conquistador
Deactivated User
Hellhamster.
2947 Posts
10/03
|  Posted - Jun 17 2008 : 9:33PMMY old machine caught fitre and I needa new one fast I have access to chinatown and new egg for parts. I am confident building and do not need a monitor. Design with XP in mind because I don't have any need for vista. Cost 600-700. Thank you people, I will try to check ack at a cafe tomorrow.  [Link] |
Bob 
All-Star Member
5516 Posts
3/03
| Posted - Jun 18 2008 : 3:21PM |
Dither
Persona non grata
I love America
650 Posts
8/05
| Posted - Jun 18 2008 : 6:55PM
Buy two floppy drives, then you can copy diskettes directly like in the good old days. [Link] |
conquistador
Deactivated User
Hellhamster.
2947 Posts
10/03
| Posted - Jun 18 2008 : 9:10PM
Thank you Bob.
Some gear I already have but have not been able to test properly as i have no MoBo that will support any of it.
In my fire the P4 got fucked. the chip and heatsink are actually loose from the MoBo now and they are impossible to resecure. LIke they kind of "melted outwards then failed".
THings I hope still work from older machines and projects
3 Dvd drives I think mosly Lite-On
3 DVD Burners, Lite-on again.
2 300GB segata sata baracuda drives (I pray these still work my hamster picture archive wasn't updated since early may)
I have 4 huge CRTs in my place, they work fine, you didn't mention a screen but I don't need one.
I would have to look at the timing but I have 2 gb og OCZ DDR2 that may still work just fine. They were when DDR2 was the new shit.
I am not sure of the cause of the fire aside from it originated on a video card capacitor.
I have reason to believe the 650 watt antic PSU i have still works fine.
I can probably pull out the multimeter and test that out when I get home.
And I AM ALMOST POSITIVE i CAN SCARE UP A FLOPPY DRIVE, CAN'TY IMAGINE NEEDING IT UNLESS i SET UP RAID OR SOMETHING THOUGH.
sorry, shitty KB
[Link] |
Bob
All-Star Member
5516 Posts
3/03
| Posted - Jun 18 2008 : 9:21PM
^^^
If you have $600-$700 to spend on just a motherboard, a CPU, and a video card, my suggestions would be very different.
I think the stuff I listed would make a truly kick-ass budget-build, though.[Link] |
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conquistador
Deactivated User
Hellhamster.
2947 Posts
10/03
| Posted - Jun 18 2008 : 9:28PM
Bob, basiclly my folks are helping me out cause I need a computer for school, but aside from that I am an enthusiast, as you know.
If they are nice enough to get me ANYTHING that will work for me righ now and for a few years I want to make sure i save them all the money I can. Like I could have them buy 2 new sticks of ddr2 because they would be faster and better for me but i want this process to be as transparent for them because i am into computer stuff and they are not, my Mom suggeted Best Buy and I tryied to explaine to her she should let me do this because i can get it done cheaper and better .
The main issues and I will work on it tonight is finding out wht still works.
I don't exactly have a test bench in my apartment.
But those drives and that ram and powersupply would be fucked or working just fine. I don't know how to know.[Link] |
RandomPrecision
Senior Member
Enjoy!
8175 Posts
3/06
| Posted - Jun 18 2008 : 11:54PM
Depending on how extensive the fire was and how long it burned, I wouldn't count on anything still working. Some stuff might. I don't know how well computer stuff weathers fire but solder starts to melt at pretty low temps and that could be a nightmare.[Link] |
Drew Black
broken crankshaft
8011 Posts
9/99
| Posted - Jun 19 2008 : 2:20AM
There's not much inside a computer that's really flammable. Most fires I've seen are started by capacitors that fail and burn up leaving a localized scorched area with a bunch of smoke damage.
I doubt the processor is permanently damaged. The plastic parts that secure it to the motherboard might be bad but those chips can handle a bunch of heat. Most solders melt around the 400 degrees F range. They will typically see 400 to 430 degrees for about 30 seconds during the manufacturing process in the middle of 5 minutes of 180 to 220 degree temps depending on various factors.
If your fire was just a quick flare-up from a capacitor and not a sustained burn your processor might be OK.[Link] |
conquistador
Deactivated User
Hellhamster.
2947 Posts
10/03
| Posted - Jun 19 2008 : 7:41PM
The board was an nvidia p5nd2-sli if that helps.
I saw it through the window. There was smoke around one of the capacitors then the circiut board around it had a visible flame and the capacitor either melted or fell off. And I took the case screws out and hit it for a split second with a fire extinguisher. A fucking fire is one of the last things my landlord would want to find out about.
In the sli system I found the corresponding capacitor on the other board fell off when I poked it.
I can take pictures but the heatsink area *appears* undamaged except those four annoying p4 pin things that hold the sink in place don't fit into anything anymore, it's just sort of hanging loose. No amount of (gentle) computer force can get the heatsink to stay snug on the chip. I have not looked at the P4 chip itself, the heatsink is still limply hanging there.
During a rampage my kitchen table got broken and right now there is nowhere to do the kind of work bench stuff I need to to figure out what still works.
Maybe nVidia would want to know about it?
So right now I have to find a good place in TO or that will ship here. Too many options!
And make a new machine.
Bob the I really appreciate you comping up with configurations for me.
For some reason I just find computer shopping maddening at internet cafes.
Edited by - conquistador on 6/19/2008 7:42:59 PM[Link] |
conquistador
Deactivated User
Hellhamster.
2947 Posts
10/03
| Posted - Jun 25 2008 : 12:57AM
@Bob (mostly):
Today I ended up ordering a machine that was more expensive then I intended but I am pretty sure I'll be happy with for a few years. Unless this one catches fire also.
Here is what I got:
XP Home edition (I need a new copy of this as I have been moving the same OS between computers for a long time and every time I call MS for any reason I have to get them to think I am using the Gateway the OS is attached to in their computers)
Western Digital SE16 500GB SATA2 drive
Intel Core 2 Duo E7200 Dual Core 2.53GHZ 1066FSB
ASUS P5Q ATX Motherboard
Liteon DVD RW SATA
OCZ Titanium XTC PC2-8500 2GB 2X1GB DDR2-1066 CL5-5-5-15 240PIN DIMM Dual Channel Memory
XFX GeForce 8800GT 512MB 625MHZ 1.8GHZ GDDR3
Coolermaster CAC-T05 Centurion 5 Aluminum ATX Tower Case
Antec Earthwatts 430W Power Supply ATX12V V2.0 20/24PIN Active PFC 80PLUS 80MM Fan
I already have 4 monitors in my house, and (I have no idea why at this point) 5 or 6 different keyboard/mouse combos. And a few DVD drives and at least 1 DVD RW. And a soundsystem.
I ordered it from a canadian company called NCIX. They have a good reputation. Whenever they get the processor back in stock it should take about a week to get the thing.
I am excited and very tired of internet cafes, they keep these places so fucking hot so you'll buy cold drinks.
I didn't just get the parts, they are building it and giving it a warranty. Total 1,158.15$ Canadian[Link] |
Bob
All-Star Member
5516 Posts
3/03
| Posted - Jun 25 2008 : 2:23AM
^^^
Nice choices, CQ. Congrats! Use it in good health![Link] |
