Pinoy Tech Guy’s Recommended Rigs - #1
As a PC (Computer, not OS) enthusiast, I always try to keep myself updated with whats hot and what works with regards to computer hardware by canvassing and looking at what parts are available in the Philippines. Having a short list of what you want can help you when you decide to either upgrade or buy a new PC altogether and decided what to do with it. My friends who own PC shops find the list useful too.
My canvassing schedule is usually around 6 months so you can expect a new list by then.
Note 1: Prices are in PHP (Philippine Peso) as stated in the latest retail pricing of PC stores
Note 2: I lost the list of which item goes to which store so they’re not accurate to the peso per store but you can still use the pricing as a reference so that you don’t over or under budget.
Budget Rig - Below 25K+
Processor - Athlon 64 X2 5000 Dual core Box - P 4,630.00
Motherboard - ECS Nforce6M-A nForce pcie/GL - P 2,440.00
Video Card - Inno3D 7300GT 256ddr3 128bit dvi - P 2,440.00
RAM - PQI / Transcend 1GB PC533 / 667 x2 - (990) P 1,980.00
Hard Drive - 160gb Seagate Barracuda SATA - P 2,340.00
Optical Drive - Lite-On 20x LH-20A1H/3/4H lightscribe - P 1,350.00
Display - 17″ AOC 771S/7F Flat black - P 4,420.00
Casing - Budget Case with bundles (check below) - P 2,000.00
PSU - 550W Powerlogic (Power Supply) P 900.00
Peripherals - Mice and Keyboard Free via casing (will cost 600 if you go generic outsite of the case)
Sound Card - Built-in
Speakers - Genius Multimedia SP-J10 - P 520.00
Grand Total: P 23,020.00
Athlon 64 X2 5000 is has the best price to performance ratio in the Budget Range which is why, when you couple it with the Nforce Performance Board from ECS and the 7300GT and 2 Gigs of RAM, you get a lean mean rig that’ll fit your budget. I doubt you’ll be able to run most of the latest games but for 80% of computer users, it’s a machine that’ll last for 2 years or more.
Midrange Rig - Around 60K
Processor - Intel E6550 (2.33G) 1333FSB 4mb C2D - P 7,640.00
Motherboard - MSI 965NEO2-F P965 - P 5,040.00
Video Card - Gigabyte HD3870 512MB 256Bit DDR4 - P 11,800.00
RAM - 2GB DDR2 800 Dual Team Elite x2 P 2,600.00 - P 5,200.00
Hard Drive - 250gb Seagate Barracuda SATA x2 via RAID - (3070) P 6,140
Optical Drive - Lite-On 20x LH-20A1H/3/4H lightscribe - P 1,350.00
Display - Samsung 19″ 940BW LCD Monitor - P 10,000.00
Casing - Icute S901 Case Black - P 2,900.00
PSU - ACbel intelligent power 550w P 4,470.00
Peripherals:
Mouse - A4tech X710-1/2/3/F speed game mouse - P 830.00
Keyboard - A4-tech G600 3x Fast Gaming kybrd - P 880.00
Sound Card - Creative SB Audigy Value - P 2,340.00
Speakers - Altec Lansing ATP3 slim spkr - P 3,330.00
Grand Total: P 61,920.00
On the enthusiast level (those willing to spend their six months salary on a rig), the Intel E6550 Dual Core should be more than enough juice. I choose to pick the HD3870 from ATI because it’s powered by DDR4 technology and on the midrange range level, you can’t go wrong with the 3800+ family. MSI’s 965 board is the best bet for this rig because if your ever choose to up your RAM to 8GB or buy another HD3870 for Crossfire functionality, this board is ready for you. Just be sure to pump up the PSU to 600w or more if you’re planning to get a 2nd video card.
You’ll note that didn’t include any of the budget brands like PowerColor. This is because at midrange, you’ll be looking for quality more than anything else
Dream Rig - 100K+++
Processor - Intel Core 2 Quad Q6600 2.4Ghz 8mb Cache - P 11,750.00
Motherboard - Asus P532-E SLI Intel P965 - P 16,600.00 –> usually by order only
Video Card - MSI NX8800GT 512MB 256Bit T2D512E-OC X2 via SLI - (13,800) - P 27,600.00
RAM - 2GB DDR2 800 Dual Team Elite x2 P 2,600.00 - P 5,200.00
Hard Drive - 250gb Seagate Barracuda SATA x2 via RAID - (3,070.00) P 6,140.00
Optical Drive - Lite-On 20x LH-20A1H/3/4H lightscribe - P 1350.00
Display - Samsung 19″ 940BW LCD Monitor x2 (for dual monitor) - (10,000.00) - P 20,000.00
Casing -Gigabyte 3D Aurora570 - P 7,900.00
PSU - 800W Gigabyte Odin Pro (GE-M800A-D1) P 8,000.00
Peripherals :
A4tech X750-BF speed game laser - P 1,140.00
A4 RKS-2370D wireless KB/mse - P 1,660.00
Sound Card - Creative SB X-FI Platinum - P 13,160.00
Speakers - Altec Lansing VS 3251 5.1 - P 4,780.00
Grand Total: P 125,280.00
And last but not the least, the cream of the crop. I call it the Dream Rig because it’s going to remain just a dream for me ^^.
The Q6600 is there since I couldn’t find the right PHP price for any Extreme Edition Chip for the Core 2 but I’m quite sure they’ll cost you 40K and up. Asus’ P532 is the ultimate gaming motherboard made specifically for enthusiasts, powerusers, members of RoG (Republic of Gamers) or just those who are insanely rich. Why? Support for Quad SLI. Now that maybe overkill for most but if you’re in it for bragging rights or have the need for such a powerful rig, by all means get this board.
Why 2 monitors? With a powerful rig like this, you can’t just waste it on gaming. Having a dual monitor set up means you can still do work while playing your favorite High Spec game. It’s either that or you can take advantage of the few games that offer multiple monitor support like Supreme Commander. Good luck finding space to house those 19″ LCD monitors though.
Why 2 set of mice? 1 you use for general browsing. Since it’s wireless it’s hassle free. On the other hand, since gaming is your thing (and I’m quite sure if you’re into buying something this expensive you ought to use it for gaming) you need a fast, responsive mouse.
For me I’m saving up (though it’s on hold, no income yet gah!) for the Midrange Rig, how about you guys?
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