best cheap/free scores 1.1

[shovenose]

Re: best cheap/free scores 1.1

Nooooo. Raid 0 = Double the chance of failure. Given how unreliable all HDDs are nowadays, it's a VERY bad idea IMO.

I'm going to store all the important data on my server anyway, so it doesn't matter :P this is really just going to be used as a normal computer, not a server. In fact, that's all it really is... I don't know why Dell would market something like this as a server when it's got almost identical chassis and power supply to their Dimensions at the time...

[c_hegge]

Re: best cheap/free scores 1.1

They market it as a server because it's got a server OS and ECC RAM (even though the rest of the machine isn't server quality).

[shovenose]

Re: best cheap/free scores 1.1

Ah well hell...

[Scenic]

Re: best cheap/free scores 1.1

[...] and a AsRock 939Dual-SATA2 motherboard (one of those with both AGP and PCI-E 16x connectors, as well as PCI-E 1x and a "future CPU" connector to add a board that supports socket 940 CPUs).

*Socket AM2 CPUs :P

The upgrade board looks like this btw:
http://www.ocinside.de/assets/mainbo...oard_2_big.jpg

It's basically a whole motherboard minus the chipset, BIOS, etc.

BTW: the link to your "gaming" system makes me wanna cobble a package of my unused hardware together and send it off.. :/

PS: if the board turns out to be working, someone on ebay germany is currently selling one of those upgrade card thingies. If you want to, I could try to get it and send it your way. AM2 dualcore CPUs are pretty cheap. Quick look on ebay USA shows a Athlon64 X2 4200+ for 26usd w. free shipping. Certainly an upgrade from the 2.6GHz P4 lol


edit: uhm.. okay.. it looks a bit ridiculous with the upgrade board in place, but hey.. if it works..?!

http://www.ocinside.de/assets/mainbo...oard_4_big.jpg
http://www.ocinside.de/assets/mainbo...oard_5_big.jpg
http://img179.*************/img179/2378/28215723af6.jpg
http://img156.*************/img156/4673/21861409ln3.jpg

[tom66]

Re: Your Best Dumpster Finds

TODAY-

Dumpster by Dad's office, found a four slice toaster with two independent bread carriages. Plugged it in and it works fine and only had a bit of burnt toast stuck in it. Only minor issue is the bread clamps don't fully engage for one slot sometimes, but it just looks like it needs a bit of mechanical tweaking. Still toasts fine though. Checked prices... still sold new at £40. I think it was thrown out by nearby restaurant. Anyway the old toaster is going to a friend who needs one. Such a waste to throw it out when the local charity shop could have had it if it was going to the bin because it had been replaced.

Dumpster by <unnamed large electronics chain named after something astronomical... or at least their prices are. ZING!>, I found an awesome glass TV stand for any TV (wall mount bracket used) only problem was one of the small 30cm rods was missing but it is readily available at Wickes DIY. RRP £169.99. And just thrown outside to get broken!! Ridiculous.

Also found several component cabinets which were a bit worn (but still plenty usable). There were 5 cabinets but I could only fit two in the car . But that's still enough for all E12 resistors.

Oh and a bit of wood from a broken wood palette for firewood for Dad.

[Scenic]

Re: Your Best Dumpster Finds

Dumpster by <unnamed large electronics chain named after something astronomical... or at least their prices are. ZING!>

http://static.zoonar.com/img/www_rep...f7f9f5b461.jpg

?

[mariushm]

Re: Your Best Dumpster Finds

Went to the mall a few days ago to eat and passed a store that has some recycling boxes where people can throw their stuff in.
Found a nice bag with several motherboards , a cpu cooler, an amd cpu... also got a few days before a dvd writer - no clue why it died, looked inside and didn't spot anything wrong.

on the first motherboard some agp traces are peeled, on the rest of the boards don't see anything jumping out but they're all using ost capacitors and lelon so maybe that could the problem.
oh the first uses panasonic fc for capacitors - don't know if they were original, soldering looks too nice to be replacements.

oh.. the person that owned these probably had a fetish for bioses and batteries... they're gone where it was possible to be removed.

I'm probably going to remove the headers and leds and inductors and maybe some of the linear voltage regulators to reuse on some microcontroller projects. those damn headers are "expensive" bought separately... about 40 cents each on digikey
The capacitors... I don't know, I don't have an esr meter yet and I like using quality caps... may probably save just some of the 8mm ones just in case.

inlining the pictures later as the attach function craps out.

[mockingbird]

Re: Your Best Dumpster Finds

The QDI has some nice Panasonic caps.

[lti]

Re: Your Best Dumpster Finds

a dvd writer - no clue why it died, looked inside and didn't spot anything wrong.

Nothing usually appears to be bad inside an optical drive when it dies.

