best cheap/free scores 1.1

[dmill89]

Re: Your Best Dumpster Finds

I haven't tested it under heavy load to find out, but I'm fairly sure it's quiet. One thing I don't like on these newer Dells (as in, socket 775 and newer, lol) is the lack of PS/2 ports. I don't have a whole lot of USB mice and keyboards (only one of each, actually... or at least until I got a second USB keyboard a few weeks ago), so it's hard to do any semi-permanent or permanent setups.

Other than that, it should also be a pretty reliable PC, given it's an Intel G33) chipset and it doesn't run too hot. I don't trust the chipsets on modern motherboards these days. Same goes for last-gen nVidia chipsets (glad they don't make these anymore).

A special note on that system, since you appear to have the G33M02 variant of the motherboard it only supports dual-core CPUs (the less common G33M03 supported quad-cores as well), but it does support Wolfdale Core2Duos.

[momaka]

Re: Your Best Dumpster Finds

Thanks for the info, dmill!

Fortunately (or not, depending on how you look at it ), I don't have any spare Core 2 Quad CPUs at my disposal, so I will very likely use this PC as is. Also, C2Q's pump out quite a bit more heat, so I reserve those for PCs that have bigger and/or more case fans to deal away with the heat.

I do, however, have a Xeon 5150 that I wonder if it would work with that PC with a 771 to 775 sticker mod. AFAIK, both G31 and G33 chipsets support these Xeons. So perhaps it's just down to inserting the microcodes in the BIOS or finding one that has them inserted already.

But if not, I'm still more than okay with the stock CPU. If a Pentium 4 still gets me by, just imagine what this will do.

Though the stock E4700 CPU having 800 MHz FSB, I could also do a BSEL mod.

*EDIT* and I just made it over post 7777. Where's my jackpot?!

[pfrcom]

Re: Your Best Dumpster Finds

*EDIT* and I just made it over post 7777. Where's my jackpot?!

You have to overtake ratdude747 to win a jackpot

[RJARRRPCGP]

Re: Your Best Dumpster Finds

its not uncommon to strike the wrong key and have to correct myself.

That kind of thing sometimes happens with my Corsair Strafe keyboard, which IIRC, has the Cherry MX Red switches, LOL

[Sparkey55]

Re: Your Best Dumpster Finds

I haven't tested it under heavy load to find out, but I'm fairly sure it's quiet. One thing I don't like on these newer Dells (as in, socket 775 and newer, lol) is the lack of PS/2 ports. I don't have a whole lot of USB mice and keyboards (only one of each, actually... or at least until I got a second USB keyboard a few weeks ago), so it's hard to do any semi-permanent or permanent setups.

Other than that, it should also be a pretty reliable PC, given it's an Intel G33) chipset and it doesn't run too hot. I don't trust the chipsets on modern motherboards these days. Same goes for last-gen nVidia chipsets (glad they don't make these anymore).

On computers that do not have PS/2 ports I use an adapter cable with built-in chip that adapts the two interfaces. It has 4 dongles, 2 at each end, USB at 1 end and Keyboard and Mouse connectors at the other end. Does not need any software to work, BIOS configures the ports automaticly. Picked it up at Radio Shack some years ago on clearance.

[TechGeek]

Re: best cheap/free scores 1.1

23" Apple Cinema Display with DVI to ADC adapter: $0

[mikay786]

Re: best cheap/free scores 1.1

Got some cracking deals today at carboot sale. A lot of computer gear, all rma returns.

Gigabyte aivia osmium mechanical (Cherry red switches) - £4
2TB WD Drive (Broken sata connector) - £3
NZXT kraken cooler 280mm - £4
NZXT kraken cooler 240mm - £5
Gigabyte RX 570 4GB - £3
Asus X99-A Motherboard - £5
AMD 7400k CPU (bent pins not broken) - £2
Ps2 slim with games - no controller - £4
Kef Cresta Speakers - £10

Check this out. RMA notes on the keyboard from techy

"Tested with games and typing, never typed double or triple keys"

fault by customer was was typing double lol. Using to type this post perfect start so far!

Everything got notes with it so tried to read before buying. One of the coolers said fans not spinning, could be a controller issue if not just dead fans and could be a steal.

