Need to buy a desktop for my brother 50k, General Usage (laptop idea dropped)

[mjumrani]

Hey guys,

I need to buy a Desktop, assembled of course, for my brother now, since he dropped the laptop idea.

Budget: 50k (Doesn't mean I want to spend all 50k)

Usage: Web surfing, Music, HD movies, Download Rig (But not necessarily 24x7), Gaming(Low-Mid level, if ever, eg. The latest FIFA), General video format conversions(rare)

Future Upgrade: None for a couple of years

Buying Location: New Delhi, all at once

Second Hand Interest: None

Brand Preference: A.S.S. is very important, my brother won't run around much unlike us.

Overclocking: None

OS: Windows 7 Ultimate x64

Other Consideration: Max warranty wherever possible, eg. Corsair PSUs have a log and good warranty so would prefer same or similar. Reliability is very important.



What all is required:

Cabinet (Good quality, Light, Decent-Good looking, Tool free, Should have space to upgrade capacity(HDD) in future)

CPU (LGA1155, Sandy bridge)

Motherboard (Any motherboard with DVI-D and/or HDMI out, Should be able to handle long hours of normal running)

RAM (I think I'll give my brother 4GB of my ram, I think that should do, if not please do mention the same)

HDD (1 for OS, 1 for storage or combined, 500GB-1TB, only if budget permits then SSD)

GPU (w/ HDMI output)

PSU

Monitor (22" - 24", IPS panel if possible, HDMI output would be a good feature, Full HD preferred)

Wireless Keyboard + Mouse combo (for general usage only, laser mouse not required)

UPS

Sound Card (If budget permits and only if it would make a real difference with the speakers)

Speakers (Good 2.1/5.1 with good bass)

DVD-RW

And anything else that I might be missing

Note: Guys I really have no idea what is good nowadays and what the prices are. I've been out of this game for too long (Office just kills you )

Thanks a ton

 

[Hades.]

Processor Intel Core i5 2500 10200

Motherboard Intel DH67BL (B3) 5200

RAM Corsair Value DDR3 1333MHz CL9 2x2GB 1800

GPU MSI HD6850 Cyclone PE/OC 9500

HDD Seagate 7200.12 1TB 2700

Cabinet NZXT Gamma 2100

Monitor BenQ G2220HD 7400

PSU Seasonic S12II 430w 3000

Keyboard Any Good Wireless Logitech K&M Combo 1-2k

Mouse

Speakers Altec Lansing VS2621 1500

DVD Writer Samsung 950

Total 45350 / 46350

I really dont think that he requires an IPS Panel monitor for normal usage... If he would have been doing any animation course then it would have made sense to buy an IPS monitor but for his normal usage a TN panel monitor would suffice... Plus i think Core i3 2100 would suffice for his usage but as he is not gonna upgrade his rig anytime soon then a quadcore would be better...

 

[ALPHA17]

Another option --

Core i5 2400 ~ 9500/-

Gigabyte GA-H67M-D2-B3 ~ 5500/-

Corsair ValueRAM 1333MHz CL9 4GB x 1 ~ 1900/- (yes I'm recommending a single 4GB stick as the board I've suggested has only got dual RAM slots so upgrading later will be a pain)

Sapphire HD 6850 ~ 9500/-

Seagate Barracuda 7200.12 1TB ~ 2700/- OR 500GB x 2 ~ 3400/- [the dual hard drives introduce redundancy into play, this can affect how the drives perform as well as data security, RAID explained -- RAID - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia]

NZXT Gamma ~ 2100/- + 2 x 120mm Cooler Master R4's ~ 600/- [as the NZXT Gamma doesn't come with more than one exhaust fan, your brother will have to set-up a good airflow using a few extra fans for intake or exhaust]

Cooler Master Real Power Pro 460W ~ 3500/- OR Corsair VX 450W ~ 3700/- [good to have a little cushion because your cousin might want to add some extra hard drives himself as you mentioned].

BenQ E2220HD ~ 8200/- [has HDMI out]

Logitech / Microsoft basic wireless combo ~ 2000/-

[No idea on speakers so no suggests]

Samsung / LG OEM DVD drive ~ 1000/-

Hope this helps.

1) As your brother hasn't got a need for over-clocking, no -k marked processor, and really performance between i5 2400 and i5 2500 isn't a deal breaker.

2) An IPS panel will not be needed. By the way Sir how old is this cousin of yours, just out of curiosity.

 

[mjumrani]

Processor Intel Core i5 2500 10200

Motherboard Intel DH67BL (B3) 5200 How is this board compared to the Gigabyte ones and Asus ones in the same price range?

RAM Corsair Value DDR3 1333MHz CL9 2x2GB 1800 If I use the 2 of the sticks from my config and underclock them, will that be good enough?

