Looking for good config to practice VMware.

B

blchn

Recruit
1.Q: What is your budget?
a.25K - only CPU (monitor, mouse, keyboard not required.)
2.Q: What is your existing hardware configuration (component name - component brand and model)

a.Processor: Intel Pentium 4
b.Motherboard - Intel GV915
c.GPU - 16MB
d.RAM - 1GB
e.Monitor - Samsung TFT
f.SMPS - not sure

(Not interested in upgrading the above.)

3.Q: Which hardware will you be keeping (component name - component brand and model)
Monitor, keyboard and mouse.
4.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.

I am following the thread <http://www.techenclave.com/pc-buying-advice/need-expert-advice-build-high-end-195392.html> and feel ok with the below configration but looks costlier, so want to trim down to my budget 25K..

CPU - Intel Core i5 2500K
Motherboard - ASUS P8Z68-V PRO
Cabinet- NZXT Gamma+ Cooler Master R4 120mm x 2(As came to know that NZXT Gamma does't come with any fan)
PSU - Corsair VX450
Hardisk - 2 HDD (1 TB Seagate )
CPU Cooler - Cooler Master Hyper 212+
RAM - G.Skill Ripjaws X 1600MHz CL9 4x2GB

5.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 componenta.Yes, will upgrade the following within 6 months

may be just the RAM to 16 GB after 6 months, if required.
6.Q: Where will you buy this hardware? (Online/City/TE Dealer)
a. Chennai
7.Q: Would you consider buying a second hand hardware from the TE marketa.

No
8.Q: What is your intended use for this PC/hardware
a. For practicing VMWare 4.0

9.Q: Do you have any brand preference or dislike? Please name them and the reason for your preference/dislike.
Nothing.

10.Q: If you will be playing games then which type of games will you be playing?
Very rare.
11.Q: What is your preferred monitor resolution for gaming and normal usage
Normal.
12.Q: Are you looking to overclock?
Depends, I prefer only if its not costlier...
13.Q: Which operating system do you intend to use with this configuration?

Will be running all of the below operating systems on VMs.

a. Windows 2008 R2
b. Novell Netware
c. Windows 7
d. MAC desktop

Thanks,
blchn
 
^^ AMD Phenom IIx6 1090T ~ 9500/-

Cooler Master Hyper 212+ ~ 1900/-

ASUS M4A88TD-V EVO/USB 3 ~ 7000/- [has SATA III and USB 3.0 on board]

Corsair XMS 3 1600MHz 4GB x 2 ~ 3200/-

AMD HD 6670 ~ 5500/-

Seagate Barracuda 7200.12 1TB ~ 2750/-

Corsair VX 450W / FSP Blue Storm Pro ~ 3500/- [both SMPS's are priced almost same here in Bangalore]

NZXT Gamma + 2 x fans ~ 2700/-

If you want an Intel option,

[your self configured rig is good]

AMD Thuban vs. Intel Sandy Bridge -- AnandTech - Bench - CPU.

All prices mentioned are inclusive taxes from S.P. Road, Bangalore.

You might want to wait till September-end, mid-October for this purchase as AMD FX-8*** / 6*** look like they might offer better value for VM-wares with their two cores = 1 module architecture, especially for multi-threaded madness as is your case.

Hope this helps, Sire.
 
Go for Intel. There are quite a few VMWare images which are designed for Intel-VT and do not support AMD-V natively. To get them to run by patching kernels can be a real pain. That said - if you are sure the VMWare images you are planning to run support AMD-V, it shouldn't be a problem.
 
i agree with this config.. you may look at getting 16 GB RAM, as many of the newer server OS images would need more than 2 GB to run smoothly... you can get 4 * 4 GB sticks.. i think the G-Skill Sniper 4 GB ram modules were selling quite cheaply..

for VM Ware .. RAM quantity should be more important than RAM performance

ALPHA17 said:
^^ AMD Phenom IIx6 1090T ~ 9500/-

Cooler Master Hyper 212+ ~ 1900/-

ASUS M4A88TD-V EVO/USB 3 ~ 7000/- [has SATA III and USB 3.0 on board]