Asus board say not posting, has a socketed bios chip and board is brand new all cables still sealed so a DOA jobby, will try just buying a slashed bios chip on ebay.

[diif]

Re: best cheap/free scores 1.1

Nice score mikay !

[mikay786]

Re: best cheap/free scores 1.1

Cheers, guy had loads of stuff but had to limit myself with as much as I can handle messing with over a few weekends.

Some other lads snagged a few 3tb wd drives, likely dead but manufactured 2016 so possibly might be able to rma them direct with wd.

I went for the one with the broken connector in hope drive is ok and I can just solder leads direct to the pins.

[Dan81]

Re: best cheap/free scores 1.1

Got a free Gericom SilverShadow 2 laptop. P4 Mobile at 1.7GHz, Samsung CD-RW/DVD-ROM, 80GB Hitachi IDE drive. No RAM, but plopped a Corsair ValueRAM 512MB stick, with 64MB share it could be happy with 98SE too (although I already have a Compaq Armada E500 for that) but for now it's running 2000 SP4 (originally had XP SP3)

Also got a free Sweex Dual-Fan PSU, which in the end turned out to be a VERY VERY beefy Key-Mouse/KMEX PW-400 PSU. 820uF HEC primaries, 2SC3320 primaries, a very BIG ERL-39 transformer. Couldn't identify the sillicon on the secondary due to the oversized output torroid. The only problem with it may be the short main 24pin cable (although it's sleeved which is a bit nice), and the bad Canicon caps on the secondary which were replaced on most part with one lone Fuhjyyu (it was 16v and of enough uF) and two Rubycons.

If anyone wants some pics of the PSU, I can put them up tomorrow. (although I swapped cases with a 400W Deer)

[ratdude747]

Re: best cheap/free scores 1.1

Laserjet Pro 200 color MFP M276- $15. Needs cyan toner, but otherwise seems to run.

And darn, I just bought toner and caps to fix my other big laser all in one...

[RJARRRPCGP]

Re: best cheap/free scores 1.1

I forgot to post it, but a few weeks back, I got a really cool oldschool racing game for $3 from a local thrift store: Need For Speed Porsche Unleashed (2000 and NT not supported)

I bet that's bullshit, because Need For Speed III (1998) runs on XP and likely that would, if you fool the installer's and game's OS checker. Unlike Driver (1999), which will run and the installer don't require any tricks, but the CD audio don't work and you can expect sound effect glitches. It appears *all* Windows versions based on NT that can run Driver, breaks Driver's audio!

But, XP, at least in the early version of XP, at least during the early-2000s, with a GeForce 2, a nasty bug, leave Need For Speed III running in audio mode with that car animation screen, and I bet that you will come back to find that XP crashed with the dreaded "***STOP: 0x000000EA THREAD_STUCK_IN_DEVICE_DRIVER" BSOD and a fault in (name of Nvidia driver).sys

This is possibly a Direct X 5 backward compatibility layer bug, because I never got bullshit like that with GTA III, which is more taxing! GTA III (2001, IIRC) will run pretty much all night long, IIRC!
OTOH, lucky for Need For Speed III in audio mode to run for 1 hour before the above mentioned BSOD!

[jwillifixit]

Re: Your Best Dumpster Finds

I don't have a whole lot of USB mice and keyboards (only one of each, actually... or at least until I got a second USB keyboard a few weeks ago)

I have dozens... message me if you'd like me to send you a box.

[ratdude747]

Re: Your Best Dumpster Finds

You have to overtake ratdude747 to win a jackpot

I was passed by Tom66 and Retiredcaps a handful of years ago. For the longest time PCBONEZ had the record, and right when I was about to surpass him (he left the site many years ago ), those two came along and left me in the dust. Most of their posts were used for helping people, while most of mine are offtopic BS the nobody ever reads (I can't blame them ), so therefore they deserve the honor.

[stj]

Re: Your Best Dumpster Finds

i read them.

[momaka]

Re: Your Best Dumpster Finds

On computers that do not have PS/2 ports I use an adapter cable with built-in chip that adapts the two interfaces. It has 4 dongles, 2 at each end, USB at 1 end and Keyboard and Mouse connectors at the other end. Does not need any software to work, BIOS configures the ports automaticly. Picked it up at Radio Shack some years ago on clearance.