GPU MSI HD6850 Cyclone PE/OC 9500 Isn't 6850 sort of an overkill since he might not ever game on it?

HDD Seagate 7200.12 1TB 2700 How effected will the OS be if its installed on the same drive?

Cabinet NZXT Gamma 2100 Is there one available with a sleeker design?

Monitor BenQ G2220HD 7400 Anything in Dell or is this better than them?

PSU Seasonic S12II 430w 3000 How is the warranty?

Keyboard Any Good Wireless Logitech K&M Combo 1-2k

Mouse

Speakers Altec Lansing VS2621 1500

DVD Writer Samsung 950

Total 45350 / 46350

I really dont think that he requires an IPS Panel monitor for normal usage... If he would have been doing any animation course then it would have made sense to buy an IPS monitor but for his normal usage a TN panel monitor would suffice... Plus i think Core i3 2100 would suffice for his usage but as he is not gonna upgrade his rig anytime soon then a quadcore would be better...

Another option --

Core i5 2400 ~ 9500/-

Gigabyte GA-H67M-D2-B3 ~ 5500/-

Corsair ValueRAM 1333MHz CL9 4GB x 1 ~ 1900/- (yes I'm recommending a single 4GB stick as the board I've suggested has only got dual RAM slots so upgrading later will be a pain)

Sapphire HD 6850 ~ 9500/- Isn't 6850 an overkill in my brother's case?

Seagate Barracuda 7200.12 1TB ~ 2700/- OR 500GB x 2 ~ 3400/- [the dual hard drives introduce redundancy into play, this can affect how the drives perform as well as data security, RAID explained -- RAID - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia] Most probably wont look into RAID. Might go for 500GB x 2 if OS will perform better

NZXT Gamma ~ 2100/- + 2 x 120mm Cooler Master R4's ~ 600/- [as the NZXT Gamma doesn't come with more than one exhaust fan, your brother will have to set-up a good airflow using a few extra fans for intake or exhaust] Any other sleeker case?

Cooler Master Real Power Pro 460W ~ 3500/- OR Corsair VX 450W ~ 3700/- [good to have a little cushion because your cousin might want to add some extra hard drives himself as you mentioned]. He won't be adding anything. I have to assemble it. He is a total noob when it comes to all this. BTW he is my blood brother

BenQ E2220HD ~ 8200/- [has HDMI out]

Logitech / Microsoft basic wireless combo ~ 2000/-

[No idea on speakers so no suggests]

Samsung / LG OEM DVD drive ~ 1000/-

Hope this helps.

1) As your brother hasn't got a need for over-clocking, no -k marked processor, and really performance between i5 2400 and i5 2500 isn't a deal breaker.

2) An IPS panel will not be needed. By the way Sir how old is this cousin of yours, just out of curiosity. He just turned 18

Thank you for the replies.

My questions are in bold. I'm sorry that I'm asking so many questions :ashamed:

 

[ALPHA17]

^^ No it is good that you're asking sensible questions rather than piecemeal queries which will make this thread run into pages --

Graphics card [why the HD 6850] -- Okay lets get cracking on your brothers requirements, if gaming FIFA down the line, he thinks he wants to play other games as well any graphic card below the HD 6850 will fall short in the long run. So that is why Hades and self recommended the same.

RAID and dual hard disks -- See RAID depends on how you'll align it, if you put your two discs in RAID 0[striping] you'll an increment in the speed of the hard-disks [read / write], while in RAID 1[mirroring], your data will be saved in dual on both hard drives so if one goes down you can use the other mirror drive to get your system up in as little time as possible. I personally use two hard drives in no particular RAID array, one has my music collection + important documents, while the other hard disk runs all programs, so in case my OS gets a virus my data is relatively safe on the other hard disk from a hard format [in which I format my OS drive].

Cabinet -- No will not recommend any other case as your components will generate an ample amount of heat, don't want your components fried do you.

Assembly and SMPS -- any-body can get smitten by the computer bug, you don't know what your brother my end up doing on his own, please don't underestimate anyone's potential, I was a n00b too once.

Hope this answers your query Sire and hope I did not offend you.

 

[Hades.]

How is this board compared to the Gigabyte ones and Asus ones in the same price range?

There are no board in the same price range which offers features like four ram slots , EFI BIOS , USB3 + Sata3... MSI H67MA-E35 is another good board for 4.7k but it doesn't have 4 Ram slots... and Asus & Gigabyte boards cost 7.5k and above and offers the same features that the Intel DH67BL offers at 5.2k...

If I use the 2 of the sticks from my config and underclock them, will that be good enough?

Yes you can use them if you have DDR3 Rams... And dont worry H67 boards support max 1333MHz memory so the RAMS would automatically get underclocked you dont have to do anything... if you want you can lower the timings to 7-7-7-21...

