Please Help Me Buy A New Computer!

[Gazeekoo 0]

Hello people, So, I got a little money (no no, don't check yer pockets, I didn't steal anything) and decided to buy a new computer with it. The problem is that I have no idea what I should buy. My budget is in the vicinity of Rs.30k, which comes up somewhere about $640. Now I asked around, and quickly got lost in an AMD v/s intel debate. Someone told me that I MUST get a quad core processor. On the other hand, I was told that a quad core was only needed if you have to run multi-user apps. I nodded my head knowingly at all times. My requirements are simple enough... I need it for home use. At most, I'll want to play some high requirement games. If that makes it too expensive, I'll happily settle for games that came out a year or two ago. I'll maybe run some stuff on MATLAB, but that shouldn't be any worse than the games. So, any suggestions? processor, mo-bo, ram, graphics card, sound card... is there anything else? Oh and if someone could tell me how to pick an SMPS, that would be excellent! Thaanks!

[rmills 0]

What specs does the computer that you are using now have? Depending on what they are you can probably get better results with your money by upgrading some parts.

[Gazeekoo 0]

haha. I don't believe that is possible.Hint: I bought this computer over 5 years ago.Good question, though.

[rmills 0]

It's possible unless your computer wasn't even good 5 years ago. My computer is 6 years old and I'm running Windows 7 on it without any problems.

[Gazeekoo 0]

no way!then my computer must have been *BLEEP* even 5 years ago.seriously, I only have a 20gb hard disk.

[rvalkass 5]

My budget is in the vicinity of Rs.30k, which comes up somewhere about $640.

A budget that should get you a decent PC. Are you getting a new monitor too, or just the PC? If you want to get a monitor too then that could take a sizeable chunk out of your budget, and it might be worth saving up a little bit more to get a decent PC and screen.

Now I asked around, and quickly got lost in an AMD v/s intel debate. Someone told me that I MUST get a quad core processor. On the other hand, I was told that a quad core was only needed if you have to run multi-user apps.
I nodded my head knowingly at all times.

For most people a fast dual or triple-core processor is a better buy than a slower quad-core processor. If you do a lot of video encoding, rendering tasks and generally intensive multithreaded applications then a quad-core can be beneficial, but for most people at the moment 2 or 3 cores is plenty.

I need it for home use. At most, I'll want to play some high requirement games.
If that makes it too expensive, I'll happily settle for games that came out a year or two ago.
I'll maybe run some stuff on MATLAB, but that shouldn't be any worse than the games.

ATI and nVidia both have some decent low-cost graphics cards out at the moment, especially as the new DX11 cards are released, forcing the prices of DX10 cards down. If you're not bothered about playing DX11-exclusive games, coming out in the next few years, then this is a great time to pick up a DX10 card, such as ATI's HD4xxx series. They'll be able to play games released now, and new DX10 releases.

So, any suggestions? processor, mo-bo, ram, graphics card, sound card... is there anything else?

Component wise? Case, motherboard, CPU cooler, CPU, graphics card, hard drive, keyboard, mouse, RAM, monitor (if you want a new one), CD/DVD drive, power supply. A sound card is not essential unless you have high-end audio equipment - most motherboards have very good on-board sound now.

I'll take a look online and see what components I can find, and come up with a build for you

Oh and if someone could tell me how to pick an SMPS, that would be excellent!

Pick something that will give you enough power for all your components, and any foreseeable upgrades, along with a little overhead. Also get something that is 80%+ efficient to save on your electricity bill. Buy from a good name and check reviews to make sure it has been thoroughly tested - you'd be surprised how many PSUs don't actually meet the ATX standards they claim.

[Gazeekoo 0]

Hey rvalkass, thanks a huge lot!
Now, I did some more research.
I'm looking to buy the stuff in a day or two.
For reference, I got the price, in Rupees, from here and here.

