Here’s the PC configuration of the month for home/office use by Pathik. For gaming you may add a graphics card as per your budget.

Processor:

I’ve chosen Intel Core 2 Duo processor as it gives the best value for money & is excellent in performance too.

Intel Core 2 Duo E7200- Price Rs. 5900.

Specifications Overview:

Socket- LGA775
Frequency- 2.53 GHz
FSB- 1066 MHz
L2 Cache- 3 MB
Architecture-45 nm SOI
Power Consumption- 65 Watts

Motherboard:

I’ve selected Abit motherboard.

Abit IP 35 E- Price Rs. 5350

Features Overview:

Socket Support- LGA775. Supports Intel C2D, Q2D & C2E.
RAM-Supports DDR2  800 MHz. Upto 4 slots & 8 GB.
Graphics & Chipsets-Intel P35 Express & ICH 9
HDMI-HDMI ready.
Audio- Supports HD 7.1 channel Audio & Jack sensing.
LAN-Gigabit(1 Gbps).
Ports- Up to 12 USB ports, 4 SATA  ports, 1 IDE port, 1 FDD, Front panel audio.

RAM:

I prefer DDR2 800 MHz as there is not much price & speed difference between 667 MHz & 800 MHz in Value RAM category. You can buy Kingston or Transcend whichever is available with the dealer. Buy 2 modules of 1 GB RAM.

2 X 1 GB DDR2 800 MHz-

Kingston Value RAM- Price Rs. 2350.

Transcend- Price Rs. 2300.

Hard Disk Drive:

I’ve chosen the capacity of 500 GB for the HDD. It is a minimum these days & is enough for normal use.

Seagate- 500 GB- Price Rs. 4100

Specifications Overview:

Capacity- 500 GB
Interface- SATA II
Spindle Speed- 7200 RPM
Buffer- 32 MB

Optical Drive:

I am going to select a DVD Writer.

Samsung SH S203

SATA 20X- Price Rs. 1700

Monitor:

Dell 1908 WFP- Price Rs. 12500

Specifications Overview:

Screen Size-19”
Max Resolution- 1440 x 900 pixels
Contrast Ratio- 1000: 1
Brightness Ratio-300 cd/m2 (Typical)
Response Time- 5ms
Pixel Pitch- 0.2835 mm (Typical)
Power Consumption- 32 Watts (Typical) – 75 Watts (Max). Less than 2 Watts on standby.
Viewing Angle- 160° / 160° (Typical)
Built in devices- USB 2.0 Hi-Speed Hub with 1 USB upstream port and 4 USB downstream ports
Connectivity- DVI-D, VGA
Stand- Height-adjustable stand, tilt, swivel, pivot and built-in cable management

Graphics Card:

I’ve chosen three graphics cards depending upon your budget.

Palit 9600GSO 384MB- Price Rs. 6500

EVGA 9600GT KO- Price Rs.9350

MSI 8800GT 512MB OC- Price Rs. 10900

Cabinet & SMPS:

Cabinet:

Zebronics Bijli- Price Rs. 1550

(With SMPS. Buy without one.)

Specifications Overview:

Front panel ports:
USB- 2 Ports
Audio- Mic & Out
Display- LCD Display

SMPS:

Cooler Master Extreme Power 460/500/600W

(Depends upon chosen graphics card)

460 W- Price Rs. 1900

500 W- Price Rs. 2650

600 W- Price Rs. 3150

Keyboard & Mouse:

I’ve chosen Logitech Keyboard & Mouse as they are the best, in my opinion. Microsoft optical mouse has a problem of pointer jumping around the screen.

Logitech Multimedia Wired Keyboard- Price Rs. 550
Logitech Optical Wired Mouse- Price Rs. 400

UPS:

UPS is a must for Indian users. UPS for this configuration must be atleast 650 VA & APC is my preferred choice. You should get around 10 minutes of backup on this configuration.

APC- 650VA- Price Rs. 3300

Softwares:

You pay for the hardware & should also pay for the software you use. Please do not use pirated Operating Systems or other application softwares. In case you cannot afford the Operating System you can use a Linux distribution for free. Ubuntu is the easiest Linux distribution & is recommended for users who want to shift from Windows. However I prefer Microsoft Windows Vista. For normal usage Windows Vista Premium is suitable. Do not buy Windows Vista Home Basic as it lacks many features like Aero & it can’t even play DVDs without 3rd party application.

Operating System:

Microsoft Windows Vista Home Premium (OEM)- Price Rs. 5200

OR

Linux Ubuntu- Price Rs. Free

Anti Virus:

Avira Antivir Personal Edition- Price Rs. Free