Computer Parts, Anyone?
Jan. 29th, 2010 12:23 pmWhile getting ready for my new PC, I realized just how full my "warehouse" of spare parts is. And, most of my clients aren't the sort who'd want used replacements if they need a new part. So, before I make a run to the computer recycling place, I figured I'd offer some stuff here. I have freebies, and I have have stuff for sale (which are actually pretty decent parts). Free delivery to the DC area and Pittsburgh (or local pickup here in Harrisonburg), all others pay shipping, even for freebies. Pictures available on request.
These are roughly arranged by type of part. If DOA, I'll give a refund after the parts are returned.
Creative SoundBlaster Audigy 2ZS w/ Front Bay - $70
At the time I purchased this (2004), it was the absolute best sound card available. Nowadays, it's still on-par with upper-mid-range soundcards, with digital processing and 7.1 surround and all that stuff. And, with the 5.25" front panel, it has enough inputs to run a small recording studio, accepting pretty much every audio input except XLR. Oh, and it has a firewire port up front, too! It's in near-perfect condition, with no external visual defects at all. The cable to connect the front bay to the card is a little discoloured, but aside from that it's in great condition; the only reason I'm not using it in my new PC is because I didn't have room for the front bay in my new case. Comes with everything they shipped it with, including the remote control (needs a new battery), all internal cables (including a power splitter), all CDS, and the white faceplate, parts that most people who owned this card lose over the years.
Creative SoundBlaster Live PCI - $20
Not too much to say about this one, it's a basic sound card in good condition. It doesn't do anything that onboard audio can't do, but the quality is probably better.
BFG Nvidia GeForce 7600GS 512mb AGP Video Card - $60
I literally bought this a month ago, and it's still available new on Newegg. It's a great card, and while I did experiment a little when I first got it, I can count on one hand the number of times I've done anything more intense than Photoshop with it. So, it's about as close to brand-new as a month-old video card can get. And, it's about the best AGP video card currently available without venturing into Quadro territory. Comes with everything it originally shipped with, including the CD, component video adapter, DVI->VGA adapter, and power splitter.
PNY Nvidia GeForce FX5950 Ultra 256mb AGP Video Card - $40
This was one of my first video cards, and I've kept it around as a spare ever since. I replaced it to get better performance out of my old PC, there's nothing wrong with it, although the fans are a little noisy from age. If you're interested in the details, Newegg still lists it. It's clean and works great, and while it won't run many current-gen games particularly well, it'll do a beautiful job as a non-gaming card for a Vista/Win7 system. Or, if you're like me and prefer older PC games, it's awesome at those. Includes the CD, VIVO adapter, and a power splitter (the original DVI->VGA adapter broke, but I can throw one in if you really need it).
ATI Radeon X1300 AGP 256mb Video Card - $20
I actually forgot I had this one, I found it while I was checking old cases for parts I may have forgotten. It belonged to a client, and while I'm not entirely sure why I have it, I know it worked great last time it was used.
OCZ 2gb DDR400 (PC3200) RAM (4x 512mb DIMMS) - $50
This was actually Fox's RAM, so I don't know what it originally went for or what its full specs are, but it's still in great shape, and it was really high-end memory when he bought it. They're nice-looking DIMMs, too, with a shiny copper heatsink/heat shield. Works great as a dual-channel kit. The timings are 2.5-3-3-7, but beyond that I'm not sure about stuff like latency.
Western Digital 250gb SATA Hard Drive - $20
This has been my media drive for a long time, and while it's been used for a long time, it's never suffered any sort of trauma, nor has it been home to anything heavy-duty like a pagefile. And, it works just as well now as it did the day I bought it. Please note that if you purchase this drive, shipping will wait until after I get the data off of it and onto my new 1TB media drive. And, due to the potentially sensitive nature of some of the data that's been on it in the past, I won't be selling this to complete strangers.
Samsung 120gb IDE Hard Drive - $20
Remember when SATA was new, and not every motherboard had support for it? That, plus the annoyance of loading drivers during an XP install, is the reason why I own a relatively huge PATA drive. It was my OS drive, and despite its age, it still works beautifully, with no signs of wear or aging. So, if you need a big PATA drive, this would be a good option.
Sony IDE Multi-Format DVD Burner - $20 (2 available)
I bought these drives just a few years ago, and they've seen only light duty since then, because I almost never burn discs. They read and write practically every CD and DVD format out there, and can theoretically burn dual-layer discs (though I've never tried). One of them has a tray that's a little slow to retract/eject, and it's been used a bit more than its mate, so I'll knock $5 off the price of that one. They're good drives, comparable to current-gen, and the only thing newer drives do that these don't is LightScribe.
Vantec Nexus 4-Channel Fan Controller - $20
I have no idea what I paid for this, but it gets the job done well, and it looks cool. Silver face, blue LED rings around the dials, and just an overall nice design. It's the old manual-dial sort of fan controller, which I personally prefer over many of these digital models, and since it actually changes the current to the fans, it works with any fan ever made, and is compatible with Y-splitters. There's one downside, which is that the circuitry makes noise when turned below about 25%, but depending on how noisy the rest of your system is, it's pretty easy to not notice. I owned the thing for a month before I noticed it the first time. Fits a 5.25" drive bay.
