Is it okay to buy Xeon 1245 due to non-availability of 1231 and 1246 in my country?

[Spacebit]

I live in India and 1231 and 1246 are not available here. They were for a brief period but prices were way more than listed in Intel website ($80 and $140 more respectively, and much more in some other websites).
The 1245 is available and the price is fair.
But as it is not manufactured anymore I am not sure if I should buy it.

 

[Geekwad]

Is it a v2 or v3 (curious)? Even with straight 1245, the Sandy is still a hard working processor and I wouldn't hesitate to use it if that's what fits your budget. What will it be used for? What kinds of applications/programs will you be running?

 

[cub_fanatic]

I am assuming you are talking about the Xeon E3-1245 [v1] Sandy Bridge 32nm version and you have an 1155 motherboard. If the price is a lot cheaper than a LGA 1155 i7 such as the 3770/3770k and 2600/2700k then it is worth it. Also, if you specifically need a Xeon chip for whatever reason over a consumer i7 then it is worth it as well. But, if you just need a quad core, 8 thread CPU for cheap and the i7's are in the same price range or less, I'd definitely choose the i7. If your motherboard supports Ivy Bridge, I'd also shop around for the E3-1230v2. That is what I am running in my main PC right now and I got it last year for $225 (USD) which is the same as what an i5-3570 costs. The 1230v2 might be a little easier to find since it is a bit newer. It is also the same clock speed as the E3-1245.

 

[Geekwad]

Now that's a sweet machine:

• 
  IBM PC AT, Intel 80286 running at 6 MHz,
  256kb of RAM,
  20MB hard disk,
  2x 1.2MB 5.25 in. floppy drives,
  Enhanced Graphics Adapter (EGA),
  running PC-DOS 3.0,
  IBM 5170 AT case and power supply,
  IBM Model M mechanical keyboard,
  Epson MX-80 Dot Matrix Printer

 

[cub_fanatic]

Now that's a sweet machine:

• 
  IBM PC AT, Intel 80286 running at 6 MHz,
  256kb of RAM,
  20MB hard disk,
  2x 1.2MB 5.25 in. floppy drives,
  Enhanced Graphics Adapter (EGA),
  running PC-DOS 3.0,
  IBM 5170 AT case and power supply,
  IBM Model M mechanical keyboard,
  Epson MX-80 Dot Matrix Printer

Yup, that EGA GPU and monitor is what makes it boss. It is like the Titan-X and 4K monitor of the mid-80's. 4x the colors as CGA = baller and Wheel of Fortune in near realism. Just look at Vanna in that green dress. I can't distinguish it from reality...

 

[Geekwad]

OMG that rocks. Haven't seen that is sooo long.

Takin' me back......

 

[Spacebit]

Is it a v2 or v3 (curious)? Even with straight 1245, the Sandy is still a hard working processor and I wouldn't hesitate to use it if that's what fits your budget. What will it be used for? What kinds of applications/programs will you be running?

Xeon E3 1245 V3. I am sorry I didn't specify the specs before Mobo Asus H97M-E 1150.
I will also buy Asus GTX 960 4GB Strix DDR5.

 

[Spacebit]

I am assuming you are talking about the Xeon E3-1245 [v1] Sandy Bridge 32nm version and you have an 1155 motherboard. If the price is a lot cheaper than a LGA 1155 i7 such as the 3770/3770k and 2600/2700k then it is worth it. Also, if you specifically need a Xeon chip for whatever reason over a consumer i7 then it is worth it as well. But, if you just need a quad core, 8 thread CPU for cheap and the i7's are in the same price range or less, I'd definitely choose the i7. If your motherboard supports Ivy Bridge, I'd also shop around for the E3-1230v2. That is what I am running in my main PC right now and I got it last year for $225 (USD) which is the same as what an i5-3570 costs. The 1230v2 might be a little easier to find since it is a bit newer. It is also the same clock speed as the E3-1245.

Xeon E3 1245 V3. I am sorry I didn't specify the specs before Mobo Asus H97M-E 1150.
I will also buy Asus GTX 960 4GB Strix DDR5.

