As you know by now, we provide you with 2 primary types of PC guides on this Web site - Need-based and Budget-based. While the latter is more specific and featured at least once a month, the former gives you broad guidelines about the right PC for your needs. We choose to publish it once or twice a year. Now, with the start of the festive season, people will be looking to buy new PCs. The needs will vary and so will the budgets. So here we are with the updated version of the more generalized PC Buying Guide. (Version 10.05 = October 2005 edition). For those who haven't read the previous articles, here's what this article is about. There are two basic ways of buying a PC. The first is budget driven, i.e. simply fixing a budget and then buying the best components that you can afford for that price. The second is need driven, i.e. deciding on the components that you need and buying them and thus giving the budget a back seat. Each method has its own share of pros and cons. The first method is commonly followed as it is relatively simpler and more importantly one can keep a check on the spending. The second one is often overlooked, as many believe that following that method could lead to over-spending. The argument is valid to a certain point, but if you give it a serious thought, the second procedure can produce better and more accurate results. I'm not suggesting that the budget be totally ignored, but that your need should take precedence over it. In other words, the purpose for which you wish to use the PC should dictate the budget.
Before we proceed to the components, once again we will classify PC users into three categories based on the type of usage. The first category (Class 'A'): the basic user who uses his PC for word processing and accounting purposes and for surfing the Internet or listening to music or watching a movie, or for that matter doing a bit of coding in C, C++, Java etc. Gaming is far from being a necessity. The second category (Class 'B') is the casual gamer. Other than the above tasks, he is interested in playing recent 3D games. He doesn't mind gaming at a lower resolution with some of the visual options toned down as long as he gets playable (FPS) frames per second. The final category (Class 'C') is the power user or the hardcore gamer. He is someone who uses 3D animation software like 3D Studio Max or Maya and demands good FPS in the latest games at a high resolution and with all eye candy enabled. Now that we have defined our users, let's move on to the real thing.
Before we proceed to the components, once again we will classify PC users into three categories based on the type of usage. The first category (Class 'A'): the basic user who uses his PC for word processing and accounting purposes and for surfing the Internet or listening to music or watching a movie, or for that matter doing a bit of coding in C, C++, Java etc. Gaming is far from being a necessity. The second category (Class 'B') is the casual gamer. Other than the above tasks, he is interested in playing recent 3D games. He doesn't mind gaming at a lower resolution with some of the visual options toned down as long as he gets playable (FPS) frames per second. The final category (Class 'C') is the power user or the hardcore gamer. He is someone who uses 3D animation software like 3D Studio Max or Maya and demands good FPS in the latest games at a high resolution and with all eye candy enabled. Now that we have defined our users, let's move on to the real thing.
The cheapest buyable option available today would be an AMD Athlon Sempron 2200+ processor (Rs 2,500) and a KM-400 chipset-based motherboard (Rs 2,400). Though this combo is sufficient for your needs, I would advice you spend another 600-800 bucks and go for the next generation platform - Socket-754 AMD Sempron 2500+ (Rs 2,900) and VIA K8M800 motherboard (Rs 2,750). The board also offers you the usual features like USB 2.0, SATA and AGP 8X slot along with an onboard video (VIA Unichrome graphics - good enough for most things but terrible for gaming), a good 5.1 channel onboard audio and LAN. Note that the Socket A series of CPUs and motherboards is all set to be replaced by the Socket-754 variants. So Class A users may do good to avoid going for the former.
