51-70k Looking for a occasional gaming/workstation pc

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shady8701

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Hello Guys,

I've recently sold my gaming laptop because of the need for something faster. I already have a monitor that I used with my laptop and previous desktop

  1. What is your budget?
    • 60-70K
  2. What is your existing hardware configuration (component name - component brand and model)
    • CPU - None
    • Motherboard - None
    • GPU - None
    • RAM - None (looking for 16gb)
    • Monitor - BenQ 22 Inch (will upgrade this later)
    • PSU - None
  3. Which hardware will you be keeping (component name - component brand and model)
    • Monitor - BenQ E22
  4. 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 - Core i5/i7
    • Motherboard - any compatible motherboard
    • GPU - Looking for Nvidia (perhaps 1050 would be a good option)
  5. 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
    • Monitor - will upgrade to some 144hz monitor once the prices seem less insane
  6. Where will you buy this hardware? (Online/City/TE Dealer)
    • Bangalore
    • Open to online purchase
  7. Would you consider buying a second hand hardware from the TE market
    • No
  8. What is your intended use for this PC/hardware
    • Gaming
    • Browsing
    • Download rig, 24x7 operation
    • Watching HD movies
  9. Do you have any brand preference or dislike? Please name them and the reason for your preference/dislike.
    • I haven't really been following the brand wars in India or elsewhere. Would really love to hear about which brand is preferred and why.
  10. If you will be playing games then which type of games will you be playing?
    • Action - CS:GO/Dark Souls etc.
    • RTS - Dota2/ Overwatch etc.
  11. What is your preferred monitor resolution for gaming and normal usage
    1. Gaming - 1920x1080
    2. Desktop - 1920x1080
  12. Are you looking to overclock?
    • No
  13. Which operating system do you intend to use with this configuration?
    • Windows 7/10 64 bit

Just a note - I have the feeling that inter+nvidia option seems better from usage terms (drivers etc.) compared to a AMD+ATI combo. I would love to hear otherwise, specially given the fact that my budget this time around is limited and I am only looking at HD gaming. No plans of going 4k anytime soon.
P.S. - any techenclavians in Bangalore who are able to help me out with specific shops etc would be high appreciated.

Cheers!
 
Ryzen is better, but still if you want to go with Intel it's fine. Here are both the builds and will fit in your budget.

i5 7600 | Ryzen 1600
Asus Prime B250 Plus | Asus Prime B350 Plus

8GB DDR4 3200 Mhz
Seasonic S12 II 520w
Corsair Spec 1
GTX 1060 6GB | RX 580 8GB
WD 1TB Blue 7200 rpm
Gaming KB & Mouse combo
 
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nac said:
Ryzen is better, but still if you want to go with Intel it's fine. Here are both the builds and will fit in your budget.

i5 7600 | Ryzen 1600
Asus Prime B250 Plus | Asus Prime B350 Plus

8GB DDR4 3200 Mhz
Seasonic S12 II 520w
Corsair Spec 1
GTX 1060 6GB | RX 580 8GB
WD 1TB Blue 7200 rpm
Gaming KB & Mouse combo
Click to expand...

Thanks mate!
Do you think we need some sort of a cooling solution for this build to work in Bangalore? Or will the stock coolers be fine?
 
shady8701 said:
Do you think we need some sort of a cooling solution for this build to work in Bangalore? Or will the stock coolers be fine?
Click to expand...
Unless you want to overclock the chip (Ryzen) to it's extreme, you're good to go with stock cooler. In fact, you can overclock Ryzen 1600 to ~3.9ghz with stock cooler. With the i5, you can't overclock, so stock cooler is good enough for your intended use.
 
shady8701 said:
When you mention GTX 1060 6GB - is there a particular brand that's preferred?
Click to expand...
There are many variants from different manufacturer. Google and read reviews of them. Even the most expensive 1060 will come in your budget. So don't worry about the pricing, but brand reliability and after sales.
 
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I would pick a GPU based on the monitor you want to get and your budget especially if you'll be getting one within the next 6 months. If you are looking to go with a Freesync monitor, your choice is straightforward. If not, the 1060 6gb would serve you well too. You should be fine with either team so pick a card based on your monitor choice and the games you want to play.

