Another Gaming Config ... No OCing needed

Hardware & Gaming Gaming, Consoles & Gear
1

Hi…
Need recommendations on a gaming machine Im tryin to put together in 2nd week of Feb.

Budget :- 50K (no speakers, monitor,keyboard, optical drive .. using old ones)

Use :- Gamin… GTA4…anything else that catchs my fancy in the next two yrs…
Monitor LG 22" (has only VGA no DVI :()

Other points :

  1. Dont wanna OC at all. (Nothing against OCs, im sure Im not gonna have the time to fiddle around so much)
  2. No KMD\US stuff… am extremely finiky on warranty after a fried Sapphire ATI 9600XT 4 yrs ago which i had to throw out :frowning:
  3. Location Mumbai…wil prolly buy frm Prime and have it assembled as well…(laugh away u techies… :)… short on time here as wel..)

My config so far…
Mobo : ASUS P5Q-E (10900)
I Mite use crossfire after say two yrs so was looking at E. But absolutely DO NOT need overclockin. Any cheaper Mobos (n stable too) that any1 could point out??
CPU : Q9550 (15350)
Its a toss up between Q8200\Q6600\Q9550
the 9550 gives a 30% performance inc at around 5000 Rs more… inputs ??
Any pointers on the exact cost of the Q8200\Q6600??

RAM - I have been quoted Transcend (3050 X 2) for 4 GB
Case - Coolermaster Mystique 632S (cost, any1??)
anything else recommended?? Am definitely not big on looks. Its gonna be hidden away anywayz…

SMPS - CORSAIR 450W (4100) - Will it drive the 4870\260\280\crossfire(when i get another gpu in 2 yrs) fine?

Gfx - ATI 4870 (16900) (what other options do I have, Im ready to splurge here… upto 22k)

HD - Hav plenty of external disk space… need a real fast HD space of even a 160 GB would be adequate…

Mouse… no idea whts in these days… hav a wireless one, but know i should get a better one when im spendin so much… :slight_smile:
So there… pls pour in with your valuable suggestions …

2

Crossfire/sli probably wont get of 4870/gtx280 probably won’t run on the vx450.

Rest all looks great. If you’re ready to spend extra definately get the gtx280. If you’re ready to go through KMD you could get the 55nm one too. /shrug

Noob opinions tho these. Wait for the pros to reply. Check the stickied threads.

3

When you’re spending that kind of money, it would be hard to find components with no OC potential, and if there is OC potential, not utilizing it will not give you the best bang for your buck.
Also, you dont need to have much time on your hand/nor does it require special attention when you’re talking about moderate OCing.

The thing is, If you’re not OCing, you end up getting better performance at the same price from high end/clocked Core 2 Duo’s, however, most people who are purchasing C2Ds don’t have the budget for an eqvivalent quad. In your case, you do, but for some reason are absolutely against OC.
Do you really want to drop a ton of money on an “Intel Original” motherboard? Or do you want that uber ASUS/Gigabyte board with potential/capability you’ll never use?

Think it over and if you’re still adamant about the above, i’ll post a suitable config.
Be warned though that you will be getting neither maximum performance at that price-point, max. value for money, nor future-proofing.

EDIT: Agreed with Myth, You’ll mostly need a better PSU with the above config.

4

Interesting points and a few hours of research has lead to a change of heart… OC it wil be… :slight_smile:

Still not keen on getting stuff from US, looks like I dont need to as well…
Also leaning towards the Palit 4870 1 GB Dual Sonic Edition for the Gfx Card. Crossfire seems to be a better bet right now than SLI and Im sure Ill get another 4870 in 1.5 Yrs time when it is below the 8K mark. With that strategy in place, the hitch now is a good mobo that supports cross fire. The P5Q-E\Dlx does support but have read it limits it to some extent.. any views on that??

Could every1 help with the redrawn config and prices :
Proccy - 10K-15K - Q6600 or Q9550 depending on how much cash is left over after the rest is done!

