Budget 41-50k S/w Development machine

[subdeveloper]

Hi all,

I want to buy a high performance development machine. I'm a versatile developer, and very passionate about programming and RnD. I want a high responsive system, and may be running virtual machines (for local use, not server based virtualization).

I want a complete USB 3.0 support. Also though not mandatory (and only if budget permits), I may prefer an extensible system which supports Overclocking SLI/Crossfire).. Again this is lower priority. I'm also not sure if I will every overclock or SLI/Crossfire.


Questions





1. Q: What is your budget?
1. 50K

2. Q: What is your existing hardware configuration (component name - component brand and model)
1. None


3. Q: Which hardware will you be keeping (component name - component brand and model)
1. N/A


4. 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.
1. CPU - Intel i5/i7 (Sandy/Ivy)
2. Mobo - ASUS/ASRock
3. Power Supply - CorsAir (600/650 watt) pls advise
4. GPU - pls advise, should i go for OnBoard (i5-HD3000/i7-HD4000) or independent?
5. RAM - 8 Gig (1333 MHz, or pls suggest make n freq)
6. Cabinet - CorsAir
7. Display - I am looking for a NON-WIDE monitor preferably 19" or 21" suggest LCD/LED, budget 12 K

5. 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
1. very much possible, but nothing planned for now.



6. Q: Where will you buy this hardware? (Online/City/TE Dealer)
1. Pune
2. Open to online purchase/flipkart


7. Q: Would you consider buying a second hand hardware from the TE market
1. Yes


8. Q: What is your intended use for this PC/hardware
1. Software Developmenr
2. Basic Photoshop/Video use
3. Desktop Processing
4. Basic Gaming
5. Watching HD movies (low priority)



9. Q: Do you have any brand preference or dislike? Please name them and the reason for your preference/dislike.
1. Not sure, Intel, ASUS, ASRock, CorsAir, CoolerMaster is preferred


10. Q: If you will be playing games then which type of games will you be playing?
1. Counter Strike etc, not very intensive


11. Q: What is your preferred monitor resolution for gaming and normal usage
1. Anywhere from 1280x960 to 1600x1200


12. Q: Are you looking to overclock?
1. Not sure, will i ever need it?


13. Q: Which operating system do you intend to use with this configuration?
1. Windows 7/Windows Server 2008R2
2.Linux (VMWare/VirtualPC)

---------- Post added at 09:02 PM ---------- Previous post was at 08:22 PM ----------

And BTW, I'm heavily confused on Processor + Board. Since every single person has his different opinion on i5 2500K vs i5 3570K vs i5 2400 (nonK)

 

[ALPHA17]

Will you over-clock because by default you might never need to use it. How long do you plan to use this system?

Here is what I suggest --

Intel RIG --
Intel Core i5 2400 ~10800/- [comes with the Intel HD 2000 iGP, it can handle day to day tasks and play the HD Rip but forget gaming]
Intel DH67-BL ~5800/-
Corsair Vengeance 4GB x2 1600MHz~3500/-
Seagate Barracuda 7200.14 1TB ~5000/-
AMD HD 7750 ~7000/- [OR you can get this later, to save some cash here]
Corsair TX V2650W ~5800/-
Bit Fenix Merc Alpha ~2800/-
[not sure about non-wide monitor so let others pitch in their views on the matter]
APC BR1100VA-IN ~4900/-

AMD RIG --

AMD FX-8120 ~11000/-
ASUS M5A97-M ~6500/-
AMD HD 7750 ~7000/- [you will need to purchase this graphics card immediately as the AMD 970 chipset lacks an iGP]
[rest RIG same as Intel]

The AMD RIG will be slightly better for your software development purposes [especially mutli-threaded workloads] but will consume more power than the Intel RIG. Any more queries, SHOOT.

Hope this helps, Cheerio!!

P.S. -- thanks for following the given template to the dot [even after being a new member], welcome onboard and hope you have a pleasant stay.

