PC upgrade within 20k

mayanks_098

Disciple
Q: What is your budget?

2ok

Q: What is your existing hardware configuration (component name - component brand and model)

CPU - Intel E00

Motherboard - Asus p5-LD2-VM

GPU - Sapphire nVidia 8400 GS 512 mb

RAM - Kingston 2X2GB 667 MHz

Monitor - 19" HCL one

SMPS - Zebronics 450 W

DVD writer: ASUS Lightscribe DL

Cabinet: HCL one

HDD: Have 1 tb WD, but it has crashed. Initiated RMA process yesterday but since it will take time and I cant wait that long, ill need a hdd as well.

UPS: Microtek 600VA

Q: Which hardware will you be keeping (component name - component brand and model)

CPU: Intel C2D e6300

Monitor - Will upgrade later

DVD writer: ASUS DL LS

Cabinet: HCL one

Q: Which hardware component are you looking to buy (component name). If you have already decided on a configuration then please mention the (component brand and model) as well, this will help us in fine tuning your requirement.

CPU - NOT looking to buy coz I will upgrade proccy+ mobo seperately later when I am on a good budget for just the two of them. If I fit these two in current budget, then gfx card will suffer, which I wont be buying another one for a looong time. So dont want that to happen.

Motherboard - So I need a old model mobo with LGA 775 socket so that I can use of existing proccy and which also has DDR2 slots so that I dont need to spend anything extra on RAM, even if they are coming dirt cheap.

PSU: This, I am serious about. Need a good PSU here. No cheapo material. CM or Corsair or any other brand.

GPU - Need a good one here. Wont be upgrading atleast till the warranty lasts.

UPS: 1 KVA

Q: Is this going to be your final configuration or you would be adding/upgrading a component in near future. If yes then please mention when and which component

Yes, will upgrade the following within 6 months

Proccy: On a good budget sometime later

Mobo: On a good budget sometime later

RAM - Yes, when I buy a new mobo+proccy, I will have to buy DDR3 ram.

Monitor: A decent looking monitor for gaming and HD movies.

Q: Where will you buy this hardware? (Online/City/TE Dealer)

India. Not looking to buy online as I need it working ASAP.

Q: Would you consider buying a second hand hardware from the TE market

Yes, Why not. if I get something in great condition and suitable price.

Q: What is your intended use for this PC/hardware

Gaming

Browsing

Desktop Processing

Download rig, 24x7 operation

Watching HD movies

Q: Do you have any brand preference or dislike? Please name them and the reason for your preference/dislike.

Doesnt concern here but still, not looking to buy AMD proccy as I am still wary of their A.S.S.

Q: If you will be playing games then which type of games will you be playing?

FPS, racing, RPGs (both classics and new)

Q: What is your preferred monitor resolution for gaming and normal usage

No preference, should look as good as possible. If not, whatever I get is good, :p

Q: Are you looking to overclock?

No, wont be necessary

Q: Which operating system do you intend to use with this configuration?

Windows 7 Premium, XP

I will explain again. My PC just died on me (again) and I need to upgrade this 5 year old friend.

Budget is ~20k.

I have a Sapphire 8400GS (looking to upgrade it), monitor, cabinet, 5 gb of DDR2 ram.

I was thinking of saving money on RAM and mobo as they can be added later. So I want to go with a stop-gap kinda mobo with a decent gfx card (which wont need upgrade). So any decent combination would do as mobo can and will be upgraded later (after say 8-10 months). For now, I think my E6300 will do.

Ill need a good PSU this time. No compromise this time. A CM or Corsair or any other new good brand.

UPS (1 kva) would be good as I only have a 600 va one right now and even that is not working properly.

So HDD, RAM, and UPS are 3 things which I have with me but will have to buy since they are either very cheap or need replacement.

I am looking at ATI 6770.

Mind you, i dont have time for gaming these days but still would like to buy a decent card which can play new games. I do not need an absolute performer. An older generation's better performer at a less priuce would do then a new generation's costlier one)

Many thanks for reading.

--- Updated Post - Automerged ---

I dont want to invest in a proccy + mobo right now. Investing more money in a better PSU and gfx card makes more sense to me as I anyway plan to upgrade mobo and proccy in near future when I have a decent budget for just the two of them. Buying a old mobo with 775 socket and DDR2 slots will save me money which I can invest in other items.

