ax3
29-10-2007, 12:54 PM
Building a PC under 20K Version
by Ameya Dalvi
The growing number of requests for an encore, and with Diwali just round the corner, here we go sooner than that. Let's check if anything has changed in the past 4 months.
http://images.techtree.com/ttimages/story/84109_matter.jpg (http://images.techtree.com/ttimages/story/84109_matter.jpg)
CPU: AMD Athlon 64 X2 4000+ (Rs.3,000)
http://images.techtree.com/ttimages/story/84109_amdathlon64x2.jpg (http://images.techtree.com/ttimages/story/84109_amdathlon64x2.jpg)
Back then, we included a dual core CPU in a sub-20K config for the first time. This time we opt for the Athlon 64 X2 4000+. It has 2 cores running at 2.1 GHz -- with 512 KB of L2 cache each. Rs.3,000 is a great price for a CPU running at that speed.
Motherboard: Jetway M2A692-GDG (Rs.3,150)
http://images.techtree.com/ttimages/story/84109_m2a692-gdg.jpg (http://images.techtree.com/ttimages/story/84109_m2a692-gdg.jpg)
We'll continue with the same Jetway motherboard that we used in June. Based on AMD's 690G chipset, this board offers excellent value for money -- thanks to its good performance and excellent feature set. Other than a good integrated display based on the x1250, the board features 1 IDE connector, 4 SATA2 ports, 4 DIMM slots for DDR2 RAM, 1 PCI Express x16 slot, 2 PCI slots, 8-channel audio, loads of USB ports, and more. To keep the cost down, Jetway has done away with the HDMI port that you'd generally find on 690G motherboards. As of now, I don't see a need for that unless you plan to connect your PC to an HDTV. In that case, pay a grand more and opt for the MSI K9AGM2-FIH board with an HDMI port onboard.
RAM: Kingston 2 x 512 MB DDR2 667 MHz Memory (Rs.1,500)
http://images.techtree.com/ttimages/story/84109_ddr2ram.jpg (http://images.techtree.com/ttimages/story/84109_ddr2ram.jpg)
The Sensex and the RAM prices have been heading in opposite directions lately -- thankfully! The price of RAM has hit a new low, and it's a great time to cash in. Opt for at least 1 GB of DDR2 memory running at 667 MHz. Since the board supports dual channel interface, opt for two sticks of 512 MB to make use of the performance-boosting feature.
Hard Disk: Seagate 250GB SATA (Rs.2,900)
http://images.techtree.com/ttimages/story/84109_hdd.JPG (http://images.techtree.com/ttimages/story/84109_hdd.JPG)
As I keep saying, always go for the highest capacity hard drive that you can afford -- without going over the top, of course. 250GB for now strikes the right balance between price and capacity, and it's highly recommended. Another 700 rupees can get you a 320GB drive (just for your information).
Monitor: Samsung SyncMaster 793S (Rs.4,500)
http://images.techtree.com/ttimages/story/84109_samsung-sm-793s.jpg (http://images.techtree.com/ttimages/story/84109_samsung-sm-793s.jpg)
The good old Samsung 793S remains the best 17" monitor in terms of price-performance ratio. With excellent color reproduction and contrast, and excellent picture quality, this monitor is a very good buy. LCD fans will have to spend at least another 4K to get their hands on a good one.
Graphics: ATI x1250 onboard (N.A.)
The x1250 is nothing but a derivative of ATI's last-generation midrange card x700 with a few pipelines chopped. It's competent when it comes to entry-level gaming -- but don't expect miracles. It shouldn't have any trouble crunching the pre-2005 games at low to medium detail, but will certainly struggle with the recent releases. There's also a PCIe slot to plug in a better graphics card if you aspire to play Crysis, BioShock, COD4, and the types.
Sound Card: Onboard Azalia HD 8-channel audio (N.A.)
This motherboard is equipped with the Azalia HD 8-Channel Audio. Its performance is more than satisfactory, especially when you couple it with any decent speaker system. It's ideal for this value setup.
Optical Drive: Lite-On 20X DVD Writer (Rs.1,500)
No changes here, other than a price drop. The DVD writer takes care of all your CD and DVD Read Write needs and is extremely affordable too. And this is arguably the fastest one from Lite-On.
http://images.techtree.com/ttimages/story/81680_dvdwriter.jpg (http://images.techtree.com/ttimages/story/81680_dvdwriter.jpg)
Speakers: Artis S500 2.1 Channel System (Rs.1,300)
http://images.techtree.com/ttimages/story/84109_artis-s500.jpg (http://images.techtree.com/ttimages/story/84109_artis-s500.jpg)
Last time, I recommended the Artis S111R, which continues to be a good option. However if you can manage to find the S500 from the same company, opt for that. It costs just 200 bucks more and is well worth the extra investment. Its availability is an issue, though. So if you can't find one, stick to the S111R.
Logitech Standard Keyboard (Rs.300)
http://images.techtree.com/ttimages/story/84109_logitech-spill-proof-kyb.jpg (http://images.techtree.com/ttimages/story/84109_logitech-spill-proof-kyb.jpg)
Add a sturdy and ergonomic keyboard for those long typing or gaming sessions. The Logitech spill-resistant keyboard is a good choice and is designed to let liquids go through, without causing any trouble, in case of spills.
