Where do I find free and cheap components?

[pcm95]

Where do I find free stuff for my computer? I'm looking to build my compter for as little as possible. What sites have the best deals and rebates on computer hardware and software?

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J.

[fraelorn]

www.pricewatch.com, (http://www.pricewatch.com,) and www.pricescan.com (http://www.pricescan.com) are usually pretty decent, be careful of the shipping, sometimes you'll pay more for shipping then you will for the part. http://www.PCGuide.com/ubb/wink.gif

[Paleo Pete]

CSO (http://www.computersurplusoutlet.com) usually has good prices too, and a lot of older or obsolete goodies.

Check around at resale shops and flea markets, I find some good deals at places like Goodwill and Salvation Army stores, and the occasional garage sale. Local weekly auctions might be worth checking into also, they usually place an ad in the paper.

Dead computers often have usable parts in them, and I have everything but a decent hard drive and CD ROM now to build a 233MMX or Cyrix 110 MHz system, all from used computers I bought at resale shops, all parts tested and working. Only hard drive I have is 85 MB, and the only CD ROM I have is a Panasonic 2X, with no sound card to run it. The rest of the parts didn't cost more than about $10 for everything to build a machine with. And I could actually put together one killer DOS/Win3.11 game machine if I used the small drive.

Also have 3 working XT machines, under $5 each, only one doesn't have 2 hard drives, all have 2 floppies, all set up to run a mouse in DOS as well, 3 color monitors for them. A GRiD 386 running Win3.11, an Advance Logic Research PowerFlex 286 w/386 module (???) A Packard Bell Pentium 60 w/CD ROM, win3.11, that cost $2. Plus a good size box of spare parts.

Not to mention all the old or obsolete software, and books. 3 or 4 versions of DOS, 3 copies of Win3.11, Word Perfect, Lotus, PFS Publisher, PFS Window Works, Norton Utilities for DOS, Central Point Tools, Microsoft Works for DOS, and more, none for more than $2, some for 25¢. I have a 5 1/4" floppy on my Pentium to run every disk through a virus scanner, been lucky and have only found one.

Don't get me started on books...

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If you had everything...Where would you put it?

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