 

[vivek.krishnan]

Unless you plan to over lock, getting a k series proccy is a waste of money as the non k sku has some extra instructions that may be useful.

As for the gpu, unless you are on a budget would suggest to get one. Also,if you plan to use windows hyper v server you should get a gpu which is supported for remotefx
Sent from my SGH-i917 using Board Express

 

[subdeveloper]

what you guys said makes sense. if i do not plan to overclock, there's no need for a CPU cooler + Z77 (or maybe). Then what will you suggest? Intel ivy non K or Sandy non K? i5 or i7.. i initially heard very good words about i5 2500K, not sure if i5 2500 (non-K) is similar in performance. Also what about i5 3540? or i7? My budget for Proc is 15K approx.

Also I was planning for a 600Watt PSU, do you think thats a good idea even if I am not planning to Overclock? I just want to make sure the PSU supplies constant power to all the connected devices and that too without much noise and vibration.

 

[JuGGa]

Unless you plan to over lock, getting a k series proccy is a waste of money as the non k sku has some extra instructions that may be useful.

Like? And source please.

what you guys said makes sense. if i do not plan to overclock, there's no need for a CPU cooler + Z77 (or maybe). Then what will you suggest? Intel ivy non K or Sandy non K? i5 or i7.. i initially heard very good words about i5 2500K, not sure if i5 2500 (non-K) is similar in performance. Also what about i5 3540? or i7? My budget for Proc is 15K approx.

Also I was planning for a 600Watt PSU, do you think thats a good idea even if I am not planning to Overclock? I just want to make sure the PSU supplies constant power to all the connected devices and that too without much noise and vibration.

Go for i5-2500k + z68 board. OC it for extra juice when you feel the need for it. No need to shell out extra money for IVB. And a decent 600w PSU is a overkill for you, but since data integrity is of high priority, don't compromise with that. Still, @ALPHA17 tx650v2 is too much overkill. Even a GS500 would do.

 

[ALPHA17]

Like? And source please.



Go for i5-2500k + z68 board. OC it for extra juice when you feel the need for it. No need to shell out extra money for IVB. And a decent 600w PSU is a overkill for you, but since data integrity is of high priority, don't compromise with that. Still, @ALPHA17 tx650v2 is too much overkill. Even a GS500 would do.

Here is the answer, Intel Core i7 2600 supports --

• Intel Virtualization Technology with directed output [VT-d]
• Intel Trusted Execution Technology

which the Core i7 2600k does not support.

Intel® Core? i7-2600 Processor (8M Cache, up to 3.80 GHz) / Intel® Core? i7-2600K Processor (8M Cache, up to 3.80 GHz)

These are important from the point of virtualization, are you going to use these @subdeveloper?

Because if you need these functionality's, you will need to buy a B75 chipset based motherboard instead of the H67 / H77 OR Z68 / Z77.

Yes earlier this morning I could not log back into techenclave, so was unable to post an answer so you beat me too it.

Hope this explains the differences, Cheerio!!

 

[vivek.krishnan]

Compare Intel® Products

The non k series have support for VT-d which makes sense when running virtual machines.

---------- Post added at 01:06 PM ---------- Previous post was at 12:56 PM ----------

Since you will not be running server virtualisation, there is no use for RemoteFX.

However for VT-d I think you need a B series mobo, dunno.

 

[ch@ts]

Why do you want a non-widescreen monitor? The extra width really helps when you've got multiple windows open.
If you can adjust it within your budget, you should get a dual monitor set-up.

And include an SSD in your rig. Starting VM's, GIMP, Eclipse, UDK etc takes forever on a regular HDD.

What kind of programming/software development do you plan on doing?

 

[ALPHA17]

Go for i5-2500k + z68 board. OC it for extra juice when you feel the need for it. No need to shell out extra money for IVB. And a decent 600w PSU is a overkill for you, but since data integrity is of high priority, don't compromise with that. Still, @ALPHA17 tx650v2 is too much overkill. Even a GS500 would do.