Mobo -
ASUS P5Q-E (10K) or P5Q-Delux (9K)
Cant understand the diff between the two any other recommendations for a good mobo that supports Crossfire without any conditions?

Cooler - Dont have any idea about this stuff. If I am ready to overclock then do I need to get one? help me out here ppl.

Gfx Card - Palit HD 4870 1 GB Dual Sonic Edition (can any1 tel me the cost in Mumbai?)

RAM - Think will go for 6GB considerin I should have it inside 5K

Case - Coolermaster Mystique 632S (can any1 tel me the cost in Mumbai?)

SMPS - CORSAIR 1000W?? Anything lesser recommended? Reading through the forums I get to know this is one of the MOST imp things in the system these days!!

HD - Hav plenty of external disk space… need a real fast HD space of even a 160 GB would be adequate…

Mouse… no idea whts in these days… hav a wireless one, but know i should get a better one when im spendin so much…

Amien - Please comment on the above\post a more suitable config…
Thanks for the replies ppl…

5

Asus P5Q PRO

Intel Q9650

Thermaright Ultima 90i

GTX 260 Core 216

G.Skill PI Black 2x2GB

WD Velocity Raptor 300GB

Corsair HX 620W / TX 650W

Antec 300

^ above is best suitable for non OC rig, but crosses UR budget, so stick to Q6600, overclock to 3.4~ and U r set.

6

Processor - > Q9550 for around 16.5 - 17 k

Motherboard - > P5Q Pro, Crossfire support + can push your CPU to ~ 4Ghz ( 24 x 7)

GFX —> 4870, 512 mb from mediahome.in for 12.5 odd ( IMO 1 gb version doesn’t give much performance worth expending extra 5 K for it. Also you’ll be crossfiring next year so all games would be covered. Also the memory being highly dense, doesn’t leave much headroom for ocing…believe me, I have 4870 1 GB

Ram —> 3 x 2 GB Transcend powerchip 800 mhz ( can easily be oced to 850 mhz ) and you can run your processor at 425 x 8.5 = 3.6 Ghz with 1:1 ratio

Power Supply → Corsair 1000 watt is overkill IMO ( okay people, don’t start bashing me, personal opinion)…get a Corsair 750 watt

CPU Cooler → Sunbeamtech Core Contact Freezer…runs my Q9550 oced at 4Ghz to 28 degree idle

Cabinet → Cooler master HAF-932 or CM 690

Hard Disk → 2 x Seagate 250 GB in raid 0

================ =========================================================

If you change your mind and decide to get stuff from KMD, then conside following changes

Mobo : GIGABYTE GA-EP45-UD3P : Newegg.com - GIGABYTE GA-EP45-UD3P LGA 775 Intel P45 ATX Intel Motherboard - Intel Motherboards

Memory : G.SKILL 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 1000 : Newegg.com - G.SKILL 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 1000 (PC2 8000) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory - Desktop Memory

GFX: XFX GX260NADBF GeForce GTX 260 Black Edition Core 216 896MB Newegg.com - XFX GX260NADBF GeForce GTX 260 Black Edition Core 216 896MB 448-bit GDDR3 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready SLI Supported Video Card - Desktop Graphics / Video Cards

7

CPU - Intel Q9550

GPU - EVGA GTX260 Core 216

PSU - Tagan BZ700

Mobo - Asus P5QC LGA 775

HDD - WD Caviar WD640AAKS

RAM - OCZ Gold 2GB DDR3 1333Mhz (OCZ3G13332GK)

Chassis - Antec 300 + Decent fans

Not quite sure about the prices.

