme101 (Sep 9, 2011)

@d6bmg

Still thinking on it...not many issues of power cut in our area..if YES then what should i go for and i think the budget has to be increased...!!

Or, *a cheaper graphics card.*

Helloooooo?????????? Where did everyone go?? :/

*@Cilus*

If i am able to convince my friend for *AMD*, what changes would you recommend, i think only the *processor* and *motherboard* have to be changed?? 

Also do tell me why to go for AMD instead of i5 2400 ... (for my knowledge ofcourse  )


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## Cilus (Sep 9, 2011)

AMD Phenom II X4 965 B.E. 3.4 GHz (6 MB L3 cache) @ 6K
Gigabyte GA-880GMA-USB3 @ 5.6K
Corsair XMS3 1600 MHz 4GB X 1 DDR3 @ 1.6K

Rest of the components will be same. Since you're saving some money, you can get a good Graphics card like Zotac 560 Ti 1 GB GDDR5 @ 12.1K


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## justme101 (Sep 9, 2011)

Ohk thanx...

but you didnt tell me why is this processor better than i5 2400??


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## Jaskanwar Singh (Sep 9, 2011)

Cilus said:


> AMD Phenom II X4 965 B.E. 3.4 GHz (6 MB L3 cache) @ 6K
> Gigabyte GA-880GMA-USB3 @ 5.6K
> Corsair XMS3 1600 MHz 4GB X 1 DDR3 @ 1.6K
> 
> Rest of the components will be same. Since you're saving some money, you can get a good Graphics card like Zotac 560 Ti 1 GB GDDR5 @* 12.1K*



thats without vat. so its 12.7k

i will suggest a Sapphire HD6950 1GB @ 13k


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## Cilus (Sep 9, 2011)

Jas, OP is from Kolkata and I know the price of the Zotac GTX 560 Ti in Kolkata, it is 12K + 4% vat. The Sapphire 1 GB version is not available in Kolkata but the 2GB one is available in 14K + 4% vat.


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## Jaskanwar Singh (Sep 9, 2011)

justme101 said:


> Ohk thanx...
> 
> but you didnt tell me why is this processor better than i5 2400??



i5 2400 is much better and recommended, i will suggest you cilus' first config. 

for psu i will suggest FSP Saga II 500 @ 2k~ or Tagan Stonerock 500 @ 3k for i5 config + 6870.



Cilus said:


> Jas, OP is from Kolkata and I know the price of the Zotac GTX 560 Ti in Kolkata, it is 12K + 4% vat. The Sapphire 1 GB version is not available in Kolkata but the 2GB one is available in 14K + 4% vat.



oh thanks for info.


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## Cilus (Sep 9, 2011)

justme101 said:


> Ohk thanx...
> 
> but you didnt tell me why is this processor better than i5 2400??



No, i5 2400 is better. In fact performance wise none of the AMD processors can beat Sandybridge based Core i5/i7 CPUs. But still Phenom II 965 is a very good CPU and for moderate gaming it is more than enough. i5 2400 will be little overkill for the requirements.


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## justme101 (Sep 9, 2011)

All right then!! Thank you everyone... Lets see where this goes and i'll post my final config (as decided by my friend ofcourse  ) in this thread... with the pics if i can..!!

Cheers..!!!


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## heartripple (Sep 9, 2011)

Cilus said:


> Here is my suggestion:-
> 
> Intel Core i5 2400 @ 9K
> Intel DH67BL-B3 @ 5.4K
> ...



Perfect configuration


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## d6bmg (Sep 9, 2011)

justme101 said:


> @d6bmg
> 
> Still thinking on it...not many issues of power cut in our area..if YES then what should i go for and i think the budget has to be increased...!!



Dude, I'm from that area where power cut happens once or twice in year(at max), but still I use UPS. You want to know the reason? Its extra layer of security which everyone should have. 

BTW, Intex 1KVA costs only 1.8K.


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## jagdish (Sep 10, 2011)

Without UPS is like inviting electrical disaster to your PC you are spending this much amount For  PC and not buying UPS LOL. Be on safe side dude.


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## justme101 (Sep 10, 2011)

OK guys i get the point..  

Just as i said the budget has to be increased..*so be it*..!!!  and if my frined goes for AMD then i guess everything will be in the budget..!!!


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## sukesh1090 (Sep 10, 2011)

@cilus, isn't it better to go with 955 @5.5k than 965 as there is mere 200MHz difference and it can be easily overclocked to till 4GHz.
i also doubt about the availability of 880gma-usb3 in india.


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## justme101 (Sep 10, 2011)

*@sukesh1090*

well as i mentioned i don't want to overclock, may be that's why cilus suggested 965..and my friend who will be actually using the pc is not into tech-stuff,that means he has never heard of overclocking...

