• Some users have recently had their accounts hijacked. It seems that the now defunct EVGA forums might have compromised your password there and seems many are using the same PW here. We would suggest you UPDATE YOUR PASSWORD and TURN ON 2FA for your account here to further secure it. None of the compromised accounts had 2FA turned on.
    Once you have enabled 2FA, your account will be updated soon to show a badge, letting other members know that you use 2FA to protect your account. This should be beneficial for everyone that uses FSFT.

Folding PC without a case?

H

Heliocentrical

2[H]4U
Joined
Mar 28, 2005
Messages
2,852
Okay, for the good of humanity I have assembled an entire pc minus the case using old parts. This will become my 4th folding PC. (Does this qualify me as having boxen now?)
The components are:

P3 450mhz
96mb pc100
4gig hd
4mb pci video card
10/100 nic

Here is the question...I have no case. How can I "make" one out of common household items or what other way can I run this system to get it folding asap. I am installing win2k as I write this but the parts are sitting bare on my desktop. I obviously can't leave them that way as I have to use my desk for other things also. I need help from those of you who have experience running "naked" pc's. If you can't offer advice, offer the next best thing, links to an extremely inexpensive case.Thanks for your help.

Fold on!!!!!
 
Find a shelf to stuff it on...

or cardboard box

pizza box...

check craigslist in your area might be able to get a free / cheap one..

im running 6 naked computers right now :)
 
KodiakStar said:
Find a shelf to stuff it on...

or cardboard box

pizza box...

check craigslist in your area might be able to get a free / cheap one..

im running 6 naked computers right now :)
Click to expand...

Are they all in cardboard boxes?
How do you keep the nic & video card from moving in their slots?
 
magnusvir said:
just curious. How do you turn on the mobo if you dont have a power button?
Click to expand...

That's easy. I have 2 wires and a momentary switch connected to the power header on the board. Just press it once and it boots up. Press and hold for about 3 seconds and it shuts off. I made the switch for about $2.50. I 'm sure you can buy them too.

Are you running naked pc's too?
 
who says i turn them off :p

with these mobo's and psu's (notice there is no toggle switch on the psu)

once the juice is connected, the mb powers on.

or else ill just connect a switch them on with a single switch and move onto the next
 
KodiakStar said:
who says i turn them off :p

with these mobo's and psu's (notice there is no toggle switch on the psu)

once the juice is connected, the mb powers on.

or else ill just connect a switch them on with a single switch and move onto the next
Click to expand...

Mine doesn't turn on with the ps. I have to use the switch.

Oh yeah, I went to Fry's electronics today to buy a 3 pin to molex adapter for the hsf on the P3 I got from you and the guy who I asked for the switch laughed at my P3
and mumbled that he wouldnt waste his time with that useless cpu. Can you believe that?
 
He just isnt [H] enough.

i went to best buy tonight (only comp store around here...)

asked if they have any bare bones stuff about...

got told to search ebay..

"well umm... we have cases"
 
KodiakStar said:
nope no boxes.

just plain boards, and then they are running fold-serv..so onboard nic, no monitor needed (although has onboard video if i need to look at em)

have little pieces of wood under them to lift them up off the shelf / tray so air gets under the mb


http://hardforum.com/showpost.php?p=1027674897&postcount=113

some pics
Click to expand...

Saw the pics. You've got some nice stuff. I see the boards have nothing but nics on them. I think i'll try that. What program do you use to see them with your main pc?
 
oops. actually I dont have the nics on there anymore (since im using PXE onboard-nic loader via mages fold server)
 
Aratech said:
That's easy. I have 2 wires and a momentary switch connected to the power header on the board. Just press it once and it boots up. Press and hold for about 3 seconds and it shuts off. I made the switch for about $2.50. I 'm sure you can buy them too.

Are you running naked pc's too?
Click to expand...


$2.50? I just use a screwdriver, or any other random piece of metal to turn mine on. I jumper works well if you need to shut down for some reason.

Oh, might as well overclock that cpu and get a bit more out of it. I have a dual P3-450(slot 1, Katmai off die cache) running at 464 right now as part of my borgs. Next step is clocking them to 504. They don't crank out much, but they do something as long as you aren't paying for power.
 
nice! I never thought about using a screw driver.

So does anyone remember the name of that program that allows me to see the headless boxen on my main rig?
 
VNC?

If you are using hdd's for each one... then you need to set up vnc server on it..

or can use windows remote desktop
 
KodiakStar said:
VNC?

If you are using hdd's for each one... then you need to set up vnc server on it..

or can use windows remote desktop
Click to expand...

Yeah , thats it.

I was searching for VLC. I found it but It's actually a free media player. I downloaded it and it works pretty well. You might try it.
 
eh maybe later.. focused on deciding between making a nice HTPC.... or upgrading my box completely to a 64 system (single core)
 
If you guys search far back in the archives there was a time when the venerable old Pizza box was the de-facto standard for a folding machine

I don’t however recall any particular box as being better then another ;)
 
The naked pc is ready. I have installed it in a cardboard box and have installed win2k and the folding client. Do I need to install a firewall and antivirus even thought it is strictly for folding and will have no other files or programs on it? I will run a cat5 from my router to the closet where it will sit on a shelf. I did download the critical updates and patches if that makes a difference. :rolleyes:
 
If your router has a built in firewall, i would not add anything. Some of thoes programs can really drop your points per day on older computers, especially if they do system scans every so often.
 
Well I'm running an SMC barricade so I think that qualifies as a firewall.
I wont install any additional software then.

