Help build my Rig

K

kishorebondada

Disciple
Hello TE friends,

I am planning to acquire a desktop for the first time (been on Laptops till now). Request your guidance regarding choosing the best configuration for me. As I've never owned a desktop before, please bear with my primitive questions. Thanks in advance.

Q: What is your budget?
1 Lac.
Needn't necessarily this much, If I can get what I want for less money, would be more than happy to save some dough.

Q: What is your existing hardware configuration (component name - component brand and model)
Nothing

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

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 - Intel i5 2500K
Motherboard - ??
RAM - 8Gb or more (as I intend to run 1 or more VMs along with the host OS) (Brand ??)
GPU - HD6950 2 GB DDR5 (Brand ??)
SMPS - ??
Monitor - Dell U2412M (not a fan of 16:9)
Storage - 120 GB SSD (Brand ??), 2 X 1 TB HDD (Brand ??)
Cabinet - ?? (smallest possible/good looks)
Cooler - ?? (To help with overclocking)
Sound Card - ?? (There would be lot of music & movies stuff)
Speakers - ??

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
Would be adding a second monitor in the near future

Q: Where will you buy this hardware? (Online/City/TE Dealer)
Mumbai - Open to online purchase

Q: Would you consider buying a second hand hardware from the TE market
No

Q: What is your intended use for this PC/hardware
1> Software/Web application development (Eclipse, Oracle, JBoss etc.)
2> HTPC (Downloading and watching movies, music)
3> Virtual machines/VMWare
4> Gaming

Kind of all-round/Multi-Purpose PC. No complex video encoding/rendering stuff though.

Q: Do you have any brand preference or dislike? Please name them and the reason for your preference/dislike.
Would choose based on the suggestions TE members would provide

Q: If you will be playing games then which type of games will you be playing?
AOE, HL/CSS, CoD, Civilization etc

Q: What is your preferred monitor resolution for gaming and normal usage
Desktop - 1920x1200
Gaming - 1920x1200/1920x1080

Q: Are you looking to overclock?
Yes. Please suggest appropriate MoBo/cooling components for that

Q: Which operating system do you intend to use with this configuration?
Windows 7 64 bit
 
CPU - Intel i5 2500K == 11k

Motherboard - Get a P67 one(I dont know the good model number, but you can go with ASUS, Gigabyte etc)

I think you should consider the Z68 chipset, as looking at the usage, the SSD caching will help(Google Intel smart response)

RAM - 8 GB is good but to be on safer side go for 16 GB(4 GB X 4) == 6500, go for gskill

GPU - HD6950 2 GB DDR5, I have got MSI so I would prefer it but I heard that the toxic edition from Sapphire is great == 15-16K

SMPS - In my opinion seasonic S12-II 620W, I have no idea about other options

Monitor - Dell U2412M you can also check out the U2410(for 24k)

Storage - Seagate 7200.12 1 TB

Cabinet - With this config small cabinet is not possible, anyways the options are NZXT Source 210 Elite(2.9k) or Nzxt Gamma(2.2k), also CM USP100(3.xx k)

Sound Card - Asus Xonar DX == 3500

Points to be noted:

For this config the price touches around 80k

Also as you said you will run VMWARE, you should consider the i5-2500(or may be i7 2600), the non K version, as it has VT-x, which helps in running Virtual OSes, it is disabled in the i5 2500K & i7 2600K
 
psu-corsair tx650v2-5.2k or more since dollar price hike

case-Corsair carbide 400R-5k/nzxt gamma-2.1k+2x120mm fans,better than nzxt source 210 in airflow,led,hdd bays.