A budget that should get you a decent PC. Are you getting a new monitor too, or just the PC? If you want to get a monitor too then that could take a sizeable chunk out of your budget, and it might be worth saving up a little bit more to get a decent PC and screen.

Yeah, I was considering putting in some more dough and buying a 19" LCD. But that would seriously screw up my budget. Will try and scrape up some more money. I hear dell is THE best option in this case. any thoughts? Also, would I need some specific graphics card for this?

For most people a fast dual or triple-core processor is a better buy than a slower quad-core processor. If you do a lot of video encoding, rendering tasks and generally intensive multithreaded applications then a quad-core can be beneficial, but for most people at the moment 2 or 3 cores is plenty.

Indeed. How about a core 2 duo, 2.9 GHz? around Rs. 5.5k. would a 3Ghz make a huge difference? it costs another 3k.

ATI and nVidia both have some decent low-cost graphics cards out at the moment, especially as the new DX11 cards are released, forcing the prices of DX10 cards down. If you're not bothered about playing DX11-exclusive games, coming out in the next few years, then this is a great time to pick up a DX10 card, such as ATI's HD4xxx series. They'll be able to play games released now, and new DX10 releases.

This is something I know absolutely nothing about. I heard that Nvidia 9600 is good. I can get that for under 5k. I believe it has directx10 support. ATI looks a bit more expensive, though I couldn't get too much info on that... what say? And I saw some ddr2 and ddr3 on the graphics cards too... should they match with the RAM?


RAM, I was thinking of 4GB(maybe 2 2GB or whatever) DDR2. Again, kingston would cost about 4.5-5k. Anything else I need to look for in RAM?

A 500GB sata Seagate hard drive costs around 3k. I expected it to be much more expensive... although I do remember seeing lots of horror stories wrt seagate here at Xisto. Any alternate suggestions?

Motherboard... I hear it should have plenty of PCI(I dont recall anyone telling me to buy a PCI card, though), firewire slots, and support for ddr3. anything else needed? or any recommendations?

And which company should I buy the DVD drive from? Anyone I should Definitely stay away from? (2-3k)

I have absolutely no idea about the Case, CPU cooler and power supply. I'll just blindly get what you tell me to.

I'll take a look online and see what components I can find, and come up with a build for you

Woohoo! Thanks very much!

Pick something that will give you enough power for all your components, and any foreseeable upgrades, along with a little overhead. Also get something that is 80%+ efficient to save on your electricity bill. Buy from a good name and check reviews to make sure it has been thoroughly tested - you'd be surprised how many PSUs don't actually meet the ATX standards they claim.

And one more time, any personal recommendations? Honestly, any brand recommendations would be most helpful.

Looks like I could get a pretty decent system in my budget!
hooray.

[Ash-Bash 0]

My budget is in the vicinity of Rs.30k, which comes up somewhere about $640.

That's a good budget to start off with, I take it you are looking at gaming system for GTA IV, Need for Speed etc.

Now I asked around, and quickly got lost in an AMD v/s intel debate.

This always happens , It really does not matter both company's make quad core just at different prices there is really no difference.

Someone told me that I MUST get a quad core processor. On the other hand, I was told that a quad core was only needed if you have to run multi-user apps.

You don't have to get a Quad core processor though I would recommend it if you are doing this for gaming and multi-tasking, don't listen to people that say you wont need it 75% of them are jealous because they don't have Quad Core...

My requirements are simple enough... I need it for home use.
At most, I'll want to play some high requirement games.
If that makes it too expensive, I'll happily settle for games that came out a year or two ago.
I'll maybe run some stuff on MATLAB, but that shouldn't be any worse than the games.

You will be able to play lots and lots of games with a Quad core and a decent Graphics card, Again it does not matter nViddia or ATI... (Weird spelling for Nviddia please correct me if I am wrong.)

So, any suggestions? processor, mo-bo, ram, graphics card, sound card... is there anything else?

Oh and if someone could tell me how to pick an SMPS, that would be excellent!

