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| 5 DEC 2010 at 10:22pm |
AlienBZJourneyman
Posts : 877
Joined: 14 JAN 2008
Status : Offline | Originally Posted By Jenny100 (5 DEC 2010 9:13pm)
I'd like to have the experience of selecting components for building a low-cost PC to give to charity (P PC # 4) before I buy the parts for my new gaming PC.
Where is this charity that you're intending to donate the PC to? Is this a place in your town that accepts them? Or are donations handled through your church?
I don't know. I googled, but this didn't help me. I'm leaving it up to my local friends to find such a charity, as I'll need them to drive the computer (and me) to the people that're going to take the donated computers.
Originally Posted By Jenny100 (5 DEC 2010 9:13pm)
You could see what they have, but check out the computers' specs and keep in mind your resources are limited. It's not going to do you any good to buy any more like PC #2, that aren't worth fixing up. Age is not the only consideration in "not worth fixing up." Upgrading and repairing can often be as expensive as buying a new computer -- sometimes more -- and you don't seem to have either the money or the access to free parts that would be needed to upgrade computers as an ongoing hobby.
I'm sure the Great IyIMeeMe will help me finance this hobby if I stay in faith, and start believing that I can do it and that it will work out in my favor.
Originally Posted By Jenny100 (5 DEC 2010 9:13pm)
Unless you can get the broken ones for free, you risk throwing your money away. You have no idea what's wrong with them or how much replacing of parts it would take to get them running.
I'll ask the local thrift crnters in our area next time we go there by car, if they have any broken PC's I can have for free.
Originally Posted By Jenny100 (5 DEC 2010 9:13pm)
If you do find a newer PC that you want to work on, it would be better to see how it runs before taking it apart. If it has no operating system, then install one. Windows 7 will give you 3 days of operation without "activating" before it decides it's an illegal version and starts to reduce its functionality.
Will do next time I get a PC with no OS.
Doin' Warp 9 to the Great Kingdom of Adventure Games of Outer Space
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| 22 DEC 2010 at 5:45am |
AlienBZJourneyman
Posts : 877
Joined: 14 JAN 2008
Status : Offline | Originally Posted By Jenny100 (5 DEC 2010 8:19am)
I think you're a glutton for punishment if you force yourself to work inside that cramped computer case any more than you have to
I was just thinking of this what you said, Jenny, and I realize how right you are about this. These pictures reveal the truth of your statement, Jen.
[img]http://i221.photobucket.com/albums/dd225/KellySt10/My%20Practice%20PC/pcwpsuout.jpg[/img]
P PC # 2 w/PSU out. Notice the retaining bar (supports PSU) that restricts hand movement inside the console;
[img]http://i221.photobucket.com/albums/dd225/KellySt10/My%20Practice%20PC/wpsureinserted.jpg[/img]
PSU reinserted. Jenny, to date (when selecting the parts to revamp this PC before I abandoned that idea) I checked that website where that PSU model was shown that I linked to earlier, and you're right - it's an 180W PSU. Notice the retaining bar (2nd view) holding up the PSU;
[img]http://i221.photobucket.com/albums/dd225/KellySt10/My%20Practice%20PC/rearisbisected.jpg[/img]
Rear of P PC # 2 - as you can hopefully see, this type of rear is bisected - it opens up like a "V" and while I was trying to get the PSU reinserted, I had a trying time getting this bisected rear and the PSU seated correctly so it'd shut smoothly so I could re-attach the cover screws (this is the "after" photo).
Originally Posted By Jenny100 (5 DEC 2010 8:19am)
If you want to build a low cost computer from scratch, buy a low cost case that has some room to work inside it.
Ok, I'm open to this idea, Jenny - i'll have to ask my friend if I can perhaps build such a PC in addition to the 2 - 3 PC's that she has in her house currently next time I talk to her. How much $$ do you think this would run me into, Jenny/Inland? What types of games would be feasible to play on such a system, giving I intend to put XP/Vista/Win 7 on it?
Doin' Warp 9 to the Great Kingdom of Adventure Games of Outer Space
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| 24 DEC 2010 at 6:30am |
Jenny100Guild Master
Posts : 3510
Joined: 12 OCT 2002
Status : Offline | Originally Posted By K515 (22 DEC 2010 5:44am)
What types of games would be feasible to play on such a system, giving I intend to put XP/Vista/Win 7 on it?
Are you trying to make a real gaming computer or a low cost computer?
Decide which type of games you want to play on it first, then pick a video card capable of playing them and a power supply that's got enough power to support the video card. A low end video card may be capable of playing adventure games, but it will be sluggish on the more demanding ones. You'd probably want a minimum of video 256 MB video RAM on the video card because some adventure games are starting to require that much.
If you want Vista or Windows 7, you should probably get at least 2 GB of system RAM. XP doesn't need that much. You should get more RAM if you want to make a gaming computer.
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| 27 DEC 2010 at 5:54pm |
InlandAZGuild Master
Posts : 5586
Joined: 4 MAY 2007
Status : Offline | Ok, I'm open to this idea, Jenny - i'll have to ask my friend if I can perhaps build such a PC in addition to the 2 - 3 PC's that she has in her house currently next time I talk to her. How much $$ do you think this would run me into, Jenny/Inland? What types of games would be feasible to play on such a system, giving I intend to put XP/Vista/Win 7 on it?