Corsair XMS 3 1600MHz 4GB x 2 ~ 3200/-

AMD HD 6670 ~ 5500/-

Seagate Barracuda 7200.12 1TB ~ 2750/-

Corsair VX 450W / FSP Blue Storm Pro ~ 3500/- [both SMPS's are priced almost same here in Bangalore]

NZXT Gamma + 2 x fans ~ 2700/-

If you want an Intel option,

[your self configured rig is good]

AMD Thuban vs. Intel Sandy Bridge -- AnandTech - Bench - CPU.

All prices mentioned are inclusive taxes from S.P. Road, Bangalore.

You might want to wait till September-end, mid-October for this purchase as AMD FX-8*** / 6*** look like they might offer better value for VM-wares with their two cores = 1 module architecture, especially for multi-threaded madness as is your case.

Hope this helps, Sire.
Click to expand...
 
First, you don't need the i5 2500K. The i5 2500 should do in your case as you are not going to overclock.

Second, again since you are not going to overclock, you do not need an after market CPU cooler. So, save on that.

Third, once again, since you won't overclock, you do not need a Z68 based motherboard. The H67 will suffice. The Intel DH67BL3 retails for around 5500 INR max. It has both SATA III and USB 3.0. If you run out of SATA ports, you can always add a PCI Express SATA card for another 1000 INR.

Fourth, I suggest you get a bigger 520W PSU like Seasonic S12II 520W - INR 4500 max. Since you are going to be setting up VMs, you may need to increase your storage space later. I have had very bad experiences with large number of hard drives not getting adequate power.

Fifth, if you want to pick up additional RAM later, go for the 2x4GB config instead of 4x2GB. You can then add another 2 sticks of 4GB or two sticks of 8GB later. DDRIII RAM prices will keep reducing for sure.

Sixth, as you are not going to be playing games, you do not need a dedicated graphics card. DO NOT even think about it no matter what people say. The Intel HD 2000 IGP should provide enough muscle to watch HD movies on your computer.

Seventh, definitely go for Intel because running Mac OS even on VMWare is a breeze on Intel compared to AMD. I have had to load an AMD specific boot loader on a VM to run Snow Leopard because the host (physical) machine was powered by an AMD Phenom II. If you want to boot from Mac OS, definitely Intel. It is a lot easier.

These are just my suggestions. Spending the money is up to you. Its just that I see everybody here suggesting an aftermarket cooler and a dedicated Graphics card to everybody else. Overclocking is carried out by a handful of people. Everybody doesn't need that extra muscle. They don't use it.

The only expensive part that people commonly don't buy but should buy is the Power Supply Unit. In India, we still do not get clean power in a lot of places. A high-end PSU definitely keeps your computer safe and powered up.

On a personal note, my personal laptop's (XPS m1530) motherboard got fried. Planning to pick up a desktop since I have a 15" ThinkPad given by the office. I may pick it up this weekend or the next. I work on iOS apps, Android Apps, and C# desktop applications (not at work).

The config is:

Intel Core i5 2400

Intel DH67BL3 (mobo)

Corsair XMS3 2x4GB or Mushkin DDRIII 2x4GB (Mushkin 996770 8gb (2x4gb) DDR3 1333 LV 1.5v (Rs. 3320))

Seagate 1TB 7200.12

Seasonic S12II 520W

D-Link PCI Express Wi-Fi card (the router is not in my room)

NZXT Gamma

DELL U2311H (23" IPS panel monitor)

Lenovo wireless keyboard (I am a sucker for Lenovo products)

Logitech wireless mouse (haven't decided the model yet)
 
gauSs said:
First, you don't need the i5 2500K. The i5 2500 should do in your case as you are not going to overclock.

Second, again since you are not going to overclock, you do not need an after market CPU cooler. So, save on that.

