Best mobo+processor+Mem Under 10K

[m@sterchief]

hi everone
I am intending to upgrade my system and i need advice on choosing the right components as i am not familiar with the latest chipsets and models. My budget is Rs.10K. I only need a mobo,processor & Mem only as i have rest of the rig.

My requirements:
I will be using it for gaming; It should be able to play fairly recent titles. It should have a pci express slot, IDE connectors for my existing DVD drives

[thestrategist]

if u want to use ur pc for gaming, u also need a graphics card and an onboard gpu won't do much with recent titles.
listing config including the gpu...
processor: c2d e5200 - abt 3-3.5k
mobo: gigabyte EG31M-S2L - abt 2.5k
ram: transcend 1gbx2 - abt 1.5k
gpu: palit nvidia geforce 9400gt 512mb - abt 3k
shud cost around 10k

[m@sterchief]

Originally Posted by thestrategist

if u want to use ur pc for gaming, u also need a graphics card and an onboard gpu won't do much with recent titles.
listing config including the gpu...
processor: c2d e5200 - abt 3-3.5k
mobo: gigabyte EG31M-S2L - abt 2.5k
ram: transcend 1gbx2 - abt 1.5k
gpu: palit nvidia geforce 9400gt 512mb - abt 3k
shud cost around 10k

Well i will invest in a good gfx card later. So now i need a good configuration of mobo+proc.+mem which will last me a couple of years.

[MetalheadGautham]

Biostar AMD 790GX motherboard with SB750 southbridge and HD3300 GPU - 6K.
Transcend 1GB + 1GB DDR2 800MHz RAM = 800*2 = 1600(bangalore SP Road price)
AMD Athlon X2 4400+ = 2.5K.

This motherboard would help you upgrade CPU to AMD Phenom II if you plan to do so in another year or so. It also supports CrossFireX and has great overclocking support.

HOWEVER, if you DONT plan to change CPU soon and don't want to overclock, get Biostar 780G/SB700/HD3200 for 3.5K.

[hellgate]

@m@sterchief if ur interested in buying 2nd hand then i've a Phenom X4 9850 BE + MSI K9A2GM (780G) up for sale.its bout 3-4 months old.hav bill,box etc.
asking price is 10k for the bundle.

[m@sterchief]

well, no thanx

Originally Posted by m@sterchief

hi everone
I am intending to upgrade my system and i need advice on choosing the right components as i am not familiar with the latest chipsets and models. My budget is Rs.10K. I only need a mobo,processor & Mem only as i have rest of the rig.

My requirements:
I will be using it for gaming; It should be able to play fairly recent titles. It should have a pci express slot, IDE connectors for my existing DVD drives

"thestrategist" can u remove the gpu out of the sequence and give me a more souped-up version of ur configuration on the intel line. Saving a few bucks will be appreciated.

[MetalheadGautham]

OK. Sure.

Intel Pentium Dual Core E5200 - Rs. 3500/-
Gigabyte G31 motherboard - Rs. 2,500/-
Transcend 4GB (2+2) DDR2 800MHz RAM - Rs. 3,600/-

Would perform like a monster. Overclocks great according to google search'd benchmarks on E5200. I feel E5200 is a better investment than E7200 or E7300, because it overclocks as well and at the same time supports SSE4 instruction set.

But if you want a stock setup and DONT want to overclock, replace CPU with AMD Athlon X2 7750 Black Edition for Rs. 3550 and motherboard for a Palit GF7050 motherboard for 2.2K.

7750BE beats E5200 at stock, but looses when both are overclocked to their limits.

I think Intel config may be more future proof, as E5200 is expected to have a better resale value than 7750BE because its the LAST (or maybe second last) budget dual core for Intel LGA775 socket.

[m@sterchief]

I did some research on Intel website & here r my queries:

1) Isn't G31 an entry-level mobo as it has a lowest code value in the G series and doesn't support DDR3 or mem capacity > 4GB
2) G33, G43, G45 hasn't got a IDE connectors therefore wont support my IDE dvd drives or my HD drive
3) G33 doesn't support mem>4GB and has the same problem as (2)
4) G41 has all above capabilities but lacks Active Matrix Storage technology. Will it be a problem if i choose this chipset?

