Need Urgent tips regarding good Lamington Road shops to buy entire rig

thedesolater

Disciple
Hi,
I am a noob buying my PC for the first time at Lammy (all on the basis of what I have read here at TE)
There is an ancient thread from 2005 that lists good shops at Lammy . from it I got the impression that Prime is the biggest but a bit pricey, while Computer Selection has good prices and service, Mahavir Electronics is the cheapest . And then there are also others like Cassette World, R.K. Infosys.
From the recent price lists, most of the prices are frm Prime and some from ITwares i.e E-lounge and also from some shop named Dynamic Computers. What about the other shops listed above ? Have they gone out of favour or are my conclusions about them right and still valid ?

Anyway I am going there myself to discover tomorrow morning. So if any suggestions about shops, please post ASAP!

PS: My to be rig:

Processor Intel Core i3 2100 Sandy Bridge
MotherBoard Intel DH67BL- B3 | MSI H67 MA e35 -B3
RAM Corsair DDR3 1333 Ram 2 X 2G RAM
Graphic Card XFX ATI RADEON HD5450 1GB DDR3
SMPS Corsair cx 430 w
HDD Seagate 1Tb harddisk
DVD Writer LG 24x SATA Super Multi DVD writer
TV Tuner Intex Internal TV tuner Card
Speakers Altec Lansing VS2621
Keyboard and Mouse ?
Cabinet Cooler MAster Elite 310 | Zebronics Bijli
Monitor Benq G2222HDL
UPS I ball (?)
 
Primeabgb... If you are sure to buy from them then I can have a chat with swapnil (primeabgb) for some discount.

From your PSU choice, I say rather get Corsair CX400

And why do you need 2x2gb ram?? You can get a Vengeance 4gb ram 1600mhz at 2050 ( will sound bit repetitive, but as offer is on, then you have the best hardware on hands)
 
Basic Doubt: CX430 is 430 watt while CX400 is 400 watt, isnt 430watt>400watt and hence shouldnt CX430 be better and costlier ? I find that it is the opposite .
And cant afford a better gpu man.... getting out of budget.
I didnt go today ....chickened out because of the rains, didnt want to take the adventure of having to possibly walk back to thane along the tracks. Ill definitely post the rates that I find
@chiragsthakur: I will pm you if its PrimeAbgb :)
 
thedesolater said:
Basic Doubt: CX430 is 430 watt while CX400 is 400 watt, isnt 430watt>400watt and hence shouldnt CX430 be better and costlier ? I find that it is the opposite .

And cant afford a better gpu man.... getting out of budget.

I didnt go today ....chickened out because of the rains, didnt want to take the adventure of having to possibly walk back to thane along the tracks. Ill definitely post the rates that I find

@chiragsthakur: I will pm you if its PrimeAbgb :)
CX400 is Seasonic OEM PSU whereas the new CX series (CX430,CX500 etc) are CWT OEM PSU's. CX400 is better than CX430.. never go on the description of the PSU, since manufacturers are smart enough to name those psu on the higher side than what actually the PSU is capable of (not always the case, eg. VX450 and VX550 are capable of delivering more than what they are named). Always check the Amp rating on the +12v rail (if 2 +12v then add that amp rating and check).. More the amp rating better is the PSU. Also check for efficiency mentioned by the manufacturer and if 80+ then see at what temperature is the efficiency given. Temperature rating should be minimum 40 dc for gaming PC's whereas for an HTPC even CX430's or CX500's will be more than enough as they are rated at 30 dc.

Now a days IMO we should always look for a PSU with minimum 27A on 12v rail for an HTPC . The calculation is simple. Most of our PC components get their power from 12v rail. If your 12 volt rail can provide say 27A with 80% efficiency, then PSU is capable of delivering 12v x 27A = 324W. We should know what are components are we using and what is its TDP. Summing up all the TDP and cross checking with the total output power of your PSU can help someone to decide the right PSU for his/her system.