Thaanks!

Now do you want to build your own, or are you looking at buying it from a online company where you can customize it? Please answer this hope I helped you a bit more.

[rvalkass 5]

Yeah, I was considering putting in some more dough and buying a 19" LCD. But that would seriously screw up my budget. Will try and scrape up some more money. I hear dell is THE best option in this case. any thoughts? Also, would I need some specific graphics card for this?

Mixed reviews for Dells - some are good, some not so good. I personally prefer HP and just bought a 24" HP monitor for my new PC - you just can't beat it. Check individual reviews for any monitors you consider as one manufacturer may have some excellent models and some rubbish ones. If possible, check monitors out in a shop if you can to get a look at the images they produce, although I know it can often be difficult to do that.

 

Make sure the graphics card has an output that matches the input of the monitor (usually DVI now, but check - some monitors only have D-Sub inputs) and that the graphics card can output the native resolution of the monitor. Most modern cards can output easily to 19" monitors, although some of the more exotic widescreen resolutions can cause problems if they're not standard.

 

Indeed. How about a core 2 duo, 2.9 GHz? around Rs. 5.5k. would a 3Ghz make a huge difference? it costs another 3k.

3GHz wouldn't make that much difference, although more power is always useful to have. If you're confident you should be able to overclock the 2.9GHz to 3.0GHz to get that extra processing power and save yourself the Rs. 3k.

 

This is something I know absolutely nothing about. I heard that Nvidia 9600 is good. I can get that for under 5k. I believe it has directx10 support. ATI looks a bit more expensive, though I couldn't get too much info on that... what say?

And I saw some ddr2 and ddr3 on the graphics cards too... should they match with the RAM?

The DDR on the graphics doesn't need to match the DDR of the RAM you use in the motherboard. My graphics card has DDR5 memory, but my motherboard has DDR3 RAM. Lower down I've got the spec I'd buy with your budget, so take a look at the graphics cards I recommend there.

 

RAM, I was thinking of 4GB(maybe 2 2GB or whatever) DDR2. Again, kingston would cost about 4.5-5k. Anything else I need to look for in RAM?

More is better, and speeds are much less relevant now than they used to be. A good name brand is always a smart choice, and Kingston are a good make. Make sure the RAM you get is supported by your motherboard.

 

A 500GB sata Seagate hard drive costs around 3k. I expected it to be much more expensive... although I do remember seeing lots of horror stories wrt seagate here at Xisto. Any alternate suggestions?

At the moment I'm a fan of the Western Digital Caviar Blue series. Fast, cheap and fairly reliable according to most reports.

 

Motherboard... I hear it should have plenty of PCI(I dont recall anyone telling me to buy a PCI card, though), firewire slots, and support for ddr3. anything else needed? or any recommendations?

PCI slots are used for sound cards, wireless network cards, things like that. I'll be honest, all I use them for is wireless cards. If people really want very high quality sound then they put a sound card in there. PCIe cards are the newer replacements for PCI cards, and are mainly used for graphics cards at the moment. If you're just having one graphics card then make sure you have at least one PCIe 16x slot.

 

DDR3 memory is newer and faster than DDR2, so getting a motherboard that supports DDR3 memory lets you use that rather than the much older DDR2.

 

As for brands, MSI is my favourite for AMD boards at the moment. Asus are fairly good for Intel boards. Still, specific boards can have specific problems and reviews are always good to let you know if heatsinks are liable to get in the way or whatever.

 

And which company should I buy the DVD drive from? Anyone I should Definitely stay away from? (2-3k)

DVD drives are all fairly similar - get a cheap one that matches the colour of your case (obviously ). Over the years I'ev used Sony, NEC, Optiarc, LG, Samsung, loads of makes and they're all the same.

 

I have absolutely no idea about the Case, CPU cooler and power supply. I'll just blindly get what you tell me to.