[momaka]

Re: best cheap/free scores 1.1

Good news.
That computer with the AsRock board is working good so far. The only wrong thing I can see on it is that the area around the RAM MOSFETs has become darkened from heat. The MOSFETs do indeed run pretty hot (almost enough for me not to be able to touch them) - and that's with 1 stick of RAM too. IIRC, weren't AsRock and ASUS related? If so, that explains alot.
Caps on the board are mostly Ost (6x RLX 6.3V 3300uF @ VRM, and 10V 1000uF RLP elsewhere), except at the CPU VRM high - those are Chemicon KZE 1200uF (4 or 5x).

Just put XP on it a few nights ago. It's pretty snappy and that AMD CPU runs pretty cool. For PSU, I used my recapped 300W Inno Power (Macron Power MPT-301).

Like the other computers I got for free, this one smells too - it's an a-okay type of smell, though . Apparently, this PC came from a pretty high-class area in my neighborhood so it smells like air fresheners. I'm not really a fan of those (in fact, I dislike them quite a bit). Of course, that beats the smell of cigarettes/tar and/or roach poo any day!
It was still somewhat dusty, though. Much less than the average, though.

interested in a 939 upgrade to a 3800+ athlon64 x2? I have one in a dead asus board w/ cooler. PM if interested.

Yes, but first I would like to get a decent PCI-E or AGP video card for this computer. The best I have ATM is 128 MB GeForce 5600 AGP. I have some Radeon 9700's as well, but those all show artifacts. Perhaps after I reflow them some day. I'll send you a PM regardless, just to check S&H.

BTW: the link to your "gaming" system makes me wanna cobble a package of my unused hardware together and send it off.. :/

Well, I can actually afford to build me a pretty decent computer if I wanted to... but I just don't want to. I find it more fun to mess around with old junk like I do now - every time I do an upgrade, it feels like I've jumped worlds ahead in technology . Moreover, I've learned a lot of stuff that way.
Besides, I really shouldn't spend more money on computer stuff considering that my room is full of them already. In fact, I better think of a strategy how to get rid/recycle of some of them. I'm getting close to borderline with hoarding now.

Also, my newest game is Portal (the first one). I think that shows you how much I game these days .

[shovenose]

Re: best cheap/free scores 1.1

Yes, unbacking a brand new computer is nice, BUT getting some old working is just as gratifying

[Agent24]

Re: best cheap/free scores 1.1

Yes, unbacking a brand new computer is nice, BUT getting some old working is just as gratifying

I haven't unpacked a brand new PC since my first one, everything since has been upgrades, custom builds and 2nd hand stuff

[shovenose]

Re: best cheap/free scores 1.1

I haven't unpacked a brand new PC since my first one, everything since has been upgrades, custom builds and 2nd hand stuff

What was this "first one"?

[Agent24]

Re: best cheap/free scores 1.1

Just a basic system from Warehouse Stationery (NZ equivalent of Staples)

Back when I didn't know much about computers! Intel Celeron 900Mhz says a lot...

However despite being a basic system it was fairly well built, a local job, not a Dell or anything. It had a junk Hyena PSU but apart from that it was OK.

I still have half the original components (better PSU, more RAM, and the HDD died) and use it at my electronics workbench, reading schematics, board layouts etc.

[tom66]

Re: Your Best Dumpster Finds

http://static.zoonar.com/img/www_rep...f7f9f5b461.jpg

?

Comet.

[shovenose]

free/cheap scores 1.2

Didn't wanna dig up the old one this is what I got today (ill upload a picture later)
2x apple computers
Dell pc
Hp pc
Elo touchscreen computer pos thing
5 or so monitors
Tons of keyboards and stuff
Rackmount thing I didn't look at so Idk what it is
More stuff I forgot prolly

All for free.

[ratdude747]

oops!

Didn't wanna dig up the old one this is what I got today (ill upload a picture later)
2x apple computers
Dell pc
Hp pc
Elo touchscreen computer pos thing
5 or so monitors
Tons of keyboards and stuff
Rackmount thing I didn't look at so Idk what it is
More stuff I forgot prolly

All for free.

merged back into 1.1... the last post was 12 days ago... c'mon man!

[c_hegge]

Re: best cheap/free scores 1.1

We dig this thread up all the time. Sometimes, you can bend the rules a bit.

Anyhow, my last score was a complete PC. Pentium D 2.8GHz, 1GB DDR2, 160GB SATA HDD,ATI HD2400 Graphics, 450W K-Mex PSU. It works, except for a faulty RAM module. it works fine after replacing that.

Also got a free CoolerMaster extreme power plus 650W (Seventeam OEM) with bad Suscon caps and a failed Death Adder (adda) fan. It works after recapping and replacing the fan.

[ratdude747]

Re: best cheap/free scores 1.1

We dig this thread up all the time. Sometimes, you can bend the rules a bit.

yeah, I have been half-temped at times to sticky it... same for the dumpster thread ...

[kc8adu]

Re: best cheap/free scores 1.1

yeah, I have been half-temped at times to sticky it... same for the dumpster thread ...

sounds like it would be a good idea.