Hope you got my point.
 
chiragsthakur said:
CX400 is Seasonic OEM PSU whereas the new CX series (CX430,CX500 etc) are CWT OEM PSU's. CX400 is better than CX430.. never go on the description of the PSU, since manufacturers are smart enough to name those psu on the higher side than what actually the PSU is capable of (not always the case, eg. VX450 and VX550 are capable of delivering more than what they are named). Always check the Amp rating on the +12v rail (if 2 +12v then add that amp rating and check).. More the amp rating better is the PSU. Also check for efficiency mentioned by the manufacturer and if 80+ then see at what temperature is the efficiency given. Temperature rating should be minimum 40 dc for gaming PC's whereas for an HTPC even CX430's or CX500's will be more than enough as they are rated at 30 dc.
Now a days IMO we should always look for a PSU with minimum 27A on 12v rail for an HTPC . The calculation is simple. Most of our PC components get their power from 12v rail. If your 12 volt rail can provide say 27A with 80% efficiency, then PSU is capable of delivering 12v x 27A = 324W. We should know what are components are we using and what is its TDP. Summing up all the TDP and cross checking with the total output power of your PSU can help someone to decide the right PSU for his/her system.

Hope you got my point.
Got all of that. But this is taking it out of my budget.
The 2.3 K that i was going to spend for CX430 itself was a stretch. The pc is max going to be used for HD movies sometimes and games rarely, rest of the time only day to day borwsing and other non intensive work. Cx400 and the other is too much. Can you suggest cheaper alternatives or some other changes to reign in my budget if iCX400 is that essential.
 
If you arent going to upgrade to a powerful GPU for an year or so from now, then CX430 is more than enough for your system. Cheap alternatives are FSP SAGA 400 or GIGABYTE SUPERB 460.. But if already you have corsair CX430 in your mind, I say get it... Dont look for anything else...Just get it
 
If after sales support is a requirement, i.e, incase something goes wrong and u need ur hardware back for replacement, primes after sales support is amazing. They allow you to bring in your entire system and do a complete check for you.
I have most bought parts from prompt computers cause my rapport with Bharat is awesome. He own other 3 shops at lamington itself.
everyone else asks you to take stuff to the service centre yourself. Modera at one time had a policy of returning at their own service centre, dunno if that still exists. Thier products r always genuine though a bit pricey at times.
 
I am getting an almost amazing deal at dynamic computers . He is giving me all the above - UPS, - Speakers,-TV tuner card, -web cam which i will add later
Processor Intel Core i3 2100 Sandy Bridge
MotherBoard Intel DH67BL- B3 | MSI H67 MA e35 -B3
RAM Corsair DDR3 1333 Ram 2 X 2G RAM
Graphic Card XFX ATI RADEON HD5450 1GB DDR3
SMPS Corsair cx 430 w
HDD Seagate 1Tb harddisk
DVD Writer LG 24x SATA Super Multi DVD writer
Keyboard and Mouse -local maal
Cabinet Cooler MAster Elite 310 | Zebronics Bijli
Monitor Benq G2222HDL

for 27250 . (will post the best prices and where i got them from later)
The shopkeeper then tried to confuse me by asking me to buy AMD Phenom II X2 550 Black Edition saying it has larger cache memory. He said this is a better processor and he would give Proc + Gigabyte mobo at the same rate (which i am definitely sure that the amd thing is cheaper and hence he is suggesting). Is this right ?

Besides going by this rate, i would be able to spend 4-5K more , any suggestions for better cpu+ mobo or graphics card / asa result of which i will need a better smps?

Would going to i5 require me to buy a better SMPS
Criteria: I will NOT be overclocking EVER and if ever I will buy a complete new rig, so only consider the present rig while giving suggestions.
 
As far as i know, i3 is better than the phenom ii mentioned in most aspects. If possible, go for a getter GPU like ATI 5670 which will cost around 4k (just 1.6k more than the 5450 according to theitwares' price). It will be a good entry-level gaming card, perfect for someone who plays games rarely like you. And no, you can easily upgrade to an i5 without needing to upgrade the SMPS.
The i5 will cost you roughly 3.5-3.8k more, so totally if you make these 2 upgrades, it should cost you around 5-5.5k more. The motherboard seems good enough, go for the MSI one if possible. Total price seems to be good. But if you dont play games at all, you can skip the GPU upgrade, though you will not be able to play any recent game if you feel like playing after a year, say. For casual use, even the i3 will suffice, but if you feel you can make the extra investment, it will last you longer. :)
 
