upgrade or buy a new one?

[anonymous]

Dear all,


I have an old system which I plan to upgrade and if not possible to upgrade , then assemble a new one fully(monitor, kebd, mouse including).


My current system config is


Monitor: Samtron 55v, 15 inch
Keybd:Frontech
Mouse: Logitech optical,ps2, three button
SMPS: Frontech 450W
Cabinet:Kobian
Ram:1.5gb ddr 400 Mhz
HDD: 80gb sata, 80gb pata
Motherboard: D865GSAL
Processor: PIV-3ghz,LGA 775
DVD drive: Samsung
CD drive: Samsung

1. What is the purpose of the computer?

Ans: Programming first, little gaming RARELY. I intend to install win7, sharepoint 2010(which uses lots of cpu power), vs2010, Sql Server 2008 R2, virtual machine with WinServer 2008. These are the main reason I want to upgrade or buy a new one fully.

2. What is your overall budget? If you can extend a bit for a more balanced configuration, then mention this too.
Ans: 35k-40k

3. Planning to overclock?
Ans: No.

4. Which Operating System are you planning to use?
Ans: Window 7 64 bits Home Premium

5. How much hard drive space is needed?
Ans: 160

6. Do you want to buy a monitor? If yes, please mention which screen size and resolution do you want. If you already have a monitor and want to reuse it, again mention the size and resolution of monitor you have.
Ans: No choice of a particular monitor, want a min 17" LCD monitor

7. Which components you DON'T want to buy or which components you already have and plan on reusing?
Ans: want to buy everyting, sell old pc.

8. When are you planning to buy the system?
Ans: Going of upgrading individual components.

9. Have you ever built a desktop before or will this be done by an assembler?
Ans: Assembled in 2007. Now no confidence, planning to get it done by assembler

10. Where do you live? Are you buying locally? Are you open to buying stuff from online shops if you don't get locally?
Ans: I live in Bangalore, usually buy from computer warehouse, m.g.road.Not confident in buying online due to exchange/warranty issues

11. Anything else which you would like to say?
Ans:Yes


a)Can my existing system be upgraded to i5/i7? As said earlier , I would be using mainly for programming and rarely for gaming. If it is not possible to upgrade then I have no option but to sell this one and to assemble a new system fully. But the new system should be upgradable(4gb to 8gb upgrade, etc)

b)Can you tell me the price as I am in Bangalore. Also recommend a place to buy.I usually buy from computer warehouse on m.g road. I request kind co-operation of members. Pls help.

[Mr.V]

Dear all,



a)Can my existing system be upgraded to i5/i7? As said earlier , I would be using mainly for programming and rarely for gaming. If it is not possible to upgrade then I have no option but to sell this one and to assemble a new system fully. But the new system should be upgradable(4gb to 8gb upgrade, etc)

No mate ^^
core i series are a different family of chipsets.They have LGA 1155 where are yours has a LGA 775

Here's a config for you (jus from my side!!! wait for others to acknowledge)

CPU:-AMD 3.1 GHz AM3+ FX 8120 Processor
Flipkart: AMD 3.1 GHz AM3+ FX 8120 Processor: Processor

Mobo:-Gigabyte GA-990XA-UD3 990X
Gigabyte GA-990XA-UD3 990X Motherboard GA-990XA-UD3 For AM3 + AMD - BILL + 3YR | eBay

PSU:-Corsair 500W Builder Series CX500 80 Plus Certified Power Supply SMPS PSU
Corsair 500W Builder Series CX500 80 Plus Certified Power Supply SMPS PSU | eBay

Monitor (need suggestions):-LG LED Monitor E1941T -18.5"
LG LED Monitor E1941T -18.5" + WITH VAT PAID BILL + FREE SHIPPING + WARRANTY | eBay

Hard Disk:- Seagate 250GB @7200RPM
Seagate 250GB SATA 3.5" Hard Drive HDD 250 GB warranty for desktop @ 7200 RPM | eBay