I simply cant decide which one to choose for my mobo.
Any advice is appreciated

[thestrategist]

not too sure abt active matrix storage technology... but the price of the g41 is around 4k, i think. u could go for a g41 mobo. or u could go for an intel c2d e7400 at abt 5.5k.

[m@sterchief]

Originally Posted by thestrategist

not too sure abt active matrix storage technology... but the price of the g41 is around 4k, i think. u could go for a g41 mobo. or u could go for an intel c2d e7400 at abt 5.5k.

what brand & model is that G41 mobo?.
Also r u sure c2d E7400 is 5.5k.

Where can i find a list of Price quotes for
mobo & proc? I searched the net for this and most of quotes in the sites are either old or otherwise incomplete.

[thestrategist]

the mobo is from ECS - chek with ur dealer if it is available in india currently, not too sure.
for the processor, i'd chekd deltapage.com the stuff there is usually slightly more xpensive than the street prices. if u can't get the e7400 for 5.5k, u can go for the e4600 or a lower end e7xxx series processor like the e7200 or e7300 if they're within ur budget.

[vvikas28]

intel core 2 duo e7300 -5,300/-
Gigabyte G31 motherboard - 2,500/-
Transcend or kingston 4GB (2+2) DDR2 800MHz RAM-2,500/-

[MetalheadGautham]

Originally Posted by m@sterchief

I did some research on Intel website & here r my queries:

1) Isn't G31 an entry-level mobo as it has a lowest code value in the G series and doesn't support DDR3 or mem capacity > 4GB
2) G33, G43, G45 hasn't got a IDE connectors therefore wont support my IDE dvd drives or my HD drive
3) G33 doesn't support mem>4GB and has the same problem as (2)
4) G41 has all above capabilities but lacks Active Matrix Storage technology. Will it be a problem if i choose this chipset?

I simply cant decide which one to choose for my mobo.
Any advice is appreciated

G31. Get the config I said. With 4GB RAM, G31's full potential will be used. And I doubt you would need more than 4GB RAM. Besides, Win32 based OS can only use 4GB RAM Max. And this board has great power saving and overclocking capacity.

[m@sterchief]

cant tell 4GB will be enough as the technology is moving at a fast pace. After all Vista requires 1GB to run smooth. And Future games will definitely breach the 4 GB limit soon

[IronManForever]

The E5200 wont be able to overclock well with G31. Never!
The reviews generally have a P35 or P45 setup... That will unleash the full potential.

I feel its very important to spend a good amount of money on the mobo. Choose wisely.

[m@sterchief]

oopsy I was actually wrong about GXX chipsets not having IDE interfaces.
Actually these mobos actually have a IDE connector.
Or am I still wrong? correct me.

[MetalheadGautham]

Originally Posted by IronManForever

The E5200 wont be able to overclock well with G31. Never!
The reviews generally have a P35 or P45 setup... That will unleash the full potential.

I feel its very important to spend a good amount of money on the mobo. Choose wisely.

Says who ?

It may not be the BEST place to overclock the E5200, but that does not mean that E5200 CANT OC on a G31 chipset. Thats called overclocking on a budget.

And P35/P45 with E5200 makes little sense considering the cost factor.

[hsetir]

e5200 ocs well to 3.45ghz on g31. Higher is not stable most of the time. Using better chipset like p35/p43/p45 would also require a better aftermarket cooler for further ocing.

[dips_view]

Why some ppl so much tlk abt O.C !! HE wnts 2 buy a combo within 10k.
check dis out
1) cpu ---- C2D E7300 = 5200 Rs
2) M.B ---- ASUS p5VM SE= 3300 Rs (965 chipset wd 8GB RAM support)
3) RAM --- 2GB DDR800 ZION/TRANSEnt /any maker = 1300 RS

AMD>INTEL in PRICE/performance ratio but c2d =65 w amd athlon x2=90-130w

so think GREEN. LIVE GREEN

[MetalheadGautham]

^^Actually Athlon X2 is mostly 65W.

