Help with putting together a cheap PC!

[freebsddude]

I am setting up a cheap/low powered PC for a friend who wants to install FreeBSD or Linux.

We have the following parts and would appreciate suggestions on what to get
possibly for a motherboard, cheap IDE drive, a video card and anything else.
Want to ensure that the motherboard will be compatible with FreeBSD/Linux.
Cost is an issue although he is open

We already have access to the following parts:

1. Celeron 400 or 450, not sure, but surely Socket 370
2. Pentium 233 (Socket A)
3. Symbios SCSI card PCI (I believe it is 68-pin ultrascsi)
4. SIMMs (32 MB x 4 EDO)
5. Netgear NIC 10/100 PCI

Suggestions gratefully appreciated, thanks in advance!

 

[b0mbrman]

Cheap motherboard is the ecs k7s5a....but there'll be problems...make sure you know enough to fix them

 

[CSoup]

The ram is useless unless you build the pentium 233 system. I'd go with the celeron. Get a cheap < 50 dollar refurbed board off of newegg. Get a board with integrated video and sound.

 

[freebsddude]

Thanks for the speedy help, what problems specifically do you foresee ?

 

[CSoup]

If you go with the k7s5a that bomberman suggested then I would recommend going with a duron chip in the 40 dollar range.

 

[b0mbrman]

<< If you go with the k7s5a that bomberman suggested then I would recommend going with a duron chip in the 40 dollar range. >>


Yep, check out Newegg.com

I'm thinking of putting together a cheap Duron system for the girlf and prices of late have gotten laughably low

 

[punkrawket]

<<

<< If you go with the k7s5a that bomberman suggested then I would recommend going with a duron chip in the 40 dollar range. >>


Yep, check out Newegg.com

I'm thinking of putting together a cheap Duron system for the girlf and prices of late have gotten laughably low >>

except for RAM

 

[b0mbrman]

<<

<<

<< If you go with the k7s5a that bomberman suggested then I would recommend going with a duron chip in the 40 dollar range. >>


Yep, check out Newegg.com
I'm thinking of putting together a cheap Duron system for the girlf and prices of late have gotten laughably low >>

except for RAM >>


Yeah...I don't know why that is...In the past, RAM's always been the *first* upgrade to do...

 

[freebsddude]

Any recommendations for an ATX case ? Thanks!

 

[Geekbabe]

<< I am setting up a cheap/low powered PC for a friend who wants to install FreeBSD or Linux.

We have the following parts and would appreciate suggestions on what to get
possibly for a motherboard, cheap IDE drive, a video card and anything else.
Want to ensure that the motherboard will be compatible with FreeBSD/Linux.
Cost is an issue although he is open

We already have access to the following parts:

1. Celeron 400 or 450, not sure, but surely Socket 370
2. Pentium 233 (Socket A)
3. Symbios SCSI card PCI (I believe it is 68-pin ultrascsi)
4. SIMMs (32 MB x 4 EDO)
5. Netgear NIC 10/100 PCI

Suggestions gratefully appreciated, thanks in advance! >>




go over to the for sale/trade boards here at AT,you'll be able to find everything you need for very short money, as to the rest,just do your homework and make sure that there are drivers available for whatever parts you end up going with before you buy them.