Microsoft Basic Optical Mouse (Rs.400)
http://images.techtree.com/ttimages/story/84109_msmouse.jpg (http://images.techtree.com/ttimages/story/84109_msmouse.jpg)
This is a basic, light, and comfortable optical mouse, which gives you the freedom to use any non-reflective, opaque surface as a mouse pad.
VIP ATX Cabinet with 300 Watts SMPS (Rs.1,250)
http://images.techtree.com/ttimages/story/84109_cabinet.jpg (http://images.techtree.com/ttimages/story/84109_cabinet.jpg)
A decent looking, well-ventilated cabinet with 300 Watts of power to hold your components together is what you need. And since we aren't looking at too many power-hungry components, 300 Watts should be adequate power. However, if your peripheral count goes up, change your SMPS to one with more power: a minimum of 400 Watts (from Powersafe, Zebronics Platinum series, or better).
LAN: Onboard Ethernet Adapter (N.A.)
The motherboard has an onboard LAN chip if you need one for your internet connection.
Configuration Revisited
AMD Athlon 64 X2 4000+ CPU (Rs.3,000)
Jetway M2A692-GDG (Rs.3,150)
Kingston 2 x 512 MB DDR2 667 MHz Memory (Rs.1,500)
VIP ATX Cabinet with 300 Watts SMPS (Rs.1,250)
Seagate Barracuda 250 GB SATA Hard Disk (Rs.2,900)
Samsung SyncMaster 793S Monitor (Rs.4,500)
ATI x1250 onboard Graphics (N.A.)
Lite-On 20X DVD Writer (Rs.1,500)
Onboard Azalia HD 8-channel audio (N.A.)
Artis S500 2.1 Channel Speakers (Rs.1,300)
Logitech Spill-resistant Standard Keyboard (Rs.300)
Microsoft Basic Optical Mouse (Rs.400)
Onboard LAN (N.A.)
Total: Rs.19,800
Cost of licensed software as applicable.
As you can see, there hasn't been any major change over the past 4 months -- save for some decent evolutionary ones. However, the above configuration is powerful enough for most of the stuff that you'd want to do on your PC -- except serious gaming. Gamers won't have to wait for too long, as we'll be rolling out the gaming PC guides in the coming weeks. Till then, those with a budget of 20K, enjoy your shopping!
Ripp Off OR Source : http://www.techtree.com
A complete LOW BUDGET PC ! ! !
A SURPRIZE 4 DIWALI ! ! !
by Ameya Dalvi
The growing number of requests for an encore, and with Diwali just round the corner, here we go sooner than that. Let's check if anything has changed in the past 4 months.
http://images.techtree.com/ttimages/story/84109_matter.jpg (http://images.techtree.com/ttimages/story/84109_matter.jpg)
CPU: AMD Athlon 64 X2 4000+ (Rs.3,000)
http://images.techtree.com/ttimages/story/84109_amdathlon64x2.jpg (http://images.techtree.com/ttimages/story/84109_amdathlon64x2.jpg)
Back then, we included a dual core CPU in a sub-20K config for the first time. This time we opt for the Athlon 64 X2 4000+. It has 2 cores running at 2.1 GHz -- with 512 KB of L2 cache each. Rs.3,000 is a great price for a CPU running at that speed.
Motherboard: Jetway M2A692-GDG (Rs.3,150)
http://images.techtree.com/ttimages/story/84109_m2a692-gdg.jpg (http://images.techtree.com/ttimages/story/84109_m2a692-gdg.jpg)
We'll continue with the same Jetway motherboard that we used in June. Based on AMD's 690G chipset, this board offers excellent value for money -- thanks to its good performance and excellent feature set. Other than a good integrated display based on the x1250, the board features 1 IDE connector, 4 SATA2 ports, 4 DIMM slots for DDR2 RAM, 1 PCI Express x16 slot, 2 PCI slots, 8-channel audio, loads of USB ports, and more. To keep the cost down, Jetway has done away with the HDMI port that you'd generally find on 690G motherboards. As of now, I don't see a need for that unless you plan to connect your PC to an HDTV. In that case, pay a grand more and opt for the MSI K9AGM2-FIH board with an HDMI port onboard.
RAM: Kingston 2 x 512 MB DDR2 667 MHz Memory (Rs.1,500)
http://images.techtree.com/ttimages/story/84109_ddr2ram.jpg (http://images.techtree.com/ttimages/story/84109_ddr2ram.jpg)
The Sensex and the RAM prices have been heading in opposite directions lately -- thankfully! The price of RAM has hit a new low, and it's a great time to cash in. Opt for at least 1 GB of DDR2 memory running at 667 MHz. Since the board supports dual channel interface, opt for two sticks of 512 MB to make use of the performance-boosting feature.
Hard Disk: Seagate 250GB SATA (Rs.2,900)
http://images.techtree.com/ttimages/story/84109_hdd.JPG (http://images.techtree.com/ttimages/story/84109_hdd.JPG)
As I keep saying, always go for the highest capacity hard drive that you can afford -- without going over the top, of course. 250GB for now strikes the right balance between price and capacity, and it's highly recommended. Another 700 rupees can get you a 320GB drive (just for your information).