The more adventurous Class A users, who would like to game a bit, can opt for an ATI RS480 motherboard (Rs. 4,500-4,700) from TUL or MSI which has respectable onboard graphics (ATI X300SE) and a PCI Express (PCI-E) slot for future upgrades. I would recommend at least an AMD Athlon 64 2800+ (Rs. 5,300) for the Class-B users. Couple that with a good nVidia nForce 3/4 chipset motherboard (Rs. 4,500-5,000) or the ATI RS480 and you have the foundation of a solid mid-range PC. For those who seek a little extra power and have a little more dough to spare can opt for a Socket-939 Athlon 64 3000+ (Rs 7,300) with a basic nForce 4 Ultra (Rs 5,500 - Rs 6,500) or a RS480 (Rs 5,200) motherboard. The 939 platform supports Dual Channel Memory interface that translated to more memory bandwidth. Now, other than the nForce 3 motherboards, all other boards have a PCI Express slot for graphics. So only those who already own a good AGP card and wish to retain it for a while should opt for the nForce 3; else PCI-E is the way to go. Why haven't I included an Intel CPU in the above categories? Simply because Intel does not have a CPU to match those mentioned above at that price point. To be precise, the Intel CPUs do not offer better value for money. Class-C users should opt for at least a Socket-939 AMD Athlon 64 3200+ (Rs 9,200) or the 3500+ (Rs 12,500) with an nForce 4 Ultra motherboard (Rs 6,500 and above). Those with a really hefty budget can think about a Dual Core Athlon 64 X2 (Rs 25,000+) with an nForce 4 Ultra or an Intel Pentium D with a 945 chipset board. However these CPUs sell with a fat premium and wouldn't be a bad idea to wait for a quarter or two for the prices to assume saner proportions. Especially those thinking of buying the Athlon 64 X2 have an option of opting for a standard Socket-939 CPU and upgrading to the X2 after a few months as they do not have to bother about a motherboard upgrade because the nForce 4 Ultra can play host to both those product lines. Memory 256 MB of DDR RAM should be a minimum for Class A users, while 512 MB is the starting point for Class B users. Class C users shouldn't think of anything lower than a GB. That's for the quantity. As for speeds, 400 MHz is recommended for all the categories as all the boards support it and the price difference between that and the lower clocked RAM is hardly anything. Those buying a Pentium D with a 945 chipset motherboard should go for the DDR-2 modules. The price of DDR-2 533 MHz is marginally higher than the standard DDR-400 modules with similar capacity. Those with the 939 or 945 platform, should opt for two memory sticks instead of one to take advantage of the dual channel memory interface that those boards support. The prices of RAM are extremely volatile in the PC market and are subject to change every now and then. Currently, the prices for DDR-400 RAM are as follows: 256 MB (Rs 1,200 - 1,600), 512 MB (Rs 2,200 - 2,600). 512 MB 533 MHz DDR-2 modules start at Rs- 2,750. Transcend, KingMax and Hynix are the more readily available reputed brands.
The more adventurous Class A users, who would like to game a bit, can opt for an ATI RS480 motherboard (Rs. 4,500-4,700) from TUL or MSI which has respectable onboard graphics (ATI X300SE) and a PCI Express (PCI-E) slot for future upgrades. I would recommend at least an AMD Athlon 64 2800+ (Rs. 5,300) for the Class-B users. Couple that with a good nVidia nForce 3/4 chipset motherboard (Rs. 4,500-5,000) or the ATI RS480 and you have the foundation of a solid mid-range PC. For those who seek a little extra power and have a little more dough to spare can opt for a Socket-939 Athlon 64 3000+ (Rs 7,300) with a basic nForce 4 Ultra (Rs 5,500 - Rs 6,500) or a RS480 (Rs 5,200) motherboard. The 939 platform supports Dual Channel Memory interface that translated to more memory bandwidth. Now, other than the nForce 3 motherboards, all other boards have a PCI Express slot for graphics. So only those who already own a good AGP card and wish to retain it for a while should opt for the nForce 3; else PCI-E is the way to go. Why haven't I included an Intel CPU in the above categories? Simply because Intel does not have a CPU to match those mentioned above at that price point. To be precise, the Intel CPUs do not offer better value for money. Class-C users should opt for at least a Socket-939 AMD Athlon 64 3200+ (Rs 9,200) or the 3500+ (Rs 12,500) with an nForce 4 Ultra motherboard (Rs 6,500 and above). Those with a really hefty budget can think about a Dual Core Athlon 64 X2 (Rs 25,000+) with an nForce 4 Ultra or an Intel Pentium D with a 945 chipset board. However these CPUs sell with a fat premium and wouldn't be a bad idea to wait for a quarter or two for the prices to assume saner proportions. Especially those thinking of buying the Athlon 64 X2 have an option of opting for a standard Socket-939 CPU and upgrading to the X2 after a few months as they do not have to bother about a motherboard upgrade because the nForce 4 Ultra can play host to both those product lines. Memory 256 MB of DDR RAM should be a minimum for Class A users, while 512 MB is the starting point for Class B users. Class C users shouldn't think of anything lower than a GB. That's for the quantity. As for speeds, 400 MHz is recommended for all the categories as all the boards support it and the price difference between that and the lower clocked RAM is hardly anything. Those buying a Pentium D with a 945 chipset motherboard should go for the DDR-2 modules. The price of DDR-2 533 MHz is marginally higher than the standard DDR-400 modules with similar capacity. Those with the 939 or 945 platform, should opt for two memory sticks instead of one to take advantage of the dual channel memory interface that those boards support. The prices of RAM are extremely volatile in the PC market and are subject to change every now and then. Currently, the prices for DDR-400 RAM are as follows: 256 MB (Rs 1,200 - 1,600), 512 MB (Rs 2,200 - 2,600). 512 MB 533 MHz DDR-2 modules start at Rs- 2,750. Transcend, KingMax and Hynix are the more readily available reputed brands.
