Building a sub-30k PC for a friend

Ethan_Hunt

Ethan_Hunt

Secret Agent Man
Skilled
Hello Folk. Since I'm out of touch with the recent hardware pricing and developments, I would like your help to set-up a 30k based PC for a friend of mine.

He already has a PS3, so gaming won't be a concern. However, it would be good if you could squeeze in a 24-inch monitor (with HDMI slot) and a decent PSU in this budget. This config would be from scratch, as he doesn't have any component from his previous config that he can salvage.

TIA for your help. :)
 
u could have said a bit more --.--
Anyhoo...
ComponentProductPrice (rs)Link
ProcessorAMD A6 35004081Link
MotherboardGigabyte A55M DS23498Link
Ram4GB Corsair Value Select 1333mhz CL91300Link
Hard Drive500GB Seagate Barracuda4285Link
Optical DriveLG GH24NS71997Link
PC CaseCooler master Elite 3112190Link
Power Supply UnitCX 500 v23611Link
MonitorLG E2360 V (23")9300Link
Mouse+KeyboardLogitech MK200 usb combo686Link
Total29942

With APU he wont need a GPU...so a 23 incher could easily be squeezed into without giving up too much on performance...
 
Ethan_Hunt said:
Hello Folk. Since I'm out of touch with the recent hardware pricing and developments, I would like your help to set-up a 30k based PC for a friend of mine.

He already has a PS3, so gaming won't be a concern. However, it would be good if you could squeeze in a 24-inch monitor (with HDMI slot) and a decent PSU in this budget. This config would be from scratch, as he doesn't have any component from his previous config that he can salvage.
Click to expand...

Morning Mr. Hunt, got a small query beforehand, is your friend going to buy this PC from Bombay OR outside?
Also is he going to do no gaming OR casual gaming on this RIG?

This is my personal take [might overshoot the budget] --

AMD A6-3500/- ~4000/-
Gigabyte GA-A75-D2H ~5500/-
Corsair XMS3 OR G.Skill RIPJAWS 1600MHz 4GB x1 ~1700/- [The Llano IGP scales very well with higher speed memory modules, but 1600MHz is the sweet spot, read here and here]
Intel’s Nehalem architecture really did a number on the memory market. Not only did the company define a hard limit on the voltage its memory controller could reliably take, but the triple-channel configuration was in no way hurting for bandwidth. We had a handful of vendors hand us 2000+ MT/s kits, but even after jumping through the hoops (and screaming-high uncore voltage) required to get memory running that fast, the benefits were almost negligible.You would think that the addition of on-die graphics to Clarkdale and Sandy Bridge would help bring memory performance back into the forefront. But it really didn’t, even with one channel shaved off the controller.The thing is, before anyone can be made to care about integrated graphics scaling, the graphics engine has to be deemed viable. HD Graphics 2000—the implementation on most of Intel’s Sandy Bridge-based processors—is a baby-step better than Clarkdale’s dismal showing. Only now does Intel see the value in arming more mainstream processors with HD Graphics 3000, the way it should have at launch, which is why we finally have chips like the Core i3-2105 to test.​
But as we have seen, the Radeon HD 6550D core at the heart of AMD’s A8-3850 is actually a respectable performer. So much so, in fact, that it’s hamstrung by a lack of memory bandwidth at 1333 MT/s, even in a dual-channel config.
Click to expand...
BenQ E2420HD ~11900/- [a 24" TN-panel based offering, LED backlit and comes with a HDMI-OUT v.1.3]
Corsair CX V2 430W ~2500/- OR Cooler Master GX450W ~3000/- [these SMPS will be more than enough for the RIG and down the line your friend can add more hard-drives and a graphics card of the calibre of a GTX 560 [non-Ti]
NZXT Source Elite 210 ~2200/-

For hard-drives I suggest that you trawl through the TE market and snag decent deals. Else go for a Seagate Barracuda 7200.14 1TB ~5500/-.