Cabinet:-NZXT SOURCE ELITE 210
NZXT Source 210 Elite Mid Tower Cabinet | eBay

Corsair Vengeance 4GB DDR3 1600Mhz RAM
Corsair Vengeance 4GB DDR3 1600Mhz RAM + 10 Years Mfc Warranty | eBay

Logitech MK200 Media USB Keyboard Mouse Combo
Logitech MK200 Media USB Keyboard Mouse Combo Three Year Warranty with bill | eBay

Samsung 22X Sata DVD Writer
http://www.ebay.in/itm/Samsung-22X-S...item27c2b46c1c

TOTAL:-Rs 40874
You may get cheaper locally.
Since you have occasional gaming,the 990FX should take care of all your needs.
Has dual channel so you can upgrade.

[sam]

^^ err, GPU is missing. as neither processor or motherboard have graphics a GPU is a must. add an HD5670 512Mb GDDR5 @ 4k for little bit of occasional gaming.

[anonymous]

Thanks Mr.V and Sam...

1.I am a little bit hesitant to buy AMD stuff. I know AMD has been here for some years but not like intel. Are you sure that AMD is safe as I am worried that my money will go down the drain?

2. Also why is it that corsair and cooler master which are costlier are recommended? I used to go for Frontech, etc? Is there any specific reason?

3. About the corsair ram...any specific reason for that also? I used to buy zion, hynix,etc..


I enquired with a shop from which I used to buy regularly and all items mentioned above cost 1k to 2k extra and this will overshoot my budget. I will enquire with a few other shops. I request a little lesser configuration please(with the upgradability in mind if possible).

[whitestar_999]

total:32100

all prices in nehru place,delhi.bangalore prices should not be more than 200-300 max for components like processor & mobo.

about PSU read this:
Power supply blacklist thread for newbies

corsair ram is well reputed brand & comes with 10yr warranty.

[anonymous]

Hi Whitestar ,

Very nice of you to reply.

1)I belive you forgt to add a matching graphic card. Is a graphics card necessary in my case, considering that I need lots of cpu power for sharepoint and rarely play 3d games? If needed, please suggest me one for that config.

2) I read through the entire article of PSU's. It was very nice and informative.Let me express my thoughts.
I bought my first system in 1997 which I used till 2005. I had no problems with that. I had a problem in my next system due to electrostatic discharge through my hand and it was thrown. I bought my third system in 2007 and am using till date.However due to frequent voltage fluctuations since three years, it's psu got spoilt and I had to buy a new one a few months back. Although I read through the article, are you saying that corsair will not fail during voltage fluctations? That it's capacitors won't fail/bulge as time passes by? I agree with the efficiency point of view but the rest..well I don't know.Well for one thing, all software companies should have been facing this problem and dumping their systems. I work on a floor where there are hundreds of pc's but not one of them has had this prblem.However i will go as per your recommendation although I don't know how many people would have faced this kind of problem. Perhaps a poll would help.

3) About the ram, I understand that corsair is well reputed brand. But why pay for a brand when another brand offers the same capabilites? It's like CROMA, E-ZONE, etc are well reputed brands selling HDD, Monitors, etc. But the same stuff is available in flipkart at a cheaper price. So why go to the others?I believe that it's the only brand offering 10yrs warranty. Is there anything else that is different from other brands?

4) w.r.t the specifications that you have given, i just wanted to know if the motherboard can upgrade to 8gb?

5) i have an inverter at home, so i believe I don't need a ups.I however have a proview 500va ups. Can this be connected to it? ups will only be useful for me to prevent restart of the system due to switching delay while the inverter switches from power to battery when electicity goes.

6) If I could get some more specifications, I would be happy as I could choose from them.

thanks all

[Mr.V]

Thanks Mr.V and Sam...