Isn't 6850 sort of an overkill since he might not ever game on it?

Its the best VFM card... But if your friend doesn't want to play games at all or would do casual gaming than HD6770 ~ 6.8k would suffice... But it would be better if your friend would buy HD6850 as it would be able to handle future Fifa games that your friend likes at HD resolution at its more powerful than HD6770...

How effected will the OS be if its installed on the same drive?

No not at all... You can create two two three partitions if you want... On one partition you can install OS and on other two partions you can save you movies and stuff...

Is there one available with a sleeker design?

What do you mean by sleeker design? Its a best VFM cabby... it has good airflow , side ways HDD bays and enough room to take in huge graphic cards like GTX580/HD6970... And its neither too small nor too big... But if your friend is willing to spend a little bit more money then he should consider CM 690 ~ 4.3k its better than NZXT Gamma but huge...

Anything in Dell or is this better than them?

No... its the best in 7k price range... Plus has better color reproduction than the Dell monitor which costs more than this monitor...

How is the warranty?

5 Years and the RMA is handled by Tirupati

I hope, i have answered all your queries so i think your friend can go ahead and buy all the components that i have suggested...

 

[mjumrani]

^^ No it is good that you're asking sensible questions rather than piecemeal queries which will make this thread run into pages --

Graphics card [why the HD 6850] -- Okay lets get cracking on your brothers requirements, if gaming FIFA down the line, he thinks he wants to play other games as well any graphic card below the HD 6850 will fall short in the long run. So that is why Hades and self recommended the same.

RAID and dual hard disks -- See RAID depends on how you'll align it, if you put your two discs in RAID 0[striping] you'll an increment in the speed of the hard-disks [read / write], while in RAID 1[mirroring], your data will be saved in dual on both hard drives so if one goes down you can use the other mirror drive to get your system up in as little time as possible. I personally use two hard drives in no particular RAID array, one has my music collection + important documents, while the other hard disk runs all programs, so in case my OS gets a virus my data is relatively safe on the other hard disk from a hard format [in which I format my OS drive].

Cabinet -- No will not recommend any other case as your components will generate an ample amount of heat, don't want your components fried do you. Agreed, I do not want them to become excessively hot. Is there a better looking Cabinet by any chance that might suit my needs?

Assembly and SMPS -- any-body can get smitten by the computer bug, you don't know what your brother my end up doing on his own, please don't underestimate anyone's potential, I was a n00b too once. I was noob too once, but my brother is a lot more into music and has never shown any inclination towards it. Good frankly.

Hope this answers your query Sire and hope I did not offend you. No dude, why would it

There are no board in the same price range which offers features like four ram slots , EFI BIOS , USB3 + Sata3... MSI H67MA-E35 is another good board for 4.7k but it doesn't have 4 Ram slots... and Asus & Gigabyte boards cost 7.5k and above and offers the same features that the Intel DH67BL offers at 5.2k... Thanks Hades. Intel it is
Yes you can use them if you have DDR3 Rams... And dont worry H67 boards support max 1333MHz memory so the RAMS would automatically get underclocked you dont have to do anything... if you want you can lower the timings to 7-7-7-21... Can I do that on Intel boards? I thought they weren't very friendly when it came to these things...
Its the best VFM card... But if your friend doesn't want to play games at all or would do casual gaming than HD6770 ~ 6.8k would suffice... But it would be better if your friend would buy HD6850 as it would be able to handle future Fifa games that your friend likes at HD resolution at its more powerful than HD6770... Fair enough.
No not at all... You can create two two three partitions if you want... On one partition you can install OS and on other two partions you can save you movies and stuff...
What do you mean by sleeker design? Its a best VFM cabby... it has good airflow , side ways HDD bays and enough room to take in huge graphic cards like GTX580/HD6970... And its neither too small nor too big... But if your friend is willing to spend a little bit more money then he should consider CM 690 ~ 4.3k its better than NZXT Gamma but huge... I was thinking more on lines of slimmer, so it takes less space or at least a better looking one. Huge GPUs will never come into this system. He is just not into it.

The system has to have a smaller profile else Dad will push me into getting an Inspiron for my brother all because it has a smaller profile

No... its the best in 7k price range... Plus has better color reproduction than the Dell monitor which costs more than this monitor...
5 Years and the RMA is handled by Tirupati

I hope, i have answered all your queries so i think your friend can go ahead and buy all the components that i have suggested...

Thanks again.
Questions and/or answers in bold

 

[ALPHA17]

My answers are in standard type with the subject in Bold italicized.

 

[Hades.]

Can I do that on Intel boards? I thought they weren't very friendly when it came to these things...

Yes you would be able to do it...

