New budget gaming/development rig help

[rrttomshardware]

Hi all,

I am on for a new gaming and development rig to be setup as soon as possible.
I intend to play the latest games in at least medium high settings.
For now, I am not opting a GPU but look for it (most probably a GTX 560ti) once gets enough bucks.
I am on a strict budget, so if any hardware needs to be changed, please suggest that having similar price point compared to the one I have listed here.

After a research, I have sorted out the following items.
Please check the compatibility and give your valuable suggestions.
I am not planning to OC the GPU or CPU, and I don't need SLI.

If any change in config is must, please don't suggest newegg, since in my country(India) it doesn't ship.
Our choice is www.flipkart.com.

Stuff I needed:

1. PSU : Corsair CMPSU-600CXV2UK 600 Watts PSU
(Feels 600w not needed now, but it might help in future, when newer powerful single cards arrive)

2. Mobo : ASRock Z77 Pro 3
(Have nice features for sound, connectivity etc.)

3. CPU : 3.3 GHz FCLGA1155 Core i5 3550
(Thinks i5 3550 will be enough for future, once games take advantage of four cores and will aid me in multitasking for now)

4. HDD : Seagate Barracuda 1TB (ST31000524AS)
(Don't need a SSD because of its price point)

5. RAM : G.Skill RipjawsX DDR3 2 x 4GB @ 1600 MHz
(Fine, right?)

6. Cabinet : Cooler Master Elite 431 Plus Mid Tower

7. Monitor : Benq 24 inch LCD - G2420HD
(If needs revising, all I need is a full HD, 23" monitor)

8. GPU : GTX 560ti 1 GB
(Will opt for 2 GB newer card after 2 years)

Thanks.

 

[malbluff]

All basically sound choices, with a couple of observations.

You don't NEED a Z77 mobo, a H77 has all the features you need. H77 is normally cheaper, than Z77, so you may find a good H77 is actually cheaper, than a basic Z77, like the Pro 3, and better equiped, for your needs.
The CoolerMaster case, is an OK budget case. The ventilation, on it, whilst normally "adequate", is not brilliant. Being in India, if you have air conditioning, it's probably not an issue, but if PC has to work in very hot environment, you may find you have to upgrade fan, or add a fan. Obviously something you can try, with stock fan, and upgrade if you find it necessary.
Similar point with the 560Ti. Not a bad GPU, but not very power efficient, compared to some more modern cards, and produces more heat. Not a big issue, if case vent is adequate, but may need extra vent, if environment hot.

 

[rrttomshardware]

Hi, thanks for the quick reply.
I need some more info...

1. If you are sure a non-entry level H77 than basic Z77 will do the task, please suggest one (kindly visit www.flipkart.com for availability).

2. I have not setup AC in the room, but may add fans to the cabinet if it really needed; one stock fan is in that cabinet.
(Please suggest which type of fan I need as extra, in terms of diameter etc.)

3. Will my tactic for future-proofing work..?
(I have avoided OC and SLI; But depended on an H77 as you suggested, a 600w PSU for any newer single GPU - upto 2 GB, and an i5 3550)

4. Is the parts compatible..?

Thanks.

 

[rrttomshardware]

Also, as per your suggestion for H77 I have found this one:
ASRock H77 Pro4/MVP
(But only have a little price difference over Pro 3)
Is it like a premium board compared to Pro3?

 

[malbluff]

The board which best suits your needs, and has good mix of quality and value is Gigabyte GA-H77-DS3H @ 6890 Rp. Better quality than the ASRock, and has ideal support, for YOUR needs, rather than wasting money on resources YOU can't use.
The power supply that is BEST, of course depends on the power requirements of whatever graphics card you do choose. 550w would be adequate for most GPUs, although 600w has the advantage you could use ANY reasonable GPU. If current trends continue, future GPUs are likely to have lower power requirements. If you do decide, now, on a specfic GPU, could advise more accurately. Otherwise, a 600w supply probably is sensible. The Corsair is a reasonable one.
When considering graphics cards, don't forget AMD. Something like HD7850 is slightly better than GTX560Ti, and HD7870 is substantially better. Here is comparason for 2GB HD7850 vs GTX560Ti.<a http://www.anandtech.com/bench/Product/549?vs=547 /a>

 

[rrttomshardware]

Thank you for the motherboard suggestion. I'll look onto that.
And I may keep the 600w PSU.