Case is very much a personal preference for the looks - I'll list a few below so you can take a look and see what you like. Different cases will have different airflow, and therefore different cooling properties. They can also be different to build in - certain ones will be easier to work in than others.

 

And one more time, any personal recommendations?

Honestly, any brand recommendations would be most helpful.

I've listed a few brands I like above, and I'm naturally going to be drawn to those brands in the components I pick below. You're always welcome to post the list of components you pick here and people will reply with any horror or success stories. Online reviews are also excellent at highlighting good features and potential problems.

 

So, the build I'd get for Rs. 30k:

 

Case: Thermaltake Wing RS 101 - Rs. 2100 ( http://forums.xisto.com/no_longer_exists/ )

CPU: AMD Phenom II X2 250 - Rs. 4100 ( http://forums.xisto.com/no_longer_exists/ )

Motherboard: Still looking...

RAM: Corsair TW3X4G-1333C9 - Rs. 6050 ( http://forums.xisto.com/no_longer_exists/ )

Hard Drive: Western Digital 500GB - Rs. 2750 ( http://forums.xisto.com/no_longer_exists/ )

DVD Writer: Sony 20x SATA - Rs. 1350 ( http://forums.xisto.com/no_longer_exists/ )

Power Supply: Coolermaster RS550-ACAAA1 Real Power 550W - Rs. 5450 ( http://forums.xisto.com/no_longer_exists/ )

Graphics Card: Sapphire HD 4650 - Rs. 3600 ( http://forums.xisto.com/no_longer_exists/ )

 

Total so far: Rs. 25400

[benchzero 0]

For an End-game computer type, here's the specs that you should consider:Video Card 9500M or higher and capable for 3D rendering would be good.A good space for RAM 2GB and Higher is better.If you can afford the Quad Core is totally awesome.If still got some budget get a good quality Sound card for best result.Good luck!

[anwiii 17]

i think rvalkass is on top of things here. he's giving you good information. with a $600 budget, you can get yourself a pretty good system that will last another 5 years...even longer. i would minimize the cost by sacrificing the 19" monitor....maybe even going with what you already have as that is always an easy updrade. also you can always buy them used for a GREAT cost. not everything has to be new, does it? i wish you luck with your new computer. i am sure you will be happy with it....just get the best price in what you're lookin' for....

[Gazeekoo 0]

You don't have to get a Quad core processor though I would recommend it if you are doing this for gaming and multi-tasking, don't listen to people that say you wont need it 75% of them are jealous because they don't have Quad Core...

 

You will be able to play lots and lots of games with a Quad core and a decent Graphics card, Again it does not matter nViddia or ATI... (Weird spelling for Nviddia please correct me if I am wrong.)

 

Now do you want to build your own, or are you looking at buying it from a online company where you can customize it? Please answer this hope I helped you a bit more.

Hey ash-bash!

Unfortunately, looks like I can't quite afford a quad core.

And I'm pretty sure they speel it an nVIDIA

I'm "trying" to build my own computer...

thanks!

 

For an End-game computer type, here's the specs that you should consider:

 

Video Card 9500M or higher and capable for 3D rendering would be good.

A good space for RAM 2GB and Higher is better.

If you can afford the Quad Core is totally awesome.

If still got some budget get a good quality Sound card for best result.

 

Good luck!

As I said, quad is a wee bit outta range.

And yeah, I keep tweaking the budget bit by bit , maaaaybe I'll throw in a sound card later.

 

@rvalkass

 

Make sure the graphics card has an output that matches the input of the monitor (usually DVI now, but check - some monitors only have D-Sub inputs) and that the graphics card can output the native resolution of the monitor. Most modern cards can output easily to 19" monitors, although some of the more exotic widescreen resolutions can cause problems if they're not standard.

Alright, I'll hunt for the LCD after I get my cpu ready.

Or should it be the other way round?