 

[Chayan4400]

You need to make sure to get a Xeon E3 1245 V3 , the V2 and V1 will not work with your motherboard. Other than that, that CPU will work no problem, indeed there will only be a slight difference in performance.

Why can't you find the 1231 in India? Here it is: Click here.

It's Rs. 3000 cheaper too.

 

[Spacebit]

You need to make sure to get a Xeon E3 1245 V3 , the V2 and V1 will not work with your motherboard. Other than that, that CPU will work no problem, indeed there will only be a slight difference in performance.

Why can't you find the 1231 in India? Here it is: Click here.

It's Rs. 3000 cheaper too.

Will do. It's V3.
I already contacted the seller you are referring to about a month back. They said the order is against payment only, i.e. I will have to pay first, then they will import it, and only if that goes smooth then they will ship to me. Hence I will have to say goodbye to my cash and wait for months. Because Indian customs and duties are terribly rigorous and painful. So unless the product itself is not in India, there's actually 50-50% chance you will even get your item.
Plus I do not like that particular seller as I know people who got damaged/used product from them.
I really appreciate your effort to look up Indian sellers for 1231/1246 V3, but frankly there's none ATM.
For instance, in Amazon IN the 1220V3 is 25,000INR, 1230V3 is 31,000INR and 1245V3 is 34,000INR. I wrote to Amazon IN requesting them to sell 1231 and 1246. Their great CC said definitely. Took them 1 month which is okay, but they bought only 2 of each priced at 25,000 and 29,000INR respectively which went out of stock as soon as I reached home. Now I have both the 1231 and 1246 in Amazon cart under 'saved for later' due to unavailability. You see the sheer absurd price of every one of them, don't you. But I am not one of those guys who cries for each buck so I was willing to shell out the extra 5-10 grand.
Besides Amazon, India has Flipkart that you can trust, which has recently listed the 1245 V3 for 21,000INR. Of course I will end up spending $40 more but that's okay. One less $40 game in my Steam library.
There are many sellers like the one you referred, and all of them want the money first and only then they will order. They say things like "Sir, it's against order only" or "Pre order only". I ask them to take a small amount as security and I will pay as the item will enter India but they won't bend.
I have been ordering stuff from overseas all my life. Only once Amazon International delivered under one month as the item was not electronic. Otherwise I still have stuffs to be delivered 8 months pending.
I didn't mean to bore you, I just want you to know how the Indian system works. And also how unlucky I am.

 

[Chayan4400]

I understand totally, don't worry. I live in Sri Lanka, which is even worse for computer parts, because of the high import taxes on electronics (A GTX 960 costs around $300 here!). To make matters worse, we have only 3 or 4 actual computer stores, so parts selection is extremely small.

I'm gonna bring down most of my components, because if I buy them here I'll be paying around $300 extra, so a similar situation to yours!

 

[Spacebit]

I understand totally, don't worry. I live in Sri Lanka, which is even worse for computer parts, because of the high import taxes on electronics (A GTX 960 costs around $300 here!). To make matters worse, we have only 3 or 4 actual computer stores, so parts selection is extremely small.

I'm gonna bring down most of my components, because if I buy them here I'll be paying around $300 extra, so a similar situation to yours!

We can only pray that you don't run into any problems. I don't know what logistics Amazon International uses but once I had a shipment from FedEx Express and even they washed their hands off the case. They contacted the shipper for 2 months as Indian duties required some 'additional documents'. The shipper didn't know what 'additional documents' as they sent everything they had. FedEx tried explaining to the people at customs but no one cared and finally FedEx had to return the shipment to the shipper. The shipper were nice people and kept in touch throughout but finally were pretty sour at India. They refunded me but I offered to reimburse them for the shipping part to which they humbly refused.
The Asus GTX 960 4GB costs 21,000 INR. The 2GB costs 17,000. So here also it's $300 and $270. The Zotac version may be cheap.

 

[Chayan4400]

For me, the 2GB 960 costs Rs. 42,000 ($300) 🙁. I will get the parts through anyone who is coming from the US, because I have to wait less that way.

