New TE member needs help with building his first PC =)

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ev1l_n0_0b13

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Hello, Forum! :)

I’m a long-time gamer who hasn’t had a chance to upgrade in years, and since I finally can, I’ve decided to build a new PC from scratch; I’ve always wanted to build a system with my own two hands.

I already have an MX518 mouse, QCK Heavy (pad), Altec Lansing BXR1121 (2.1) speakers, and I’m getting a 19-inch LCD monitor from a friend. I just need help with the CPU. Oh, and I’ll be getting a GPU at least 3 or maybe even 6 months after I get the PC – I want a high performance card as I’ll be playing games like Crysis 2/Metro 2033 by then.

Please suggest a config for me that matches the requirements below.

1. What is your budget?

30K if I’m getting it this month (I really, REALLY want to get it this month so I can sit and play through all the old FPS games I’ve played from when I was a child, and have recently been buying in bulk on Steam), 35-40k if it’s in the first week of Jan – but I am DYING to get a PC ASAP, I’ve been waiting very patiently for FAR too long!

2. Which hardware component are you looking to buy?

CPU - Intel Core i5 2500k; decided on this after reading a lot of reviews; this is the best VFM for gaming as well as overclocking, at least at this point in time. Not waiting for Ivy Bridge.

Motherboard – Any good quality motherboard with decent onboard graphics to tide me over the months during which I won’t have a discrete GPU; I won’t be getting a soundcard so audio is important too. I will only be getting a single GPU, so please suggest one without SLI support. And since I won't be getting a sound card, the mobo should have good/great onboard audio.

RAM – stable, ‘overclockable’, 1x4GB OR 2x4GB from any manufacturer of good repute; if the budget is going way past the 30k mark I’ll get 1x4GB now and add another 4GB stick later, otherwise 2x4GB right away; as I want to learn more about virtualization and other OS’s (this would hog memory) and don’t want to upgrade for as long as possible. And I seem to remember reading something about matching the RAM clock speed with the mobo FSB speed…or something…and that 1600 Mhz was the sweet spot? Don't know much about this, haven't researched enough about it.

GPU – Haven’t decided, will be buying this in about 3-6 months after I get the PC so this can be overlooked for now

PSU – Something that will last, and which will suffice for a top of the line graphics card AND overclocking. Antec/Coolermaster are the brands suggested by my techie friends, but I'm open to other brands as well.

HDD – 1 TB; preferably one reputed to have good performance/stability – have a 1 TB Seagate external HDD which I’ve had to replace, under warranty of course, no less than TWO times (yes, I have my THIRD HDD now!) so preferably something from WD (caviar black seems promising), but open to other major brands as well, if it means a cut in price without a cut in quality/performance

Cabinet – Any cabinet with good venting, preferably with no fancy lighting and other gimmicks; should be large enough to contain a big graphics card. And since I’m building the PC myself, I’d prefer if it were the tool-less installation kind – the easier to build, the better – I may make mistakes in my haste to get it working!

3. 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

Graphics card, as mentioned above.
Aftermarket heatsink for overclocking.

4. Where will you buy this hardware? (Online/City/TE Dealer)
Hyderabad, open to online purchase

5. Would you consider buying a second hand hardware from the TE market
No, I want everything to be brand new :)

6. What is your intended use for this PC/hardware
Gaming, download rig, 24x7 operation, watching HD movies, and I want to learn about linux, other OS's, and programming

7. Do you have any brand preference or dislike? Please name them and the reason for your preference/dislike.
I don't want hard disks from Seagate, reasons mentioned above

8. If you will be playing games then which type of games will you be playing?
FPS games with high performance requirements – HL series, AvP, Bioshock series, Batman series, FEAR series, Crysis 2, Serious Sam series, Deus Ex: HR, Metro 2033 (but all this is only after I get a GPU, of course; I’ll be playing old games till then, like the quake/doom/unreal series)

9. What is your preferred monitor resolution for gaming and normal usage
Gaming – 1920 x something, I haven’t got the monitor yet and my friend doesn’t remember the exact resolution. I’ll be getting it this week or the next.
Desktop – Same resolution

10. Are you looking to overclock?
Yes

11. Which operating system do you intend to use with this configuration?
Win7, Ubuntu, and any other OS’s I feel like trying out

Hope I've been clear enough. Please help a n0_0b out! =)
 
CPU-Intel Core i5 2500k -11.5k
MOBO-Intel DH-67BL-5.8k
RAM-Gskill ripjaws X 2X4gb 1600mhz-3.3k
HDD-segate 1tb 7200rpm-6k
PSU-Corsair tx650v2-5.2k/SeaSonic S12II 620-4.6k[future proof,since you are going to add gpu in few months]
Case-NZXT gamma-2.3k
Win 7 home basic-5.3k
Hope this helps.
 