Mind you, i dont have time for gaming these days but still would like to buy a decent card which can play new games. I do not need an absolute performer. An older generation's better performer at a less price would do then a new generation's costlier one)

Bear in mind that this only needs to be a stop gap mobo since I plan to upgrade both proccy and mobo after some time. Will invest properly in that. So dont want to squeeze them in this tight budget.

Selling old rig is not feasible right now as:

1. Selling will take time itself. And after that buying will take time. Dont have time as I need to get it working ASAP.

2. Planning to use this as backup when this new rig will die or malfunction. I wont get anything anyway for it. SO better keep it for future use.

In short, I need things which wont be needing upgradation as per my desire like gfx card, PSU, UPS. So a mobo with 775 socket and DDR2 slot, gfx card, PSU will be best. And 1 KVA UPS.
 
instead of again spending money on an LGA775 motherboard buy a new motherboard along with a CPU...

Processor AMD Phenom II 840 4800

Motherboard Gigabyte 880GM-USB3L 4100

RAM Corsair Value DDR3 1333MHz CL9 2GB 950

GPU MSI HD6770 6500

HDD Seagate 7200.12 500GB 1900

Cabinet NZXT Gamma 2100

PSU Corsair CX430V2 2300

Total 22650


Buy another 2GB RAM and UPS after somedays... And i have suggested you a processor even after knowing that you dont want to upgrade that coz the CPU that you have currently would become a huge bottleneck for the GPU coz its some three four generation old CPU...
 
Guys, I do not want to invest in proccy + mobo right now. Ding that will mean lesser gfx card and PSU.

I dont want to invest in a proccy + mobo right now. Investing more money in a better PSU and gfx card makes more sense to me as I anyway plan to upgrade mobo and proccy in near future when I have a decent budget for just the two of them. Buying a old mobo with 775 socket and DDR2 slots will save me money which I can invest in other items.
 
^^ the HD6770 GPU is decent enough to handle games at below HD resolution (1680x1050) with medium setting... and the PSU that i have suggested is capable of Handling GPus like HD6850, HD6770, GTX550 etc
 
Hmm...point taken. But that would mean that atleast the mobo abd proccy will not be good. I plan to upgrade them with a budget of 15-20k afterwards.
 
Its pretty pointless to keep that proccy and just upgrade the motherboard. I would say better go for a SB processor setup.

Processor Intel Core i3 2100 5400

Motherboard Gigabyte GA-H61M-D2-B3 3300

RAM Corsair Value DDR3 1333MHz CL9 2GB 750

GPU MSI HD6770 6500

HDD Seagate 7200.12 500GB 1900

Cabinet NZXT Gamma 2100

PSU Corsair CX430V2 or Seasonic S12II 430w 2200/2700

Total 22150/22650


The HD6770 is a pretty decent GPU and is miles ahead of the current setup.
 
I am not upgrading the mobo. The current mobo is dead, so I have no choice then to buy a new one. I will buy a new one again when i buy a decent proccy. I a not planning it for any serious usage so I can do with the bottleneck for a few days, provided it just wont let me even browse or watch movies.

Or if still you guys suggest, then I can try and find a good used PSU (Corsair VX450??) and then buy proccy and mobo too.

what say?
 
If you want to keep existing setup, would advise you to:

1. ditch the RAM, get a 775 mobo with DDR3 support.

2. keep RAM, get a 775 mobo with ddr2/3 support.
 
Instead of the VX450 which costs 3.5k get a Seasonic S12II 520w ~ 3.5k. Its a much superior unit to VX450. VX450 is difficult to find too. S12 II 520w is bronze certified and has 5 years warranty too. It scored 9.7/10 in jonnyguru.

Seasonic S12 II Bronze 520W Review
Seasonic S12II Bronze 520 W Power Supply Review | Hardware Secrets
Summary
In what is likely the highest scoring group regulated unit I have ever tested, Seasonic has something really special here. A nice, quiet, efficient, and well performing unit that is affordable for just about any budget. Go forth and buy one, loyal readers.

