Budget 31-40k Need help: building i5-2320 gaming rig

S.H.A.D.E

The Paladin
Disciple
Hi all,
This is my first ever PC build and thought this would be the best place to get some much needed advice!

I'm currently using a HP AB032TX laptop and was planning to revive my old i5 2320 to finally build a decent gaming rig. The only parts I have are the processor and the motherboard (details below).
I'm also thinking of getting a 1660 Super to future proof my GPU for when I inevitably upgrade the CPU to something better. I know the processor will heavily bottleneck the GPU but since I'm planning to upgrade the CPU in 6 months, I thought this would be the best thing to do. Thoughts?

Thanks for your help!

  1. What is your budget?
    • 40K (stretchable)
  2. What is your existing hardware configuration (component name - component brand and model)
    • CPU - Intel i5 2320
    • Motherboard - Intel DH67BL
  3. Which hardware will you be keeping (component name - component brand and model)
    • CPU - Intel i5 2320
    • Motherboard - Intel DH67BL
    • Monitor - Dell P2419H
  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.
    • GPU - Inno3d GTX 1660 Super
    • PSU - Need Suggestions
    • RAM - Need Suggestions (motherboard supports up to 1333mhz DDR3)
    • Storage - Need Suggestions (SSD)
    • Cabinet - Need Suggestions (preferably something aesthetic/sleek but medium sized, how's the ANT ICE-200TG?)
    • Keyboard - Need Suggestions
    • UPS - Need Suggestions
  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
    • CPU
    • Motherboard
    • Ram
  6. Where will you buy this hardware? (Online/City/TE Dealer)
    • Kerala
    • Open to online purchase (Suggestions on the most reliable online store?)
  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
    • Music Production
  9. If you will be playing games then which type of games will you be playing?
    • All kinds of games at 1080p
  10. What is your preferred monitor resolution for gaming and normal usage
    1. 1080p
  11. Are you looking to overclock?
    • No
  12. Which operating system do you intend to use with this configuration?
    • Windows 10 (Suggestions on the best way to get a license?)
 
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The thing that usually locks you into a platform generation is the RAM. I'm not sure if its a very good idea to buy new DDR3 today.
 
The thing that usually locks you into a platform generation is the RAM. I'm not sure if its a very good idea to buy new DDR3 today.

Thanks for your response! I was thinking of spending around 3-4k on two 4GB sticks for the time being. The only other option is to double down and get a new CPU+Mobo+Ram for around 25k extra which I don't think I can afford at the moment.
 
I would not think of going above an rx 570 or gtx 1060 with a sandy bridge gen pc at all. Even if you do upgrade to let's say an i7 3770, a 1660 super will bottleneck that cpu. I myself am running a xeon 1230 v2 build with an rx 570 and it is a huge upgrade to my much older pc, However since you have a budget of more than 40k, i would ask you to much rather save up then spend it on reviving an old build (only pro i see in doing this is if you do it for cheap, not for 40k)
If you still have the idea of getting your old i5 2320 pc working again and then upgrade it along the way, do note that you will most likely have to buy new ram all together(because ddr3) and believe me ddr3 is more expensive than ddr4 atm due to price gouging so good luck finding it at a cheap price other than used.
My suggestion is to save up rather than rebuild and reuse and old pc, sell your cpu and mobo too once you have no use for it with your new pc. It's going to save you more time in the future too, having to remove all your parts from your case and then installing your new parts and pluggin in your cables all over again is just such a headache.
 
I would not think of going above an rx 570 or gtx 1060 with a sandy bridge gen pc at all. Even if you do upgrade to let's say an i7 3770, a 1660 super will bottleneck that cpu. I myself am running a xeon 1230 v2 build with an rx 570 and it is a huge upgrade to my much older pc, However since you have a budget of more than 40k, i would ask you to much rather save up then spend it on reviving an old build (only pro i see in doing this is if you do it for cheap, not for 40k)
If you still have the idea of getting your old i5 2320 pc working again and then upgrade it along the way, do note that you will most likely have to buy new ram all together(because ddr3) and believe me ddr3 is more expensive than ddr4 atm due to price gouging so good luck finding it at a cheap price other than used.
My suggestion is to save up rather than rebuild and reuse and old pc, sell your cpu and mobo too once you have no use for it with your new pc. It's going to save you more time in the future too, having to remove all your parts from your case and then installing your new parts and pluggin in your cables all over again is just such a headache.

Thanks for your response!

My plan was to upgrade to either the Ryzen 5 3000 series or wait for the new CPUs to drop. Won't be upgrading to an Ivy Bridge cpu. The only problem is, my budget of 40k (slightly adjustable) means that at the moment, I cannot afford to spend another 25k on new CPU+Mobo+RAM.
I was able to find DDR3 RAM listings online from brands like Samsung (1.7k 4GB), and Hynix (1.3k 4GB). So that's around 3k~ for the next 6 months until I upgrade to a better CPU.

Still very confused, not sure how to proceed.

PS - Is it likely that the 1660 Super's price will drop soon (within November) due to the RTX 3000 series release? Should I wait?
 
Thanks for your response!

My plan was to upgrade to either the Ryzen 5 3000 series or wait for the new CPUs to drop. Won't be upgrading to an Ivy Bridge cpu. The only problem is, my budget of 40k (slightly adjustable) means that at the moment, I cannot afford to spend another 25k on new CPU+Mobo+RAM.
I was able to find DDR3 RAM listings online from brands like Samsung (1.7k 4GB), and Hynix (1.3k 4GB). So that's around 3k~ for the next 6 months until I upgrade to a better CPU.

Still very confused, not sure how to proceed.

PS - Is it likely that the 1660 Super's price will drop soon (within November) due to the RTX 3000 series release? Should I wait?

