Unusual 939 build - advice...

Mainframeguy

Debiant by way of Ubuntu
Joined
29 Aug 2002
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3,763
Well I am going to make a slightly unusual build and just wanted to post for recommendations, particularly on the mobo but also on "other factors"

Situation is I have an Athlon 3500 and some DDR memory sticks hanging around and although i do not need another full blown machine I'd kinda like to put this to use for folding....

For which I shall need a 939 mobo with onboard WIFI and video...
A cheap HD
A cheap(ish) but quietish PSU....
Temporary use of an optical drive to get OS loaded (or maybe configure HD elsewhere?)

the whole kit and caboodle I intend to rig together on a pizza box or similar and suspend in the kitchen once I have set it to folding (will monitor remotely when I get Linux networking figured properly).

I'll try to be sure to post pics when completed. Anyone see any pitfalls here or have any recomendations? I'm hopeful I might find another freebie by the roadside and just need the mobo, so that is my main focus immediately....
 
Seage HDD's are fast9ish) quiet and cheap.

Tagan make nice quiet PSU's

Optical drives are ~£20 :)

ebuyer.com.

Edit: overclockers.co.uk for the tagan stuff :)
 
ming said:
what's wrong with your existing machine?
nothing! It has an X2 4200 in it now though, so I have a 3500+ going begging that just needs to fold, and given that is over £100 worth of CPU it seems churlish not to throw some money in to have it going again, but no reason to spend more than the bare minimum (hence no case/keyboard/screen etc).... I only balk at the thin line of no HD because Folding needs a log and work files I think.....
 
thinking I may order this today - have just had a thought and decided to post here for input (I know Lord will comment, other input welcome also)....

Present network configuration is we run four wired machines (including server) to our router and one laptop - they all have dedicated IP's.

When I make this build I will want internet connectivity via wifi - but there are no spare IP addresses. What are the necessary changes for me to make to enable internet connection sharing, presumably between this build and the laptop only? I do not think it matters, but Laptop is XP pro and new build will be XP Pro x64 (Student media / work at home media) edition which a friend kindly had spare copy of and gifted me....

Oh yeah, and since I have bumped thread - if anyone has any other comments on the general nature of the build, like HD that will respond OK to being dangled at angles or whatever then post away, but post fast as I hope to get an order in within hours if all goes to plan! (as I said this is going to be a build with no case and for the safety angle my plan is to suspend the components by their power leads, with suitable cable ties in place to prevent connections straining - kinda like an extremely geeky mobile! :D)
 
Mainframeguy said:
Present network configuration is we run four wired machines (including server) to our router and one laptop - they all have dedicated IP's.

When I make this build I will want internet connectivity via wifi - but there are no spare IP addresses. What are the necessary changes for me to make to enable internet connection sharing, presumably between this build and the laptop only?

Why don't you have any spare IP for the machine? Have you only limited the router to have 5 IP's maximum? Surely the router can accommodate up to 10 dedicated IP's.
 
it is not the router - it is our ISP account... But having talked with Lord and since we are upgrading to 24Mb BeThere imminently I shall just order a larger bundle of IP addies from our new ISP hopefully.
 
OK I have a basket prepared on Overclockers, which seems to have things that fit my needs - the router is a given for separate reasons, and the PCMCIA card is there to improve my laptop's connectivity and future proof that aspect.

I've linked the items I'd like particular advice upon if relevant (wondering if I needed to keep all my wifi Rangemax, or if simply being NetGear is good enough?). Last, but not least should I get this DDR stick as "insurance" beacuse although I jhave a couple of sticks of Crucial Ballistix one of them was definitely giving errors and the other could be suspect (so I am not fan of Ballistix now!) or would it be more sensible to get another Ballistix stick on the order so that should one be OK I'd have a pair?

RangeMax DG834PN 108 Mbps ADSL Wireless Modem Router
£84.23 £84.23

Samsung SH-R522 52x CD-RW OEM inc. Software (Black)
£11.09 £11.09

Enermax Liberty Series Power Supply Retail Boxed - ELT400AWT (400 Watt)
£39.90 £39.90

Barracuda 7200.9 Hard Disk Drive 120GB UATA100 7200RPM - OEM
£40.55 £40.55

A8N-VM CSM 939 C51PV/MCP5 PCI-E GBLAN
£45.74 £45.74

Floppy Disk Drive 3.5" 1.44MB Internal Silver bezel - OEM
£3.64 £3.64

[URL="http://www.overclock.co.uk/product.php?productid=10913427&view=rel"]Netgear FA511 10/100Mbps Cardus Adapter with integrated RJ45 port [/URL]
£21.59 £21.59

Netgear WG311T 108Mbps 802.11g PCI Wireless Adapter

Remember I have the CPU ;) and "no case required" ;)

This brings my order in around the £300 mark (depending if you include taxes) which I find acceptable.... later when I pick up another CRT on the street I'll have a monitor and may use this for TV reception in the kitchen also.... at first it will just fold and give me a chance to "play" with XP 64x

If I've screwed up and anything is incompatible you get extra rep for telling me, cause I hope to order today...
 
Personally, If you have your reservations regarding the RAM, i'd say buy another stick. Just incase :)
 
No enermax PSU's. They overstate their specifications, swap that for an antec, or look at the 450+ models of tagan/seasonic.

You'll want a netgear rangemax pc card to get 108mbps wireless.
 
OK - upgraded Tagan to 450 (in stock) - amended to faster Netgear card (ouch that cost a little) - decided to treat myself to wireless K/B and mouse combo for convenience....

Still thinking on the RAM, and if I play careful and get a stick is it worth paying a little more for Ballistix to have matched brand? Given I have at leats one dead stick of that brand! Or save a few bob and go with that Kingmax on special?

[EDIT] Also is it worth extra spend for Rangemax branded on the PCMCIA card, they actually do two Rangemax - both definitely at a premium and typically for me to date my wifi laptop useage does not need to concern itself overly with range [/EDIT]
 
You'll get higher bandwidth if you go for the rangemax, else your stuck at 54mbps and shorter range.
 
Order placed....

/me broke :ermm:

watch this space for pic(s) of rather odd build in action :)
 
well - the bits are plugged up as the attachment shows. XP 64 going on there as I type and I'll sort the wifi card as soon as I have mobo drivers in place (hopefully not going to hit 64 bit support issues, will be interesting!)

I have a date visiting my place tomorrow for the first time, so I guess I'll have to slip into "geek and proud of it" mode if this lot's still humming away on the kitchen table! :)
 

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you're not going to complain about the pearl bulb now are you? :p the pc will use more power than it does :D
 
OK - I have to confess something....

this build has never (yet) moved up in the world from the kitchen table! I hope I shall do this soon... just because I said I would.

But at the same time Lord has got the chip frier out - and so I have bought this cube case and may be using it soon.... (also so that I can more easily play music from optical drive etc. etc.)
 

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