 

So, the build I'd get for Rs. 30k:

 

Case: Thermaltake Wing RS 101 - Rs. 2100 ( http://forums.xisto.com/no_longer_exists/ )

CPU: AMD Phenom II X2 250 - Rs. 4100 ( http://forums.xisto.com/no_longer_exists/ )

Motherboard: Still looking...

RAM: Corsair TW3X4G-1333C9 - Rs. 6050 ( http://forums.xisto.com/no_longer_exists/ )

Hard Drive: Western Digital 500GB - Rs. 2750 ( http://forums.xisto.com/no_longer_exists/ )

DVD Writer: Sony 20x SATA - Rs. 1350 ( http://forums.xisto.com/no_longer_exists/ )

Power Supply: Coolermaster RS550-ACAAA1 Real Power 550W - Rs. 5450 ( http://forums.xisto.com/no_longer_exists/ )

Graphics Card: Sapphire HD 4650 - Rs. 3600 ( http://forums.xisto.com/no_longer_exists/ )

 

Total so far: Rs. 25400

Once again, thanks for ALL the effort!

I love the RAM, and I'm definitely gonna buy this. If can find it, looks rather hard to get here.

 

I think I will also go with the western digital HD. Saw some pretty nice reviews. Also, the one you mention has a 32 MB cache. (caviar green series). I just might go for the 16MB cache if it's any cheaper. Which it should be since they aren't calling it "environment friendly"

 

The graphics card looks neat. I was gonna say that maybe a 1gb card was too much, but then realised that it wasn't that much more expensive than the 512 MB one. and much cheaper than the one with ddr3. For lack of knowledge, I guess I'll stick with this. Though if I have some extra cash, I could upgrade to the 4670. question, isn't the nvidia 9600 better? it is priced the same as the 4670.

really, nvidia is all i've been recommended as far as a graph card is concerned. still on the fence for this. help? or should it be ... convince!

 

the case... I'll just go and blindly ask for this. no questions asked!

 

um, same for power supply. I wish I knew more... the specs look solid enough to me. Couldn't this get a bit cheaper? And no, I don't want my CPU to blow up. Or crash down.

 

the processor!

ok, so core 2 duo looks slightly better than the x2 250, but then this is a little cheaper.

Yaknow, I find myself agreeing with everything you say... that config is pretty much bang on exactly what I want and can afford.

As for the motherboard... how about an Asus M3A78. Priced at Rs. 4150. But would this support all the hardware I'm getting? I read something about getting AM3 support, which I believe this has.

 

Finally, do I need a cooler unit?

 

I can't stress this enough... thank you!

[rvalkass 5]

Alright, I'll hunt for the LCD after I get my cpu ready.Or should it be the other way round?

Pick the graphics card first. All modern graphics cards have DVI outputs, so you'll need to search for a monitor with a DVI input. Most modern monitors have DVI inputs, but some at the cheaper end of the market only have the old D-Sub input.

I love the RAM, and I'm definitely gonna buy this. If can find it, looks rather hard to get here.

You can contact the site I linked and ask if they sell it at the moment. I'm not sure what online retailers you have available to you, so shop around and see what you can find.

I think I will also go with the western digital HD. Saw some pretty nice reviews. Also, the one you mention has a 32 MB cache. (caviar green series). I just might go for the 16MB cache if it's any cheaper. Which it should be since they aren't calling it "environment friendly"

The Caviar Green drives aren't worth the money - they're slower and there's no way you'd save enough electricity to cover their cost compared to the Caviar Blue drives. More cache is always helpful if you can get it, but if there is a large cost difference then go for the 16MB.

The graphics card looks neat. I was gonna say that maybe a 1gb card was too much, but then realised that it wasn't that much more expensive than the 512 MB one. and much cheaper than the one with ddr3. For lack of knowledge, I guess I'll stick with this. Though if I have some extra cash, I could upgrade to the 4670. question, isn't the nvidia 9600 better? it is priced the same as the 4670.really, nvidia is all i've been recommended as far as a graph card is concerned. still on the fence for this. help? or should it be ... convince!