^^ there is no point in buying a K series processor with H67 chipset.

OP,

Buy a Z68 chipset based motherboard if you want to use the on processor graphics. IMHO, Asus have various Z68 boards, you can choose Z68 pro or similar motherboard.

You should also check the TE PC buying guide for more details.

Also if you have any sata HDD with you,better to delay your hdd purchase for few months.

HSF - CM Hyper 212 plus if you are on really tight budget else Thermalright venomous X
 
ASUS P8H67-V-7.2k would be a good option,any z68 mobo will overshoot the budget and op will be getting a new gpu within 3-6 months so no need to consider on cpu graphic.
vivacious_tg said:
^^ there is no point in buying a K series processor with H67 chipset.

OP,

Buy a Z68 chipset based motherboard if you want to use the on processor graphics. IMHO, Asus have various Z68 boards, you can choose Z68 pro or similar motherboard.

You should also check the TE PC buying guide for more details.

Also if you have any sata HDD with you,better to delay your hdd purchase for few months.

HSF - CM Hyper 212 plus if you are on really tight budget else Thermalright venomous X
Click to expand...
 
^^

OP will not be able to overclock on h67 based mobo. This is the only problem in the rig suggested in your both posts.
 
Yes,you are right,op get ASUS P8H67-V-7.2k instead of Intel DH-67BL for better ocing.
vivacious_tg said:
^^

OP will not be able to overclock on h67 based mobo. This is the only problem in the rig suggested in your both posts.
Click to expand...
 
If you are going for H67 boards then i would suggest not to go with 2500k because you wont be able to utilize the full capability of the processor you should go with 2400 this is also a good processor it wont disappoint you. and for ram go for value select 1333Mhz 4x2 GB 2,700 from smc international, i don't think you really need 1600Mhz Gskill. and because your budget is not very high i would say go for corsair CX 600 PSU 3,600 from primeabgb.
 
Op wants to oc the ram so he should get Gskill ripjaws X 2X4gb 1600mhz-3.3k not 1333 which won't help his needs and corsair tx650v2 will run upto 6950 2gb gpu and it's much better than builder series cx600. it's better to get quality products which helps the cause by stretching the budget.
vaibhav1 said:
If you are going for H67 boards then i would suggest not to go with 2500k because you wont be able to utilize the full capability of the processor you should go with 2400 this is also a good processor it wont disappoint you. and for ram go for value select 1333Mhz 4x2 GB 2,700 from smc international, i don't think you really need 1600Mhz Gskill. and because your budget is not very high i would say go for corsair CX 600 PSU 3,600 from primeabgb.
Click to expand...
 
thegatekeeper said:
Op wants to oc the ram so he should get Gskill ripjaws X 2X4gb 1600mhz-3.3k not 1333 which won't help his needs and corsair tx650v2 will run upto 6950 2gb gpu and it's much better than builder series cx600. it's better to get quality products which helps the cause by stretching the budget.
Click to expand...

well i think even you know that he won't get any massive performance by just overclocking a ram little bit, and there is not much difference in the performance between 1333Mhz and 1600Mhz. well yes you are rite he should go for the items you told him but what is the point having them if you can't even use the main punch of the item. H67 board is not capable of too much overclocking only a little bit, so getting a ram and processor that can be massively overclocked is not a good idea i guess so.
 
Dont buy HDD as the HDD price have gone crazy so try to use the 1TB one which you have.

i dont think 30 k will be sufficient to get intel oc rig because the p67 and z68 mobos costs a lot(not less than 10 k)
If you go for i5 2500k then it will costs atleat 20 k for CPU and mobo.

So i you can compromise overclocking then get intel i5 2400,a h67 mobo and a good GFX which will be enough for 3 years of gaming and other usage IMO.
For h67 mobo get Intel DH-67BL or wait for others to name VFM h67 mobos.
By this i will cost you atleast 15k for mobo and CPU.

Or you can go Amd way in which you can get Mobo(Gigabyte GA-880-USB3 - 4600/-) and CPU(AMD phenom 2x4 955 BE-- 5700/-) for 11k and spend the remaining money for a good CPU cooler and GFX .
By this you will be ale to overclock and get a highend GPU which can play any game IMO.