1.I am a little bit hesitant to buy AMD stuff. I know AMD has been here for some years but not like intel. Are you sure that AMD is safe as I am worried that my money will go down the drain?

2. Also why is it that corsair and cooler master which are costlier are recommended? I used to go for Frontech, etc? Is there any specific reason?

3. About the corsair ram...any specific reason for that also? I used to buy zion, hynix,etc..


I enquired with a shop from which I used to buy regularly and all items mentioned above cost 1k to 2k extra and this will overshoot my budget. I will enquire with a few other shops. I request a little lesser configuration please(with the upgradability in mind if possible).

you use a lot of operating systems.This has 8 cores which will help you a lot
AMD also existed before but mostly abroad ^^
AMD is good.You can trust on them.
corsair ram has one of the best rams and has 10years warranty.It has a high speed so it will help you.
The mother board i have given is great and the processor will be future proof for many years.It has both NVIDIA SLI + ATI CROSSFIRE support. It is better to spend a little more than spending a lot in future.
the cabinet is large.You can store future components easily.
Ok i will lower it :-
4GB CORSAIR PC-10600 (1333 MHz)
1200

Dell monitor 20"LED
5600.

XFX GT 240 http://www.ebay.in/itm/XFX-NVIDIA-Ge...item416266e43d
3000

Logitech combo (KB & MOUSE)
500

Cabinet:-Zebtronics Pine
1200
Total :- 40000
You may buy whitestars config but personally speaking,I am a photoshop user,I own the FX8120 and i am seriously happy with its performance.

[sam]

1.I am a little bit hesitant to buy AMD stuff. I know AMD has been here for some years but not like intel. Are you sure that AMD is safe as I am worried that my money will go down the drain?

like how? the kind of work you have listed a FX or maybe a Phenom II X6 will be better suited.

2. Also why is it that corsair and cooler master which are costlier are recommended? I used to go for Frontech, etc? Is there any specific reason?

most peoples use these el-cheapo PSU but under load they fail and damage the motherboard. Thats why its wise to invest in a one time solution. 2.3k for a Corsair PSU will keep you worry free for more than 5yrs

3. About the corsair ram...any specific reason for that also? I used to buy zion, hynix,etc..

10yr warranty + seamless service + lower cost. Zion & Kingston cost more.

I enquired with a shop from which I used to buy regularly and all items mentioned above cost 1k to 2k extra and this will overshoot my budget. I will enquire with a few other shops. I request a little lesser configuration please(with the upgradability in mind if possible).

why buy locally? check flipkart or SMC International. SMC will assemble the PC and total cost will be lot less.

1)I belive you forgt to add a matching graphic card. Is a graphics card necessary in my case, considering that I need lots of cpu power for sharepoint and rarely play 3d games? If needed, please suggest me one for that config.

you may also go for HD6450. cost less than 2k but offers reasonable performance. And as gaming is not much of a priority, spend the extra cash on more ram.

2) I read through the entire article of PSU's. It was very nice and informative.Let me express my thoughts.
I bought my first system in 1997 which I used till 2005. I had no problems with that. I had a problem in my next system due to electrostatic discharge through my hand and it was thrown. I bought my third system in 2007 and am using till date.However due to frequent voltage fluctuations since three years, it's psu got spoilt and I had to buy a new one a few months back. Although I read through the article, are you saying that corsair will not fail during voltage fluctations? That it's capacitors won't fail/bulge as time passes by? I agree with the efficiency point of view but the rest..well I don't know.Well for one thing, all software companies should have been facing this problem and dumping their systems. I work on a floor where there are hundreds of pc's but not one of them has had this prblem.However i will go as per your recommendation although I don't know how many people would have faced this kind of problem. Perhaps a poll would help.

branded PCs usually use better PSU than the local ones you find. those are all chinese 200W PSU branded as 450W. whereas branded PCs use 200-250W PSU that offers the same output. Also you'll notice that most PCs don't have a graphics card or a lowend one. so a 350W is enough for them. but in your case, a 350W PSU cost same as a 450W PSU (FSP 350W cost ~1.8k whereas Corsair CX430W cost 2.3k) . so go for the higher rated PSU for same price.

