Some hardware to mess around with...

[Haiku32]

cost u under a tenner if you arrange a courier collection via ebay

So you'd basically just set up an ebay auction for a tenner and I'd buy it lol?

[idlehanz]

I'll have a look at HDDs tomorrow, no cost. Just like mentioned earlier, you arrange courier interparcel is a good low cost one to use, you can find others on ebay as Gonzo mentions. I'll be able to give you final packaged dimensions and weight once it's all sorted.

For Ubuntu, there's a few different flavours. Std Ubuntu is quite hungry compared to earlier distys of Linux, it will run on a build with enough memory, but You'll find that something like Xubuntu would be much quicker.

[Haiku32]

Wow, excellent then .

Take your time, no need to rush .

How'd you like to sort out payment then?

[GoNz0]

So you'd basically just set up an ebay auction for a tenner and I'd buy it lol?

did you look b4 posting that ?

[Haiku32]

did you look b4 posting that ?

Fine... I'll edit it to "under a tenner" then .

I thought the courier collection was just a regular auction except instead of regular postage it was by courier? So, to make it easy, if we both had ebay accounts (I do), he could just set up an auction with a buy it now price for like, a penny, and the postage cost covering the amount of the postage. I'd buy it, it would cover the cost of the postage, money would be easily transferred and we are both covered by ebay and paypal if anything goes wrong. What am I missing/getting wrong lol ?

[GoNz0]

LOL nah m8, its an ebay advert, they pay to host an add, you dont buy the auction you follow the link and ebay take there cut, works out a lot less than most couriers as people have a high volume account and pass the savings on to you.,

[Haiku32]

LOL nah m8, its an ebay advert, they pay to host an add, you dont buy the auction you follow the link and ebay take there cut, works out a lot less than most couriers as people have a high volume account and pass the savings on to you.,

Haha ok then, my bad .

Just looked on ebay:

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.d...ategory=156147

Something like that you mean (of course not the cheapest or best, just the first I saw )?

[GoNz0]

yeh there not bad m8, make sure the one u orders using a known carrier and not a man with a van located in china

[Pob255]

The problem with getting it moved is not finding someone to move it but arrangeing times, this annoying thing called work meaning you cannot wait around all day for a courier.

I've got a couple of old el-cheapo cases kicking about
One beige twin 80mm rear fans (not inculded) One black 92mm rear fan (I've got a 92mm zalman fan you can have to go with it)
The black case looks ok
In fact this is it,

Antler Supercase SK-352 BL

[Haiku32]

yeh there not bad m8, make sure the one u orders using a known carrier and not a man with a van located in china

Haha yeah. Just so I have my head around this (hardly the craziest idea, but better to be safe that sorry ).

I send the courier to the address, he picks up the stuff, delivers it to me.

So the only person I pay is the courier?

It's fine pob, don't want to put you into an awkward position, thanks anyway . I'll find another case somehow .

[ploo]

I was in a similar situation to you recently. New to hardware, keen to build myself a custom rig, and I was thinking of buying some low end parts to have a shot at building a rig. Now I think it's a waste of money. Instead I just took apart my current pc. You'd be suprised how simple it is, not just in theory but in practice as well. Take it slow, make sure you memorise everything to ensure zero problems and it's handy to have an extra working pc/laptop nearby. It so happened that my case usb2 ports instead of being a whole connector, they were 9 individual connectors, which I didn't find out until I pulled them off. Here a PC comes in handy. Overall, it's very simple, just give it a shot. But if you're not that confident stick with getting some old hardware from people wanting to get rid of it.

[Haiku32]

If I'm honest, I really just want the satisfaction of putting a load of parts together and making them work . I could take parts out my computer and with luck put them back in and it would still work, but where's the satisfaction?

Even if all I'm building is a crappy system made from all, second hand hardware that can barely run some version of ubuntu... at least it's a working computer !

[GoNz0]

Haha yeah. Just so I have my head around this (hardly the craziest idea, but better to be safe that sorry ).

I send the courier to the address, he picks up the stuff, delivers it to me.

So the only person I pay is the courier?

.

yup, thats right. you pay in advance of the pickup

[idlehanz]

The problem with getting it moved is not finding someone to move it but arrangeing times, this annoying thing called work meaning you cannot wait around all day for a courier.

I've got a couple of old el-cheapo cases kicking about
One beige twin 80mm rear fans (not inculded) One black 92mm rear fan (I've got a 92mm zalman fan you can have to go with it)
The black case looks ok
In fact this is it,

Antler Supercase SK-352 BL

Then take it to work with you and arrange for the person to have it collected from your works reception. Unless your company or employer is an arse biscuit, or you work in a very secure environment it shouldn't pose to much of a problem.

[Haiku32]

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ATX-Blue-Compu...3A1|240%3A1318

Absolute cheapest case I can find supporting ATX mobos on ebay lol. Just a little bit smaller than my antec 900 . It's probably absolutely crap though.

[GoNz0]

use a piece of wood and screw some motherboard standoffs into it, cheap as (wood)chips