I am new at building PC's

Hello as this thread states i am a newb at building computers, and i was just given Pelco's former main server a dell poweredge 2500 i need help converting to play EVE online, total war series and work for college next year.

i use Intel and Nvidia and windows XP any help you can give me will be deeply appericated my budget is low because of the economy. My buddies are willing to help me out with 3-256mb Nvidia graphics cards that are 1-2 years old all i need are motherboards that can handle the strain and it has 2 powersupplies havent looked inside for it needs a key so i can turn it on.

Locust Inc.

 

That system will be total trash for any gaming. It has not PCI-e slots, not even an old AGP slot.

You could get a new mainboard, but you will need a drill, a dremil tool, and some standoff screws in order to modify the case to hold anything but that POS mainboard that the system comes with. I did the same (plus a lot more) to the case of my poweredge 1800...the PE1800 was a lot better than the PE2500, but it was still useless for gaming, or even for general desktop use.

 

You can't convert Poweredge systems for gaming - they weren't designed for it.

 

i no a guy that converted a poweredge 2500 into a gaming computer, it required patience and time. We already got 2 256mb graphics cards and we are putting in a new motherboard, using the tools you mentioned.

i am praying this will work

 

By the time you are done with the conversion, there will be almost nothing of the orriginal system left...it would have been easier to build a gaming PC in a toychest than in the PE1800 case...but I didn't have a toychest.

 

yea well if you know a site that will take old servers so i can put the $$ towards a gaming comp please tell me it has to be near Clovis,CA.

ty for the help i will need more of your advice

 

I'm sure there are plenty of places you can take it, but a server as old as a Poweredge 2500 (IIRC a dual P3 from 2001) isn't going to fetch very much money at all.
Excluding what you make from selling the server, what would be your budget for a games PC?

 

my budget is $500 to 1500 dollars, my friends have parts that are fairly new.

Poweredges are still popular, small business still use them quite often. I do not have a job but i got grandparents who spoil me rotten and they are willing to help.

 

I'm sure they are, but that doesn't account for the fact that they aren't actually worth much. You'll have no trouble selling it, you'll just get very little for it.
Can you be a bit more specific about the budget? $1500 is an admirable amount for a gaming PC, but there's no point me spending it if you don't really have it to hand.

 

i earn 20 a week and i detail cars as a under the table job earnign me any were from 20 to 50 dollars. My family is willing to help and i got a box full of random parts to sell off.

i say 1500 dollars because that is the limit i am set on at the moment, and possibly after i graduate i might get a gaming comp from my Grandma

plus i got money stored away and detailing cars pull in cash

 

So you may be waiting to build the system? I ask simply because newer technology always comes along if you wait - so if the PC is being built say, after christmas, then I will wait until then so I can give you a better idea of what to buy.

 

if u say u are going to build it dont my income flucates, if i built it a year or two ago i couldve bought a gaming comp but not anymore.

i am hoping that for christmas i will get my usual 400 dollars if i could i would get a job but they are not easy to find for someone my age. SO after i graduate my uncle will hire me for 10 dollars an-hour

if you know a place that will build on around christmas time it would be good

 

Buying prebuilt PCs is a huge waste of money, I'd thoroughly recommend building your own.

 

i know that i meant going to a store like Future Tek in Clovis,CA they build cutom PC's to your specifications.

i am still going to try to sell the server for cash

also i have not built a computer in 2 years( or is that what it feels like i dont know) but help on what specs and equipment to use would be very helpful

 

Same thing, you'll get charged an assembly fee, and the range of components at such places is usually very poor.

 

my dad went there and future tek offers great service they have a wide range of parts avaible and will work with you to build the computer

 

Trust me, good service or not, I'm willing to bet the product range their is naff for gaming grade stuff. This comes from personal experience. PC shops just do not stock gaming-grade parts, they'll try to have you that a $40 HD3450 is a good gaming card, charge you $70 for it, and that'll be that.

 

understand i have a box full of parts that i am willing to sell, or maybe i could recyle the server either way i will get he comp i want.

but if u have excess parts you are willing to sell i will gladly buy them off of you.

 

Well I may have random bits, but I don't live in the US, so international shipping would be a fortune.

 

i order my grpahics cards from Nvidia or best buy even

i got a 512mb graphics card from bestbuy 200 dollars i see your point though and i appreciate the advice from an elder. if you no a site were i could buy parts and a case that would be very nice