New PC for around 15-20k

[azbokikr]

Hi guys,

Posting on behalf of a friend who is looking to replace his P4 based rig. He already has a Samsung 19 inch LCD monitor so that won't be needed. He uses his PC till it stops working, so a little bit of future-proofing will help a great deal


1. What is the purpose of the computer?
A: -VHDL/Verilog/C etc. coding
-Movies(Should be able to play 1080p videos)
-Web surfing and downloading
-Spreadsheets and other office tools
-No gaming

2. Are you open to alternate ideas/products giving similar better performance but offering more VFM/ sellers? If not- why?
A: NA

3. What is your MAX budget?
A: 15-20k.

4. Planning to overclock?
A: No.

5. Which OS are you planning to use?
A: Initially Win XP/Ubuntu/7.

6. How much hard drive space is needed?
A: 500 GB


7. What resolution will the screen run at & whats the size of the screen you want?
A: NA

8. How would you rate your hardware knowledge from the count of 1-10? (1 being the lowest, 5 being you are somewhat in sync with the current performers and 10 being the highest)
A: 6.

9. Have you ever built a desktop before or will this be done by an assembler?
A: Assembling ourselves.


10. When are you planning to buy the system?
A: Within this month

11. Are you one of the types looking out for "future proof" configurations?
A: Plans to keep the PC till it stops working

12. Are there going to be any components that you don't want to include in this new rig? If yes, do mention.
A: Don't need a Monitor, Speakers, UPS

13. Which city do you live in and are you open to buying from shops from other city/states?
A: Bangalore.

14. Mention any other points if deemed necessary
A: DDR3 is a must. Maybe an entry level graphics card for helping the 1080p videos better

Open to both Intel and AMD based rigs.

Thanks.

[thetechfreak]

AMD Athlon II x4 640 @ 5k
ECS 885GM A2 @4.3k
Seagate 500GB 7200.12 @ 1.7k
LG 22X SATA DVD @ 0.9k
FSP saga II 500W @ 2.1k
CM Elite 310 @ 1.5k


Total = 15.5k

Save up and add a mid range card in future. The psu will handle it.

[Cilus]

Here goes your config:-

Athlon II X4 635 @ 4K
Asus M4A78LT-M LE @ 2.6K
Corsair Valuer Ram 4 GB 1333 MHz DDR3 @ 2.1K
Seagate 500 GB Sata @ 1.7K
LG 22X SATA DVD @ 0.9k
FSP saga II 500W @ 2.1k
CM Elite 310 @ 1.5k

Total 14.9K

by the way, ECS 885GM A2 @4.3k is not available anywhere although it is listed in some sites like techshop.in, bitfang etc. Initially I was planning to get it.

[Cool Buddy]

@Cilus, will that mobo handle 1080p videos? I think 880G/855g chipset would be better options since he isn't getting a gfx card for now. And since the budget is mentioned as 15-20k, it should fit in. How about Gigabyte GA-880G-USB3 in the 4.5k range I think

[Cilus]

The mobo, I have suggested is having ATI HD 3200 graohics. I think it can handle HD playback. But ya, 880G based system will be more future proof for upgrading.
Ok, then go with GIGABYTE GA-880GM-UD2H @ 4.1K

[azbokikr]

Thanks for the response guys.

Based on the inputs, here's the rig i've recommended my friend:

AMD Athlon II x4 640 @ 5k (i think this costs about 4.5k)
GIGABYTE GA-880GM-UD2H @ 4.1K
Corsair Valuer Ram 4 GB 1333 MHz DDR3 @ 2.1K
WD Caviar Blue 500GB @ 1.7k
LG 22X SATA DVD @ 0.9k
FSP saga II 500W @ 2.1k
CM Elite 310 @ 1.5k

Total comes up to about 17.4k. I've asked him to buy a mid range gfx card if needed in the future.

Any suggestions regarding the above config is welcome.