[IronManForever]

Originally Posted by MetalheadGautham

Says who ?

It may not be the BEST place to overclock the E5200, but that does not mean that E5200 CANT OC on a G31 chipset. Thats called overclocking on a budget.

And P35/P45 with E5200 makes little sense considering the cost factor.

Uh, maybe I should reframe a bit. When motherboard's chipset holds back the true potential of a processor, its something I won't be comfortable with. Hence what I said.

As you said, overall, the configuration will be a good value.

Though I should add, Abit P35 is not expensive and neither is MSI P45 for what you get.

[MetalheadGautham]

You don't get my point.

I said there is little sense in buying a 5.5K motherboard for a 3.5K processor. Instead, either get a 2.5K board or use the extra cash to either get a better CPU (which I don't recommend seeing that E5200 is THE most VFM CPU ever) or just save the cash for a later GPU upgrade perhaps. E5200 also supports SSE4 btw.

G31 is NOT like 945GC. It has energy saving capabilities and also has enough expansion slots for a simple setup upgrade later in the future. All i30 series and i40 series chipsets, including the most basic ones like G31 are highly mature and stable and ALL of them are great overclockers, and though obviously the higher end ones are the best for overclocking, you will get a better overclock (according to some reviews) if you invest the 3K saved on a basic water cooling solution or a high end air cooling solution.

And btw, G41 is the successor of G31. Try to see if its available for under 3K. If yes, GRAB it and stick to it. It has much better onboard graphics and overclocks much better.

2) M.B ---- ASUS p5VM SE= 3300 Rs (965 chipset wd 8GB RAM support)

Won't do. 965 does not support current generation Core2 CPUs. Its too old a chipset to consider.

And yeah, looking for over 4GB ram IS silly, considering that Windows 7 uses less RAM than Windows Vista due to which the configurations you may need in the next 4 years (windows 7's minimum life cycle) would be able to comfortably run with even 2GB RAM.

By the time you decide to upgrade, the following things will be seen:

1. DDR2 would be a lot more expensive because DDR3 would be mainstream.
2. It would be cheaper to sell off your old rig as spare parts than buy expensive old-hardware upgrades for it.

e5200 ocs well to 3.45ghz on g31. Higher is not stable most of the time. Using better chipset like p35/p43/p45 would also require a better aftermarket cooler for further ocing.

even 3.4GHz for E5200 would make it VERY powerful and enable it to compete with higher end E8xxx series CPUs in gaming.

[dips_view]

yes 965 older gen chipset but it does support E7300( core 2 Duo,Quad Core).Today u can get 2 gb ram 1200 and 4 gb 2300 then any one must consider 2 buy MB wd 8 gb RAm support.
Please GIVE ur source abt latest AMD proc power consumtions

[m@sterchief]

Hey guyz,
Thanks for the feedback. Today I will get my new system assembled. I have placed the orders.

my specs are:
processor: 2.8 ghz COre 2 Duo, E7400
mobo: Intel Original G31PR board
mem: 2 GB Trancend 800 mhz

Any body knows what games I can play smoothly on this specs. Even Old Titles are welcome (for a while till i get a GPU).

[acewin]

not many because if you do not have a supporting gfx card they would not run
minimum of 256 MB cards are required

and if you wanna buy a gfx card then buy Intel P35 chipset based mobo like MSI P35 neo-F
Original intel mobos are costiler than same of other companies like Asus and MSI, so think of buying Asus or MSI or Gigabyte

if you wanna game I will say go for E5200 + MSI P35 Neo -F will cost 3.5 + 4.3 = 7.8 in total 8K with tax.
now P35 does not comes with gfx card so u will have to buy with 2K spare you can think of a gfx card which is alot much good
check this list on theitwares

check palit card their price are very good.
You also get now 8600GT 512 MB DDR3 cost is 3.5K

DDR3 is much better than DDR2 and most of 9400GT and 9500GT which maybe affordable for you are DDR2