I have a big confusion in choosing the GPU now. After a long research, I ended up believing nVidia is the best and that GTX 560 ti gives good value for money. I haven't read about AMD just because nVidia cards got that much good reviews. As I wish to play latest titles in medium high plus settings, can you suggest some AMD cards..? Then I can conclude and start purchasing soon...

 

[rrttomshardware]

Thank you for the motherboard suggestion. I'll look onto that.
And I may keep the 600w PSU.

I have a big confusion in choosing the GPU now. After a long research, I ended up believing nVidia is the best and that GTX 560 ti gives good value for money. I haven't read about AMD just because nVidia cards got that much good reviews. As I wish to play latest titles in medium high plus settings, can you suggest some AMD cards..? Then I can conclude and start purchasing soon...

 

[seankor]

Hey. I checked the site.
Yeah for graphic card I think at your site 7850 1GB OC edition is cheaper and better: sapphire HD7850 OC = 14045 Rs. (i found the chepaest 650ti at 14400).

It might be B75 mobo is ok for you as well. There is an ASUS p8b75-v mobo that is great as well since you don't want to OC , but if you will not use raid. I would rather go with this one or H77 gigabyte one suggested, instead of AsRock.

For case/cabinet check also Antec One S3 it is good case as well. (check some reviews I would prefer this one) If you get mobo for 1k Rs cheaper, than I would go with Corsair 300R if it becomes available.

For PSU I would rather check http://www.flipkart.com./seasonic-s12ii-520-watts-psu/p/itmd5xz5hzvzt9cx?pid=PSUD5XZ4KFH65H9E&ref=bce37255-2ace-4278-b059-c60fa2196768 . Really good PSU, it should be strong enough for 1 GPU set up Iv Bridges and new GPU's are not that power hungry...

or http://www.flipkart.com./seasonic-eco-600-watts-psu/p/itmddqq8fzptyfds?pid=PSUDDQPPKBFD8FGV&ref=237a8592-82bc-4f3b-bd3c-4c59f835dff9 haven't find reviews, but it is Seasonic..

Now I know you said you don't want to OC. Just and idea though-> if you go for MSI HD7770 that should be OK for a while (it is almost the same as HD6850) and at 8295 Rs u save almost 6k Rs. With that difference you could use 2k for i5 3570k and upgrade motherboard to let's say AsRock Extreme4 at 10k or almost whichever Asus, gigabyte Z77 alternative and will a have a great overclocking ability and maybe later just need to get a better GPU

Otherwise your selection is ok as well.

 

[malbluff]

I'm not sure I would agree the 1GB Sapphire HD7850 is the best buy, when for 1000 Rps more you can get the much more potent 2GB MSI Power Ed HD7850. That would get you a good gain over 560Ti, probably 20% average, if not more.

Unless it's a lot cheaper, I wouldn't bother with B75. It's not a bad board, but it's more aimed at entry level business use, with legacy support. It will work ok with your build, but give limited expansion options.

I wouldn't disagree with an upgrade of case, to something like Corsair Carbide 300R. That is a nice case, much better than the Elite. As mentioned, with the Elite, you may find you need to upgrade ventilation. A question of budget, of course.

You could, of course, if you wish, upgrade to i5-3570K, and use the Z77 mobo. I'm not sure it's best, if it means you'd have to reduce graphics card, to do it, and, then, you probably should upgrade case. If you can afford i5-3570K + cooler + Z77 + Corsair 300R + MSI HD7850, it would certainly give much better performance, it's a question of what is affordable, or perhaps which "compromises" cost least, in terms of performance.

