Budget 0-20k PC for Basic Desktop Use and Programming in a Dual Monitor Setup

mndar

Disciple
Hello everyone,

I need a PC for basic desktop use (Browsing/Youtube) and Programming. I need this for a Dual Monitor setup.
  1. What is your budget?
    • 15K to 20K
  2. What is your existing hardware configuration (component name - component brand and model)
    • A very old Pentium 4 setup
    • HDD – Seagate 500GB SATA
    • Monitor – 2 x Dell SP2309W (Resolution 2048x1152)
    • SMPS – Corsair VX450
  3. Which hardware will you be keeping (component name - component brand and model)
    • HDD – Seagate 500GB SATA
    • Monitor – 2 x Dell SP2309W (Resolution 2048x1152)
    • SMPS – Corsair VX450
  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 - 22nm Ivy Bridge Pentium (G2130 or G2120, G2020 or G2010) - 3.5k
    • Motherboard - Gigabyte GA-B75M-D3H rev 1.1 or rev 1.0 (what's the difference?) - 4k
    • RAM – 2x 2GB DDR3 1600MHz - 2k
    • GPU - Zotac Nvidia GeForce GT 620 - 4k
    • Cabinet - Zebronics Bijli 2 or NZXT Beta Evo or NZXT Gamma - 3k
    • APC BR1100VA-IN - 5k
  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
    • Might upgrade the CPU to a Core i3/i5/i7 after 6 months or a year
  6. Where will you buy this hardware? (Online/City/TE Dealer)
    • Lamington Road, Mumbai
  7. Would you consider buying a second hand hardware from the TE market
    • No
  8. What is your intended use for this PC/hardware
    • Browsing
    • Desktop Processing
    • Youtube Video. Some HD content
    • Programming
    • Compiling Software
    • Might run a Virtual Machine
  9. Do you have any brand preference or dislike? Please name them and the reason for your preference/dislike.
    • Prefer Nvidia over AMD for the GPU. Reason being that I am more comfortable with the Nvidia closed source drivers under Linux than the AMD ones.
  10. If you will be playing games then which type of games will you be playing?
    • No Gaming
  11. What is your preferred monitor resolution for gaming and normal usage?
    • 2 Monitors, each having a resolution of 2048x1152
  12. Are you looking to overclock?
    • No
  13. Which operating system do you intend to use with this configuration?
    • Linux (Gentoo/Ubuntu/Fedora)
I don't mind going with an AMD setup. The reason I'm more inclined towards buying an Intel one is that reviews seem to indicate that when it comes to entry level setups, for non-gaming applications, the Ivy Bridge Pentium is better than AMD FM2 processors. If you can come up with an equivalent AMD setup, please post the configuration and prices. I know that for compiling software, the Pentium is slow as compared to a Core i3/i5/i7 but my budget doesn't allow for that right now.

Amongst the Pentium processors, I am not sure if G2130 or G2120 are avaiable. I would prefer buying these as they support DDR3 1600MHz while the G2020 or G2010 support only DDR3 1333MHz. Are the 'T" variants, G2100T or G2020T available? I'm not willing to spend 5k+ on the processor. There is a seller on eBay who is asking Rs. 9299 for the G2120. ALPHA17's PC Buying guide says that the G2120 is available for 3.5k.

I have query about the motherboard. Will a PCIe x1 card, say a sound card or a LAN card work in the PCIe x4 slot on the Gigabyte board?

Since I won't be gaming, I would have been fine with the Intel HD Graphics. However, max resolution that the DVI and HDMI ports on the motherboard support is 1920x1200. The monitors I have, have a resolution of 2048x1152. So, I need a GPU with two Dual Link DVI ports. An additional HDMI would be really good. I would like to purchase a GPU which is at least as good as the Intel HD one on the Pentium. Will the GT610 be good enough? Also is it available in 2 x Dual Link DVI port card?

Finally, can someone confirm if the APC BR1100VA-IN works well with the Corsair VX450 SMPS?

PS: Prices I mentioned have been taken from forum posts or ebay . Please correct them if they are wrong.
 
I was reviewing the power requirements of the config.

For a max configuration of:

Core i7 3770
Gigabyte GA-B75M-D3H
4 x 8GB DDR3 1600MHz RAM
2 x 500GB Seagate SATA HDD
1 x DVD Writer SATA
Zotac GT630 Nvidia Geforce Synergy Edition 1GB DDR3
1 PCI LAN card or PCIe LAN card
1 PCI TV Tuner Card
2 x 140mm Fan
1 x 120mm Fan
1 x 120mm LED Fan
2 x HDD Coolers

Will the Corsair VX450 be sufficient?
I probably won't be buying a Core i7 or 32GB RAM right now. Just want to know if the VX450 can take that load.

I put the above config in http://www.extreme.outervision.com/psucalculatorlite.jsp with 100% TDP and 30% capacitor aging. The calculator recommends a PSU of 440W.

Can anyone confirm if this result seems reasonable?
 
Here are 2 H77 motherboards from Asus:

Asus P8H77-V
http://www.asus.com/Motherboards/P8H77V/

Asus P8H77-V LE
http://www.asus.com/Motherboards/P8H77V_LE/

The two differ slightly
P8H77-V : Atheros LAN, Via Audio (6 audio ports on back panel), 1 HDMI, 1 D-Sub, 1 DVI, 1 Display Port
P8H77-V LE: Realtek LAN, Realtek Audio (3 audio ports on back panel), 1 HDMI, 1 D-Sub, 1 DVI

Is this all the difference there is between these two motherboards?

The P8H77-V costs 2000 more than P8H77-V LE
Is the P8H77-V really worth the extra money?
 
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