If you're going with an AMD card, the MSI Gaming X or Sapphire Nitro+ version are probably the two best options if you don't mind their higher prices. But there's nothing wrong with cheaper variants either. I got a MSI Armor 470 and it works well. Not sure about the 1060s but again, anything from a top brand will do.

AMD drivers are fine. I have had zero issues with my 470 and there has been a gradual performance increase due to driver improvements. Based on what I've read, there does seem to be added CPU overhead in DX11 titles with AMD drivers but I really doubt it would trouble the chips you're looking at too much. Check 7:16 of this informative video -

 
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nac said:
There are many variants from different manufacturer. Google and read reviews of them. Even the most expensive 1060 will come in your budget. So don't worry about the pricing, but brand reliability and after sales.
Click to expand...

Submerged said:
I would pick a GPU based on the monitor you want to get and your budget especially if you'll be getting one within the next 6 months. If you are looking to go with a Freesync monitor, your choice is straightforward. If not, the 1060 6gb would serve you well too. You should be fine with either team so pick a card based on your monitor choice and the games you want to play.

If you're going with an AMD card, the MSI Gaming X or Sapphire Nitro+ version are probably the two best options if you don't mind their higher prices. But there's nothing wrong with cheaper variants either. I got a MSI Armor 470 and it works well. Not sure about the 1060s but again, anything from a top brand will do.

AMD drivers are fine. I have had zero issues with my 470 and there has been a gradual performance increase due to driver improvements. Based on what I've read, there does seem to be added CPU overhead in DX11 titles with AMD drivers but I really doubt it would trouble the chips you're looking at too much. Check 7:16 of this informative video -
Click to expand...

Thank you both so much!

@nac - Yes that's exactly what I was asking for, in case you'd already done the research, there's no point in reinventing the wheel. Of course if I don't find that information here, googling for reviews about brand reliability would be my best bet.

@Submerged - thanks mate! I've had a not so good experience with AMD earlier (stupid me!) therefore would like to stick to the intel+nvidia side of things in spite of overwhelming evidence to the contrary, but I really appreciate your suggestions!

One last thing - it should be quite clear by now that I'm no jock when it comes to computers, therefore I shall definitely not be overclocking (might have mentioned that already also :)), but I somehow like the Asus Strix OC version of GTX 1060, and the prices for all versions seem to be around the 22~25ish bracket. Is there any harm in picking up that particular version of the 1060?
 
shady8701 said:
@nac - Yes that's exactly what I was asking for, in case you'd already done the research, there's no point in reinventing the wheel. Of course if I don't find that information here, googling for reviews about brand reliability would be my best bet.

would like to stick to the intel+nvidia side of things
Click to expand...
No, I haven't done any research on which variant is better. I have watched/read few reviews, nothing much.
Since you're going with Intel, you can go with 2400mhz DDR4 memory rather than 3200mhz (and save some money here) as non OC-able chip not gonna benefit with higher frequency ram (and you're not gonna OC).
 
@nac
Wait, based on the results in the video I linked to above, wouldn't a locked chip actually be the one who benefits more from higher frequency ram compared to an unlocked one? You can oc an unlocked chip to increase performance whereas faster ram is probably the only way to gain additional performance with a locked chip.

But yeah 3200mhz is probably unnecessary right now. 2400mhz is plenty fast enough for a 1060. Hell I oc'ed some basic 1333 sticks to 16000 and even that made a noticeable difference with my 470.

@shady8701
Like I said, anything from a top brand will do the job. 22-25k seems to the price range for these cards. If you want to go cheaper, you'll probably have to go with a less popular brand like Palit or Galax (still good manufacturers, just not very popular here) or pick up a single fan design like the Zotac mini or the MSI one. But if ever plan on oc'ing in the future, might as well pick up a card with a proper cooler. Also, people are selling used 1060s under warranty for less than 18k these days. If you don't mind buying used, that would save you a lot of money.

Don't be afraid of either AMD or overclocking. I have owned about half a dozen AMD cards including my 470 and mostly never had any issues with them. Just cause you had a not so good experience in the past doesn't mean its going to repeat. Could easily happen with any company.