Hard disk Don't go for anything less that a 7200 RPM 80 GB IDE Hard drive (Rs. 2,700). The 160 GB PATA sells for around Rs 3,700. Yes, you do get 200 GB, 250 GB and 400 GB drives but the 160 GB drives still offer the best MB per Rupee ratio. Going for the SATA variants wouldn't be too bad an idea as the price difference isn't as high as it used to be before but that wouldn't really give you a major performance boost. Ideally, if you are buying a SATA drive, make sure that it supports Native Command Queuing (NCQ). That does speed up things. Hitachi, Seagate and Western Digital are our preferred brands. They all offer a 5-year warranty now.
Monitor There haven't been any significant changes in the CRT monitors market except for the evolutionary drop in prices. A 17" monitor is recommended for Class A and B users. There are a few 19" monitors around and they sell for over twice the price of regular 17" models. They are not recommended unless you absolutely need them. A standard 17" monitor can be bought for Rs 5,500 while the pure flat variants sell for around Rs 6,800. Preferred models are Samsung 793S, ViewSonic E72f+, LG E700S-H. Not too many changes in the CRT market, but the scene in the LCD arena is significantly different. The prices of LCDs have been falling steadily this year and especially the 17" models. And along with prices, the response time is also getting lower (lower the better). Though they aren't exactly pushing the 17" CRTs, a price drop of over 5K in the past 8 months or so is welcome news. 15" LCDs can be bought for around 10K to 11K while the prices of 17" from major brands like Samsung and ViewSonic have dropped below 15K. Going by the current trend, I won't be surprised to see a price tag of around Rs 10,000 for 17" LCDs in another 6 months or so. Make sure you buy an LCD with a response time of 8 ms or lower, especially gamers. Recommended models ViewSonic VA712 and Samsung 713N. Both sell for around Rs 14,500 to Rs 15,000. Display Cards For the Class A users, the onboard graphics chip is good enough for their needs. If that's not all, you also have an AGP/PCI-E slot to plug in a better Video card if you happen to develop an interest in gaming at a later stage. The Class B users should opt for at least an nVidia GeForce 6600 or ATI X700 based card with 128 MB of DDR RAM. With the above cards you can enjoy all of today's games in medium to high settings at 1024x768 resolution. You should be able to find the above cards in a price range of Rs 6000 to Rs 7,500. If you have a bit more to spend, then the 6600GT based cards are the best option. Their PCI-E versions sell for as low as Rs 8,500 and the AGP versions are available for around 9K. The Class C users should look at nothing less than ATI X800 XL. You can get one for around Rs 16,000 to 18,000. If you really want to go for a kill, nVidia's 7800 series awaits you. But be ready to be lighter by at least Rs 25,000 for the GT version. The GTX can take away another 10K of your hard earned money. There are several vendors selling nVidia cards of which Gainward, BIG and XFX offer good performance and value. Options are limited when it comes to ATI but they are catching up. For now, PowerColor offers a good range of ATI cards.
