Budget Folding Machine

SpywareShooter

If I can somehow come up with the money I want to make a good folding machine for under $250. Here is what I have so far (prices are from newegg.com)

Mobo: ECS PF1 v.1.1 Socket 478 Intel 865PE ATX Intel Motherboard
$37.79

Memory: pqi TURBO 512MB 184-Pin DDR SDRAM DDR 400 (PC 3200) Unbuffered System Memory Model PQI3200-512SAH
$40.31

HD: Seagate U Series X ST320014A 20GB 5400 RPM IDE Ultra ATA100 Hard Drive
$41

HD Controller: SYBA SY-VIA-150 PCI SATA /IDE Combo Controller Card, Non Raid
$10.75

Processor: Intel Celeron D 330 Prescott 533MHz FSB Socket 478 Processor Model BX80546RE2667C 2.66GHz
$79.45

PSU: Rosewill Value RV300 ATX 300W Power Supply
$13.99


Total: $222.69


I have all of the IDE cables and a CD Drive. I'm going to install SuSE Linux on the HD and run only FAH. The computer is going to be open-cased so I'm not planning on needing fans. Is there anything else that I am going to need, or that I should consider revising on the list?

ryko

i would drop the hdd controller card. you don't really need it if you are just using this thing for dedicated folding. the ECS board will have 2 ide channels plus 2 sata channels which will take care of all of your storage needs...

GrayFox

If you willing to spend a bit more heres what I would get

REFURBISHED: ASUS A7V600-X Socket A (Socket 462) VIA KT600 ATX AMD Motherboard - OEM  $40.00
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16813131486R

AMD Athlon XP 2600+ 333MHz FSB Socket A Processor - OEM $76.99
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16819103417

Kingston ValueRAM 512MB 184-Pin DDR SDRAM Unbuffered DDR 400 (PC 3200) System Memory - Retail $44.18
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16820141424

ENERMAX EG301P-VB-1-FM 300W Power Supply - OEM $26.50
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16817103463

Apollo xabre200 64MB Xabre 200 64MB DDR AGP 4X/8X Video Card - Retail $24.00
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16814140059

Seagate U Series X ST320014A 20GB 5400 RPM 2MB Cache IDE Ultra ATA100 Hard Drive - OEM $41.00
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16822148051

Dynatron BH-610 60mm Ball Cooling Fan/Heatsink - Retail $8.99
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16835114011


Total cost $261.66

Not only will it be a faster folder its a more relieable machine too .

SpywareShooter

ok thanks. $261 isn't too far over budget.

Leonardo

SpywareShooter. You've been such a benefit to Short-Media and our members, that I'd like to support you with your new Folding rig project. Take a look at my Leo's Big Sale thread. Let me know whatever what you need, and it's your's for $1 plus shipping. Heck, I'll go half-way with the shipping for you. Tell me what you need for fans, and I can probably throw them in for free as well!

Please PM or email me and I'll ship you what you want. I've also got Cat 5e networking cables and an old CD ROM drive. (The $1 nominal charge is just so we can do a legitimate Heatware evaluation posting for each other.)

Oh yeah, I've also got an old PCI video card that I was too embarassed to put on the for-sale thread.

Let me know.

SpywareShooter

Thanks Leo. I'm not even sure if I'm going to build it yet. It's going to take me a long time to come up with the money to build this, even with half off. Thanks for the offer, but rather than waiting for me to come up with the money you should just continue selling them at normal price. It could be months from now when I start to build this, and between now and then I might salvage some good parts from other computers.

Tim

You can save money on a hard drive. All you need is a couple GB (I'd suggest 3+) to install the OS and a bunch of antivirus / antispyware software.

I don't think drive speed (rpm) will matter much.

SpywareShooter

All you need is a couple GB (I'd suggest 3+) to install the OS and a bunch of antivirus / antispyware software.

But the smallest they sell on newegg/stores now is 20GB I don't need antivirus/antispyware on a folding-only machine anyways. The only time I actually use my antivirus software is when I'm updating SpywareShooter, which is my only spyware protection and only 4MB. Do they even make antivirus/antispyware software for Linux anyways?

Leonardo

You don't need new components. Advertise for what you want at our Deal Depot & Trading, Anandtech Forums, and at PCPerspective.com.

ryko

don't forget ebay...they're great for cheap, small hdd's...:)

some examples...

http://cgi.ebay.com/3-2Gb-Quantum-Fireball-SE-3-2AT-THard-Drive-Full-Tested_W0QQitemZ5237696595QQcategoryZ39971QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

http://cgi.ebay.com/LOT-OF-THREE-4-3GB-IDE-DRIVES-ALL-TESTED-WORKING-NR_W0QQitemZ5238359830QQcategoryZ39971QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

shwaip

I've got a small (~11 GB) 5400 rpm maxtor that I'll let go cheap. Let me know if/when you build it.

cpu: 64bit sempron 2800+
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16819104245
$76

mobo w/ integrated graphics/lan:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16813185057
$45

rest the same as yours, should end up about the same price, a little faster, plus you get 64 bits, and AMD. Although 754 is pretty much a dead end. Also, keep a look out in the refurb section - some good deals here and there.

Tim

I'd just go to a local computer repair store to get some small, cheap hard drives. I don't know what kind of antivirus / antispyware software a Linux system would need, but of course a Windows OS would have to be fully prepared with that kind of software, as the internet connection would always be open on a folding machine.

There have been many times that I installed a new OS on a freshly formatted hard drive, and just in going online long enough to download upgrades from microsoft and get some antivirus programs in place, Ad-Aware SE is already detecting 10 problems.

profdlp

Go for a free AV program if you feel you must have one. I'm going to go against the trend of those who say you need anything at all, with a few big IF's:

IF you have a router with built in firewall.
IF you turn on the OS's firewall (whether it be Windows, Linux, whatever) and run it in strict mode, allowing nothing in or out except Up/Downloads to and from Stanford.
IF all the computer does is Fold. That means no email, Internet, etc.

You can always run a free online scan if something gives you cause to worry.

primesuspect

a dedicated folding box doesn't need antivirus. It'll just take cycles away from folding.

SpywareShooter

I'd just go to a local computer repair store to get some small, cheap hard drives.

There is no "local" computer store. The nearest one is 45 minutes away and that's Best Buy which I don't want to go to for a HD.

Also, I want a new mobo and processor so it'll support more RAM (if I upgrade in the future) and a fast processor (2.5GHz or faster). Anything else can be old.

profdlp

It was a worthy suggestion, but a local shop may not have offered as good a deal on a small HD as you'll find on eBay. Many of them which I've seen (including two I worked for) horde them for use in warranty work, or to gouge people by charging them $50 for a 3.2GB drive in repairing a machine which simply can't handle anything larger. (No mention is usually made that a $15 IDE Controller card would allow the same customer to use a much larger drive for about the same net cost...)