I was thinking more on lines of slimmer, so it takes less space or at least a better looking one. Huge GPUs will never come into this system. He is just not into it.

Most slimmer cases dont have good airflow... And as far as looks are concerned then yes Gamma looks a bit ugly but offers features which no other cabinets offer in the same price range... And to be honest how many times would your friend would see this cabby?... I have stopped doing this a long ago... I bought this cabby to put in my expensive components thats all... Looks doesn't matter to me much than functionality... If you want you can visit Prime ABGB and have a look at this cabby... Its really not too big trust me... Its slightly bigger than those Generic iBall/Zebronics cabby but not huge like Haf X or NZXT Tempest EVO... But still if your friend wants a good looking cabinet than a cabinet with better functionality then he should consider CM Elite 430... But i wouldn't recommend this cabby as it doesn't have side ways HDD bays and Good space behind motherboard tray for cable management...

 

[vip]

CPU: Intel Core i5-2400 ~8500

Motherboard: Intel DH67BL (B3) ~4800

GPU: Sapphire HD6790 ~8000

Monitor: Aoc e2243Fwk ~7500

Memory:Kingston 2*2GB 1333mhz/Gskill F3-12800CL9S-2GBXL 2*2GB DDR3 ~1600/1850

SMPS: Cooler master GX-450 PSU ~3300

Cabinet: Cooler Elite 310 ~1500

HDD: Seagate 7200.12 1TB ~ 2700

KB+M: Logitech MK260 ~1150

UPS:APC 650 VA ~2975

Speakers 2.1:Logitech Z323/Altac Lansing VS4621/Edifier X600 or P3060 ~2600/3200/2400/2600

DVD-RW: Liteon/LG ~950

Total ~46k

Mobo alternatives Gigabyte H67MA-USB3-B3/Asus P8H67-M PRO ~7300/7800

NZXT source 210 at primeabgb u have call to check availability

 

[Hades.]

i5 2400 for 8.5k? Where or is it a typo?

 

[vip]

No,its not typo.If u buy cpu+mobo combo at costtocost u'll get i5 2400 for 8.5k.

 

[mjumrani]

Is there an option of a GPU under Zotac? I would really want the maximum warranty I can get...

And is Zotac A.S.S. any good?

Building the PC is postponed till end-August. Will confirm the config once again before building.

 

[Hades.]

Zotac cards come with 2yrs warranty and you get additional 3 years warranty if you would register the card on their site under specific period... I dont know whether people even get that addition three years warranty or not... Some few months back Zotac warranty came under suspicion when Sapphire (Aditya Infotech) refused to RMA someones card which was 2.2 years old and said that Sapphire cards only comes with two years parts warranty... So ppl raised concerns over Zotac warranty that "Do they even provide addtional Three years Parts Warranty?" The Zotac Additional 3 Years Warranty is still under suspicion as no one has yet RMA'ed their card after lapsing of official 2 years warranty... Its a pretty old story but i thought of sharing it...

So i would advice you to buy an MSI card over Zotac card...

 

[mjumrani]

A few questions,

Is 4GB ram enough to run Win 7 x64 Ultimate?

I need a cabinet which is better looking and has good airflow besides being tooless when compared to NZXT Gamma. If possible, lighter too. Suggestions?

Which is better between BenQ G2220HD and E2220HD?

As of now, the config is:

Processor - Intel i5 2400

Motherboard - Intel DH67BL (B3)

RAM - Corsair Value DDR3 1333MHz CL9 2x2GB

GPU - Sapphire HD 6850

HDD - Seagate Barracuda 7200.12 1TB

HDD - Seagate Barracuda 7200.12 500GB

Monitor -BenQ E2220HD

Cabinet - NZXT Gamma

PSU - Corsair VX 450W

Input - Logitech Wireless Combo

DVD-RW - Any OEM Samsung/LG

UPS - APC 650VA

 

[vantheman5211]

^^ 4 gig ram is enough afaik.

As for cabinet with good airflow check out nzxt phantom and nzxt lexa.both however are a bit costlier than the gamma.

 

[mjumrani]

Dude phantom is a full tower. Way too much of an overkill.

Lexa looks good but I am in Delhi. I do not know if there is a dealer of NXZT here.

 

[vantheman5211]

Dude phantom is a full tower. Way too much of an overkill.

Lexa looks good but I am in Delhi. I do not know if there is a dealer of NXZT here.

Contact prime.afaik they can ship the cabinet to you.yep lexa is a real slick looking cabinet.

 

[mjumrani]

Have to assemble on monday. So can't ask prime. They would have never been able to ship that fast and whats the point if i spend 1k on shipping. Might as well get something better here.

So CM seems to be the only option unless there are any NXZT dealers in Nehru Place.

 

[mjumrani]

Bump for advice!!!