Just off the top of my head I'd say you're looking at something around $800.00 to build a modest gaming rig (especially if you indent to run Windows 7).
Building your own isn't hard, but price wise there are several sources that can build you a custom rig for the same amount of money.
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| 29 DEC 2010 at 9:32pm |
AlienBZJourneyman
Posts : 877
Joined: 14 JAN 2008
Status : Offline | Originally Posted By InlandAZ (27 DEC 2010 5:54pm)
Just off the top of my head I'd say you're looking at something around $800.00 to build a modest gaming rig (especially if you indent to run Windows 7).
Gee, I don't have that kind of money to spend on parts to build a gaming rig, but last night my friend gave me her PC to see if I can fix it - it's Practice PC # 3 - and she told me it had a virus but her brother took the virus off and programmed it. I'm down with a belly-bug so I'm waiting until January 2 to take this PC up to my office and look at it to check it out, try to find out what's wrong with it. My friend told me something about wanting to get it connected to the internet so her teenage son could use this PC in his room to play Xbox Live games.
Regarding building this modest gaming rig, I don't have the kind of $$ to build these for needy kids unless The Great IyIMeeMe finds a way for me to do this, or my friend is planning on having me build her son this gaming PC, and she supplies the $$ so I can order the components from NewEgg (she has 4 teenaged kids - 3 girls, 1 boy, a family PC, and 1 PC for all the girls and this PC she gave me last night for her boy. If she runs into a family situation where each kid would be better off having their own computer, then I'd be all too happy to build these PC's if their mom supplies me the money) so as of right now I'd like to concentrate on saving up enough $$ so I can build that new gaming rig for myself, as well as buying a couple of other computer-related things.
After I get over this bug I'll start a new thread about P PC # 3.
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year, gamers, techs, and guests!
Doin' Warp 9 to the Great Kingdom of Adventure Games of Outer Space
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| 27 MAR 2011 at 2:23am |
AlienBZJourneyman
Posts : 877
Joined: 14 JAN 2008
Status : Offline | **thread revived**
People, I've decided to resurrect Practice PC # 2 and try to sell it as a vintage gaming rig locally in my home area (as I'd do in my PC repair business that I'm self-training for) since I did some thinking about what I wanted to do in this type of business, and I decided that I not only want to custom build desktop PC's, I also want to custom build laptops, macintoshes, and set up retro gaming rigs as well - so I retrieved that PC from the thrift store from our basement, found that the floppy drive has a couple of bent pins on its data cord connector end, so I ordered a replacement 3.5 inch floppy drive for $5 + $5 S & H, and I replaced the drive today.
I had to work to take off the front panel and get a screw into the side of the drive bay where the mobo panel moves ajar - it was a squeeze!
Is this what computer techs have to go through (and is 1 reason they make big $$$$$)?
It took me about 4 - 5 hours to accomplish this, I kept thinking of what Jenny100 said that if I wanted to work on that PC, I was a glutton for punishment, but I forgive Jenny for saying this but I did get my knuckles scratched a bit, a small cut on a finger, and the computer's sharp parts were catching onto my clothing, but I am glad I grateful for the hands-on experience that I got in fixing a retro gaming system.
Tomorrow I'll see if I can put in the OS (W98SE).
If I can get the OS (and all drivers) installed successfully, then I'll look for a SB 16 sound card for this PC, and put this in.
Would you say this (today's post) is part of my training to be a computer tech?
Doin' Warp 9 to the Great Kingdom of Adventure Games of Outer Space
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| 1 APR 2011 at 6:57pm |
Jenny100Guild Master
Posts : 3510
Joined: 12 OCT 2002
Status : Offline | Originally Posted By K515 (27 MAR 2011 2:23am)
If I can get the OS (and all drivers) installed successfully, then I'll look for a SB 16 sound card for this PC, and put this in.
Just make sure you get an SB16 that fits an ISA slot and not a PCI. The SB16 that fits a PCI slot doesn't have the DOS compatibility of the ISA card.
Would you say this (today's post) is part of my training to be a computer tech?
I don't think there's much interest in retro gaming computers. If you got a job as a computer repair person, you'd be working on newer systems. Fixing up old computers for vintage gaming would be something you'd do on the side. If you had an old computer on display in your shop and had it running an old game, it might generate some interest.
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| 3 APR 2011 at 1:35pm |
AlienBZJourneyman
Posts : 877
Joined: 14 JAN 2008
Status : Offline | Originally Posted By Jenny100 (1 APR 2011 6:56pm)
Fixing up old computers for vintage gaming would be something you'd do on the side. If you had an old computer on display in your shop and had it running an old game, it might generate some interest.
Ok, I'll buy that. You mean, use an old PC running an old game as a demo? My shop would likely be my bedroom that's been converted into an office upstairs in our house. But if I start making good money in this business perhaps I can rent space in one of the several abandoned businesses (beauty shop several doors down the road from our house, or vacancy in the shopping plaza back of our house, etc) b/c does that demo PC have to be in a place like that, or can it be set up in my office upstairs n our house?
Doin' Warp 9 to the Great Kingdom of Adventure Games of Outer Space
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