Monitor-dell u2311h-14k

cooler-thermalright silverarrow or noctua nhd14-4.5k /noctua nh-u12p se2-3.5k/cm hyper 212+ 2k

Gpu-sapphire toxic hd 6950 2gb-15.5k
 
^^ For you Sire, this is what I would suggest --

Intel Core i5 2500k ~ 11500/-

ASUS P8P67-V PRO ~ 10500/-

Corsair XMS3 1600 MHz 4GB x 2 ~ 3200/-

nVidia GTX 560 Ti ~ 13500/- [MSi Twin Frozr / ASUS Direct CU II are a good buy] OR AMD Radeon HD 6950 2GB ~ 14500/- [Sapphire / HIS / Powercolor are recommended brands]

Corsair TX V2 650W ~ 5200/- OR Seasonic SS850W-AT ~ 6600/- TheITWares - One Stop for all Gizmos!SeaSonic SS-850AT 850W 80+ BRONZE Certified Power Supply -- the Seasonic unit will give you a very good over-clocking head room.

Seagate Barracuda 7200.12 1TB ~ 2900/-

Corsair Force series SSD 60GB / 120GB ~ 7500/- OR 12000/-

Dell U2311H ~ 13500/- -- this IPS monitor will be worth it, here is why -- LCD Panel Technology Explained - S-IPS, H-IPS, S-PVA, MVA and TN / IPS panel - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Corsair Carbide 400R ~ 5000/- OR NZXT Tempest EVO ~ 6000/-

Cooler for the CPU Noctua NH-U12P SE2 ~ 3700/-,

Add more RAM if you wish ~ 4GB x 4 [16GB] ~ 6500/-, Corsair / G.Skill are reputed brands.

AMD HD 6950 2GB vs. nVidia GTX 560 Ti -- AnandTech - Bench - GPU11

On cabinets -- http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/NZXT/Tempest_EVO/, http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Corsair/Carbide_400R/.

Hope this helps, Sire. Cheers!!
 
CPU - Either an i7 or a high end i5. A top end AMD quad core might be fine, but my personal recommendation is for an Intel.

RAM - DDR3 is the fastest RAM currently available. I'd go for at least 6-8GB for future-proofing.

GPU - You'll need DX11 for games in the next few years, so your current choice is only ATI. Go for 5870 if your screen is under 1920x1200, 5970 if it's bigger.

HDD - Get a 160GB SSD (Intel or one with an Indilinx controller) for your C drive and get a 2TB HDD for your D drive to hold all your files. videos, etc.

PSU - Go for a quality brand of at least 850W. Make sure it's a quality brand - do not go for a lesser make no matter what numbers it quotes!

And just some additional info- There's a limited period offer on Intel systems- a free broadband connection, a 15page website & 10 business IDs.

Good luck.
 
@allrounder799
- Yes, after a bit of reading Z68 seems better (most important point being the possibility to have both IGP and dedicated GFX). Can you plz suggest me a good z68 board ?
- Where can I get Sapphire Toxic edition for 16K, any recommendation ?
- u2410, I really don't need wide gamut. u2412 should do fine for me
- Asus Xonar DX - Based on what I read so far, this is a good one. I'll mark this for purchase, unless someone suggests me something better

@ALPHA17
RAM - G-skill F3-12800CL8D-8GBXM 1600MHz, has got better latency than Corsair XMS3. Of course normal usage wont make a big difference, but just making it future proof. What's your opinion ?
Power Supply - I have seen that 850W one are in the range of 9k - 10k, how come this one is just around 6k. Is it missing any features ? Are there other recommendations ?
HDD - Read seagate have reduced warranty to 2 years. Is it still recommended over WD ?
Cooler - NH-U12P SE2, has got good reviews. I'll mark this for purchase, , unless someone suggests me something better.

@general
SSD - Have seen OCZ being recommended few times. Has anybody got experience with their Agility/Vertex series
Cabinet - Has anyone got CMStorm Trooper/Enforcer. looks awesome with lots of options. Please share Price/Experience ????
what about NZXT Phantom ?

--- Updated Post - Automerged ---

Hello,

Just wondering if anybody have got some answers for my queries.

Would really appreciate some input as I intend to make the purchase this weekend.