Hope this helps, Cheerio!!
 
Morning ALPHA. He won't be into gaming at all. That's what the PS3 is there for. :)

We can restrict the HDD to 500GB, as he won't be downloading and storing a lot of content. He'll be purchasing everything from Bombay. So you reckon an AMD config is ideal at this point?

Any suggestions for a Dell 24-incher? What about a good set of speakers?
 
Ethan_Hunt said:
Morning ALPHA. He won't be into gaming at all. That's what the PS3 is there for. :)

We can restrict the HDD to 500GB, as he won't be downloading and storing a lot of content. He'll be purchasing everything from Bombay. So you reckon an AMD config is ideal at this point?

Any suggestions for a Dell 24-incher? What about a good set of speakers?
Click to expand...

Ummm... I don't have a bead on a Dell 24" monitor, I will snoop around a little and get back to you. About the speakers, sorry not really into the scene but I use these -- Altec Lansing BXR 1221. They should be available ~1000/-, if your friend is interested in more mature speakers I would refer your case to @FaH33m and @esanthosh.

I got a good hard-drive deal for you, based in Navi Mumbai area have dealt with this guy recently. Really helpful and I vouch for him. Grab it while it lasts!!

Hope this helped, Cheerio!!

---------- Post added at 11:57 AM ---------- Previous post was at 11:56 AM ----------
Ethan_Hunt said:
Morning ALPHA. He won't be into gaming at all. That's what the PS3 is there for. :)

We can restrict the HDD to 500GB, as he won't be downloading and storing a lot of content. He'll be purchasing everything from Bombay. So you reckon an AMD config is ideal at this point?

Any suggestions for a Dell 24-incher? What about a good set of speakers?
Click to expand...

Ummm... I don't have a bead on a Dell 24" monitor, I will snoop around a little and get back to you. About the speakers, sorry not really into the scene but I use these -- Altec Lansing BXR 1221. They should be available ~1000/-, if your friend is interested in more mature speakers I would refer your case to @FaH33m and @esanthosh.

I got a good hard-drive deal for you, based in Navi Mumbai area have dealt with this guy recently. Really helpful and I vouch for him. Grab it while it lasts!!

Hope this helped, Cheerio!!
 
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The above rig suits you Mr.Hunt.Although you aren't gaming on this one the igp of A6 3500 will be helpful in HD playback and other applications.
AMD A6 3500-4k
Gigabyte A55M DS2-3.5k
Corsair XMS3 OR G.Skill RIPJAWS 1600MHz 2GB x2-1.6k
Segate 500GB HDD-4k
Corsair CX430 V2-2.1k
Nzxt Gamma-2.4k OR Nzxt Source 210-2.1k
Logitech MK200 usb combo-0.6k
Dell U2312HM-14.5k OR Dell U2311H-13.5k[The Dell Ultrasharp E-IPS Panel are way better than the TN panels.If Dell U2311H is available then no need to go for U2312HM.You'll have to sacrifice 1" but you'll never regret what you bought]
Add 1-2K as this is a great rig for you including amazing 23" E-IPS Monitor.Good enough for casual gaming and movies and all.The IPS Monitor Doesn't have the HDMI port but you can use DVI-D and Display port.You can use converter for HDMI.
If you Don't want the E-IPS panel then DELL ST2420L-12.2k with HDMI and all the ports-http://www.smcinternational.in/inde...ategory_id=64&option=com_virtuemart&Itemid=93
Hope this helps.:)
Ethan_Hunt said:
Morning ALPHA. He won't be into gaming at all. That's what the PS3 is there for. :)

We can restrict the HDD to 500GB, as he won't be downloading and storing a lot of content. He'll be purchasing everything from Bombay. So you reckon an AMD config is ideal at this point?

Any suggestions for a Dell 24-incher? What about a good set of speakers?
Click to expand...
 
