Low Power consuming Gaming Rig - urgent

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mithun

mithun

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Galvanizer
First, the Template :
Q: What is your budget?
35k
Q: What is your existing hardware configuration (component name - component brand and model)
CPU - Intel E6750
Motherboard - Asus P5G41T M LX stopgap arrangement after XFX 650i died
GPU - Geforce GTX 260 C 216 (Dead)
RAM - 2x 1GB XMS2
Monitor - AOC F22 & Bravia 32NX500
SMPS - Corsair VX450
CASE - CM 690

Q: Which hardware will you be keeping (component name - component brand and model)
Monitor,PSU, HDDs and ODD, KBD, MSE, etc.


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 i3 2100
Motherboard - full ATX sandy-bridge board with robust build and all bells and whistles. P8H67-V or better.
GPU - open to suggestions
RAM - 4gb 1.25v (open to suggestions)
CASE - CM Enforcer
PSU - TX650 V2 (if needed)
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
Will like to keep it for 3 years atleast
Q: Where will you buy this hardware? (Online/City/TE Dealer)
Kolkata

Q: Would you consider buying a second hand hardware from the TE market
No
Q: What is your intended use for this PC/hardware
Gaming
Download rig, 24x7 operation




Q: Do you have any brand preference or dislike? Please name them and the reason for your preference/dislike.
N/A
Q: If you will be playing games then which type of games will you be playing?
Games which can be enjoyed with my wireless 360 controller: Was currently playing ALICE, DMC4 & DiRT 3 till my GPU went bust.

Q: What is your preferred monitor resolution for gaming and normal usage
Gaming - 1920 x1080
Desktop - 1920 x 1080
Q: Are you looking to overclock?
Would love to, however, i know wont be possible on the i3
Q: Which operating system do you intend to use with this configuration?
Windows 7 64 bit
2 weeks ago, my trusted 260 died and somehow, i blame myself for buying the el-cheapo asus G41 board after my 650i died( 3 months back) serving me well for more than three years. However, while it all lasted, i did not find my current setup to be inadequate for any applications and games at my target resolution of 1920 x1080. Yes, a few titles here and there were a pain, however the E6750 and GTX260 combo still provided more than enough processing power to handle 90% of current titles at full HD resolutions with full eye candy.
The PC was used mostly for gaming, watching tons of HD movies(now have an O-play for that), downloading and the general browsing and office apps. The new one will have the same usage pattern. However, i have the following specific requirements :

1. Low power consumption : the 6750 was enough, i have no doubt the i3 2100 should be even better. No need for Quads.
2. Motherboard : Robust build and feature rich. No compromise here. I want the absolute best in terms of stability and durability.
3. GPU : 1920 x 1080 at full glory. Better than the 260 atleast.
4. RAM : 4 gb should suffice (1.25v models preferred).

Please suggest the best Board + GPU + RAM Kit.

Thanks
 
If you are gonna keep the rig that you building now for three years than i think you should go with Sandybridge quadcore CPU along with HD6870 GPU or above... FYI new Sandybridge quadcore processors don't consume much power... See if you are building a gaming rig then you should really forget about power consumption... i am saying this coz if you would build a low power consuming rig it wouldn't be able to handle all the latest game @ the resolution that you are thinking to play games... Plus i would like to add one more thing that Better performing GPUs consume more power just like the way quadcore processors consume against dual cores... So you decide you want to compromise on performance or power consumption?
 
the i3 2100 cannot be overclocked i think.in terms of power consumption the i3 2100 is very very good and i can also say the performance in multitasking is nice.

doing some research of gfx cards for the past couple of weeks i believe 6850 can handle games at full hd.i am sure you will get some more expertise here as i am relatively new to the graphic card market!
 
I was going to suggest this GPU to OP too but it really can't handle all the games at full HD resolution with all the settings cranked up... And as OP has mentioned that he is gonna keep the rig for three years than i hardly think that HD6850 would be able to handle future games at full HD as HD6850 struggles to handle some todays game at FHD...
 
For you Sire, here is RIG configuration that will suit you --

Intel Core i5 2400 ~ 8800/- [get a quad-core now for future over-heads]
ASUS P8H67-M EVO ~ 7000/- [a good board from ASUS, only gripe it is a mATX-format motherboard, has all the rest "bells and whistles you need"]
Corsair XMS3 1600MHz CL9 [4GB x 1 module] ~ 1550/- OR G.Skill SNIPER 1600MHz CL9 [4GB x 1 module] @1.25v ~ 1700/- [not a good over-clocker]
Sapphire HD 6850 / 6870 ~ 9800/- OR 11500/-
Seagate Barracuda 7200.12 500GB ~ 1850/-
Cooler Master Storm Enforcer ~ 4500/- [you can continue powering your RIG with your VX 450W but to be safe get the VX 550W]

Hope this helps, Sire. Reasons why I suggested this configuration --

In multi-threaded applications Intel Core i3 2100, is too anaemic to be future proof -- AnandTech - Bench - CPU / Intel.

The AMD cards HD 68** series are proven and great value for money at their respective price points, nVidia has nothing in that range to compete.

Here is the G.Skill SNIPER [1.25 v module] review by a fellow TEian -- http://www.techenclave.com/reviews-and-previews/gskill-sniper-f3-12800cl9d-8gbsr2-2x4gb-196736.html.
 
Thanks for the suggestions.

However, i'm still not convinced about the need of that Quad in my usage scenario. Please push some more sense into me.