Monitor: Samsung SyncMaster 793S (Rs.4,500)
http://images.techtree.com/ttimages/story/84109_samsung-sm-793s.jpg (http://images.techtree.com/ttimages/story/84109_samsung-sm-793s.jpg)
The good old Samsung 793S remains the best 17" monitor in terms of price-performance ratio. With excellent color reproduction and contrast, and excellent picture quality, this monitor is a very good buy. LCD fans will have to spend at least another 4K to get their hands on a good one.
Graphics: ATI x1250 onboard (N.A.)
The x1250 is nothing but a derivative of ATI's last-generation midrange card x700 with a few pipelines chopped. It's competent when it comes to entry-level gaming -- but don't expect miracles. It shouldn't have any trouble crunching the pre-2005 games at low to medium detail, but will certainly struggle with the recent releases. There's also a PCIe slot to plug in a better graphics card if you aspire to play Crysis, BioShock, COD4, and the types.
Sound Card: Onboard Azalia HD 8-channel audio (N.A.)
This motherboard is equipped with the Azalia HD 8-Channel Audio. Its performance is more than satisfactory, especially when you couple it with any decent speaker system. It's ideal for this value setup.
Optical Drive: Lite-On 20X DVD Writer (Rs.1,500)
No changes here, other than a price drop. The DVD writer takes care of all your CD and DVD Read Write needs and is extremely affordable too. And this is arguably the fastest one from Lite-On.
http://images.techtree.com/ttimages/story/81680_dvdwriter.jpg (http://images.techtree.com/ttimages/story/81680_dvdwriter.jpg)
Speakers: Artis S500 2.1 Channel System (Rs.1,300)
http://images.techtree.com/ttimages/story/84109_artis-s500.jpg (http://images.techtree.com/ttimages/story/84109_artis-s500.jpg)
Last time, I recommended the Artis S111R, which continues to be a good option. However if you can manage to find the S500 from the same company, opt for that. It costs just 200 bucks more and is well worth the extra investment. Its availability is an issue, though. So if you can't find one, stick to the S111R.
Logitech Standard Keyboard (Rs.300)
http://images.techtree.com/ttimages/story/84109_logitech-spill-proof-kyb.jpg (http://images.techtree.com/ttimages/story/84109_logitech-spill-proof-kyb.jpg)
Add a sturdy and ergonomic keyboard for those long typing or gaming sessions. The Logitech spill-resistant keyboard is a good choice and is designed to let liquids go through, without causing any trouble, in case of spills.
Microsoft Basic Optical Mouse (Rs.400)
http://images.techtree.com/ttimages/story/84109_msmouse.jpg (http://images.techtree.com/ttimages/story/84109_msmouse.jpg)
This is a basic, light, and comfortable optical mouse, which gives you the freedom to use any non-reflective, opaque surface as a mouse pad.
VIP ATX Cabinet with 300 Watts SMPS (Rs.1,250)
http://images.techtree.com/ttimages/story/84109_cabinet.jpg (http://images.techtree.com/ttimages/story/84109_cabinet.jpg)
A decent looking, well-ventilated cabinet with 300 Watts of power to hold your components together is what you need. And since we aren't looking at too many power-hungry components, 300 Watts should be adequate power. However, if your peripheral count goes up, change your SMPS to one with more power: a minimum of 400 Watts (from Powersafe, Zebronics Platinum series, or better).
LAN: Onboard Ethernet Adapter (N.A.)
The motherboard has an onboard LAN chip if you need one for your internet connection.
Configuration Revisited
AMD Athlon 64 X2 4000+ CPU (Rs.3,000)
Jetway M2A692-GDG (Rs.3,150)
Kingston 2 x 512 MB DDR2 667 MHz Memory (Rs.1,500)
VIP ATX Cabinet with 300 Watts SMPS (Rs.1,250)
Seagate Barracuda 250 GB SATA Hard Disk (Rs.2,900)
Samsung SyncMaster 793S Monitor (Rs.4,500)
ATI x1250 onboard Graphics (N.A.)
Lite-On 20X DVD Writer (Rs.1,500)
Onboard Azalia HD 8-channel audio (N.A.)
Artis S500 2.1 Channel Speakers (Rs.1,300)
Logitech Spill-resistant Standard Keyboard (Rs.300)
Microsoft Basic Optical Mouse (Rs.400)
Onboard LAN (N.A.)
Total: Rs.19,800
Cost of licensed software as applicable.
As you can see, there hasn't been any major change over the past 4 months -- save for some decent evolutionary ones. However, the above configuration is powerful enough for most of the stuff that you'd want to do on your PC -- except serious gaming. Gamers won't have to wait for too long, as we'll be rolling out the gaming PC guides in the coming weeks. Till then, those with a budget of 20K, enjoy your shopping!
Ripp Off OR Source : http://www.techtree.com
A complete LOW BUDGET PC ! ! !
A SURPRIZE 4 DIWALI ! ! !