Monitor There haven't been any significant changes in the CRT monitors market except for the evolutionary drop in prices. A 17" monitor is recommended for Class A and B users. There are a few 19" monitors around and they sell for over twice the price of regular 17" models. They are not recommended unless you absolutely need them. A standard 17" monitor can be bought for Rs 5,500 while the pure flat variants sell for around Rs 6,800. Preferred models are Samsung 793S, ViewSonic E72f+, LG E700S-H. Not too many changes in the CRT market, but the scene in the LCD arena is significantly different. The prices of LCDs have been falling steadily this year and especially the 17" models. And along with prices, the response time is also getting lower (lower the better). Though they aren't exactly pushing the 17" CRTs, a price drop of over 5K in the past 8 months or so is welcome news. 15" LCDs can be bought for around 10K to 11K while the prices of 17" from major brands like Samsung and ViewSonic have dropped below 15K. Going by the current trend, I won't be surprised to see a price tag of around Rs 10,000 for 17" LCDs in another 6 months or so. Make sure you buy an LCD with a response time of 8 ms or lower, especially gamers. Recommended models ViewSonic VA712 and Samsung 713N. Both sell for around Rs 14,500 to Rs 15,000. Display Cards For the Class A users, the onboard graphics chip is good enough for their needs. If that's not all, you also have an AGP/PCI-E slot to plug in a better Video card if you happen to develop an interest in gaming at a later stage. The Class B users should opt for at least an nVidia GeForce 6600 or ATI X700 based card with 128 MB of DDR RAM. With the above cards you can enjoy all of today's games in medium to high settings at 1024x768 resolution. You should be able to find the above cards in a price range of Rs 6000 to Rs 7,500. If you have a bit more to spend, then the 6600GT based cards are the best option. Their PCI-E versions sell for as low as Rs 8,500 and the AGP versions are available for around 9K. The Class C users should look at nothing less than ATI X800 XL. You can get one for around Rs 16,000 to 18,000. If you really want to go for a kill, nVidia's 7800 series awaits you. But be ready to be lighter by at least Rs 25,000 for the GT version. The GTX can take away another 10K of your hard earned money. There are several vendors selling nVidia cards of which Gainward, BIG and XFX offer good performance and value. Options are limited when it comes to ATI but they are catching up. For now, PowerColor offers a good range of ATI cards.
Optical drives Last time I did an article like this, I had asked the Class A users to opt for either a CD Writer or a DVD-ROM drive. This time it's going to be a choice between a Combo drive and a DVD Writer. The combo drives are now available for Rs 1,900. Even better 16X DVD Writers are now available for just around Rs 3,000 and give you the flexibility to read and write all types of CDs and DVDs.
Cabinet and Power Supply Choose a spacious cabinet with proper ventilation. Add a couple of fans for proper airflow. As for the SMPS, a good 300 Watts SMPS is good enough for standard usage, i.e. up to 3-4 IDE devices. If you plan to connect anything more than that or a Graphics card that draws more power, then a 400 Watts SMPS or better would be necessary. PowerSafe still remains our preferred brand. It is a quality product that is reasonably priced and comes with a 3-year warranty as compared to one year from other competing brands. Buy an Antec SMPS if you can afford it. Sound card and Speakers The classification of users does not apply to this section as sound enthusiasts can fall into either of the categories. For a casual listener, the onboard sound card and a pair of stereo speakers should be more than enough. For the rest (especially gamers and movie buffs), I would suggest that they first try out their onboard sound card before opting for the Creative Live or Audigy series of sound cards. The onboard sound has really matured and is certainly worth a look in, especially if you have a Realtek sound chip (ALC650 or better) integrated on your motherboard. Not only is the quality good but they also support 5.1-channel output and some of the recent ones provide you 8-channel output. For those who prefer a fair bit of thump, opt for a 2.1 channel system. The Artis S500 is one of the best in the entry level segment along with the Altec Lansing AVS 300. For music enthusiasts on a budget, I would recommend a good-quality 2.1 speaker system like the Altec Lansing ATP3 (Rs 3,300). For the serious music freaks with money to spare, the ideal choice would be the Altec Lansing MX-5021 (Rs 9,000) with an excellent high and mid-range reproduction and thumping bass. A good 5.1 channel system will serve gamers and DVD movie fanatics better. Those on an extremely tight budget, can opt for an entry level 5.1 channel system like the Artis S5500 (Rs. 3,500). For those with bigger budgets, check out the 5300 from Logitech or the Artis X10. The Logitech Z-680/5500, Creative Gigaworks S750 would suit those who seek the cream of multi-channel segment. These are undoubtedly the best speaker systems officially available in our country. Keyboard and Mouse Shopping for keyboards and mice shouldn't be an issue. Choose a sturdy keyboard with tactile keys and an optical mouse. Gamers should settle for nothing less than MS Wheel Mouse Optical (not the MS Basic Optical Mouse) as it has a much refined sensor that isn't plagued with tracking off issues. Hardcore gamers have a choice between the Logitech MX-310 and MX-518, the high sensitivity gaming mice. As for the rest of the components, I don't think you should have much trouble in choosing them. However, if you need any help, there are enough reviews on this site along with our experts on 'Ask Techtree' and 'Forums' to help you out. I hope the above tips will prove handy in choosing the optimal configuration for the PC that you seek.