Your original plan seems reasonable enough. Buy only what you need to reduce redundancies when you upgrade your CPU down the road. I think 3k spent on Ram which is eventually to be discarded isn't too bad. However, the real problem starts with waiting for new Ryzen Cpu's or RTX 3000, normally with time price should drop or at least remain relatively stable but we happen to be in an unparalleled economic crisis. I wouldn't be too surprised if none of the products you are tracking are even released. If they are released, international shipping and prices are not going to be doing consumers any favors. I don't expect current prices to come down much either. Take a look at recent laptop releases for a preview of the consumer electronics market in general. Sorry for sounding so cynical, but I would recommend you hold onto your money unless this pc upgrade is absolutely necessary or buy everything now without anticipating future products and prices.
 
The only way this build makes sense imo is with second hand hardware. DDR3 is pretty cheap these days and the resale value on new sticks are in the gutter, pretty much.

But since you aren't willing to do that, I'd say wait and just build a DDR4-based system later on.
 
Thanks for your response!

My plan was to upgrade to either the Ryzen 5 3000 series or wait for the new CPUs to drop. Won't be upgrading to an Ivy Bridge cpu. The only problem is, my budget of 40k (slightly adjustable) means that at the moment, I cannot afford to spend another 25k on new CPU+Mobo+RAM.
I was able to find DDR3 RAM listings online from brands like Samsung (1.7k 4GB), and Hynix (1.3k 4GB). So that's around 3k~ for the next 6 months until I upgrade to a better CPU.

Still very confused, not sure how to proceed.

PS - Is it likely that the 1660 Super's price will drop soon (within November) due to the RTX 3000 series release? Should I wait?
as far as RAM is concern, ddr3 1333 4gb is still very cheap. hynix/samsung @950 warranty 3yrs. local market price.
 
I cannot afford to spend another 25k on new CPU+Mobo+RAM.

I wonder if you can accommodate next gen Ryzen 5 series with mobo and RAM in 25K. Even if next gen Ryzen 5 launches at similar price levels, you are looking at 17K in proccy alone. 8GB DDR4 RAM stick would set you back by another 2.8-3K.
 
Thanks for your response!

My plan was to upgrade to either the Ryzen 5 3000 series or wait for the new CPUs to drop. Won't be upgrading to an Ivy Bridge cpu. The only problem is, my budget of 40k (slightly adjustable) means that at the moment, I cannot afford to spend another 25k on new CPU+Mobo+RAM.
I was able to find DDR3 RAM listings online from brands like Samsung (1.7k 4GB), and Hynix (1.3k 4GB). So that's around 3k~ for the next 6 months until I upgrade to a better CPU.

Still very confused, not sure how to proceed.

PS - Is it likely that the 1660 Super's price will drop soon (within November) due to the RTX 3000 series release? Should I wait?
It is expensive when you do consider that 8gb DDR4 2600ish mhz ram would go for around 2.5K. I bought a hyperx 8gb ddr3 ram stick for 2k close to a year back for new and it's imo way too high in today's year to be this expensive.
 
Hi All,
Thank you so much for all the replies.

Last night I decided to go with the 1333mhz ram route and ordered two 4gb Hynix sticks from Flipkart for 2.6k. The plan was to wait for the ram to come and test the sandy bridge i5 and mobo once, before ordering the rest of the parts.

However, a couple of hours later, one of my friends called me up and told me he's looking to part with one of his older systems and asked me if I'm interested. Specs for the system are given below -

Processor: i7 3770K
Mobo: Intel DZ77RE (Supports upto 2133mhz ram with OC)
Video Card: Nvidia GTX 680
PSU: Cooler Master GX750 750W
Ram: Corsair 16 GB DDR3 1600mhz ram
Storage: I believe it comes with a 500GB WD HDD


First impressions from looking at these specs -
1. Ivy Bridge unlocked i7 with 8 threads would trump my i5 2320 easily for 2020 usage. I can also hold off from upgrading my processor and mobo for a year or more.
2. Rig already has good quality 16gb ram so I wouldn't have to spend on buying overpriced DDR3 ram given it's 2020 and the current hiked prices for PC Parts.
3. I can easily stick with this PSU and save money
4. GTX 680 will be a good option and I can wait for 6 months / 1 year till there are good deals / price drops on GPU components.
5. The only thing I'll really have to buy is a cabinet (if I really want an aesthetic upgrade; otherwise I can use the low-end Cooler Master cab that comes with the build)

Having considered the above points, I decided to cancel my order on Flipkart for the new RAMs and asked my friend to name a price for the system. What do you guys think?
More importantly, how much do you think would be a fair price for the rig above? I am not sure how old the system is but knowing my friend it's certain to be in great condition.

Your thoughts are highly appreciated. Thanks once again!

Edit: Spelling
 
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You are locking yourself to the old generation and there will be slight bottlenecks will be huge especially if you don't have proper cooling , considered the 3rd gen core i5 atleast and a 1650S instead of the 1660S
 
With next gen revealed, what are your plans now @S.H.A.D.E
I picked up my friend's old i7 3770k rig for about 14k without the GPU which was a great deal because he threw in a 120 GB SSD and an old 500 GB Samsung HDD. Invested in a 1660S because it's the best value for money and much more 'future proof' than 1650S. Got a basic 500 gig SSD without a DRAM because it was much cheaper. Also got a new cabinet to go with. Overall spending came up to 43500 approx. The nearest Ryzen Zen 2 and Intel Comet Lake builds I was able to configure costed between 60-65k so I'm quite happy with the deal I cut.

I'm waiting for the midrange Zen 3 chips to drop, and I'll probably upgrade to them in half a year or so, if I feel the i7 3770k is too much of a bottleneck for my needs.

Thanks for all the help, Techenclave community!
 
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