If he wants to over-clock I will still suggest that he keeps a Corsair TX V2650W instead of a GS500W. Also if he is going for a Z68 I suggest he goes the whole hog and invests in a Z77 chipset based motherboard [price premium for the latter is~2000/-] and these are the advantages he will get --

• USB 3.0 controller integrated into the South-Bridge so space saved on the motherboard and theoretically the transfer speeds should be higher.
• Improved efficiency, the Cougar-Point chipsets were already efficient this is just an incremental upgrade over it but still I consider it worth it.
• native support for Ivy-Bridge processors as well as RAM modules over -- 1600MHz, so OP does not need to change any BIOS settings to run the modules at stated speeds.

Just my way at looking at things, lets see what OP says, Cheerio!!

 

[Rogues]

If you are buying a machine for programming, I would seriously suggest you go for dual monitors...pretty useful.

 

[subdeveloper]

Hi guys, thank you so much for your replies. Sorry for the late replies.. to answer some of the questions:

- I want it for local/same machine VM.. so I'm not really worried about scalability when talking about Virtualization
- Secondly I initially wanted SSD, but was advised that its Overly priced for now, and secondly the "Write" speed is still a bottleneck
- I've never ever used any branded PSU, thus this is first time I'm actually thinking about PSU and Power Units.. thus completely clueless on if 500W 600W or 650W is good
- I initially started with Z68 mobo from ASUS, and got a reply from the vendor that its obsolete..

-Also I am thinking that for programming purpose, i may never need to OC.. and thus there is no point shelling money for it. Sorry to revisit my requirements, but now I think I need your advice on good Non/OC box, but need proper support for USB 3.0, SATA, Multiple PCI/PCIe slots and a good brand if possible. (should I go for H77/Z77 board or what?)

Also from processor point of view please suggest a good proc (no need for OC) around 15 K.. Intel only.. I'd heard good things about 2500K, but i'm not planning to OC.. thus this still hold valid?

If i go for Sandy Bridge, then I may have to buy additional GPU.. if I go with Ivy, the HD 4000 graphics may help.. am I correct? again I'm not planning got hardcore gaming, it would be mostly for Photoshop/Webdesigning or basic gaming (CS/NFS etc).

---------- Post added at 03:59 PM ---------- Previous post was at 03:54 PM ----------

Sorry forgot to mention about dual monitor and need for Non-Wide monitors.. we'll maybe i'm still old fashioned.. but i love 4:3 aspect ration while programming (with a mechanical keyboard if possible ).. for Gaming/Movies Wide is cool.. I personally like Dell 1907fp or 2007fp monitors..but seems they are no more available.

 

[ALPHA17]

Hi guys, thank you so much for your replies. Sorry for the late replies.. to answer some of the questions:

- I want it for local/same machine VM.. so I'm not really worried about scalability when talking about Virtualization
- Secondly I initially wanted SSD, but was advised that its Overly priced for now, and secondly the "Write" speed is still a bottleneck
- I've never ever used any branded PSU, thus this is first time I'm actually thinking about PSU and Power Units.. thus completely clueless on if 500W 600W or 650W is good
- I initially started with Z68 mobo from ASUS, and got a reply from the vendor that its obsolete..

-Also I am thinking that for programming purpose, i may never need to OC.. and thus there is no point shelling money for it. Sorry to revisit my requirements, but now I think I need your advice on good Non/OC box, but need proper support for USB 3.0, SATA, Multiple PCI/PCIe slots and a good brand if possible. (should I go for H77/Z77 board or what?)

Also from processor point of view please suggest a good proc (no need for OC) around 15 K.. Intel only.. I'd heard good things about 2500K, but i'm not planning to OC.. thus this still hold valid?

If i go for Sandy Bridge, then I may have to buy additional GPU.. if I go with Ivy, the HD 4000 graphics may help.. am I correct? again I'm not planning got hardcore gaming, it would be mostly for Photoshop/Webdesigning or basic gaming (CS/NFS etc).