The ATI HD 4650 and nVidia 9600GT are pretty much equal - there seem to be about the same number of people going for each one. If you can get a 4670 then that will be better than the 9600.

the case... I'll just go and blindly ask for this. no questions asked!

The case is a personal choice. Take a look at that case online ( http://forums.xisto.com/no_longer_exists/= ) and see if you like the look of it. There are hundreds of different cases out there at all sorts of different prices. Check out online reviews to make sure the build quality is OK and go with a case you like the look of.

um, same for power supply. I wish I knew more... the specs look solid enough to me. Couldn't this get a bit cheaper? And no, I don't want my CPU to blow up. Or crash down.

I can't stress this enough - DON'T GET A CHEAP PSU! Everything in your PC relies on that power supply, and getting a cheap one is putting everything at risk. They're also more likely to break, and much sooner than a good PSU. Getting a power supply from a good brand name (Corsair and BeQuiet are both excellent in my opinion, along with others) should last you longer than a cheap one, be easier to work with and be better for your components.

ok, so core 2 duo looks slightly better than the x2 250, but then this is a little cheaper.

The AMD processors are good, and cheaper than their Intel equivalents. Changing the processor involves changing the RAM and motherboard too, but that's trivial before you've bought the parts I'm personally an AMD fan, and think they're back on top of Intel at the moment.

As for the motherboard... how about an Asus M3A78. Priced at Rs. 4150. But would this support all the hardware I'm getting? I read something about getting AM3 support, which I believe this has.

The processor I've suggested is an AM3 socket processor. That motherboard is an AM2 motherboard, so it won't work with the processor. You'll need an AM3 motherboard, such as any from Asus in the "AMD AM3" category: http://forums.xisto.com/no_longer_exists/

Finally, do I need a cooler unit?

Yes. If you buy a retail processor then a cooler will be included. If you buy an OEM processor then a cooler won't be included and you'll need to get one.

[onkarnath2001 0]

Hello people,
So, I got a little money (no no, don't check yer pockets, I didn't steal anything) and decided to buy a new computer with it.
The problem is that I have no idea what I should buy.
My budget is in the vicinity of Rs.30k, which comes up somewhere about $640.

Now I asked around, and quickly got lost in an AMD v/s intel debate.
Someone told me that I MUST get a quad core processor. On the other hand, I was told that a quad core was only needed if you have to run multi-user apps.
I nodded my head knowingly at all times.

My requirements are simple enough...
I need it for home use.
At most, I'll want to play some high requirement games.
If that makes it too expensive, I'll happily settle for games that came out a year or two ago.
I'll maybe run some stuff on MATLAB, but that shouldn't be any worse than the games.

So, any suggestions?
processor, mo-bo, ram, graphics card, sound card... is there anything else?

Oh and if someone could tell me how to pick an SMPS, that would be excellent!

Thaanks!

the best way is by keeping your budget in your mind go through the programs you want to run on this machine like you have described matlab .go though the documentation and find system requirements.with all the requirements make a list and choose your processor.
dell pcs are good enough in heat sinking and so many aspects than others ,so better you go for dell. go to dell official sites and see the configuration .you can manually edit the configuration there also.
good luck.

[k_nitin_r 8]

Hi!To get started with your purchase, I would say go for an AMD processor and instead get a good graphics card instead. Most games from a year ago are not very CPU intensive (compared to the hardware currently available) but you do need good 3D graphics support to get them running. Use your old monitor instead of investing in a new one. You wouldn't normally have to buy an SMPS because it's included with a new case. You could also get a branded computer system as a base system and then build upon it with extra RAM, a better graphics card, and the rest of the works. With a branded system, you also get a copy of Windows at a much cheaper rate than it would cost you to buy off the shelf, plus you'd also get the system drivers that you need for your hardware.