We've got two configurations lined up. One for Intel afficianados and the other for those who like to go with AMD. We should inform you that most synthetic benchmarks score better on the Intel when looking at Single Threaded performance while multi-threaded performance is better on the AMD processor. The glaring differences would be that there is no IGP on the AMD CPU while the AMD CPU has an unlocked multiplier and is easily overclockable.
The Core i5 4590 gives a consistent performance for any task, be it single threaded or multithreaded but Intel units generally end up being more expensive overall, you'll know why in the next slide. AMD's Vishera FX-8350 does great when it comes to multi-threaded applications which are becoming more and more prevalent in the market so you can't go wrong with an AMD CPU either. Moreover, the FX-8350 is easily overclockable.
If you wish to get a similar feature set as in an AMD board then you have to pay more for Intel. Even though the Intel boards cost Rs.7,000 or more they don't allow for overclocking because that's a job for Z97 boards and those cost about 2-3K more. So when you're trying to save more money for a better graphics card then AMD seems to come out better.
NOTE: You can get an H87 board but they'll require a BIOS upgrade. So always note the BIOS revision of the board before buying it so that you know that your processor is supported.
This is one component which you shouldn't compromise on. A bare minimum of 8GB with two DIMMs of RAM in dual channel configuration makes for a huge difference in performance. The models we've mentioned are all rated for 1600MHz and some of them come with heatspreaders.
The prices for these devices have come down significantly in the past few months. A 120GB drive is more than enough for your OS and essential applications but if you are on a budget then you can skip this one.
If you're getting an SSD then you can compromise on your hard drive and get a low powered "green" drive and save some money without taking a noticeable performance hit. But going for a green drive without any 7200 RPM drives will result in a few torn hair folicles.
The 600-620W power supplies are recommended if you wish to get a beefy card or another graphics card in the future for SLI or CrossFire. But if you're going to buy a single graphics card which has no need for external power then a 450-500W power supply like the Antec VP450 or the Corsair VS450 should do just fine. However, we calculated the power requirements based on the following conditions
- Sufficient power for overclocking
- Future SLI/CrossFire
- Two PCIe cards
- Every available USB port drawing power
- 1 SSD, 4HDD and 1 ODD connected at the same time
- 24x7 operating time
This is why these recommendations are in the 600W range. Being gamers we know how long we keep our machines running. If we aren't playing at the moment we might have a download happening on Steam in the background overnight. Switching off your computer seems like ... sacrilege.
We wen't with the cheapest three cabinets with plenty of drive bays to seat all the components we were picking out. One thing to note would be that the NZXT Gamma has been discontinued but there still are SKUs available in the market so get them before they're out.
Monitor (Optional)
The monitor is being marked optional since everyone already has one and generally all configuration requests don't ask for it. Note: The BenQ model has a VA panel while the other two have TN panels. We prefer a smaller screen size for gaming since it allows one to keep more things within the view cone without much stress to his/her eyes.
You can go for a graphics card retailing in at Rs.18,000 if you didn't get a monitor. But if you did then you can always go for the GTX 750 Ti which costs Rs.9,500. There are few games in which the GTX 760 is neck to neck but for the majority of games, the R9 280 takes the cake.
We've paired the NVIDIA card with the Intel processor and the AMD card with the AMD processor. Without the optional components, the final cost comes well below what we set out to hit. But if you still wish to get the optionals in then you need to swap the GTX 760 / R9 280X for a card that costs somewhere in the Rs.10,000 bracket. The best card for that price would be the GTX 750 Ti but the loss in gaming performance would be huge. So if you do have a 1600x900 monitor or a 1920x1080 monitor then you need not get a new monitor. As for accessories, a simple keyboard and mouse combo from Microsoft or Logitech which costs approximately Rs.500-700 should suffice. Happy gaming!