Sorry forgot to mention about dual monitor and need for Non-Wide monitors.. we'll maybe i'm still old fashioned.. but i love 4:3 aspect ration while programming (with a mechanical keyboard if possible ).. for Gaming/Movies Wide is cool.. I personally like Dell 1907fp or 2007fp monitors..but seems they are no more available.

Here are your answers sub --

• You can look into purchasing the new line of Ivy-Bridge Core i5's then, the Core i5 3550 fits your bill perfectly and retails ~13500/-, its HD2500 iGP is more capable than the HD2000 and HD3000 series iGP and should shrink the need to buy a dedicated GPU.
• Yes the SSD prices are not very favourable in India, they have fallen but still a long way to go. If you are insistent on one go for the Crucial M4 120GB SSD ~8500/-
• For your purpose the Seasonic S12II 520W ~3800/- OR TX V2650W ~5800/- will be more than sufficient.
• Yes, the Z68 chipset has been phased out in favour of the Z77 chipset but after going through your requirements I feel a well feature B75 chipset motherboard from ASUS OR GIGABYTE will be better for you [and maybe cheaper]
• You are not over-clocking so stick to the B75 and / OR H77 family of chipsets.
• I have already suggested you an appropriate processor in your price range, the Core i5 3550 [Ivy-Bridge] couple it with a H77 OR B75 chipset based motherboard and you are good to go [as you are not over-clocking].
• Not necessarily, as long as you are not going to play intensive graphic applications [common e.g. --games, uncommon e.g. -- Adobe Photoshop and AUTODESK MAYA] even the Intel HD2000 is adept but if you want to do anything mildly graphics intensive I suggest you go for a discrete low-end graphics card like -- AMD HD 6670 OR HD7750. The Intel iGP family [including the HD 4000] is too anaemic to me for any performing reliably in a graphics intensive application.
• I am sorry it will be a chore to find a monitor with the 4:3 aspect ratio in these times of Widescreen. You can look at the DELL IN2030M ~6500/- instead, a fine monitor it is.

Hope this answers your query, Cheerio!

 

[subdeveloper]

Hi Alpha,

Thanks for the prompt reply.. I would talk to my vendor today and find out if these items are available with him.

I like the Low/Mid range graphics card approach. I may go for the ones you suggested or a little better ones (if any in adjacent price range). Lets see

One more naive question: Since i5 3550 and IvyBridge is new, I hope there will be no s/w compatibility issue on application side (VMWare/Windows/Linux).. same with the iGPU. Any clue on that?

 

[ALPHA17]

One more naive question: Since i5 3550 and IvyBridge is new, I hope there will be no s/w compatibility issue on application side (VMWare/Windows/Linux).. same with the iGPU. Any clue on that?

No Intel has not introduced any sweeping changes in the processor, no new instruction sets [Haswell will debut AVX2 and FMA3] also. Hence, I think this will be a safe transition.

Never used an Intel iGP based system [apart from some college RIG's] so cannot comment on how they will perform in a non-Windows environment.

 

[subdeveloper]

hey Alpha17!.. i realised you welcomed me in your initial post.. thanks so much for your wishes! This is first time I've joined any tech forum and I'm loving it! the forum is very alive!

Coming back to discussion, now My hypothetical system looks like: sorry to be a pain.. but please pick the best system (non-overclock) for me from these:
I hope to close this in a day or two.. can't wait to get my hands on the rig

Proc: i5 2500K(SB)/ i5 2500(SB) / i5 3550(IB)/ i7 2600K(SB)/ i7-3770K (IB)
Mobo: ASUS P8H77-M PRO / AsRock H77 Pro4/MVP / AsRock Z77 Extereme 4
PSU: Corsair TX V2650W
RAM: Corsair Vengeance 4GB x2 1600MHz
Cabinet: Corsair 400R Mid Tower / Bit Fenix Merc Alpha
SSD:Crucial M4 120GB SS
HD: Seagate Barracuda 7200.14 1TB ~5000/
UPS: APC BR 1100VA
Monitor: Dell 1907 FP Non-Wide (wanted Dell 2007fp, but huge cost diff between both 7K approx vs 21K approx)
GPU: Maybe later.. empty now!