Thank you @ALPHA17 & @Jakob. You guys are an immense help. :)

Jakob, concerning the monitor, the ST2420L seems like a good option. The reason I'm asking for a native HDMI support, is because he'll be able to toggle between his PC and PS3 simultaneously. Also, what's a good Intel equivalent for the above configuration? I'm not sure if he's brand concious or something, but I'll just need it as a back-up. Everything else seems perfect.
Just need to nail down the speakers bit. It doesn't need to be super high-end, but one with good bass support should do just fine.
 
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Ethan_Hunt said:
Just need to nail down the speakers bit. It doesn't need to be super high-end, but one with good bass support should do just fine.
Click to expand...

For the Intel configuration of the same, check this up --

Intel Core i3 2100 ~6500/-
Intel DH67-BL ~5500/-
Corsair 4GB x1 ValueRAM ~1100/-
AMD HD 7750 ~6500/- [he needs this graphics card as the inbuilt IGP on the Intel PC is almost laughable]
[rest configuration same as before]

For speakers with immense bass -- Altec Lansing VS 4121 ~2800/-, though you can still wait for other members to pitch in

Hope this helps, Cheers!!
 
I have the VS4121, albeit it's an awesome set, the issues slowly kick-in. So I'll try to keep it aside for now.

Thanks for the Intel suggestion. Is there a good Gigabyte motherboard that you could suggest for the Intel config?
 
The intel rig will go upto 40k considering added GPU though it'll be good for long term investment,It's your call Ethan_Hunt Amd rig will good enough for 2-3 years also.
The intel mobo suggested above is the best within the budget still if you want gigabyte mobo then-
Gigabyte GA-H67M-D2-B3-5.2k is another option.
 
Yeah I thought as much. I'm not sure if I can convince him for it, but I suppose the AMD one makes more sense. Would the IGP on the AMD config be good enough for playing HD video content?
 
I'd as well advise the i3 2100 with the newer Sandy Bride architecture. I am not sure if Benq still rolls out the E2420HD panel - that's a very good VFM panel and offers plenty of connectivity.

A comparison between the i3 2100 and the A6 3650 is here - AnandTech - Bench - CPU

Forge the synthetic benchmarks. The 2100 has scored well in almost all the departments. The A6 3500 would perform a couple of notches lower than that. Hard drive prices haven't become stable ever since they sky-rocketed due to the Thai floods. That second-hand deal Alpha has linked to might be just worth it.
 
Yes the Amd HD6530 IGP will be more than good enough for HD playback.If you go for Intel rig then you'll have to add external gpu.Which will add to the budget.
Ethan_Hunt said:
Yeah I thought as much. I'm not sure if I can convince him for it, but I suppose the AMD one makes more sense. Would the IGP on the AMD config be good enough for playing HD video content?
Click to expand...
 
@Gannu, I'm have seen the BenQ panel and It seemed decent enough. However, I'd still prefer a Dell any day. Hard drive would be a tough call right now, but let's see how the local deals are, before going for a used one. This friend of mine is an extremely casual user, hence, I'm not focussing on graphic cards and the like for this config. Basic stuff with a good monitor to utilise his PS3 and PC needs and a PSU for future upgrades, if any.
@Jakob: Got it.
 
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Ethan_Hunt said:
Yeah I thought as much. I'm not sure if I can convince him for it, but I suppose the AMD one makes more sense. Would the IGP on the AMD config be good enough for playing HD video content?
Click to expand...

I think it would even run current titles at lowered settings [720p resolution + low <-->medium detailing et al], but run they will.

In fact the launch of AMD Llano precipitated Intel's search for a better IGP, the outcome being the vastly superior HD 4000 but still AMD Trinity chips have released and once again in the GPU department atleast AMD is far ahead of the competition.
 
That's fantastic. I'll let him know and work out the pricing. Just hope the monitor is easily available, as I know Dell 24 inchers are always in rarity. :(
 
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