Aerocool CoolPanel II Multi-Function Panel - $30
In short, I love this device! It does pretty much everything one could want from a drive bay panel; card reader, extra ports, fan controller, and temperature monitor. The fan controller/thermometer section includes four temperature sensors, and four fan outputs, and it does its job quite well. The card reader does Compact Flash, SD, MMC, SM, MD, and MS, and probably some other stuff too (this is just reading from the markings). And, the card reader is removable, if you need a little portable one! The extra ports include front-panel audio, USB, Firewire, and SATA (regular, not eSATA), the latter of which is invaluable if you're like me and work with a lot of other people's hard drives. This is another device I'd use in my new computer, except that the card reader doesn't do SDHC, and I need that capability. Since the card reader module is removable, it's theoretically possible to substitute a different one, but Aerocool didn't continue this feature on its newer panels, so I haven't tried. Fits a 5.25" drive bay.
VLSystem OEL Display and Software-Based Fan Controller - $50
I bought this purely as PC-bling, but it does have some practicality. Externally, it's just a programmable display panel, but it also has the capability to be a software-driven 4-channel fan controller. Admittedly, I only explored that capability once, but it looks like it does a LOT. The OEL display is neat too, with the ability to create custom-messge slideshows, as well as hooks for all sorts of system monitoring, and extensions for apps like Winamp and Windows Media Player to grab information about what's currently playing. Overall, it's a really cool device, and it's tempting to just keep it for myself, but I just don't need this sort of bling (or a fan controller) in my new PC. Fits a 5.25" drive bay.
Belkin Firewire PCI Card - $10
This almost went into the freebies, but it's a very awesome card if you need firewire on an older system (or one that mysteriously lacks firewire/1394). It works well, barely used, and even supports power-over-firewire. And, it has three ports, if you've ever wanted to make a firewire-based LAN :-)
I have better things to do than to catalog my entire inventory, but I have parts in the following categories. Inquire if you're interested. And, if there's some oddball part or cable you're looking for, I may have it, just be ready to describe it in detail because I have no clue what some of this crap is :-)
-ATX cases (local pickup/personal delivery only)
-Cables
-Cable TV Coax
-Ethernet
-Floppy
-IDE
-Misc Internal Wiring
-Parallel and Serial
-Power (internal and external)
-RCA Audio/Video
-SATA
-Telephone
-USB
-VGA
-Weird Stuff
-CPU coolers
-Floppy Drives
-Hard Drives (IDE and SCSI)
-Keyboards (PS/2) and Mice (PS/2 and Serial)
-Memory
-Modems (PCI)
-Optical Drives
-Power Supplies
-Video Cards (AGP and PCI)
-Other Miscellaneous Stuff
Not-Freebies
These are roughly arranged by type of part. If DOA, I'll give a refund after the parts are returned.
Creative SoundBlaster Audigy 2ZS w/ Front Bay - $70
At the time I purchased this (2004), it was the absolute best sound card available. Nowadays, it's still on-par with upper-mid-range soundcards, with digital processing and 7.1 surround and all that stuff. And, with the 5.25" front panel, it has enough inputs to run a small recording studio, accepting pretty much every audio input except XLR. Oh, and it has a firewire port up front, too! It's in near-perfect condition, with no external visual defects at all. The cable to connect the front bay to the card is a little discoloured, but aside from that it's in great condition; the only reason I'm not using it in my new PC is because I didn't have room for the front bay in my new case. Comes with everything they shipped it with, including the remote control (needs a new battery), all internal cables (including a power splitter), all CDS, and the white faceplate, parts that most people who owned this card lose over the years.
Creative SoundBlaster Live PCI - $20
Not too much to say about this one, it's a basic sound card in good condition. It doesn't do anything that onboard audio can't do, but the quality is probably better.
BFG Nvidia GeForce 7600GS 512mb AGP Video Card - $60
I literally bought this a month ago, and it's still available new on Newegg. It's a great card, and while I did experiment a little when I first got it, I can count on one hand the number of times I've done anything more intense than Photoshop with it. So, it's about as close to brand-new as a month-old video card can get. And, it's about the best AGP video card currently available without venturing into Quadro territory. Comes with everything it originally shipped with, including the CD, component video adapter, DVI->VGA adapter, and power splitter.
PNY Nvidia GeForce FX5950 Ultra 256mb AGP Video Card - $40
This was one of my first video cards, and I've kept it around as a spare ever since. I replaced it to get better performance out of my old PC, there's nothing wrong with it, although the fans are a little noisy from age. If you're interested in the details, Newegg still lists it. It's clean and works great, and while it won't run many current-gen games particularly well, it'll do a beautiful job as a non-gaming card for a Vista/Win7 system. Or, if you're like me and prefer older PC games, it's awesome at those. Includes the CD, VIVO adapter, and a power splitter (the original DVI->VGA adapter broke, but I can throw one in if you really need it).
