I built a PC for just £67! ($100)

[Jonathan Eales]

And it works!

I can use it for:
- playing music whilst I work
- download from the Internet
- test those shareware programs that you don't trust on your main system
- practise loading and fixing operating systems
- testing other components

OK so I cheated a little, as I only ordered:
- a new case with 300W power supply
- ECS K7S5A Pro motherboard with integrated sound.
- heatsink and fan
- CD-ROM
- floppy drive
- keyboard
- mouse
- case fan

I already had in my spares cupboard:
- Duron 800MHz CPU (upgraded from 2 years ago)
- 2.1GB ATA33 hard disk (from an original Pentium system)
- 256MB DDR memory (bought a couple of months ago, suspect as faulty, bought
at £16, I couldn't be bothered to RMA it)
- Matrox Millenium 8MB AGP graphics card (at least 6 years old)
- 15" CRT with slightly wonky display

I loaded an old version of Windows 98 that I'd upgraded from a while ago and
the latest Linux Red Hat 9.

And an extra £5 network card which I added when it worked so that I could
attach it to my home LAN. I misread the motherboard specification and
thought that it can with integrated network as well.

It is not the best computer I've ever built, certainly not the fastest,
quietest or most stable. It reboots itself every couple of days; I still
suspect that memory. But it works and is useful. All for £67+£5 with
packing and postage and tax included.

So here's the challenge people. How low can you go? Build a computer as
cheap as you can, that you'd be able to give your Granny to try the
Internet. Use those old components that sit in the back of your spares
cupboard or the bottom of your bits box.

We want to hear your success stories. It will make a change from all the
problems that we give advice on.

Go for it.
Jonathan

 

[Jack]

And it works!

I can use it for:
- playing music whilst I work
- download from the Internet
- test those shareware programs that you don't trust on your main system
- practise loading and fixing operating systems
- testing other components

OK so I cheated a little, as I only ordered:
- a new case with 300W power supply
- ECS K7S5A Pro motherboard with integrated sound.
- heatsink and fan
- CD-ROM
- floppy drive
- keyboard
- mouse
- case fan

I already had in my spares cupboard:
- Duron 800MHz CPU (upgraded from 2 years ago)
- 2.1GB ATA33 hard disk (from an original Pentium system)
- 256MB DDR memory (bought a couple of months ago, suspect as faulty, bought
at £16, I couldn't be bothered to RMA it)
- Matrox Millenium 8MB AGP graphics card (at least 6 years old)
- 15" CRT with slightly wonky display

I loaded an old version of Windows 98 that I'd upgraded from a while ago and
the latest Linux Red Hat 9.

And an extra £5 network card which I added when it worked so that I could
attach it to my home LAN. I misread the motherboard specification and
thought that it can with integrated network as well.

It is not the best computer I've ever built, certainly not the fastest,
quietest or most stable. It reboots itself every couple of days; I still
suspect that memory. But it works and is useful. All for £67+£5 with
packing and postage and tax included.

So here's the challenge people. How low can you go? Build a computer as
cheap as you can, that you'd be able to give your Granny to try the
Internet. Use those old components that sit in the back of your spares
cupboard or the bottom of your bits box.

We want to hear your success stories. It will make a change from all the
problems that we give advice on.

Go for it.
Jonathan

Most recently I put one together for free awhile back for a friend.
AFAIR, here's what was in it:

Case, PSU, floppy drive and MSI-6738 motherboard with integrated
video, audio and network salvaged from discarded units at work..
800 Mhz Duron CPU from years-old upgrade.
128 (2x 64MB) RAM and 56K modem from junkbox.
Generic Soundcard friend gave me a few months ago.
Quantum 10GB HD from another friend who upgraded, and thought this one
was going bad. (It wasn't, but did have a few bad blocks)
Generic CD player, KB, cheapo speakers and mouse found in trash along
with several games and an Unopened copy of Adobe Photoshop 4. (Lucky
find - Little sign on box it was all in said "Free")
VGA Monitor somebody threw out last year, but worked fine.

Windows 98SE that's been banging around in a desk drawer for years.
Internet software, various multimedia and application software from
the usual freeware/shareware sources.

Threw it all together and it worked without a hitch. Stable and
powerful enough for a friend who doesn't do a lot of gaming or
DVD-editing.

Things used to be even better before moved cross-country...
About 5 years ago, I was in a position where I could get all the parts
I wanted from units I stripped and rebuilt for a charity Internet
access centre I volunteered at. I was constantly building myself
heavy-duty units from spare parts. I'd take a bunch home and put them
on my network, then a few weeks later, bring them back and build more.
Worked out well. I had a lot of fun with the stuff, and they got
preconfigured, heavily-tested units in return. <g>

At present, I could prolly put together lots of free or nearly (US$50
or less) if I got off my arse and went to a few swap meets and garage
sales.

Regards,

Jack