The $0 Pc Challenge (my Progress)

[Frank350]

What I am doing, a few years ago I challenged myself to not spend even a penny on my desktop computer till collage.

So you may be wondering. Why the hell is this thread called the 0$ Pc challenge.  Well this is why, back long ago as a kid I had little to no access to buy computer parts, But I did know I wanted a better/faster computer for my small collection of kids games I played back then.  So I started to get in the habit of salvaging better components without knowing much of their use but luckily I had a basic understanding from the ports and pins on the components of where they went to make them work.  So over time I was able to build up my Ole Pentium 3 Desktop to the point where it no longer seemed to struggle with simple things.  

Fast forward a few years to 2010, when I discovered Minecraft, Yes Minecraft, I toyed around In the in browser free alpha version and then found a working hacked download.  But when I played the game on the build I had. It struggled with frame tarring, low fps (10-3 fps) and other performance issues do to Minecraft maxing out what the computer could do.
So I started looking for a new tower to buy, and then I looked back on what I had done with my current tower and thought I was able to get all this with a $0 budget, Why buy a new computer when I could Getto rig together a new one.  

And then that's when I decided I will spend $0 on my Desktop PC till I go to collage.

 

So Since I started this My computers specs have changed almost every week or so from that day on 2010 even up till now, I did have 2 times where my Specs remained consistent with solid computers.
 

Build 1 Specs

 

CPU: Pentuim HT (ether 3.0ghz or 4.0 ghz I will look later at the chip)
GPU: Geforce 6200

RAM: 4, 1gb ddr1 assorted ram cards

HDD: 2 random Hdd's (1 WD 250gb and 1 segate with 100gb)

PSU: Some shitty psu from the case I used (250W)

CASE: an old Dell Dimension case (will find the specifics later)

OS: Win XP Professional x64

 

Will take pics when i pull the thing out of storage.


Build 2 Specs (what I currently use)
CPU: i3 2100

GPU: use's Integrated graphics to drive my main display (1200x1600) and the Geforce 6200 acting as a adapter to drive my other smaller monotor
RAM: 5 Gb DDR3 assorted ram speeds and manufactures

HDD: 1 WD 500GB blue  and the Segate 100Gb from build 1

PSU: A 250W nameless psu ripped of a case I found
CASE an Lan Li Pc-62 ( http://www.lian-li.com/en/dt_portfolio/pc-62/ )

OS: win 10 dev edition x64
 

Will post pics soon.


 

Both builds have had some major Getto rigging during the time I have used them, This is what I have done/did

Build 1
Makeshift rubberband Hdd Mount

Makeshift hole cutfor a front fan intake

Redone wireing

(alot more was done, will ad as i remember)

Build 2
(Original case was from some old crappy HP)

In the HP case 
So the first issue was transferring over from IDE to Sata so I scavenged a PSU with sata power from the side of the road.

 

2nd issue, Cooling: I took a old Lenovo Motherboard with the correct socket that the 2100 had and used its cooler.

 

Fans: I salvaged 2 good fans from my local dump and used those bolting them on with spare bolts I had and then splicing the fan wires to fit on the motherboard

 

knowticed a  dead-zone of airflow around the cpu socket causing high temps,

   Solution Used Duckttape, 2 screwdriver set cases, a diskdrive, a cd case, and more duck tape to do air flow corrections (will fine a pic ^.^ it was beautifully cringworthy)

Now that the computer was stable I installed windows 10 dev preview x64

Then the fans got too loud, so I made a Makeshift fan controller from an old electrical component kit (Will get a pic) and used alligator clips to connect it and then ducktaped the circuit together on my wall.... (I know it was a bad idea)

 

1 Week after the fan controller was installed: Ducktape on wall came loose circuit fell, sparks everywhere. so like any "sane person" I made another circut and attached it the same way (this one never failed again)

 

2 Weeks later, found a nice Lan Li Case

Stripped It of its motherboard and powersupply (both fryed) and all other components and installed my components 

The fans installed easly

Fans wired correctly this time

 

Then I needed MORE FANS! installed a fan from a old refrigerator and a large 120 on a bracket from my hdd cage made with 1 pci slot cover, 2 bolts 6 washers, 1 rubber gasket, and a wire to tie it in place to cool off my gpu.

 

The Floppy bay turned into a fan intake

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Hope you like This I will be formatting this post, updating it, and adding pictures as I have time to do so.

 

[Frank350]

Note: keyboard/mouse/monitor's were also aquired with the $0 budget

[FatPenguin]

you could just steal a computer from goodwill

maybe put it under your sweater and walk out

[TheExtra404]

sweet idea man.

[Maslofski]

can you use euros?

[bcredeur97]

I have a feeling he's secretly asking for GTX 970 donations 

 

 

lol jk, good luck with the build man! A pentium 4 system that came out of a shed is what started me on computers haha

[manikyath]

i have a long term progress project like this, but a tad more extreme.

 

my personal rules are that i cant spend any money on the machine, and i cant use parts that i can use in other systems.

 

its a lot of fun, and i can reccommend this to people who like to tinker, and dont want to be worried if things catch fire.

 

(my $0 build caught fire 3 times, and i never worried about it)

[Frank350]

If I posted more of my ambitious computer projects in more detail and with pic's would yall be interested?

I am currently

 

Reviving a athlon and kt3ultra msi Motherboard

Building a 48 Core Distributed computer using only intel core duo's (was given a slate of computers from a business last summer for free)

Reviving  old pentuim3 computer from the dump

 

And several more.