ATI Radeon X1300 AGP 256mb Video Card - $20
I actually forgot I had this one, I found it while I was checking old cases for parts I may have forgotten. It belonged to a client, and while I'm not entirely sure why I have it, I know it worked great last time it was used.
OCZ 2gb DDR400 (PC3200) RAM (4x 512mb DIMMS) - $50
This was actually Fox's RAM, so I don't know what it originally went for or what its full specs are, but it's still in great shape, and it was really high-end memory when he bought it. They're nice-looking DIMMs, too, with a shiny copper heatsink/heat shield. Works great as a dual-channel kit. The timings are 2.5-3-3-7, but beyond that I'm not sure about stuff like latency.
Western Digital 250gb SATA Hard Drive - $20
This has been my media drive for a long time, and while it's been used for a long time, it's never suffered any sort of trauma, nor has it been home to anything heavy-duty like a pagefile. And, it works just as well now as it did the day I bought it. Please note that if you purchase this drive, shipping will wait until after I get the data off of it and onto my new 1TB media drive. And, due to the potentially sensitive nature of some of the data that's been on it in the past, I won't be selling this to complete strangers.
Samsung 120gb IDE Hard Drive - $20
Remember when SATA was new, and not every motherboard had support for it? That, plus the annoyance of loading drivers during an XP install, is the reason why I own a relatively huge PATA drive. It was my OS drive, and despite its age, it still works beautifully, with no signs of wear or aging. So, if you need a big PATA drive, this would be a good option.
Sony IDE Multi-Format DVD Burner - $20 (2 available)
I bought these drives just a few years ago, and they've seen only light duty since then, because I almost never burn discs. They read and write practically every CD and DVD format out there, and can theoretically burn dual-layer discs (though I've never tried). One of them has a tray that's a little slow to retract/eject, and it's been used a bit more than its mate, so I'll knock $5 off the price of that one. They're good drives, comparable to current-gen, and the only thing newer drives do that these don't is LightScribe.
Vantec Nexus 4-Channel Fan Controller - $20
I have no idea what I paid for this, but it gets the job done well, and it looks cool. Silver face, blue LED rings around the dials, and just an overall nice design. It's the old manual-dial sort of fan controller, which I personally prefer over many of these digital models, and since it actually changes the current to the fans, it works with any fan ever made, and is compatible with Y-splitters. There's one downside, which is that the circuitry makes noise when turned below about 25%, but depending on how noisy the rest of your system is, it's pretty easy to not notice. I owned the thing for a month before I noticed it the first time. Fits a 5.25" drive bay.
Aerocool CoolPanel II Multi-Function Panel - $30
In short, I love this device! It does pretty much everything one could want from a drive bay panel; card reader, extra ports, fan controller, and temperature monitor. The fan controller/thermometer section includes four temperature sensors, and four fan outputs, and it does its job quite well. The card reader does Compact Flash, SD, MMC, SM, MD, and MS, and probably some other stuff too (this is just reading from the markings). And, the card reader is removable, if you need a little portable one! The extra ports include front-panel audio, USB, Firewire, and SATA (regular, not eSATA), the latter of which is invaluable if you're like me and work with a lot of other people's hard drives. This is another device I'd use in my new computer, except that the card reader doesn't do SDHC, and I need that capability. Since the card reader module is removable, it's theoretically possible to substitute a different one, but Aerocool didn't continue this feature on its newer panels, so I haven't tried. Fits a 5.25" drive bay.
VLSystem OEL Display and Software-Based Fan Controller - $50
I bought this purely as PC-bling, but it does have some practicality. Externally, it's just a programmable display panel, but it also has the capability to be a software-driven 4-channel fan controller. Admittedly, I only explored that capability once, but it looks like it does a LOT. The OEL display is neat too, with the ability to create custom-messge slideshows, as well as hooks for all sorts of system monitoring, and extensions for apps like Winamp and Windows Media Player to grab information about what's currently playing. Overall, it's a really cool device, and it's tempting to just keep it for myself, but I just don't need this sort of bling (or a fan controller) in my new PC. Fits a 5.25" drive bay.
Belkin Firewire PCI Card - $10
This almost went into the freebies, but it's a very awesome card if you need firewire on an older system (or one that mysteriously lacks firewire/1394). It works well, barely used, and even supports power-over-firewire. And, it has three ports, if you've ever wanted to make a firewire-based LAN :-)
Freebies
I have better things to do than to catalog my entire inventory, but I have parts in the following categories. Inquire if you're interested. And, if there's some oddball part or cable you're looking for, I may have it, just be ready to describe it in detail because I have no clue what some of this crap is :-)
-ATX cases (local pickup/personal delivery only)
-Cables
-Cable TV Coax
-Ethernet
-Floppy
-IDE
-Misc Internal Wiring
-Parallel and Serial
-Power (internal and external)
-RCA Audio/Video
-SATA
-Telephone
-USB
-VGA
-Weird Stuff
-CPU coolers
-Floppy Drives
-Hard Drives (IDE and SCSI)
-Keyboards (PS/2) and Mice (PS/2 and Serial)
-Memory
-Modems (PCI)
-Optical Drives
-Power Supplies
-Video Cards (AGP and PCI)
-Other Miscellaneous Stuff