Cabinet and Power Supply Choose a spacious cabinet with proper ventilation. Add a couple of fans for proper airflow. As for the SMPS, a good 300 Watts SMPS is good enough for standard usage, i.e. up to 3-4 IDE devices. If you plan to connect anything more than that or a Graphics card that draws more power, then a 400 Watts SMPS or better would be necessary. PowerSafe still remains our preferred brand. It is a quality product that is reasonably priced and comes with a 3-year warranty as compared to one year from other competing brands. Buy an Antec SMPS if you can afford it. Sound card and Speakers The classification of users does not apply to this section as sound enthusiasts can fall into either of the categories. For a casual listener, the onboard sound card and a pair of stereo speakers should be more than enough. For the rest (especially gamers and movie buffs), I would suggest that they first try out their onboard sound card before opting for the Creative Live or Audigy series of sound cards. The onboard sound has really matured and is certainly worth a look in, especially if you have a Realtek sound chip (ALC650 or better) integrated on your motherboard. Not only is the quality good but they also support 5.1-channel output and some of the recent ones provide you 8-channel output. For those who prefer a fair bit of thump, opt for a 2.1 channel system. The Artis S500 is one of the best in the entry level segment along with the Altec Lansing AVS 300. For music enthusiasts on a budget, I would recommend a good-quality 2.1 speaker system like the Altec Lansing ATP3 (Rs 3,300). For the serious music freaks with money to spare, the ideal choice would be the Altec Lansing MX-5021 (Rs 9,000) with an excellent high and mid-range reproduction and thumping bass. A good 5.1 channel system will serve gamers and DVD movie fanatics better. Those on an extremely tight budget, can opt for an entry level 5.1 channel system like the Artis S5500 (Rs. 3,500). For those with bigger budgets, check out the 5300 from Logitech or the Artis X10. The Logitech Z-680/5500, Creative Gigaworks S750 would suit those who seek the cream of multi-channel segment. These are undoubtedly the best speaker systems officially available in our country. Keyboard and Mouse Shopping for keyboards and mice shouldn't be an issue. Choose a sturdy keyboard with tactile keys and an optical mouse. Gamers should settle for nothing less than MS Wheel Mouse Optical (not the MS Basic Optical Mouse) as it has a much refined sensor that isn't plagued with tracking off issues. Hardcore gamers have a choice between the Logitech MX-310 and MX-518, the high sensitivity gaming mice. As for the rest of the components, I don't think you should have much trouble in choosing them. However, if you need any help, there are enough reviews on this site along with our experts on 'Ask Techtree' and 'Forums' to help you out. I hope the above tips will prove handy in choosing the optimal configuration for the PC that you seek.
For Class A Users: CPU: AMD Sempron 2500+ (Socket-754) Motherboard: VIA K8M800 or ATI RS480 chipset RAM: 256 MB to 512 MB DDR-400 Hard Drive: 80 GB 7200 RPM SMPS: 300 Watts Monitor: 17 Standard Graphics: Onboard Optical Drive: Combo Drive Keyboard: Standard Keyboard Mouse: Basic Optical Mouse For Class B Users: CPU: AMD Athlon 64 2800+ (754) or AMD Athlon 64 3000+ (939) Motherboard: nForce 3/4 or ATI RS480 or nForce 4 Ultra RAM: 512 MB to 1 GB DDR-400 Hard Drive: 160 GB SMPS: 300 to 350 Watts Monitor: 17 Standard or Flat Graphics: nVidia GeForce 6600/6600 GT or ATI x700 Optical Drive: 16X DVD Writer Keyboard: Standard Keyboard Mouse: MS Wheel Mouse Optical For Class C Users: CPU: AMD Athlon 64 3500+ (Socket 939) or Intel Pentium D Motherboard: nVidia nForce 4 Ultra (for AMD) or Intel 945 chipset board RAM: 2 x 512 MB DDR-400 or DDR2 (for Pentium D) Hard Drive: 250 GB SATA with NCQ SMPS: 400 Watts SMPS or better Monitor: 17 Flat or 17 LCD with 8 ms response time Graphics: ATI x800 XL or nVidia GeForce 7800 GT Optical Drive: 16X DVD Writer Keyboard: Standard/Multimedia/Wireless Keyboard Mouse: MS Wheel Mouse Optical or Logitech MX 310/518 Enjoy your shopping.
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