Cheapest box I can build?

[plagiarist]

I need to set up a replacement electronic loom control PC, basically it needs to run windows 98 or 95 and operate software that interfaces with an electronic loom, the 75mhz system that was doing this before is no longer booting. Obviously this needs to be done on the cheap.

Basically I need the lowest cost barebones system possible, and on top of that possibly a low grade wireless G card so it can also have web access in that part of the house for streaming audio.

ANy tips?

 

[InlineFour]

ebay.

i bought an old 800mhz p3 dell optiplex for around $60.

 

[Deleted member 4644]

If you are willing to use used parts, I suspect you could find a bare bones system (and/or parts) for $150ish in the for sale forums.

Prebuilt, you might be looking at 300ish.

The advice from Inlinefour is also good.

 

[halfadder]

The best overall value is a $299 bundle from Dell or your local big box stores, you'll often find a Celeron/Sempron, 512meg, 80gig, CD-RW/DVD-ROM combo drive, 17" flat glass CRT, printer, scanner, modem/ethernet bundle for $299. You might be able to build something for a similar price, but a prebuilt will include Windows, which is about a $80 value.

 

[InlineFour]

Originally posted by: halfadder
The best overall value is a $299 bundle from Dell or your local big box stores, you'll often find a Celeron/Sempron, 512meg, 80gig, CD-RW/DVD-ROM combo drive, 17" flat glass CRT, printer, scanner, modem/ethernet bundle for $299. You might be able to build something for a similar price, but a prebuilt will include Windows, which is about a $80 value.

basically it needs to run windows 98 or 95 and operate software that interfaces with an electronic loom, the 75mhz system that was doing this before is no longer booting.

 

[InlineFour]

even something like this might be overkill.