Yes, these are the ones I have in mind that I want to buy. I always prefer hardware solutions over software ones.

I have dozens... message me if you'd like me to send you a box.

Thanks for the offer, j.
As soon as I clear some space in the garage with my spring cleaning, I might take you up on that offer. Also have a friend who hosts old-school LAN parties, so I'll ask him too if he needs any spare keyboards next time I see him.

You have to overtake ratdude747 to win a jackpot

Well, I wasn't really comparing post count, but rather the fact that I had a funky number: 7777 (i.e. similar to how casino slot machines have the three 7's as a winning number).

[momaka]

Re: best cheap/free scores 1.1

I bet that's bullshit, because Need For Speed III (1998) runs on XP and likely that would, if you fool the installer's and game's OS checker.

Indeed it is. I've been running Need For Speed Porsche Unleashed almost exclusively on XP ever since I bought my first disc over a decade ago. The only workaround it often (but not all the time) it requires is to delete the "gimme.dll" from the main game directory. I don't know what that dll does or why it makes the game hang (with it, the game often eats GBs worth of memory in XP and later), but I saw a guide about making the game run in XP once, and that's all I remembered.

With that said, there are still many recent guides on how to get these games going - some even describing the procedures needed to make them run in Windows 10!

[TechGeek]

Re: best cheap/free scores 1.1

*snipped*

With that said, there are still many recent guides on how to get these games going - some even describing the procedures needed to make them run in Windows 10!

Like any person with a lick of common sense would use Windows 10 seriously(Linux fan, yeah yeah)

[jiroy]

Re: best cheap/free scores 1.1

Free scores for last week :

1 - Sony Vaio PCG-4M6P , 11 Inch , For free . This one got me lot of headache and made me question my expertise , lol .. First of all , I discovered after two hours of scratching heads , its power supply should be 16 volts (@#$%%^,yep the basics , lol ) . An old Hp printer power supply 16/32 volts made temporary replacement and Next , things got lot better when the screen , which sounded broken , as the frame and the plastic holding the inlet switch were severely gutted , was safe and sound . Fine .. booted normally , but no system inside .
Dismantling it revealed a baby monster of Mac like connectors , but no hard disk ..Or at least , the original customer lost the sata Hard disk assembly unit ..
We'll see about it later .

2 - One LG Flatron1919S-SF . The usual procedure , changing all the badcaps , lol , and it's up and running .

3 - One laptop Toshiba Satellite A215 , Fully working , except its clock keep zeroing after one hour or so .. Changing the Cmos battery didn't mend the error . Updating the bios too ..Needs more checking .

4 - One Micro Sony CMT-EX5 HI-FI System ..

[mikay786]

Re: best cheap/free scores 1.1

Got some cracking deals today at carboot sale. A lot of computer gear, all rma returns.

Gigabyte aivia osmium mechanical (Cherry red switches) - £4
2TB WD Drive (Broken sata connector) - £3
NZXT kraken cooler 280mm - £4
NZXT kraken cooler 240mm - £5
Gigabyte RX 570 4GB - £3
Asus X99-A Motherboard - £5
AMD 7400k CPU (bent pins not broken) - £2
Ps2 slim with games - no controller - £4
Kef Cresta Speakers - £10

Finished testing everything above.

Keyboard is in perfect working order.

2TB drive is dead, soldered a sata lead to pins and was recognized in OS but would not initialize and failed wd tools diognastic tests.

was also 2 x 4 GB sticks of DDR3. Patriot stick is fine and in my PC now and corsair stick was dead.

kraken 280mm seems perfect i cant detect any issues or leaks. In the notes it said something about fans not spinning but seem fine to me (might have been software related as i believe its controlled by software and uses a internal usb connection. But even without using the USB fans were spinning powered from the unit itself.

kraken 240mm, i cant see again any issues but it does feel a bit light. Perhaps might have leaked previously i dont know. Think i will see if i can find the product weight and weigh it but cant see any leaks. Pump is fine.

Asus board no way to test as no compatible CPU's.

GPU is dead no power going to it and fans not spinning. It was a r9 380 rather than a 570 though

ps2 and speakers good working order.

From last week i got that anthony gallo mps150 sub, that is working amp section is fine but the rubber surround is peeling away from the cone. Should not be a big job though.