3) About the ram, I understand that corsair is well reputed brand. But why pay for a brand when another brand offers the same capabilites? It's like CROMA, E-ZONE, etc are well reputed brands selling HDD, Monitors, etc. But the same stuff is available in flipkart at a cheaper price. So why go to the others?I believe that it's the only brand offering 10yrs warranty. Is there anything else that is different from other brands?

Corsair's strongest selling point is their service. most peoples will dump their system before Corsair ram warranty expires

4) w.r.t the specifications that you have given, i just wanted to know if the motherboard can upgrade to 8gb?

it supports 32Gb ram (4X8Gb).

5) i have an inverter at home, so i believe I don't need a ups.I however have a proview 500va ups. Can this be connected to it? ups will only be useful for me to prevent restart of the system due to switching delay while the inverter switches from power to battery when electicity goes.

500VA UPS should before a minute or two backup. enough to save your work and turn system off

6) If I could get some more specifications, I would be happy as I could choose from them.

your another option is going for Phenom II X6 1090/1100T + same motherboard.

[anonymous]

Thanks to everyone. I will now be saving to buy the parts and will post here before I buy them

One thing, i don't understand, why do we have to answer a general knowledge question when we reply a post? ex. spot the odd one out, a,-d, e....? I thought captcha's were good enough.

[table]
motherboard|intel DH67CLB3|5300
ram|1*4gb corsair 1333|1100
psu|corsair cx430v2|2300

whitestar

just a quick clarification.

Are these the respective components?

Intel DH67CL Motherboard
Flipkart: Intel DH67CL Motherboard: Motherboard

corsair cx430v2
Flipkart: Corsair CMPSU-430CXV2UK 430 Watts PSU: Psu


1*4gb corsair 1333

Flipkart: Corsair DDR3 4 GB (1 x 4 GB) PC RAM (CMV4GX3M1A1333C9): Ram

[whitestar_999]

yes these are the components.

edit:get 4 gb more ram as it will help in types of applications you use especially running multiple VM's.

[sam]

One thing, i don't understand, why do we have to answer a general knowledge question when we reply a post? ex. spot the odd one out, a,-d, e....? I thought captcha's were good enough.

cause you didn't read the FAQ for new members its already answered there. read it when you have time.

[anonymous]

All right, I bought it but with a few modifications.I couldn't get the cabinet or the smps that was mentioned. I bought circle cabinet and a cooler master smps. The monitor is a 19" viewsonic led with inbuilt speakers.The processor and the motherboard are the same. Ram is 8gb. Now I have two problems
1)the volume from the motherboard is not loud enough.
2)the microphone volume is not loud enough when i make skpe call. I feel like a fool when i see the other person coming very close to their speaker to hear me.

For the above two problems, I believe I have checked all settings everywhere.
My other older system did not have any such issues and speaker volume, microphone volume was great. When I contacted the dealer, he says that all newer systems are built with lower audio output and if you need a higher one, you need to purchase a sound card. Is that right? I feel frustrated.

[ArjunKiller]

Check the volume button on the taskbar and see if the output it 100%. It usually stays at 66% when you install Windows fresh..

[anonymous]

arjun, the volume is 100% , but no use. No idea what is wrong with both of them.
By the way, i was itching to play a 3d game on this sytem. I had demos of call of duty and crysis. The games went really great without even a graphics card and the graphics were breathtaking!!!

Any ideas on speakers and microphone

[whitestar_999]

left click on volume icon in system tray.then click on speaker icon above the volume slider.in the new window titled "speaker properties" click on tab "levels" check microphone volume.

[anonymous]

hi whitestar, tried that.
I will open a new thread in the hardware Q&A forum