8

@sriramk
Now that you’ve made up your mind, there will be no shortage of suggestions. Already excellent suggestions have been made, and you’ll find similarities in most of them. Anyway, here goes mine:-

Motherboard: GIGABYTE GA-EP45-UD3P*$/ ASUS P5Q PRO

CPU: Intel Q9550*/Q9650

Cooling: Sunbeamtech Core Contact Freezer 2.4k

GPU: MSI 4870 Quad Heatpipe from Dealer section@12k*/ GTX 260 Core 216$
I think the 4870 will be more than enough for your present needs, and an upgrade in the future will definately get you better bang for your buck. What’s more, @12k it’s an absolute steal. Consider other options if you feel it’s justified to spend more for benefits above this said deal.

RAM: G.Skill PI Black 2x2GB*$ / Transcend 2x2GB(i STRONGLY recommend the former)

Cabinet + PSU: Antec Sonata III with EarthWatts 500W
This is a rock solid combination and will run almost any single card configuration with ease. On the cabinet front, it’s built like a tank(rolled steel), looks great, is really really quiet and has enough airflow to support your level of OCing(make sure you get the optional front mounted 120 MM Tricool fan though). About 8k INR for the combo*
OR
CM690 + Corsair 650W

HDD=Optional: G.SKILL FM-25S2S-64GB 2.5" 64GB SATA II Internal Solid state disk.$
In my opinion, HDD upgrades will get you the least performance gains, if you must have something, might as well make it significant, hence the above suggestion. Strictly optional. =About 6-7k
I’d say just go for 640 GB WD Caviar Black, provided you are in need of an internal drive at the moment.

*=Not necessarly most recommended, but it’s what i’d go for.
$=Indicates stuff you might have to get through KMD.

While you may well take local alternatives over most stuff for your own peace of mind(consider KMD’s warranty and the experience of other members though, it’s not really a risky proposition, at the end, decision is yours), my one request is not to compromise on the RAM, get high quality sticks, you don’t have much to lose and will surely not regret it.

As i mentioned earlier, you’ll find a lot of the suggestions very similar. Best thing to do would be to mix and match what you feel is the best from all posted configs.

Regardless of what you buy, do keep us posted. All the best :slight_smile:

EDIT: Just noticed you also asked for a Mouse recommendation.

Here you go:-
Razer DeathAdderâ„¢ Gaming Mouse | Ergonomic Right-handed Mouse | 1800dpi 3G Infrared Sensor

Don’t worry, you can get this locally at a really nice price, check the following ebay India link:-
eBay India: RAZER DEATH ADDER 1800 DPI 3G Infrared Gaming Mouse (item 200303654750 end time 02-Feb-2009 00:34:36 IST)
Use the following Coupon:-
A06LB0RN3M
valid till 31st Jan

Should come up to ~3,100 or so shipped
Get the DeathAdder, you won’t regret it.

9

^ good suggestions.. +1 for the deathadder.. Superb for playing any game you throw at it.

10

why not go for e8600 dual core ? techshopguy just listed IC.

best for gaming capabilities it seems.

11

Thanks for all the suggestions!
My list (almost final except for gfx card) :
Motherboard: ASUS P5Q PRO (others not available!)
CPU: Intel Q9550 + Sunbeamtech Core Contact Freezer - I think should be OCed to a bit less than 4 GHz going by the reviews on the net…
RAM: G.Skill PI Black 2x2GB 800 MHz (Any comments on whether anything more is worth it? Cant have 6 GB unfortunately with the pi Black sets! :()
Cabinet + PSU: Antec Sonata III with EarthWatts 500W (As recommened also looks quite decent imo)

HDD - Not needed right now, using an ol SATA one.
**Mouse **- Will pick up the Death Adder later on…

GPU - Palit 1 GB HD4870 Dual Sonic
Nothing else seems to fit me right. I WILL be doing a crossfire later on and I think the extra 512 Gig will come in handy a year later! Dont wanan go the KMD way or the SLI way as well!
What do u guys think about the GPU bit? the quote im getting for this GPU is 16900 btw…

anyway got quotes from Prime for the above … goes above my 50K budget by some way, but what the heck… im upgrading after a FULL 4.5 yrs!! :slight_smile:
Sriram