Thanks!

Budget may cross over a little.. but i could adjust a little.. since this will be my dream box..

 

[Jakob]

SSD-Samsung 830 series 128GB 6gbps intead of Crutial M4
Why are you getting Dell 1907 monitor?

hey Alpha17!.. i realised you welcomed me in your initial post.. thanks so much for your wishes! This is first time I've joined any tech forum and I'm loving it! the forum is very alive!

Coming back to discussion, now My hypothetical system looks like: sorry to be a pain.. but please pick the best system (non-overclock) for me from these:
I hope to close this in a day or two.. can't wait to get my hands on the rig

Proc: i5 2500K(SB)/ i5 2500(SB) / i5 3550(IB)/ i7 2600K(SB)/ i7-3770K (IB)
Mobo: ASUS P8H77-M PRO / AsRock H77 Pro4/MVP / AsRock Z77 Extereme 4
PSU: Corsair TX V2650W
RAM: Corsair Vengeance 4GB x2 1600MHz
Cabinet: Corsair 400R Mid Tower / Bit Fenix Merc Alpha
SSD:Crucial M4 120GB SS
HD: Seagate Barracuda 7200.14 1TB ~5000/
UPS: APC BR 1100VA
Monitor: Dell 1907 FP Non-Wide (wanted Dell 2007fp, but huge cost diff between both 7K approx vs 21K approx)
GPU: Maybe later.. empty now!

Thanks!

Budget may cross over a little.. but i could adjust a little.. since this will be my dream box..

 

[ALPHA17]

SSD-Samsung 830 series 128GB 6gbps intead of Crutial M4

The Sandforce driver has quite a few detractors, the Crucial M4 performs at par and thanks to having a different controller has not come under the scanner for alleged unreliability.

hey Alpha17!.. i realised you welcomed me in your initial post.. thanks so much for your wishes! This is first time I've joined any tech forum and I'm loving it! the forum is very alive!

Coming back to discussion, now My hypothetical system looks like: sorry to be a pain.. but please pick the best system (non-overclock) for me from these:
I hope to close this in a day or two.. can't wait to get my hands on the rig

Proc: i5 2500K(SB)/ i5 2500(SB) / i5 3550(IB)/ i7 2600K(SB)/ i7-3770K (IB)
Mobo: ASUS P8H77-M PRO / AsRock H77 Pro4/MVP / AsRock Z77 Extereme 4
PSU: Corsair TX V2650W
RAM: Corsair Vengeance 4GB x2 1600MHz
Cabinet: Corsair 400R Mid Tower / Bit Fenix Merc Alpha
SSD:Crucial M4 120GB SS
HD: Seagate Barracuda 7200.14 1TB ~5000/
UPS: APC BR 1100VA
Monitor: Dell 1907 FP Non-Wide (wanted Dell 2007fp, but huge cost diff between both 7K approx vs 21K approx)

Out of the above this is what I suggest --
Intel Core i5 3550 ~13500/- OR Core i7 3770 ~18000/- [as you are not over-clocking why waste extra cash on an un-required feature]
ASUS P8H77M-PRO ~9500/- OR Intel DH77-KC ~7000/- [again why spend extra on a Z77 based motherboard when you are not using the main draw feature]
G.Skill RIPJAWS OR Corsair Vengeance 4GB x2 ~3500-
Corsair TX V2650W ~5800/- OR Seasonic S12II 520W ~3800/-
Seagate Barracuda 7200.14 1TB [64MB cache] ~5000/-
NZXT Gamma ~2600/- [try to source this from Bombay]
Crucial M4 120GB ~9000/- [only option is to buy it in Bombay]
APC BR1100VA-IN ~5000/-
DELL IN2030M ~6500/- [a widescreen 16:9 aspect monitor with LED back-light much better to go for this over the now EoL 1907 and paying a fortune for it at that]

This is what I suggest, hope this helped. Cheerio!