Also, i took a look at the P8H67 EVO and at first glance, i didn't like the layout. So many things cramped into that tiny poor PCB. But for that matter, i never like the layout of most mATX boards. Plus (i) Unusable PCI-E X1 slot ( do have plans for audio upgrade later), (ii) only 4 pin CPU power (is that enough?) , (iii) Pricing of the combo comes within 4-5k of a proper K series + P67 bundle. As i'm initially inclined towards the i3, i'm searching for options amongst the H67 boards. If i end up finalizing on an i5, might as well opt for a K series + P67/Z68. But as a 24x7 download rig that wont be "Green" now, would it?

On the contrary, for the GPU, I actually want something a notch higher. The 560Ti/6950 seems worthy. Would like your inputs about the same. Will an i3 be too lowly a companion for them? Bottlenecks? PSU upgrade?
 
If you would go with GTX560 Ti or HD6950 then you would have to upgrade your PSU too...

If i end up finalizing on an i5, might as well opt for a K series + P67/Z68. But as a 24x7 download rig that wont be "Green" now, would it?
Click to expand...

Just checkout this link to see how much power does i5 2500 consumes as compared to i3 2100... While idling i3 2100 and i5 2500 consume same amount of power but on full load i5 2500 consumes just 28w more...

i3 2100 power consumption benchmark : http://www.xbitlabs.com/articles/cpu/display/core-i3-2120-2100_8.html#sect0

i5 2500 power consumption benchmark : http://www.xbitlabs.com/articles/cpu/display/core-i5-2500-2400-2300_10.html#sect0
 
mithun said:
Plus (i) Unusable PCI-E X1 slot ( do have plans for audio upgrade later), (ii) only 4 pin CPU power (is that enough?)
Click to expand...

(i) You could go for a usb dac instead of pci soundcard; there are some good options in fiio e7/udac among others.
(ii) Yes

Neither comment meant to dissuade you from going for a atx board though, as they obviously have big advantages in terms of layout :D
 
I just got the xonar dx after a fair few days of playing with the idea of external soundcards.

Came to the conclusion that pci soundcards definitely have the upper hand in Dolby digital(I assume this would be your need).loving the xonar.
 
Hades. said:
If you would go with GTX560 Ti or HD6950 then you would have to upgrade your PSU too...

Just checkout this link to see how much power does i5 2300 consumes as compared to i3 2100... While idling i3 2100 and i5 2500 consume same amount of power but on full load i5 2500 consumes just 28w more...

i3 2100 power consumption benchmark : http://www.xbitlabs.com/articles/cpu/display/core-i3-2120-2100_8.html#sect0

i5 2500 power consumption benchmark : http://www.xbitlabs.com/articles/cpu/display/core-i5-2500-2400-2300_10.html#sect0
Click to expand...
I second hades on this one. I kinda gaffed by going for the i3.the power consumption on idle is almost the same.

Take the i5, will defo make for a more future proof rig.
 
Thanks for pouring in the suggestions. Here's what i've finalized :

I5 2400

ASUS P8H67-V (Hope its available)

GSkill Sniper 1600mhz 8gb kit (4 X2)

XFX HD6850

CM ENFORCER
 
mithun said:
Thanks for pouring in the suggestions. Here's what i've finalized :

I5 2400

ASUS P8H67-V (Hope its available)

GSkill Sniper 1600mhz 8gb kit (4 X2)

XFX HD6850

CM ENFORCER
Click to expand...

Reconsider the HD 6850, if you want the RIG to last 3 years, suggest you spend a bit more and get the

AMD HD 6870 ~ 11500/- OR nVidia GTX 560 Ti ~ 13500/- OR wait for the next two months without a graphics card and get the new AMD HD 7*** [Southern Island cards], that'll be the most future proof option.
 
do not buy xfx.. they are not at all great when it comes to graphics cards.. stay away. buy sapphire or MSI or asus...

i5 2400 ~ 8.8k
Asus P8H67 pro B3 ~ 7.5k
Sniper/Ripjaws X 1600mhz 8gb ~ 3.4k
Sapphire 6870 ~ 11.3k/ MSI 6850 cyclone ~ 9.5k/ Zotac GTX 460 ~ 8.5k
Nzxt Gamma ~ 2.2k/ Tempest Evo ~ 5k
HDD Seagate/WD 1tb ~ 2.8k
Seasonic s12ii 520w ~ 4.7k/Corsair 650TXv2 ~ 5.4k(for future upgrades)

Alpha acknowledged for content..:)
 
I'm kind of stuck with xfx. My 260 has been given for rma and the distri is only dealing in xfx product. The current options are: Gtx260 + cash = new 6850 with full warranty or used 5870 with 10 months warranty. Both from xfx.
 
^^ Sire please two months save-up some more and get the AMD Southern Island based GPU as with the new cards is coming a die-shrink [28nm fabrication process] = lesser power consumption, better thermals + 10% bump in performance [I'm being optimistic] in comparison to the cards on the same price point currently.

For more on the same, please refer to these articles -- AnandTech - AMD's Graphics Core Next Preview: AMD's New GPU, Architected For Compute / AMD Radeon HD 7000 Series to be PCI-Express 3.0 Compliant | techPowerUp / Video cards AMD Radeon HD 7000 series will be equipped with support for PCIe 3.0? | System Diary Technology News Blog.
 
^^ dude alpha stop calling everybody sir man.. you are not british ka ghulam:) and quite true wait for the 7 series. it will be way better
 
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