rhlravi said:
As far as i know, i3 is better than the phenom ii mentioned in most aspects. If possible, go for a getter GPU like ATI 5670 which will cost around 4k (just 1.6k more than the 5450 according to theitwares' price). It will be a good entry-level gaming card, perfect for someone who plays games rarely like you. And no, you can easily upgrade to an i5 without needing to upgrade the SMPS.
The i5 will cost you roughly 3.5-3.8k more, so totally if you make these 2 upgrades, it should cost you around 5-5.5k more. The motherboard seems good enough, go for the MSI one if possible. Total price seems to be good. But if you dont play games at all, you can skip the GPU upgrade, though you will not be able to play any recent game if you feel like playing after a year, say. For casual use, even the i3 will suffice, but if you feel you can make the extra investment, it will last you longer. :)
Thanks for that info . I think I will go and get the predicided rig only. The 5K that i am saving from my budget remains saved only till I go with the existing config and not splurge it on something better :p

By the way, Intel Core i3-2100 vs. AMD Phenom II X2 565 | silentpcreview.com made it perfectly clear that i3 -2100 is the winner in that battle.

As for prices:
Processor Intel Core i3 2100 Sandy Bridge + MotherBoard Intel DH67BL- B3 -9250
Processor Intel Core i3 2100 Sandy Bridge + MotherBoard MSI H67 MA e35 -B3 -9050
RAM Corsair DDR3 1333 Ram 2 X 2G RAM -2000
Graphic Card XFX ATI RADEON HD5450 1GB DDR3 -2000
SMPS Corsair cx 430 w -2000
HDD Seagate 1Tb harddisk -2550
DVD Writer LG 24x SATA Super Multi DVD writer -950
Keyboard and Mouse -local maal -300
Cabinet Cooler MAster Elite 310 | Zebronics Bijli -1500
Monitor Benq G2222HDL -7000, (6875 cassete world)
(all non vat)
All these prices are Mahaveer Electronics though Dynamic Computers matched them when I showed him this and he was also giving assembling free and a few other freebies.

Altec Lansing vs 2621 - 1550 (casette world)
Avermedia TV tuner - 1100 (prime)
 
No need of different PSU if you are planning to stretch to i5... My friend is running i5 2500 (not the K version though) on CX430. I suggest you better get a phenom 965be (6400/-) or 955be(5600/-) with some 4Kish mobo. It will cost you more or less the same as the i3 combo... and add that 4 or 5k of yours to get 5670 or 6670, suggesting you this gfx cards since you are buying G2222hdl
 
thedesolater said:
Thanks for that info . I think I will go and get the predicided rig only. The 5K that i am saving from my budget remains saved only till I go with the existing config and not splurge it on something better :p

By the way, Intel Core i3-2100 vs. AMD Phenom II X2 565 | silentpcreview.com made it perfectly clear that i3 -2100 is the winner in that battle.

As for prices:

Processor Intel Core i3 2100 Sandy Bridge + MotherBoard Intel DH67BL- B3 -9250

Processor Intel Core i3 2100 Sandy Bridge + MotherBoard MSI H67 MA e35 -B3 -9050

RAM Corsair DDR3 1333 Ram 2 X 2G RAM -2000

Graphic Card XFX ATI RADEON HD5450 1GB DDR3 -2000

SMPS Corsair cx 430 w -2000

HDD Seagate 1Tb harddisk -2550

DVD Writer LG 24x SATA Super Multi DVD writer -950

Keyboard and Mouse -local maal -300

Cabinet Cooler MAster Elite 310 | Zebronics Bijli -1500

Monitor Benq G2222HDL -7000, (6875 cassete world)

(all non vat)

All these prices are Mahaveer Electronics though Dynamic Computers matched them when I showed him this and he was also giving assembling free and a few other freebies.

Altec Lansing vs 2621 - 1550 (casette world)

Avermedia TV tuner - 1100 (prime)
Yes, why spend more on something you dont even need just because your budget permits? You are doing the right thing in my opinion. If possible, go for the NZXT Gamma cabinet. Should cost you around 450/- (Around 2000-2050 inclusive of VAT) more than the CM elite 310. It is a much better quality cabinet according what people say here. I own it too and i think it is worth the extra few hundreds. All other prices and components seem good. (RAM rate has increased by 100?). Shouldn't be major price differences on other components.
 
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