Due to RAM Prices hike, SSD price hikes and god knows what other hikes incoming in the end of 2025, pre-builts even with the laptop specs have started to make a lot of sense.
Why did you not add Windows/Office in the pre-builts? Or, why not get OEM license?
Note: The following is assuming you NEED the official license for some reason as you can use Windows 10/11 without ever activating them by using the official images from Microsoft themselves and find a few registry tweaks to get across limitations of the trail version.
Also, the secret way to activate windows/office is so prevelant that Microsoft Support themselves use it to activate genuine licenses.
OEM is single-machine license meaning it's tied to the hardware. You are going to pay the same price as you would have paid Microsoft but the license is now tied to the machine where any change in the hardware might trigger a license failure so you just paid for as long as you have the machine. However, if you paid directly Microsoft the license it becomes your license and you can move it from PC to PC as required.
However, Office license is quiet cheap BUT to get it you MUST get the Windows license and so you still shouldn't do it. Instead of trying to save up on Office license DON'T get Windows license as just like the OEM problem before it will continue. I am now on a laptop that came with Office license whose motherboard was replaced multiple times due to failure by brand and I can't activate Office onto it because it was an OEM license. If I had paid Microsoft for the Office 2021 license, I would still have it to this day.
Why are lower capacity SSD/RAMs not recommended?
They will be recommended as soon as the RAM/SSD market become stable and there is even a supply, forget astronomical prices, you can't even buy RAM or SSD right now from an authentic seller of an authentic brand.
If and once it becomes normal to buy RAM and SSD from market again, (which I highly doubt seeing how everyone is using AI on a daily basis) I will get rid of all the extra SSD and RAMs from the sheet and it will all be barebones system with maybe no RAM or SSD even like it should be.
Until then however, highest RAM and SSD is the priority for me and I will not bother with small RAM/SSD variants.
Note: This is also the reason I am adding other smaller purchases for CPUs and other stuff because you are already paying a lot of money just for the RAM and SSD.
Will include mini-PC also. Would not have bothered with it but with the astronomical cost of RAMs, SSDs and soon everything, it might make sense atleast.
To put here as soon as I am done with all the thinkpads right now, almost copmlete.
Recommended Desktops
Platform Costs
Each platform be it AMD's new AM5 or old AM4 or Intel's many many platform have a minimum cost ignoring the cost of CPU and GPU itself. I am calling these platform costs. I was going to separate them based on DDR4 and DDR5 but the price difference between them is no longer a concern hence all will be DDR5 cost only, if it requires DDR4 it will be specified there later.
AM5 All CPU/GPU Supported Platform Cost ~50k
This will support many CPU of AM5 platform and many new GPUs. I will list them all here:
CPU Supported:
MotherboardB850 is available for the same price
: Gigabyte B650 X AX for Rs.17k: Amazon, MD, Vedant, TLG → Main reason to pick was lower VRM Temperatures and four RAM Slots so in future when upgrading you don't have to throw away old RAMs and it should even handle high-end CPUs later with ease.
PSU: Good brand with high range of voltages like 100-240VAC and as large a capacity you can get for future upgrades. Something like MSI MAG A850GL to be ready for a high powered GPU later.
Note: Whatever you do, stay away from cheap brands. Stick to MSI, Cooler Master or Corsair and other such brands.
RAM: Crucial Pro 16*2 5600MT/s mainly because it was cheaper than what I usually recommend: Crucial CL46 16GB 5600Mhz Note:
Capacity: AMD will eat up RAM for iGPU and Windows will eat it just to run normal stuff. Even 16GB is no longer recommended.
16x2: Even though DDR5 doesn't suffer the need of having dual channel configuration, since we are getting a four slot motherbaord, it makes sense to go with two 16GB RAMs. If you plan to use 32x4=128GB RAM later, then only you should get a single 32GB Stick.
Storage: Reliable Reupted brand. Samsung 990 EVO Plus 1TB PCIE4*4 only if it's too expensive than the WD SN770 1TB one. But still try to go with the Evo.
Note: There are of courese cheaper SSD but data is valuable. The loss of data means loss of time, money, or memories. Things that are expensive to recreate or can't be done so. You can't always rely on cloud storage for everything later.
Case: Large Good Airflow Case with removable Dust Filters. Something like this for 5k.
Try to find a case that fits this criteria. If I find a decent one in good price online I will add it here later.
That is what I recommend for everyone. Good airflow is needed in India due to varying harsh temperatures and humidity. Removable dust filter means you will have to clean only the dust filters from outside and don't have to open the PC all the time to clean it.
Note: The Motherboard above is the largest size(ATX) so keep that in mind when getting a case.
Misc:All these should cost less than 1k combined.
Ethernet Cable: Yes, don't rely on wifi. You are getting a PC. Get as long a cable as you need.
Prefer AMD CPUs for the simple fact of many CPUs being supported on the same motherboard.
All Intel CPUs from 13th and 14th gen have had a lot of instability issues along with high power draw and high heat.
Intel 15th gen(1xx series) and 16th gen(2xx series) are under review because of last few gen's instability.
AMD is the way to go just for stability itself but more importantely a long list of CPUs that you can use with both the last platform (AM4) and (AM5).
AM4 is still to expensive to recommend over AM5 except maybe for very budget builds.
CPUs on AM4 are still very relevant but the problem is the best CPUs on AM4 are still very expensive even after so many years epecially in India. It can be so expensive at the middle or high budget that it will make more sense to go with AM5 CPUs by default.
Engineering kids should stick to Nvidia Graphics Card simply becasue of CUDA. AI Summary of the same.
Note: As much as I hate low VRAM GPU the simple fact is Nvidia's CUDA is very important for running AI/ML tasks locally. And just learning to setup and create such AI/ML tasks on your own and not relying on cloud servers which do it for you is a very importnat skill as in your next job you might have to do it on your own and is a very important skill.
Please read on this a bit more as AMD and Intel are implementing their own version of CUDA but as of June 2025 it was not upto mark.
P.S: This is also the reason I completely reject non-ram upgradable laptops for CS/IT kids because running docker containers by yourself is an important skill and with just a few docker containers you will fill your 32GB RAM very very quickly. Also it helps with multiple virtual machines and running resourse heavy codes which even for Web Development as bloated slow sites are now becoming a norm that don't run on vanilla JavaScript but use some form of Library which brings it's own bloatness.
P.P.S: This is also the reason I write my website in HTML. I hate bloated and slow sites.
Many good brand/good sub-brand/good specific PSUs are simply not available in India.
Just because it's a good brand or a few PSU's are good from one brand doesn't mean all all the PSU's are good. So please check the specific PSU you're looking inot.
P.S: That is the goal of this PSU list. To bring together a simple Tier List that one can open anytime and know if the PSU they are about to order is good or not.
Get PSU with wide range of voltages like 100-240Vac or larger range. Never buy 200-240Vac PSUs.
