need to put together a cheap pc that is slimline, wireless G, firewire. doesnt need a screen (will be connected to 32" lcd)

it needs atleast 3usb ports as well.

so there is the challenge. can be new or used (if you can show where your getting the parts from) winner (if its low enough) will win a 6pack of beer (anything within reason, ie no major exotics)

ask CHUB, he'll tell you.

ask chub, he might have one goin cheap.

damm, beaten.

5 dollars.

winnah!

Not sure what you mean by slimline - do you mean a flat-stye case that could casually pass as a normal Hi_fi appliance, and fit in spaces designed for DVD players etc?

I recently built a HTPC around a Thermaltake Mozart case and couldn't be happier. The case cost me about 200 or so, and its takes most normal PC components. Get a decent mobo with most of your s*** onboard though as the daughter board thingy only has 2-3 PCI slots depending on the size of the cards so expansion space is at a premium.

There's some mobos out now with onboard video rated to full HD and reasonable 5.1 audio hardware digital & optical connections.

Cooling is a big problem with these sorts of machines as they tend to get plonked in areas without a lot of ventilation. This is where thermaltake's experience in cooling is demonstrated - the Mozart has a few (3?4?) case fans but they're not obnoxiously loud, and the TV cabinet its in hasn't caught fire yet.

last edited by Hogfather at 21:11:08 13/Nov/08

this will be out in the open on the edge of a physio gym space. ventilation will not be a problem. $200 for the case alone puts it out of the cheap basket though really doesnt it.

hopefully CHUB will come in here and contact me, i cant contact him, no email addy

last edited by Anono at 21:38:02 13/Nov/08

dell?

damn did i forget to get rid of the stupid tattoo on my forehead.

i have looked at dell and around the traps at msy and such, but i was looking for some not so easy to find tips

how cheaply can you put together a PC for now a days?

Pretty cheap.

$200 for the case alone puts it out of the cheap basket though really doesnt it.

It does? Depends on your definition of cheap I guess. The Mozart is one of the cheaper decent HTPC cases out there, you can really lay down some money on them without trying hard at all.

The project only cost me 400 bucks or so in total so I was pretty happy, I did make use of a few random components I had spare though.

I didn't want a s***bag ugly PC case staring at me from under the TV for the next few years, so the extra cash was worth it.

its not going in a HTPC setup though. and cheap is kinda the point. $400 is good but not great. thanks anyway

hopefully CHUB will come in here and contact me, i cant contact him, no email addy

protip: they're making fun of the fact that I spent $600 on PC parts today and have a non-functioning PC :(

IT WILL WORK! I HAVE FAITH!

damn did i forget to get rid of the stupid tattoo on my forehead.

i have looked at dell and around the traps at msy and such, but i was looking for some not so easy to find tips

In the OP
1: you didn't give us a budget other than "cheap".
2: you didn't tell us that you'd tried anything at all
3: you didn't say what it's going to be used for other than in an open space at some gym or some crap

So you want a computer, small, for $400? What will it be used for? Internet only? product browsing? Does it need to be able to play any kind of multimedia files like product demos? Instructional videos?

Helps if you give us a budget and exactly what it needs to do. This is a gaming forum, to most of us $1000 is "cheap".

Mini ATX bare bones $300 at umart.
weekly specials

last edited by whoop at 02:18:14 14/Nov/08

I'd say ebay or the sunday computer market. Grab yourself a cheap old complete box and a wireless G card. The only tricky part is the firewire port - if you can't find a cheap slimline box that has one, find one with 2 pci slots and grab a firewire card as well (you can get cards with firewire and USB ports on a single card, should you be short on usb ports). The exact price will differ depending on features and availability, but all up I'd say $250 or less.

Course, that depends on how "slim" you are talking. Most older ultra-slim boxes don't have any expandable PCI slots at all, and don't come with firewire OR 802.11G onboard. Small form factor boxes may have 1 or two PCI slots but will only take half width expansion cards. If you wanted the cheapest solution, you'd probably end up with a convertible minitower or similar, which often have 2 full size pci slots on a riser card.

Just out of curiosity, what will the firewire port be used for? I figure the 3 usb ports are for keyboard, mouse and barcode scanner or such.

Oh, and keep in mind that many older boxes will not have a DVI output, so your LCD will have to take analog.

last edited by icewyrm at 05:58:43 14/Nov/08

http://www.ozbargain.com.au/node/7810

i win

woah that was a fantastic deal. too bad it expired :(

not before i ordered and paid for 1.

got mine wholesale.. umart / pcshopper combo for $1300

Not extremely top of the line but will play any game out easily :)