[SGVLUG] cheap refurbed system about $210 no monitor

[Emerson, Tom (*IC)]

> -----Original Message----- Of matti
> 
> fyi -
> 
> I suspect linux should work with this system...
[...]
> Computer Geeks has a Debranded (Refurbished) HP Desktop 
> Computer for $211 - $13 Code: X2DEAL = $198. Shipping starts at $11.
> 
> HP Debranded Athlon 64 X2 4200+ 1GB 250GB DVD±RW No OS 
[...]

Well, now I know the base value of my system :)

My last "desktop" system I built was based on the specs from the 2004 "Linux Format" magazine's "ultimate system of the year" article -- AMD 64 processor, a gig of ram, high capacity [at the time] SATA drives, etc.  Of course, some of the other specs were the video card [nvidia 6800 I think? Or perhaps it was ATI's card at the time? Don't remember...] as well as external audio (and a rather robust cooler master case, no power supply though...)

Since then about all I've added have been additional disk drives, and now that I think of it, I did "upgrade" the video to the nvidia card, so it's quite likely the original was whatever ATI card was "the bees knees" at the time...  Oh yeah, the power supply finally crapped out earlier this year, so that was replaced [note: at the time, most 600W+ power supplies were priced as much as the case itself or even more -- we're talking over $100 to $200 here -- but I found a "sweet deal" for about $30 and went with that.  I figured if the PS really was crap, I'd go ahead and spend the $$$ on a "better" supply -- got 4 years out of it, and replaced it with a 750W supply for about what a 600W was 4 years ago, so all in all it worked out]

Speaking of part prices, I think at the time I spent about $1200 or so (not counting a couple of hours spent at the Pomona computer show "shopping" for the parts...) and with parts added piecemeal over time, it still has plenty of life left in it...