TE PC Buying Guide - August 2011

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DarkAngel said:
[*]For RAM i have avoided Transcend ones. http://www.techenclave.com/pc-peripherals/avoid-transcend-products-153868.html
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... but you suggest kingston still after this thread, I agree that we are talking about RAM here - but after all After Sales Service Policy do matter.

I have Transcend DDR1 RAM using from last 5 years & still going strong & have very good review from friends with Transcend pen drive from 2-3 years, brother using Transcend MicroSDC from last 15 months without any issue. :)
 
Metalspree said:
Question: Why a llano for HTPC when this can do the job ??
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Brazos is weak for a hardcore htpc user. Heck even llano is weaker.its better to stick to discrete solution like hd6570.
Check anandtech for htpc reviews. I went for llano since i wanted to recommend a integrated soln

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Emperor said:
... but you suggest kingston still after this thread, I agree that we are talking about RAM here - but after all After Sales Service Policy do matter.

I have Transcend DDR1 RAM using from last 5 years & still going strong & have very good review from friends with Transcend pen drive from 2-3 years, brother using Transcend MicroSDC from last 15 months without any issue. :)
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As you have mentioned its a different product . Ram doesnt have fakes in the scale of pen drive. So i dont expect such response.
If substantial no. Of members face RAM RMA issues then i will mention the same in the guide.
 
1. i3 2100 + MSI Nvidia N560GTX-Ti Twin Frozr II/OC 1GB GDDR5
2. i5 2400 + MSI Cyclone OC HD6850 1GB GDDR5 PE

How about the performance of above combinations? where does it fall compared to 41k and 51k med end gaming rigs?
 
Go for a Core i5 2400 + AMD HD 6870 / nVidia GTX 560 Ti. Much better balance, of performance wait for sometime if you aren't having the budget currently. Later if you wait you might even be in time for the AMD Bulldozer angle, where you will get a better deal price / performance.
 
Can you guys start a similar thread for laptops, it would be nice ! :)

TE LAPTOP Buying Guide - August 2011
 
I see you have suggested Gskill SNIPER F3-12800CL9D-8GBSR2 in the High End Gaming Rig - XFire (Budget 1.2L) and paired with a 2500k.
This is not a good suggestion IMO because these low voltage rams are not at all good for overclocking. Someone getting a 2500k will surely look to overclock or expect higher frequency rams. The Ripjaws 1600mhz (or higher) are a better buy.
 
viralbug said:
I see you have suggested Gskill SNIPER F3-12800CL9D-8GBSR2 in the High End Gaming Rig - XFire (Budget 1.2L) and paired with a 2500k.

This is not a good suggestion IMO because these low voltage rams are not at all good for overclocking. Someone getting a 2500k will surely look to overclock or expect higher frequency rams. The Ripjaws 1600mhz (or higher) are a better buy.
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IINM there are two types of snipers.

One is 1.25V and another is 1.5V. I guess the 1.5V is decent enough.

I will look into alternatives present in the Indian market though other than the Ripjaws Kit and the XMS3. Guess the Vengence would be good.
 
There are actually 3 Snipers. The SR2 that you have mentioned are the 1.25V ones. The SR1 are 1.35V and the SR are 1.5V. So far I have seen the 1.5V and recently 1.25V ones here, don't know if the 1.35V ones are available.

Vengeance is a decent alternative. But with the Ripjaws going at a really good price, I think it's best to buy them.

Btw, why no Z68 option in any config?
 
Why is no one suggesting Intel DH67vr-b3 as a SB mobo option?Availability issues,lower build quality or any other problems?
 
@DarkAngel

Bro,what's the main difference between Dell IN2020M and Dell 1920IN ?
Both are at same price :S
Which one is overall better ?
 
DarkAngel said:
Brazos is weak for a hardcore htpc user. Heck even llano is weaker.its better to stick to discrete solution like hd6570.

Check anandtech for htpc reviews. I went for llano since i wanted to recommend a integrated soln
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For a HTPC setup I'll recommend Brazos over a Llano or Core series. Becuase HTPC primary aim is just to render the movie at a big display not for some transcoding need.

If you are referring HTPC *hardcore* to the setup with a full fledge computer and big screen, then its not actually a HTPC. Its just a normal computer with big screen fixed.

Using a full fledged PC with a HTPC makes no sense, plus the power draw from such PC just to watch a movie is not worth.

Llano in the guide should have replaced the AII X3 options rather than sitting over HTPC .
 
Revolution said:
@DarkAngel

Bro,what's the main difference between Dell IN2020M and Dell 1920IN ?
Both are at same price :S
Which one is overall better ?
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They are priced differently man, 2020 is around 1K more.
1920 is having a screen size of 18.5 and 2020 is 20 with DVI support I guess..
 
^^ For starters I can't find the IN2020M model here in Bangalore, I am only able to find the Dell LED back-lit + DVI out IN2030M ~ 6500/-.

And it is a fine monitor, for its price.
 
Yeah, the 2030 was around 5.8-6k net from various dealers in SP road when I asked a couple of days back.
 
Dark Star said:
For a HTPC setup I'll recommend Brazos over a Llano or Core series. Becuase HTPC primary aim is just to render the movie at a big display not for some transcoding need.

If you are referring HTPC *hardcore* to the setup with a full fledge computer and big screen, then its not actually a HTPC. Its just a normal computer with big screen fixed.

Using a full fledged PC with a HTPC makes no sense, plus the power draw from such PC just to watch a movie is not worth.

Llano in the guide should have replaced the AII X3 options rather than sitting over HTPC .
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I mostly go by anand's HTPC reviews since they are simple and easy to understand for a non-HTPC buff like me. According to the reviews what i understood was that if ultimate image quality is of most importance then its better to go for a dedicated low profile HTPC card like the GT430 or the HD5770(or) HD6570.

These score much higher than the brazos in the HTPC test suites.

But yeah you are right about the Llano vs Brazos. I will replace the Llano with the Brazos and then add one more config with a dedicated low profile card on a AthlonII X2 based system.

viralbug said:
I see you have suggested Gskill SNIPER F3-12800CL9D-8GBSR2 in the High End Gaming Rig - XFire (Budget 1.2L) and paired with a 2500k.

This is not a good suggestion IMO because these low voltage rams are not at all good for overclocking. Someone getting a 2500k will surely look to overclock or expect higher frequency rams. The Ripjaws 1600mhz (or higher) are a better buy.
Click to expand...
G.Skill SNIPER Series 1600MHz CL9 8GB Review - Conclusion

According to reviews getting it upto 1866MHz seems unstable but it does CL8 @ 1600MHz.

But with SB the BCLK OC has gone the Dodo way. So how much of a difference is it going to make for the gamers to get their kits to 1866MHz from stock speeds?
 
Yup SB ram overclocking sucks. Most reviews found the same results. There isn't a lot of performance gain in going up to 1866Mhz. But for a person spending 1.2L, I suppose it does matter and would expect it to.

IMO the SR2 would be better suited for the lower end configs.
 
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