And BTW is *MSI H67MA-E35* or *ASUS-P8H67-M LX* options for *Intel DH67BL-B3* ?? I don't know their price..

if *YES*...then do confirm whether it'll handle *i5 2400 + 6850 or 6870* fine..!

*UPDATE*

Discussed the specs with friend...and it came down to this :

1. Will think about AMD..( I dont think he'll get it)
2. Asked to lower down the cost if possible....( So i think, since he's not going to do a lot of gaming, *what if we get SAPPHIRE 6790 1GB @ Rs.7800* or *MSI GTX550Ti 1GB Cyclone II*?? Will it require a change in the PSU??)


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## Cilus (Sep 10, 2011)

There is another reason for suggesting Phenom II 965. There are couple of issues with the Heat sink of the 955, sometimes it sounds a lot, sometimes cooling is not up to the mark. But there are no such issues reported against 965. In fact the B3 stepping version (currently all available versions comes with B3 stepping) of Phenom II 965 is little cooler with better voltage handling. SO recommended it.


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## sukesh1090 (Sep 10, 2011)

oh didn't know it.but isn't it all the am3 processors are shipped with same coolers because i read this in some reviews of the cooler and the am2 coolers were lot quieter and cooler than these.


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## justme101 (Sep 10, 2011)

Hey guys it's nice to be learning through these discussions but i would really appreciate if my queries were looked into as well...  

I may be asking a lot of questions but i sorry cant help that...thats how i am..!!


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## sukesh1090 (Sep 10, 2011)

^^yes those mobos will be able to handle i5 and my vote goes for 6790.some may suggest 550.according to me they both are equal in performance so get the one which is cheaper.


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## justme101 (Sep 10, 2011)

ok thank you sukesh...so i guess no need to change the *PSU*...and as *jaskanwar* suggested i can also opt for *Tagan stonerock TG500*..or ofcourse the *Corsair CX500 V2* as originally suggested...


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## d6bmg (Sep 10, 2011)

justme101 said:


> 2. Asked to lower down the cost if possible....( So i think, since he's not going to do a lot of gaming, *what if we get SAPPHIRE 6790 1GB @ Rs.7800* or *MSI GTX550Ti 1GB Cyclone II*?? Will it require a change in the PSU??)



Sapphire 6790 is better than 550ti. So you can go with 6790 1GB card.


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## Sarath (Sep 10, 2011)

Since his primary aim is movies and a little games shouldn't we concentrate more on the monitor size and speakers? 
He might have a better experience with a bigger screen and good enough hardware to run it rather than having a much powerful system and a decently sized screen, is what I am saying.


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## sukesh1090 (Sep 11, 2011)

^^+1 for sarath.


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## Jaskanwar Singh (Sep 11, 2011)

justme101 said:


> ok thank you sukesh...so i guess no need to change the *PSU*...and as *jaskanwar* suggested i can also opt for *Tagan stonerock TG500*..or ofcourse the *Corsair CX500 V2* as originally suggested...



cx500 v2 has less wattage on 12v rail. imo avoid it. 

and 6790 is better.


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## justme101 (Sep 11, 2011)

Sarath said:


> Since his primary aim is movies and a little games shouldn't we concentrate more on the monitor size and speakers?
> He might have a better experience with a bigger screen and good enough hardware to run it rather than having a much powerful system and a decently sized screen, is what I am saying.



You have a valid point there.But thats his decision to make..if he's happy with 20" monitor it ain't so bad imo. And larger screen needs better quality movies too or else you won't enjoy it. I would love to have the suggested config for me  and i am sure he will too.

Anyways *hd 6790* is decided..for speakers i originally thought of *Logitech Z506*...can anyone confirm me the current price?? On the official website the price is around 7000 now which was around 5000 2 weeks ago...so i am all confused.


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## vidhubhushan (Sep 14, 2011)

Jaskanwar Singh said:


> cx500 v2 has less wattage on 12v rail. imo avoid it.
> 
> and 6790 is better.



so you advice against cx500 v2? then which psu to go for?  i am planning to get i5 2500, dh67bl, corsair value 4gb X 2. may be later i will add a graphics card like 5670 / 5770.

this cx500 v2 is also not available in Lucknow


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## Jaskanwar Singh (Sep 15, 2011)

vidhubhushan said:


> so you advice against cx500 v2? then which psu to go for?  i am planning to get i5 2500, dh67bl, corsair value 4gb X 2. may be later i will add a graphics card like 5670 / 5770.
> 
> this cx500 v2 is also not available in Lucknow



get a FSP Saga II 500 @ 2k~ ( 2year warranty) or Tagan Stonerock 500 @ 3k (1 year warranty)


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## d6bmg (Sep 15, 2011)

FSP SAGA II 500W is a very good PSU at its price range. So if you can find it at your local market buy it without any second thought.


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