I'm not too sure on the subject of PSUs. With locked processor and HD7850, something like 550w would be ideal, but there are no 550w offerings, on that site, I could recommend. A good 520w, like the Seasonic, should be adequate. If you were using i5-3570K, I think I'd be inclined to say, stick with 600w.

 

[rrttomshardware]

Hi,
These suggestions make me think again for the parts.
I can afford to spend time, to get the best final specs.

The board you suggested (Gigabyte GA-H77-DS3H) actually cost 7473/- (not 6890/-) and ASRock H77 Pro4/MVP sells @ 6804/-
What should I choose between the two...?

Yes, there was 2 GB MSI AMD R7850 Power Edition 2GD5/OC for just 1000/- more price.
That seems a good option. But, is MSI reliable...?

For the PSU, the 520 watts Seasonic (Seasonic S12II @ 4485/-) is more costly than 600 watts Corsair (CMPSU-600CXV2UK @ 4406/-).
Why is that..?
Or should I opt the Seasonic ECO 600 @ 4341/- ?

For the case, I may choose Antec ONE S3 Mid Tower.

---------- OTHERWISE ----------

Mentioning flipkart, can you suggest for an OC'ble future-proof rig?
I need these items : Case, PSU, Mobo, CPU, RAM, HDD,GPU and Monitor(full HD).
And the budget in Indian currency should be less than 56000/-
If it can't be done, it is OK and I would go with the first case.

Thanks.

 

[malbluff]

Don't think I mis-read price on Gigabyte board, perhaps it's gone up, or an offer ended. There is little difference, I think, in performance, with the ASRock, gigabyte just tend to be a bit better quality. Whether that's worth the EXTRA cost is a matter of judgement. As you probably don't NEED a full ATX board, an mATX only has slightly less scope for expansion, something like Gigabyte GA-H77M-D3H is probably perfectly adequate at 6588 Rps.
Long term reliability of high performance GPUs can be an issue (all that performance can cause extra "wear"), but it's not a great issue, most "gamers" tend to upgrade GPUs, long before GPU life expectancy comes into play. High performance GPUs tend to use better quality components, to give reasonable life, but there's inevitably a "trade-off" between performance/cost/durability. Off course ANY individual GPU CAN be good, or bad, nothing's 100% reliable.
The Corsair PSU is actually made by Seasonic, but a more budget version. Still quite good though. Personally, I'd prefer slightly more than 520w, which is only "adequate", and would tend to stick with the 600w Corsair, especially if you go for an overclockable CPU.
If you want to have CPU overclocking capability, you only need to change CPU and mobo, would suggest i5-3570K @ 14705 Rps, and ASRock Z77 Extreme3 (it's the only one at sensible price) @ 9356 Rps. Before actually overclocking, you would need to upgrade CPU cooler, the stock one is not adequate, for OC. Would suggest CoolerMaster Hyper 212Evo @ 2191 Rps. Everything else can stay the same, but things like PSU rating, and case ventilation, become a bit more important, because of slightly higher power consumption, and heat production.

 

[rrttomshardware]

Hi,

When I searched for the OC system, the budget was exceeded by 5500/- (about US $125) with coolers and supported mobo.
Being budget constrained, and knowing new products are arriving every half year, I don't think future proofing won't make any big impact.
I feel most of the times a normal setup will do the task without the need of big upgrades.