And as long as you're not going nuts with voltages, GPU overclocking is relatively harmless. The worse that'll happen is the game/benchmark crashes/locks up and the drivers restore default settings. Or you need to reboot the PC. Watch this video to see how harmless even going too far with clock speeds is -

 
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Submerged said:
@nac
Wait, based on the results in the video I linked to above, wouldn't a locked chip actually be the one who benefits more from higher frequency ram compared to an unlocked one? You can oc an unlocked chip to increase performance whereas faster ram is probably the only way to gain additional performance with a locked chip.
Click to expand...
B250 chipset is non over clockable. So why waste money on 3200mhz memory when it's not possible.
 
Yeah you're right. I thought you could go higher on B250 boards but I see they only go upto 2400mhz so yes it would be a waste of money.
 
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Submerged said:
@nac
Wait, based on the results in the video I linked to above, wouldn't a locked chip actually be the one who benefits more from higher frequency ram compared to an unlocked one? You can oc an unlocked chip to increase performance whereas faster ram is probably the only way to gain additional performance with a locked chip.

But yeah 3200mhz is probably unnecessary right now. 2400mhz is plenty fast enough for a 1060. Hell I oc'ed some basic 1333 sticks to 16000 and even that made a noticeable difference with my 470.

@shady8701
Like I said, anything from a top brand will do the job. 22-25k seems to the price range for these cards. If you want to go cheaper, you'll probably have to go with a less popular brand like Palit or Galax (still good manufacturers, just not very popular here) or pick up a single fan design like the Zotac mini or the MSI one. But if ever plan on oc'ing in the future, might as well pick up a card with a proper cooler. Also, people are selling used 1060s under warranty for less than 18k these days. If you don't mind buying used, that would save you a lot of money.

Don't be afraid of either AMD or overclocking. I have owned about half a dozen AMD cards including my 470 and mostly never had any issues with them. Just cause you had a not so good experience in the past doesn't mean its going to repeat. Could easily happen with any company.

And as long as you're not going nuts with voltages, GPU overclocking is relatively harmless. The worse that'll happen is the game/benchmark crashes/locks up and the drivers restore default settings. Or you need to reboot the PC. Watch this video to see how harmless even going too far with clock speeds is -

Click to expand...

@Submerged - thanks mate, although, to be honest, I don't have the time or the inclination to try OC at the moment. Just wanted a build for some casual gaming and the usual home requirements which this build pretty much satisfies!!

@nac - thank you for your suggestions. This is pretty much what I ended up going with

CPU - i5 7600
Mobo - B250 pro
Ram - 8x2 Corsair
GPU - MSI 1060 GamingX
HDD - WD Blue
SSD - Kingston 240GB
PSU - Corsair V550(might not have the model name exactly right)
Case - Corsair Spec 1

And I must say - everything seems to have come together nicely. Will add some fans in the future depending on how the temp are maintained.
Cheers!
 
Please don't get that PSU. The Corsair VS series aren't quality units. A 450w Seasonic PSU would be a good choice for a 1060 especially if you aren't going to oc.

Like nac said, 16gb is not needed especially for some casual gaming. It helps in games like Deus Ex if you got a bunch of Chrome tabs open at the same time but I never really had an issue running that game with 8gb.

Edit : Didn't see that you already bought your stuff. If you bought that PSU on Amazon, I would really return it and go with a Seasonic PSU. Corsair's low end stuff isn't great. Even the Antec VP series is a bit better than the Corsair VS series. Here check this handy PSU list from Toms and see where the VS series ranks (tier 4) -
http://www.tomshardware.co.uk/forum/id-2547993/psu-tier-list.html
 
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Submerged said:
Please don't get that PSU. The Corsair VS series aren't quality units. A 450w Seasonic PSU would be a good choice for a 1060 especially if you aren't going to oc.

Like nac said, 16gb is not needed especially for some casual gaming. It helps in games like Deus Ex if you got a bunch of Chrome tabs open at the same time but I never really had an issue running that game with 8gb.

Edit : Didn't see that you already bought your stuff. If you bought that PSU on Amazon, I would really return it and go with a Seasonic PSU. Corsair's low end stuff isn't great. Even the Antec VP series is a bit better than the Corsair VS series. Here check this handy PSU list from Toms and see where the VS series ranks (tier 4) -
http://www.tomshardware.co.uk/forum/id-2547993/psu-tier-list.html
Click to expand...
Aww man, brought it from a physical store - now its just fingers crossed I guess. Thank you guys for the heads up though!
 
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