If you go Amd way then it will be VFM but it is a outdated platform.AFAIK it is 20 % slower than is i5 2400 in multi tasking and similar or behind in gaming.
If you are going for Amd way then the following config is VFM.

AMD phenom 2x4 955 BE -5700
Gigabyte GA-880-usb3 - 4700
NZXT Gamma - 2.3k
Seasonic s12 II 520w-3.7 k(only if going for GPUs like HD 6850)
SeaSonic S12 II 620w -4.6k(only if going for the below GPU )
Corsair 4gb XMS3 -1300
MSI Nvidia N560GTX-Ti Twin Frozr II/OC 1GB GDDR5 or MSI R6950 Twin Frozr II/OC 2GB GDDR5

i too live in HYD so any help regarding components feel free to ask me.
 
op check out this site hardwire.in he got z68 mobo at very cheap rate if you want oc and onboard seems like a nice guy and very helpful too m currently buying my rig from him rest up to you many people bought from him on er odov too
 
CPU-Intel Core i5 2500k -11.8k

MOBO-z68 mobo 8.8

RAM-Gskill ripjaws 2X2gb 1600mhz-1.8k

HDD-segate 1tb 7200rpm-6k

PSU-Corsair tx650v2-5.8k/SeaSonic S12II 620-4.6k[future proof,since you are going to add gpu in few months]
 
Do you already have a PC? If so what is its configuration?

If you are going to add a GPU only later then no point in going for a SB rig now when components prices are at the maximum this year to the exchange rate of $1 ~ 52.2 INR.

If you need a rig now and already have HDD then keep it since HDD prices have gone through the roof and a TB costs 6k now against ~2.9k about a month ago due to floods in Thailand.

19" monitors nowadays carry a resolution of 1366*768 and if its a old one then probably a 1440*900. So for gaming in this resolution all you need is a HD6770 to play almost all the games in medium-high settings.
 
This is not the right time to buy PC.... Intel prices are very high..... HDD prices is very high.. And the rupee depreciation also affected the price rise...
 
Thank you for your replies, guys. :)

I did some more reading today on motherboards and I FINALLY understand the difference between the 3 main chipsets! :) And I have concluded that Z68 motherboards are the way to go.

Reasoning - I won't be getting a GPU right away so I'll have to rely on onboard graphics till then; which means I can't get P67 mobos. And I want to overclock some time down the line (after I've finished playing my massive list of games I've been itching to play), so H67 is out of the question.

@ thegatekeeper, vaibhav1

Gskill seems to be a reputed brand, one of my HW enthusiast friends recommended the same. I will get 4 or 8 GB of RAM depending on how much I can get the rest of the components for. Will read up some more about RAM later, to finalize the choice.

@ vaibhav1, Nishu

I had already decided on the 2500k; and I have decided to get a Z68 mobo today. I know it's costly but it's the best fit for my needs. Don't want to upgrade any time soon so can't compromise now, even if it means waiting for another month. As to which board I can get exactly, I haven't read up about motherboards enough at this point.

@ Nishu - No the 30k is just for Processor/RAM/HDD/Cabinet/PSU. If I really have to, I will wait another month to increase the budget; but if I can avoid it I would like to build it in the first week of december.

@ DarkAngel

I have a PC but it's at home, and it needs to be repaired; it's very old (2006 budget system) and needs to be repaired to even get it to work.

-

I'm sorry but I've run out of time today, I need to go home (still at the office!) and get some sleep; I'll read up more about motherboards and reply in more detail tomorrow, I've got a whole bunch of links about ASRock motherboards bookmarked. I'll start reading about ASUS/MSI/Gigabyte tomorrow, after I'm done with ASRock.

I still haven't read about PSU's and cabinets; that will have to come another day. I've got time till at least the first week of December to do my research, and I'll update this thread with my findings; I'm sure I don't have to explain why a working stiff like me has to wait till then! :)

--- Updated Post - Automerged ---

LOL I checked the thread 20 minutes back, saw that my post hasn't been posted yet, thought that something was wrong and that I had made a mistake because I was in a hurry yesterday, and typed it all out again; and when I clicked on 'Preview Post' I found that my post was there! ~X(

Hilarious.

Anyway, there isn't much to add now.

I think the ASRock Z68 Pro3-M is pretty good for my needs; it's available for 9k change from ebay global, with 10-14 days or so shipping.