Since I am not a big fan of GPU/CPU OC and SLI, I may stick with my initial plan.
Considering the suggestions from this thread, I would purchase online (www.flipkart.com) the following:

1. PSU : Corsair CMPSU-600CXV2UK 600 Watts PSU [4406/-]
http://www.flipkart.com/corsair-cmpsu-600cxv2uk-600-watts-psu/p/itmd5xz4qhbpvvzk?pid=PSUD5XZ4EFXTQNG7&ref=23e78184-6f2f-42bb-9484-4d7a218e7633

2. Mobo : ASRock Pro4/MVP [6804/-]

http://www.flipkart.com/asrock-h77-pro4-mvp-motherboard/p/itmdcpwsmkrxhf6e?pid=MBDDCPWRNJ7GBVGP&srno=m_1_1&ref=9f982ad0-f541-4875-9ef6-9ad19f851c17&otracker=from-search&ref=9f982ad0-f541-4875-9ef6-9ad19f851c17

3. CPU : 3.3 GHz FCLGA1155 Core i5 3550 [12826/-]

http://www.flipkart.com/intel-3-3-ghz-fclga1155-core-i5-3550-processor/p/itmd99wtpewgpehd?pid=PSRD99WST4E68NZV&ref=7194fc2a-913a-42df-a9fd-32744941a8d7

4. HDD : Seagate Barracuda 1TB (ST31000524AS) [4358/-]

http://www.flipkart.com/seagate-barracuda-1-tb-desktop-internal-hard-drive-st31000524as/p/itmd2ryndzhc8zeb?pid=IHDD2RYNYVWPXZVT&srno=m_1_3&ref=61ee8247-cfb7-4955-85b9-cdd50ca0ee62&otracker=from-search&ref=61ee8247-cfb7-4955-85b9-cdd50ca0ee62

5. RAM : G.Skill RipjawsX DDR3 4 GB [1568/-]

http://www.flipkart.com/g-skill-ripjawsx-ddr3-4-gb-1-x-gb-pc-ram-f3-12800cl9s-4gbxl/p/itmd2rys8pgq3keh?pid=RAMD2RYRXBBF4WC8&ref=47910f08-6c38-46ae-9814-ba72d6fd3b71

6. Cab : Corsair Carbide 300R [4340/-]

http://www.flipkart.com/corsair-300r/p/itmd8bfzeqz4yfqc?pid=CABD8BYGYYF6U4HP&srno=m_1_1&ref=c530b5bf-c5f0-4ecc-b94f-4440f1edba83&otracker=from-search&ref=c530b5bf-c5f0-4ecc-b94f-4440f1edba83

7. Monitor : Benq 24" LCD - G2420HD [9941/-]

http://www.flipkart.com/benq-24-inch-lcd-g2420hd-monitor/p/itmd8mcfduw9yd7y?pid=MOND8V4YK4PAGCDR&ref=1d4221af-32bb-4ff4-bd7c-828214c65e54

8. GPU : MSI AMD R7850 PE 2GD5/OC 2 GB GDDR5 [15120/-]

http://www.flipkart.com/msi-amd-r7850-power-2gd5-oc-2-gb-gddr5-graphics-card/p/itmdeh4wckedufxn?pid=GRCDEH4WVMVGX2VH&srno=m_1_4&ref=7ced89d2-3e03-4d1f-80f6-ec0e3339c239&otracker=from-search&ref=7ced89d2-3e03-4d1f-80f6-ec0e3339c239

May I opt this...?

Suggestions are invited this time too...!
Thank you for your support...

 

[malbluff]

Would not greatly disagree with anything there. One thing which, ideally, should be changed is RAM. You have a dual channel set-up, which works most efficiently with a "matched pair" of RAM. You don't NEED 8GB for gaming (although it can be useful for other things, like photo/video editing), but even if you have only 4GB, it is better as a pair, so either 2x2GB=4GB, or 2x4GB=8GB. A single four will work, but not as well, as system will view it as a "pair" 4GB+0GB=4GB. Also if you have 1x4GB and want to ADD another 4GB when required, it would still not be ideal, as even with the "same" RAM, they would not necessarily be 100% matched.

 

[rrttomshardware]

Best answer selected by rrttomshardware.

 

[rrttomshardware]

Thank you very much for your help...! That info on advantage on "pair of RAM" is greatly appreciated... I will update you my system experience soon...