Thanks in advance
 
someone from primeabgb just replied and I can't believe my eyes (after all good stuff I've read about them on this forum)

Core i5 2500k - Rs. 13000 :(
GFX - Sapphire Toxic edition - not available (Is MSI Twin Frozr III a good option :huh:)
OCZ Vertex 3 120 GB - Not Available
Display - Dell u2412m - Not available

Was planning to get the shopping done tomorrow, now this :(
 
Yup,msi twin frozr iii 6950 is a good option,better go to primes shop and check,they might give better info after being there.
 
If I have to choose between EM Enforcer and Corsair 400R then I will go for 400R

First I was thinking about Enforcer for cabinet upgrade but after 400R, I postpone CM Enforcer,

CM Enforcer has only one advantage over 400R is Removable HDD cage.

400R has better cable management, can support more long CPU cooler, can be mounted 10 fans, native USB 3 support, more liquid cooling option, less price.

Today I buy it just for 4900 bucks in my local market, In Delhi and Mumbai it s more cheaper.
 
kishorebondada said:
someone from primeabgb just replied and I can't believe my eyes (after all good stuff I've read about them on this forum)

Core i5 2500k - Rs. 13000 :(

GFX - Sapphire Toxic edition - not available (Is MSI Twin Frozr III a good option :huh:)

OCZ Vertex 3 120 GB - Not Available

Display - Dell u2412m - Not available

Was planning to get the shopping done tomorrow, now this :(
Click to expand...

Prices have indeed increased a bit due to rupee depreciation but not to this extent!

i5 2500K still sells for ~10.9k-11.4k in Chennai. So check some other store.

http://www.deltapage.com/list/index.html

http://www.challengerpage.in/pricelist.html
 
@thegatekeeper
Thanks, added this to my options list. And, hopefully when I visit them personally tomorrow they'll give better prices. Fingers crossed.

@aryanraj
Sure, Corsair 400R has got good reviews. Will consider both before purchase.

@DargAngel
Thanks for the reassurance. I'll be very surprised if I don't find these prices in Lamington road. If not, then I'll probably buy online.
 
Processor Intel Core i5 2500k 11450
Motherboard Asus P8P67 Pro / P8Z68-V Pro 11300/13900
RAM G.Skill Ripjaws X 1600MHz CL9 2x4GB 2950
GPU MSI GTX560Ti Hawk 13750
HDD1 OCZ Vertex II 120GB SSD 11500
HDD2 WD Caviar Blue 1TB AAKX 2900
Cabinet Corsair Carbide 400R 5000
Monitor Dell U2311H 13500
PSU Corsair TX650 V2 5200
Keyboard Razer Arctosa 2100
Mouse Razer Deathadder 1950
Mousepad Razer Goliathus Speed Edition Omega 500
Speakers Altec Lansing VS4621 2900
DVD Writer Samsung 950
CPU Cooler Noctua NH-U12P SE2 3750
Total 89700 / 92300

the i5 2500k is listed for 11450 on TheITWares website so you can buy it from him... Also tell him (Rahul - TheITWares owner) to arrange HD6950 Toxic Edition for you... He has got good contacts... So he may arrange one for you... And the HDD that i have suggested is a Sata6 GBPS HDD.... Its a newly launched HDD... Its 500GB AAKX model is available widely in the market but 1TB model is hard to find... If you are lucky you maybe able to find it coz it has been more than 4 to 6 months since it has launched in the U.S...
 
All,

Happy to inform you all that i've finished my RIG purchase.

Here is the final list of components I went with,
1) Intel Core i5 2500k
2) Asus p8z68 - V pro
3) GSkill - RipJaws - 16 GB DDR3
4) Dell u2412m
5) MSI Twin Frozr III - HD6950 2GB DDR5
6) OCZ Agility III - 120 GB SSD
7) Seagate Barracude 7200.12 - 1 TB HDD
8) Corsair T850tx V2
9) CMStorm Enforcer
10) sony 24X DVDw
Thanks to each and everyone who contributed ideas for my RIG configuration, wouldn't have made good choices with out your help.

@Moderator,
Please feel free to close this thread.
 
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