That is the best way to buy PC parts from another country, since you can avoid any delays or other problems that you may face with normal shipping.

 

[Spacebit]

For me, the 2GB 960 costs Rs. 42,000 ($300) 🙁. I will get the parts through anyone who is coming from the US, because I have to wait less that way.

That is the best way to buy PC parts from another country, since you can avoid any delays or other problems that you may face with normal shipping.

Yeah you end up paying almost 10,000 LKR more. But it can't be that bad if you have a job and all. I wouldn't worry about that.
I would rather focus on RMA. There's always a slight chance that something might go wrong with electronics. Usually every PC hardware has 3, 5, 7 or even lifetime warranty. If you buy from your country, you can always return the bad hardware and they have to replace it. But if someone brought something from somewhere overseas, and that something is DOA or breaks down after some months, IMHO the RMA really gets tricky. I really won't even think of contacting some seller in US/UK, ship the broken thing to them and expect them to send me a working new replacement.
1 INR = 2 LKR. In India the 2GB GTX960 is 17,000 INR (34,000 LKR or 260 USD). In Amazon US it is priced at 240 USD. But as you say it is priced at 42,000 LKR (300 USD), you are only paying about 8,000 LKR more (60 USD). Which, frankly, is not so bad. The decent Indian sellers usually charge 15-30 USD more, but at least they will RMA the dead or broken product after a single phone call.
I think you should check with the seller first from whom you will buy explaining your situation and location, and if they agree that in future they will RMA defective products and ship to you, you should definitely go ahead. But shipping both ways will itself cost you more than 10,000 LKR, which is only if you get a defective product. We can only pray that you get a premium quality part.

 

[Chayan4400]

Unfortunately, I'm on a VERY tight budget for this build, because I'm still in school and I have to earn the money I spend on PC parts 🙁. Your calculation is a bit flawed, since I won't be using amazon. The 960 I'm looking at is $184, so it's a Rs. 160000 difference, which is quite a lot for me.

I'm aware of the risks, but because I am on such a tight budget, I'm willing to take them. The worst that can happen is I'll have to send it back to the US for RMA, but that is quite unlikely.

 

[Spacebit]

Unfortunately, I'm on a VERY tight budget for this build, because I'm still in school and I have to earn the money I spend on PC parts 🙁. Your calculation is a bit flawed, since I won't be using amazon. The 960 I'm looking at is $184, so it's a Rs. 160000 difference, which is quite a lot for me.

I'm aware of the risks, but because I am on such a tight budget, I'm willing to take them. The worst that can happen is I'll have to send it back to the US for RMA, but that is quite unlikely.

Hi. Is your build complete?

 

[Chayan4400]

Hi. Is your build complete?

Not yet unfortunately. Amazon shipped it out fast, but due to quite a few things (Mostly getting relatives in the US to call up a shipping company), the 960 along with a PSU, both of which I ordered in early december, were finally shipped on the 16th of february 🙁.

Instead of getting it in early january, I have to wait till april. Right now, it's somewhere in the middle of the ocean. Oh well, I guess it's just as good that it didn't come, since I'd probably have messed up my exams playing games 😀.

 

[Spacebit]

Not yet unfortunately. Amazon shipped it out fast, but due to quite a few things (Mostly getting relatives in the US to call up a shipping company), the 960 along with a PSU, both of which I ordered in early december, were finally shipped on the 16th of february 🙁.

Instead of getting it in early january, I have to wait till april. Right now, it's somewhere in the middle of the ocean. Oh well, I guess it's just as good that it didn't come, since I'd probably have messed up my exams playing games 😀.

Oh. Ya I remember exams, haha.

I just ordered the 960 and wanted to know the dos/don'ts before I received it, and thought you had yours, so I asked.

 

[Chayan4400]

Oh. Ya I remember exams, haha.

I just ordered the 960 and wanted to know the dos/don'ts before I received it, and thought you had yours, so I asked.

Sorry for the late reply! Exams just finished . If you have any trouble installing your card you can always post on this thread or start a new one. One thing to make sure though is that you have a decent 450W+ PSU to run the 960.