Budget 21-30k PC for light programming

M

mithya

Recruit
What is your budget?

No clue what 30K gets you but I would like to spend 30K only. Or go for used PC.

What is your existing hardware configuration

32 inch Apple retina monitor.
38 inch LG ultra wide.
ThinkPad laptop and MacMini

Which hardware will you be keeping

38 inch LG monitor


Which hardware component are you looking to buy (component name).

CPU - cheapest with most cores between Intel and AMD.
Motherboard - any compatible motherboard
GPU - Not required.
PSU - Best Power Supply Units
RAM - 32GB
Cabinet

(please mention the rest in above format)

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

Yes, will upgrade the following within 2 years



CPU - AMD Ryzen 7/9 or Intel i7/9
Motherboard - compatible motherboard

Where will you buy this hardware? (Online/City/TE Dealer)
Mumbai/Pune/Online

What is your intended use for this PC/hardware

Browsing
Programming
AI/GPT training


Do you have any brand preference or dislike? Please name them and the reason for your preference/dislike.

None

If you will be playing games then which type of games will you be playing?

Strategy - Civilization 5/6, AoE new release

Are you looking to overclock?
Yes


Which operating system do you intend to use with this configuration?
Windows 10 64 bit
Linux - Mint/Arch
 
Get a HP 14s laptop with R3 5300U, upgrade RAM later, costs 36k, is good enough.

To play games like Civ6 or latest AoE well, you need a basic gaming rig which will cost upto 70k IMO - R5 5600 + 6600 (or used 6600 under 12k). They will run on a cheaper dGPU good enough as well, I guess used 1660 is like 8-9k but I feel used 6600 for under 12k is a better value. Anyways, your expectation might be 720p 30fps gaming, for which even cheaper GPU will suffice or iGPU of R5 5600G.

I don't know what used parts you might get for 30k, but if you buy everything used, an old 6 core CPU rig is possible. Like R5 3600 + B450 used rig will be good enough, will need a basic dGPU for CPUs w/o iGPU.

Even if you buy a new i3 12100 rig with a cheap mobo, you can't just upgrade to an i7 later w/o changing mobo. I mean, i7 will work for sure on H610, but max performance will be capped due to VRM throttling. Say an i7 13700K can consume 250W for full performance, it will run at maybe 90W on a cheap H610 mobo.

IMO revise expectations or budget.
 
There is an i5-9400f desktop being sold for 15k in classifieds (If I recall correctly) and it's gonna be enough for you not to mention the money you save in the deal.

FS: Processor - Selling PC config - i5-9400f

Selling out the PC with the specs listed below: CPU - i5 9400f Mobo - Gigabyte Z390 M UD RAM - HyperX Fury 8GB (8GBx1) DDR4 2400MHz SMPS - Corsair VS550 Case - Cooler Master MasterBox Lite 3.1 excluding GPU and HDD/SDD. No bill is available. Preferred buyer's location - UP & Delhi. (other...
techenclave.com techenclave.com
 
Used NUCs with i5 10500Ts go for 22k or so in the classifieds section as well, I think that's the best you can expect under 30k, if gaming is not a priority. UHD graphics have a little bit of grunt for gaming though. I'd definitely recommend upgrading to 32GB RAM.
 
If you don't want a nuc but need a desktop then i5 10th gen chips are going quite cheap. Just get new mobo, rams with it. If you need a gpu now then get something like a 1660 in used which should be fine for your use case. Nucs are good option as they have small form factor but would be very limited in gaming department.
 
OMEGA44-XT said:
Get a HP 14s laptop with R3 5300U, upgrade RAM later, costs 36k, is good enough.

To play games like Civ6 or latest AoE well, you need a basic gaming rig which will cost upto 70k IMO - R5 5600 + 6600 (or used 6600 under 12k). They will run on a cheaper dGPU good enough as well, I guess used 1660 is like 8-9k but I feel used 6600 for under 12k is a better value. Anyways, your expectation might be 720p 30fps gaming, for which even cheaper GPU will suffice or iGPU of R5 5600G.

I don't know what used parts you might get for 30k, but if you buy everything used, an old 6 core CPU rig is possible. Like R5 3600 + B450 used rig will be good enough, will need a basic dGPU for CPUs w/o iGPU.

Even if you buy a new i3 12100 rig with a cheap mobo, you can't just upgrade to an i7 later w/o changing mobo. I mean, i7 will work for sure on H610, but max performance will be capped due to VRM throttling. Say an i7 13700K can consume 250W for full performance, it will run at maybe 90W on a cheap H610 mobo.

IMO revise expectations or budget.
Click to expand...
Thanks, no laptops with U/mobile series.

Usually I have bought a great mobo with a cheap CPU to upgrade later. That's what I would do now as well.


Expectations revised :(
DestGod said:
Used NUCs with i5 10500Ts go for 22k or so in the classifieds section as well, I think that's the best you can expect under 30k, if gaming is not a priority. UHD graphics have a little bit of grunt for gaming though. I'd definitely recommend upgrading to 32GB RAM.
Click to expand...

Thanks, a NUC would be a great option but I couldn't find it anywhere in any of the offline stores here in Pune for under 35k. That's what I would definitely look for.
 
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mithya said:
Thanks, no laptops with U/mobile series.

Usually I have bought a great mobo with a cheap CPU to upgrade later. That's what I would do now as well.


Expectations revised :(


Thanks, a NUC would be a great option but I couldn't find it anywhere in any of the offline stores here in Pune for under 35k. That's what I would definitely look for.
Click to expand...
That R3 5300U will outperform any Pentium NUCs & close to i5 1135G7 in performance. Surely something like i5 10500T will be better but these are kind of used/renewed products that you will find. New ones with even i5 1135G7 will be much more than your budget.

People are selling mini PCs in TE classified section, check those.
 
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