Man this is awesome! :D Excuse my excitement but this is my first naked pc.I installed VNC like K* suggested and it rocks! I can disconnect everything but the cat5 and still have full control of the pc. I'm in heaven right now. I know, I know - I've only got 4 pc's folding. It's not that big a deal for some of you but for me it is. :p
 
that's awsome! Back about a year ago I used to actually use one monitor, keyboard, and mouse for about 4 computers, and boy, what a pain it was trying to view each of them. Especially because one of them used an serial mouse and old keyboard, so that was a special switch ^_^.

I should look into that VNC.
 
towert7 said:
that's awsome! Back about a year ago I used to actually use one monitor, keyboard, and mouse for about 4 computers, and boy, what a pain it was trying to view each of them. Especially because one of them used an serial mouse and old keyboard, so that was a special switch ^_^.

I should look into that VNC.
Click to expand...

Here is the link:
http://www.realvnc.com/

Just download the free version.
 
So here's the next issue I'm dealing with. When I reboot the naked pc it hangs at startup because this is no keyboard detected. Do I have to connect a keyboard everytime I need to reboot? Is there a way around this. All I have connected is the power and cat5 as I said before.I dont have an extra keyboard. I would hate to have to move my main pc and disconnect its keyboard just to reboot the boxen. :confused:
 
Aratech said:
So here's the next issue I'm dealing with. When I reboot the naked pc it hangs at startup because this is no keyboard detected. Do I have to connect a keyboard everytime I need to reboot? Is there a way around this. All I have connected is the power and cat5 as I said before.I dont have an extra keyboard. I would hate to have to move my main pc and disconnect its keyboard just to reboot the boxen. :confused:
Click to expand...

Turn off the halt on errors option in the bios. It's easiest to just select halt on no errors and it will boot right along.
 
sandmanx said:
Turn off the halt on errors option in the bios. It's easiest to just select halt on no errors and it will boot right along.
Click to expand...

No go. I dont have that option in the bios.
 
I also want to know if the console version of F@H has any benefit over the graphical one. ie.better for an older system ect.
 
Aratech said:
I also want to know if the console version of F@H has any benefit over the graphical one. ie.better for an older system ect.
Click to expand...
The main benifite is that the console has the option of being run as a Service in windows 2000/XP.

Your BIOS does'nt have a "Halt on" option, or something very similar? Because that would be the way to stop the bios from complaining about such things.... Its usually under boot or advanced features.... hm. Well, if it does'nt have this option, looks like you just need to keep a keyboard attached ~_~
 
towert7 said:
The main benifite is that the console has the option of being run as a Service in windows 2000/XP.

Your BIOS does'nt have a "Halt on" option, or something very similar? Because that would be the way to stop the bios from complaining about such things.... Its usually under boot or advanced features.... hm. Well, if it does'nt have this option, looks like you just need to keep a keyboard attached ~_~
Click to expand...

I looked at every option in the Bios. Its not there. Maybe I can bum and old keyboard off someone in DC trading. :p

So is the console version faster?
 
you mean they come with cases?

wow.

i usually just use a screwdriver/other metal thingy (technical name) to turn on a computer. easier than finding a button, and figuring out where to put it... just run a screwdriver along the pins. when you need to turn it off, you need to know where to put it - just hold the screwdriver there for 4 seconds.

keyboard issue - just don't turn it off :p really, tho, what is the specific board you are using? the option is probably in there, just in some random submenu. at least let us know which bios it is using (award, phoenix, and which varient - what does the screen look like) we should be able to help you out.
<- add about 6k to that, the numbers are off
 
rogue_jedi said:
you mean they come with cases?

wow.

i usually just use a screwdriver/other metal thingy (technical name) to turn on a computer. easier than finding a button, and figuring out where to put it... just run a screwdriver along the pins. when you need to turn it off, you need to know where to put it - just hold the screwdriver there for 4 seconds.

keyboard issue - just don't turn it off :p really, tho, what is the specific board you are using? the option is probably in there, just in some random submenu. at least let us know which bios it is using (award, phoenix, and which varient - what does the screen look like) we should be able to help you out.
<- add about 6k to that, the numbers are off
Click to expand...

I would never turn it off if I didnt have too. I installed the console version of F@H and it locks up every 5000 frames or so of a work unit. I'm working on a 250,000 frame WU. Maybe its too much stress on that system. It's a p3 450 with 96mb of ram running Win2K.

I'll look at what mobo it is and what bios it's using and let you know. All I know is that it's an older slot 1 mobo. I checked every menu, submenu and setting and didnt find the option to disable halt on errors.
 
Marty / Oldbenwa can correct me here if im wrong, But i believe 96 was the bare min they used for their folding boxes, and if you bumped it up to ~128 it was more stable.
 
Well, johnglenn over in the DC trading forums should be sending me some more PC100 ram on Friday. Maybe that will help.
 
Running linux would also help free up some ram. If not that, have you gone through and tweaked 2k for a minimal amount of ram usage yet? Every little bit can help.
 
sandmanx said:
Running linux would also help free up some ram. If not that, have you gone through and tweaked 2k for a minimal amount of ram usage yet? Every little bit can help.
Click to expand...

What type of tweaks do you mean? All I have done so far is turn off all non-essential backgroud services.
 
Aratech said:
What type of tweaks do you mean? All I have done so far is turn off all non-essential backgroud services.
Click to expand...

That's what I was refering to. At boot with SP4, I'd already be using 128MB of ram with 2K. It soudns like ram is your best bet if you stick to windows.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top