Third, once again, since you won't overclock, you do not need a Z68 based motherboard. The H67 will suffice. The Intel DH67BL3 retails for around 4500 INR max. It has both SATA III and USB 3.0. If you run out of SATA ports, you can always add a PCI Express SATA card for another 1000 INR.

Fifth, if you want to pick up additional RAM later, go for the 2x4GB config instead of 4x2GB. You can then add another 2 sticks of 4GB or two sticks of 8GB later. DDRIII RAM prices will keep reducing for sure.

Sixth, as you are not going to be playing games, you do not need a dedicated graphics card. DO NOT even think about it no matter what people say. The Intel HD 2000 IGP should provide enough muscle to watch HD movies on your computer.

These are just my suggestions. Spending the money is up to you. Its just that I see everybody here suggesting an aftermarket cooler and a dedicated Graphics card to everybody else. Overclocking is carried out by a handful of people. Everybody doesn't need that extra muscle. They don't use it.
Click to expand...

Sire, read the requirements of the OP he has listed them very clearly --

ALPHA17 said:
Corsair XMS 3 1600MHz 4GB x 2 ~ 3200/-
Click to expand...

For RAM I've told him clearly to get 2 x 4GB Corsair XMS3 1600 MHz.

For games he has said he might play games, the Intel HD 2000 is a hopeless cripple on that point.

blchn said:
Q: If you will be playing games then which type of games will you be playing?

Very rare.
Q: Are you looking to overclock?

Depends, I prefer only if its not costlier...
Click to expand...

He has said he will like to dabble in over-clocking if it easy, and the Intel Core k series of processors are easy to push in most cases @stock voltages, the Cooler Master Hyper 212+ is for the following reason, Intel stock HSF packages are a joke, atleast AMD ones have two copper heat-pipes reaching in contact with a copper base CPU CPU Cooler Guide For Sandy Bridge!! - Digit Technology Discussion Forum.
 
Sorry if I hurt any feelings. I was just sharing my point of view. (AS you know, Opinion is an A**ole)

Dedicated graphics card is after all a matter of personal preference (I give up on this one). By the way, that can be added later.

Overclocking again goes the same way (personal preference)

As far as aftermarket CPU cooler is concerned, benchmarks, appearances, and real world performances are totally different things (at least in most cases). The Sandy Bridge stock HSF may look like a joke but does its job if everything else (like adequate case fans) is in place thanks to its low TDP:

I5 2500K Stock cooler - CPUs - CPU-Components
 
^^ You did not hurt feelings, I just said that if OP is going to stress his CPU, its much better if OP gets a after-market cooler the over all temperatures will go down as well [across the board] and OP can overclock easily as much as he want.
 
Thanks Guys, suggestion really helps.

@GauSs and Alpha17, special thanks.

I really dont play games and dont need a dedicated graphics card as of now, i may consider it as an option in future if I am gonna upgrade, as suggested.

Let me stick with Intel i5 processor.

If VMs are gonna run without any hassle then I dont need overclocking as well.

moreover, its out of my budget. :-(

So, do i need Cooler Master Hyper 212+ as I dont prefer k processors (just curious to know)?

I okay with PSU Seasonic S12II 520W and rest all config is good.

Please help.

Regards,

blchn..

--- Updated Post - Automerged ---

Also, please suggest me a reasonable retailer in chennai where I can buy...

Thanks,

blchn.
 
So now, since K series is out of the list, the stock cooler should suffice.

Anyways, a point that I missed out earlier was that the K series processors do not support Intel vPro, Intel VT-d, and Intel Trusted Execution Technology. The K series are purely for multimedia performance.

Your VMs will need more RAM so keep adding in the sticks overtime. Overclocking is not required. If you feel the i5 2400 (3.1-3.4 GHz, 6MB cache) is not sufficient, you can swap it out for an i7 2600 (it is more closer to the 15k mark) later.

People, please suggest good dealers or locations in Chennai. I am not aware of shops in Chennai.

Good luck with your build.
 
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