About the Cabinet and PSU suggestions you've given above, I will read up on them tomorrow or day after and make an informed decision. And I've asked my friend, who I'm getting the monitor from, for his 4-year old 250 GB SATA HD that he has at home; he'll get it in the second week of December and if it works, I'll use that till HDD prices go back down. If it doesn't work, I'll have to get a new one. :(

@ hhhclihh: thanks for the hardware.in site, I've checked it out and it seems good; I will make sure to check again when I'm buying the components.

@ Nishu: thanks for the offer, I will keep this thread updated every step of the way, and may take you up on it! :)

@ sumesara: I know, but I really can't wait any longer. It would rather spend more and get a PC now, than wait even longer for a price drop.

Now to get to work so I can finish everything ASAP and start reading about the rest of the motherboards manufacturers' offerings.
 
Better not to buy ASRock and that too from abroad. Instead go for Asus P8Z68-V LE (full ATX board, much better than ASRock mobo). Should be available for 9.5 - 10K locally.
 
vaibhav1 said:
well i think even you know that he won't get any massive performance by just overclocking a ram little bit, and there is not much difference in the performance between 1333Mhz and 1600Mhz. well yes you are rite he should go for the items you told him but what is the point having them if you can't even use the main punch of the item. H67 board is not capable of too much overclocking only a little bit, so getting a ram and processor that can be massively overclocked is not a good idea i guess so.
Click to expand...

^^ Sire, the Sandy Bridge memory controller is well optimized and 1600 MHz modules are cheap to get [~200/- increment over standard 1333MHz modules], here is why -- AnandTech - Sandy Bridge Memory Scaling: Choosing the Best DDR3,

I think we confirmed what we pretty much knew all along: Sandy Bridge's improved memory controller has all but eliminated the need for extreme memory bandwidth, at least for this architecture. It's only when you get down to DDR3-1333 that you see a minor performance penalty. The sweet spot appears to be at DDR3-1600, where you will see a minor performance increase over DDR3-1333 with only a slight increase in cost. The performance increase gained by going up to DDR3-1866 or DDR3-2133 isn't nearly as pronounced.
Click to expand...

Hope this helps.

For your system, this is what I'l recommend you Sire [OP] --

Intel Core i5 2500k ~ 11900/-

ASUS P8Z68-M PRO ~ [not sure on the pricing, but better to get an ASUS / MSi / Gigabyte motherboard instead of AsRock which soesn't have a strong service network in India]

G.Skill RIPJAWS 4GB 1600MHz ~ 1650/-

Seagate Barracuda 7200.12 250GB ~ 3000/- [incase you need to buy this component, buy it before the prices skyrocket any further]

NZXT Gamma ~ 2300/- [the best cabinet in your budget -- http://www.overclockersclub.com/reviews/nzxt_gamma/]

Seasonic S12II 620W ~ 4400/- [so that you have some extra power in reserve i the future for cards upto the AMD HD 6950 2GB OR GTX 560 Ti]

Hope this to you liking Sire, cheers!! & happy RIG hunting.
 
Hello again, everyone!

A bit of bad news; my friend's monitor needed more repairs so he had to give it back to the repair shop; he will only be going back home in January so I'll have to wait till then. T_T

I have been reading up about motherboards, cabinets and PSU's since I last posted here, and have decided on the following config:

Core i5 2500k - 11,850 (SMC International)
Asus Maximus IV GENE-Z - 13,075 (SMC International)
GSKILL 4GB DDR3 1600MHZ RIPJAWS X (F3-12800CL9S-4GBXL) - 1,625 (Overclockerszone)
Seasonic X-series 660W - 7,743 (Overclockerszone)

My budget is now around 34,500; the config above is 34,293.

I'm going to CTC tomorrow to see if I can get the components listed above at prices lower than what's mentioned next to them; I'll also try and get a cheap cabinet (for which I've set aside 2k already). If the prices are the same, I might as well order all of them online. :)

And as I said earlier I'll use my friend's hard disk till the prices go down. If the HDD doesn't work, I'll have to wait till March before I can get a new one.

What do y'all think?

P.S:
I know the SMPS is overkill for this system but I will be getting a high-end graphics card in 6 months, overclocking within a year, and may want to try liquid cooling 2-3 years down the line. And I would rather go for a PSU with high quality components that will last AND meet all my needs, than going for something I might have to upgrade in a year or two.
 
for cabinet get NZXT Gamma.
And the only place where i could find it was at Computer Bazar for 2.3k
And i dont think that you would get that power supply in HYD,CTC.
 
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