Just because you *have* enough parts to build another 2ghz cruncher, *should* you??

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Wiz

Diamond Member
Feb 5, 2000
6,459
16
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After the most recent upgrade to my system I used the spare parts to upgrade my wifes system - just a better motherboard than the one she had & a Nvidia 5200 card I snagged for about $30.

That left me with an Asus A7N266-VM mobo & a AMD 2400+ cpu, and old 8GB hdd.
I didn't have a case, PSU, CDrom.

So, looking through my "computer junkyard" as my wife is so fond of calling my "presious, precious, computer parts stockpile", I found the shell of a case (everything removed) & I found 4 old PSU's that I thought were all dead.

After testing... I found one of them still worked - a little sparkle 300W psu.

So - with a "case" & psu this started seeming like a possibility.

Yesterday I put it all together & tried to start it up. It wouldn't run long enough to get it into cmos setup.

I had cleaned everything thoroughly, and when I reassembled the cpu HSF I got the tensioner part off side just a little - enough that the HSF didn't sit right on the cpu & so it would shut down. Fixed that & then got it to "boot".

Sort of.

The hdd was one I had pulled out of a AMD k6-350 a few years ago... REALLY REALLY SLOW & prone to error. Still I farted around with it until quite late last night & it turned in a few WU's over night.

This morning I found a better drive in my "precious stockpile" & put it in.
It had previously been in a system with an Nforce2 chipset so it booted right up with the "New" Nforce1 system.
It found new hardware, asked for drivers & in practically no time it was running perfectly.

It's currently sitting there doing WU's at about 2.5 - 3 hrs each.

Eventually I want to install Win 98 SE on the old hdd so the kids can play their "old school" games they like so much. After I get a copy of Win 98 SE that is... I wonder what happened to that CD...
 
N

networkman

Lifer
Apr 23, 2000
10,436
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Just because you *have* enough parts to build another 2ghz cruncher, *should* you??

I've finally answered that question for myself: No! You've got way too much stuff running already! :roll:

It's true. Actually, I'm in the process of culling the herd as it were, so you might keep an eye on the FS/T forum if you're looking for anything. ;)

Edit: I should have some of the stuff posted probably on Sunday.

 
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superkdogg

Senior member
Jul 9, 2004
640
0
0
What are you talking about?! Of course you should! I just ordered a PSU because my K6-350 was out of commission.

Sadly, I wish this were a joke, but it's not

:confused:
 
J

jdiddy

Diamond Member
Feb 6, 2004
3,905
44
91
I've been cutting down my fleet big time as well. I sold off all but 3 of my systems and got myself a 12inch Powerbook. I tried to crunch with it but man its a slow cruncher. I'm starting to miss all those ragged half built p4's. So yes if you have the parts build it for one last push!
 
Wolfsraider

Wolfsraider

Diamond Member
Jan 27, 2002
8,305
0
76
Well now that juast kinda depends

I had a 4 foot pile 6-8 feet tall, The wife said it was an eyesore and had to go.

total tally 51 boxes.

But she let me build my duallie :p

So I have running:
p4 2.8b @2900
p4 3.0e @3210
p4 3.2e @3.520
and 2x2.8 nacona xeons stock

My out put should see a nice boost.

I also have a p3 600 video ram hdd case so yup I'll build that one and rid myself of a few more spare parts as well.

But I have the p4 computers running in the kids room and its noisy and hot...I love it.

yep they are all up and running...I need some 50 foot cat5 cables 2 and a 30 foot coax for cable and I'll have the upgrades done and be back online.

Mike
 
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ssvegeta1010

Platinum Member
Nov 13, 2004
2,192
0
0
Nice, Mike. I havent been around long enough, or have had enough money, to have a pile of parts.
In fact, I do not have one spare part that is not installed in a running system.

But I would definitely build a 2 Ghz cruncher if I had the parts. (Id build down to at least a PIII 900 Mhz)
 
Wolfsraider

Wolfsraider

Diamond Member
Jan 27, 2002
8,305
0
76
Ok all but the 3.0 are online now 2 are crunching soon to be 3....gotta find more cable lol
 
G

gistech1978

Diamond Member
Aug 30, 2002
5,047
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if i had more room i would put the 8ghz of cpu power i have collecting dust to use.

so, yes and no.
 
W

Wiz

Diamond Member
Feb 5, 2000
6,459
16
81
heh... I have 4 of them running in my bedroom right now.

I use headphones when watching movies & tv, I use earplugs when sleeping.

no, I'm not addicted to dc - I could shut it all off, if I had to...
 
Markfw

Markfw

Moderator Emeritus, Elite Member
May 16, 2002
27,058
15,994
136
I had to turn off 6 of my 13, since the electric bill was over $200 a month, and it is spring now, and 82F is too hot in here...All 3 ghz(P4 equiv) or faster !
 
Freewolf

Freewolf

Diamond Member
Feb 15, 2001
9,673
1
81
My upgrade plan is to start selling off the slower machines and use the cash from them to build faster machines so I can increase crunching power in the same space since i've ran out of space to put new machines. The last two are just MB's and PS laying on top of the towers of the other machines.
 
W

Wiz

Diamond Member
Feb 5, 2000
6,459
16
81
Doesn't it seem like you ought to be able to buy one big PSU & some cool adapter that lets you plug it into several motherboards?

DANG - I just threw away 3 PUS's without stripping out the fans or the cables - if I would have taken the mobo plug off of them then I could make a harness that would plug one PSU into several mobos. That would be sweet ;)
 
W

Wiz

Diamond Member
Feb 5, 2000
6,459
16
81
tried searching - can't find "silverthorne"

Where can I find more info?
 
Hurricane Andrew

Hurricane Andrew

Golden Member
Nov 28, 2004
1,613
0
76
If you build it, they will come....

Actually, I'm jealous. My parts stockpile consists of a couple small HD's, about 3 old Trident video cards, 6 old NIC's, a PCI modem or two, some IDE and floppy cables, and 4 Pentium 166 (one or two may be MMX to boot) chips. I love those CPU's. You can use them as shot glass stands and they'll still run if you can find something to stick them in... Oh yeah, I think I actually have an old CD-ROM drive laying around too...
 
Jeff7

Jeff7

Lifer
Jan 4, 2001
41,596
19
81
If it was a PC with the sole purpose of crunching SETI, I'd probably be tempted to sell it and use the money for something else. Maybe a micro-ITX motherboard - something low-power; efficient.
 
W

Wiz

Diamond Member
Feb 5, 2000
6,459
16
81
If it was a PC with the sole purpose of crunching SETI, I'd probably be tempted to sell it and use the money for something else
Click to expand...


I would but I didn't even know at the outset if it would all actually run.
I do have another purpose for the machine - dual boot to Win98 for kids games.
 
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