P.S. -- Glad you are liking it in here, hope to see you with your RIG soon and your own advice for us.

ALso for components I marked as only available in Bombay, get in touch with @chiragsthakur he can help you with them OR a new member has recently opened a PC enthusiast store in Pune ask him if he has these things in stock @havoknation.

 

[subdeveloper]

Hi Jakob, i was wanting a non-wide screen monitor and have used Dell 1907FP before. Its a sturdy + no-crap model. I would go for a Dell 2007fp if its around 16K.(new, some old stock maybe).

And "why non-wide" is because I like programming on non-wide screen monitor, since it gives almost equal length n breadth ratio (4:3). And for now i don't want to go for dual monitor setup (one Portrait and one Landscape). Thus want to stick to a good 4:3 display with IPS panel.

---------- Post added at 11:08 PM ---------- Previous post was at 10:39 PM ----------

Out of the above this is what I suggest --
Intel Core i5 3550 ~13500/- OR Core i7 3770 ~18000/- [as you are not over-clocking why waste extra cash on an un-required feature]
ASUS P8H77M-PRO ~9500/- OR Intel DH77-KC ~7000/- [again why spend extra on a Z77 based motherboard when you are not using the main draw feature]
G.Skill RIPJAWS OR Corsair Vengeance 4GB x2 ~3500-
Corsair TX V2650W ~5800/- OR Seasonic S12II 520W ~3800/-
Seagate Barracuda 7200.14 1TB [64MB cache] ~5000/-
NZXT Gamma ~2600/- [try to source this from Bombay]
Crucial M4 120GB ~9000/- [only option is to buy it in Bombay]
APC BR1100VA-IN ~5000/-
DELL IN2030M ~6500/- [a widescreen 16:9 aspect monitor with LED back-light much better to go for this over the now EoL 1907 and paying a fortune for it at that]

This is what I suggest, hope this helped. Cheerio!

P.S. -- Glad you are liking it in here, hope to see you with your RIG soon and your own advice for us.

ALso for components I marked as only available in Bombay, get in touch with @chiragsthakur he can help you with them OR a new member has recently opened a PC enthusiast store in Pune ask him if he has these things in stock @havoknation.

WOW! that was quick! thanks for shortlisting and pointing me to these contacts.. i've already PMed havoknation, and will follow up with him. mostly i would be considering i7 since, Proc and Mobo are THE pillers of a system.. I may cut short on other things a little. Also I may consider a Cabinet which has USB 3.0 ports in front.

Let me have my setup..i'll definitely share the "buying" and "assembling" and "operating" experience

---------- Post added at 11:31 PM ---------- Previous post was at 11:08 PM ----------

hey n the NZXT vs Corsair.. i think they both will come with atleast 1 fan right? I need a decent looking cabinet with noiseless fans.. i didn't like the look of NZXT though.

 

[ALPHA17]

hey n the NZXT vs Corsair.. i think they both will come with atleast 1 fan right? I need a decent looking cabinet with noiseless fans.. i didn't like the look of NZXT though.

Yes, the NZXT Gamma comes with 1 x120mm fan in the rear for exhaust purpose. It is a radical design and I understand if you do not like the overall look and 'appeal' of the cabinet. I am personally addicted tot the Gamma, as the design is not lending a common dabba look as well as the fact that it gives more expensive cabinets a run for their money.

The Corsair Carbide 400R comes with 3 x120mm fans, 2 x120mm on the front grille act as intakes and 1 x120mm in the rear acts as an exhaust.

Hope this helps, Cheerio!

 

[subdeveloper]

Thanks for the info ALPHA17and others. I'm now coordinating with havoknation to assemble the system. I may get some parts from my vendor too, since he's been coordinating for over 15 days now, and it won't be ethical to leave him