The Good:
  • easily held Bronze efficiency, even to unrealistically low load levels
  • extremely low ripple and noise for a mid grade unit
  • nice documentation
  • a shallow unit for space challenged cases
  • looks great

The Bad:
  • let's get rid of that zip tie around the cables outside the case, shall we?

The Mediocre:
nothing

http://www.techenclave.com/theitwares/seasonic-power-supplies-full-range-166027.html
 
three years old? not worth it for even 2.5k... Better buy Seasonic S12II 520w ~ 3.5k which comes with five years warranty or S12II 430 if you dont need a powerful PSU... See warranty matters a lot... for extra 1k you are not just getting a better PSU than VX450 but also extra 3years warranty which you wont get if you will go with the used unit that you are thinking to buy...
 
Hades. said:
instead of again spending money on an LGA775 motherboard buy a new motherboard along with a CPU...

Processor AMD Phenom II 840 4800

Motherboard Gigabyte 880GM-USB3L 4100

RAM Corsair Value DDR3 1333MHz CL9 2GB 950

GPU MSI HD6770 6500

HDD Seagate 7200.12 500GB 1900

Cabinet NZXT Gamma 2100

PSU Corsair CX430V2 2300

Total 22650


Buy another 2GB RAM and UPS after somedays... And i have suggested you a processor even after knowing that you dont want to upgrade that coz the CPU that you have currently would become a huge bottleneck for the GPU coz its some three four generation old CPU...

@ Hades: I came across your above post and would appreciate if you could clarify whether it is better to go with Phenom II 840 or Phenom II X4 - 955 BE processor. As I read in another post in (AMD Phenom II X4 840 3.20 GHz Review - Page 1/12 | techPowerUp), the 840 lacks L3 cache.

"What AMD has done here is mix up the Athlon II quad Propus core with Phenom II brand. After introduction of Athlon II X4 645, quad core Athlon II models clocking above 3.0 GHz were starting to catch up to slower Phenom II models, so AMD decided to upgrade the low cost Propus core to Phenom II brand. In other words, what we have here is Athlon II X4 "650" renamed to Phenom II X4 800 series. In terms of specifications, it is identical to every other Athlon II X4 SKU, and the one thing that differed Athlon II from Phenom II series, L3 cache is no more."

As I am also in the process of upgrading my rig, I would like to follow your earlier posted advice. So I request you to clarify on the better VFM processor and if your recommendation is for the 955 BE then a suitable motherboard for that.

Thanks

--- Updated Post - Automerged ---

Hades. said:
instead of again spending money on an LGA775 motherboard buy a new motherboard along with a CPU...

Processor AMD Phenom II 840 4800

Motherboard Gigabyte 880GM-USB3L 4100

RAM Corsair Value DDR3 1333MHz CL9 2GB 950

GPU MSI HD6770 6500

HDD Seagate 7200.12 500GB 1900

Cabinet NZXT Gamma 2100

PSU Corsair CX430V2 2300

Total 22650


Buy another 2GB RAM and UPS after somedays... And i have suggested you a processor even after knowing that you dont want to upgrade that coz the CPU that you have currently would become a huge bottleneck for the GPU coz its some three four generation old CPU...

@ Hades: I came across your above post and would appreciate if you could clarify whether it is better to go with Phenom II 840 or Phenom II X4 - 955 BE processor. As I read in another post in (AMD Phenom II X4 840 3.20 GHz Review - Page 1/12 | techPowerUp), the 840 lacks L3 cache.

"What AMD has done here is mix up the Athlon II quad Propus core with Phenom II brand. After introduction of Athlon II X4 645, quad core Athlon II models clocking above 3.0 GHz were starting to catch up to slower Phenom II models, so AMD decided to upgrade the low cost Propus core to Phenom II brand. In other words, what we have here is Athlon II X4 "650" renamed to Phenom II X4 800 series. In terms of specifications, it is identical to every other Athlon II X4 SKU, and the one thing that differed Athlon II from Phenom II series, L3 cache is no more."

As I am also in the process of upgrading my rig, I would like to follow your earlier posted advice. So I request you to clarify on the better VFM processor and if your recommendation is for the 955 BE then a suitable motherboard for that.

Thanks
 
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