cheap linux build or prebuilt

[math_daddy]

Budget (including currency): <$400 US

Country: USA

Games, programs or workloads that it will be used for: CUDA development, working through Real-Time Rendering by Moller and computer vision by Forsyth (on my own). Want to use headless Xubuntu.

Other details (existing parts lists, whether any peripherals are needed, what you're upgrading from, when you're going to buy, what resolution and refresh rate you want to play at, etc): 

Situation: I was gifted an nvidia 1080 GTX (10.5) and it won't fit in my prebuilt, so have to build/buy another tower. $400 is pushing it for me.

 

Path1: Build a dirt cheap linux box.

  -- Hoping to take advantage of black friday deals (and using pcpartpicker day-to-day).

  -- watching barebones systems for black friday.

Path2: I'm looking for a dirt cheap pre-built model #(older models where refurbs exist preferred) that doesn't have a GPU (except maybe onboard) that can support a separate GPU ( reasonable PSU, etc) and has room for a 10.5+ GPU in the case (without drilling), that is linux compatible.
--removing a cheap separate GPU isn't a problem, just am hoping to spend as little as possible.
--- ex: I don't want to get a non-sff optiplex because I don't want to deal with removing the cage.
 

Parts list: No case, some old tiny HDDs,1 8gb 1Rx8 PC4 3200AA stick of Ram.

 

I know this black friday is going to suck, but no other option.

 

Thank you!

[svmlegacy]

Why not just transfer the prebuilt into a proper case? Most prebuilds have ATX-compatible motherboards, and proprietary power connectors can easily be adapted with eBay cables.

[Herman Mcpootis]

26 minutes ago, svmlegacy said:

Why not just transfer the prebuilt into a proper case? Most prebuilds have ATX-compatible motherboards, and proprietary power connectors can easily be adapted with eBay cables.

It's getting far more properietary nowadays, so it depends entirely on his prebuilt.

[math_daddy]

@Herman Mcpootis@svmlegacy Thank you both for looking into this!

 

My prebuilt has an AMD Radeon RX 5300 in it (7.1 inch). I thought I was doing a trade, but was told to just keep the nvidia GTX 1080. I would have swapped them out (with the trade) for the purpose of the CUDA work, but now I'd just be throwing my other graphics card (5300) on the floor.

 

The more I think about a dedicated CUDA w/ linux system the more I believe it's what I need to do (just don't have the time or resources until after the Fall semester, unless I can find something cheap and easy).

[Herman Mcpootis]

10 minutes ago, math_daddy said:

The more I think about a dedicated CUDA w/ linux system the more I believe it's what I need to do (just don't have the time or resources until after the Fall semester, unless I can find something cheap and easy).

you can try getting a used workstation and make a few upgrades to it:

https://www.ebay.com/itm/265229195265?hash=item3dc0e45801:g:1QkAAOSwTapg6IKp ~$210 after shipping

https://www.ebay.com/itm/154664766452?hash=item2402bd0bf4%3Ag%3AMNcAAOSwVtthCE~D&LH_BIN=1 $105

https://pcpartpicker.com/product/rKpmP6/sk-hynix-gold-s31-500-gb-25-solid-state-drive-shgs31-500gs-2 $53

you'll need to check if the GPU fits and if you can get an 8-pin pci-e cable on the PSU.