Cheap 'learning' computers

[NimTheMad]

Hey guys,

So I need to set up a 3 computer network in my house. I'm workin on some certs and I need it for some university classes.

Basically I'm thinking cheap; no OS, onboard everything, etc. I'm talkin way low end, they'll be used for learning... No gaming or anything like that. 800mhz-1ghz/256 ram is what I'm lookin for.

Here's the best I could do with pricewatch:
Duron 1GHZ - $36 x 3 = $108
Biostar M7NCG 400 - $65.00 x 3 = $195
128 pc1600 dimm - $17.99 x 6 = $107.94
20 gig 5400rpm hd - $33 x 3 = $99
case 350 watt - $30 x 3 = $90
----------
Total = 599.94

If anyone could recommend a cheaper route, I'd appreciate it greately. (Maybe refurbished old dells or something?)

Thanks!
-Nim

 

[homIcIde]

you might be able to pick up some old systems very cheaply in the FS/FT forum. If you dont need much performance at all im sure you could dig up some used comps cheaper than that.

 

[BlindedByScience]

....also, I know locally there's a place that does PC recycling. They take old hardware (for a donation) and put machines together from the decent parts and sell them on the cheap. If I needed three very inexpensive systems, I'd look there first.

....'course, with the amount of crap I have in my shop, I'll bet there are at least three machines worth of pieces out there.....

Regards - B.B.S.

 

[MaMMa]

u could get:
- elite refurb abit k7n-s for 29$ each and there is also k7n 19$ ones (newegg)
- amd mobile 2400+ that can OCs to 3200 for 84$ each
- Kingston ValueRAM 184 Pin 256MB DDR PC-3200 44$

$29 X 3 = $60 (mobo)
$84 X 3 = $252 (CPU)
$44 X 3 = $132 (RAM)

then your

20 gig 5400rpm hd - $33 x 3 = $99
case 350 watt - $30 x 3 = $90

Grand Total $633

You need some crappy video cards also u can get 3 for under 30$ i bet =\ that would be nice systems, o yea, shipping would be about 3$ from new egg. Once your done with them I bet you could sell them for more then you got also

 

[Bugalaman]

right now fry's has those WD 80GB 8mb hdd's for $40 (MIR, i think though)

 

[CrimandEvil]

Go to a local Salvation Army or any other places like that (don't forget thrift stores) and pick up some cheap $20 PCs.

 

[jf1288]

Id go with 4 gig hdds, and refurbished mobos and whatnot. I dont think that youd need any more than 4 gig if all your doing is putting on an os and setting up a network.

 

[NimTheMad]

Great ideas everyone.

So I was looking around on the net for cheap used puters, and this site retrobox.com has these old compaq cele 733mhz/256ram/10gig machines for ... $75! Kinda seems too cheap to be true, but I'ma contact 'em and snatch those up if it's for real.

$75x3 = $225! hazah!

Thanks again,
-Nim

 

[MaMMa]

compaqs are shit. u might have more trouble then u should trying to setup a network with those machines. and i bet they would run horrid with win2k/xp.

spend the extra dough. this is ur education your talking about. don't buy cheap stuff that is going to break on you cuz you'll just end up forking out more $$$ i'm sure everyone has experienced this

 

[CrimandEvil]

He didn't say anything about running win2k/xp, for all we know he could be running Linux on them (I would )

 

[MaMMa]

my fault

 

[NimTheMad]

Yeah,

Well, actually they'll be used for both linux and windows. I'm hoping to dual boot some linux distro and win2k server, or 2k3 server.

In my experience compaqs are crap, i'll admit. But for $75, i'll take my chances.

Good lookin out, I appreciate it.
-Nim

 

[lorcani]

u could get:
- elite refurb abit k7n-s for 29$ each and there is also k7n 19$ ones (newegg)
- amd mobile 2400+ that can OCs to 3200 for 84$ each
- Kingston ValueRAM 184 Pin 256MB DDR PC-3200 44$

The RAM and mobile 2400+ are mega-overkill in this case.

My suggestion would be look in the classified section of the newspaper for corporate close-outs and things. Also, you may want to check out the FS/FT section of the forum.

 

[ReNeGaDe*]

If you really don't want much performance out of it, I've seen some refurbed P2s at about 500MHz w/4 Gig HDDs for around £30 in a shop in town, so I'm guessin you may be able to find something similair

 

[MaMMa]

The RAM and mobile 2400+ are mega overkill in this case.

My suggestion would be look in the classified section of the newspaper for corporate close-outs and things. Also, you may want to check out the FS/FT section of the forum.

whats mega overkill mean?

 

[lorcani]

whats mega overkill mean?

Bah! mega- is a prefix.

I'll correct my other post to be "mega-overkill."

Mega- means "large," and "overkill" is "An excess of what is necessary or appropriate for a particular end."