I'm looking to rebuild my old 386SX into something more modern. I basically want lots of file storage that is remotely accessible, a server for various things, and a rendering computer that I can leave on for a while.

I got a TigerDirect catalog in the mail the other day, and I think I'm going to order most of my parts from there. Here is my dillemma though:
I probably won't have more than $500 to spend. I still need a new power supply, and a 200GB HD is $129.99. I would like to upgrade this comp in another few years when PCI-Express comes out.

So here is my question:
Is it safe to go with a Socket A motherboard for an Athlon XP 2500+ or so? Or should I shell out the extra $80 and go for a Socket 754 motherboard?

I know I'll have to replace my motherboard when PCI-E comes out anyway, but I would like to be able to reuse the processor and most of the other parts. So, should I be relatively set for a few years with Socket A, or should I go for Socket 754?

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Our very existence is at stake

Yay! I can finally join the snail-racing crew.

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I smell a forum move coming...

Your old 386's motherboard is probably an AT board. Newer ATX motherboards won't fit in the same case.

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When guitars are outlawed, only outlaws will have guitars.

[This message has been edited by MaD CoW (edited July 01, 2004).]

Whoops, wrong forum indeed. Curses.

They may be too large, but that's what a dremel is for.

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Our very existence is at stake

Yay! I can finally join the snail-racing crew.

-@%

Well, one thing to consider, that old 386's case is AT, not ATX, so nothing will line up to newer boards. Youd best go out and get a new case, preferably one meant for servers. This is really sweet one, but it may be a wee bit out of your price range...


Also, dont worry too much about the proccessor. Youd be suprised how well a 486 can serve web pages. Raw storage is more important, as is available ram. Get as much ram as you can, and tons of hdd space....



Why? PCI-E is completely useless for servers.

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Dear lady, can you hear the wind blow, and did you know
Your stairway lies on the whispering wind.
:wq

The power supplies are also different. Just look at the difference between the way they turn off. Flipping the switch on a AT will turn it off instantly, while the switch on a ATX is configurable (instant off, hold for 4 seconds, etc...). [edit] Not to mention that the plug for the motherboard isn't the same, so you can't even plug a AT PSU into an ATX mobo

I agree with GBK. For a file server, it doesn't have to be anything powerful, it just has to have tons of storage and RAM. I'd get a cheap Celeron (300-400 mhz), and run a minimal Linux install (no GUI).


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When guitars are outlawed, only outlaws will have guitars.

[This message has been edited by MaD CoW (edited July 01, 2004).]

I want it as a server for now. That and a rendering computer (read: Blender movies). Eventually, I'll use it to replace my laptop as my main computer. So I want to have a good base to build off of.

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Our very existence is at stake

Yay! I can finally join the snail-racing crew.

-@%

Oh. Get a cheap Barton barebones off TigerDirect, and shove a gig of RAM into it, with your new hard drive.

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When guitars are outlawed, only outlaws will have guitars.

Hehe, I was hoping to rewire that bit to work like the old case did. That, and have my reset and turbo buttons both do something.

I was going to replace the power supply anyway, as the old on is ~320W. I just think it would be fun to have a modern computer in such an old case. Sure I'll have to mod it a bit for better airflow, as 386s didn't need all that much cooling, but that was something I wanted to do from the beginning. All these people nowadays are making these fancy case mods, but I just want to return to the good old days.


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Our very existence is at stake

Yay! I can finally join the snail-racing crew.

-@%

[This message has been edited by Ric_Olie (edited July 01, 2004).]

I've always wanted a retro looking server like that. The case/monitor/keyboard/mouse from a 386 with all the guts of a newer machine.

If you're looking to use it as your main desktop I'd shell out the extra $50 and get a decent case.

You could use the dremel to make the ATX board fit, and you'll need an ATX power supply, but the power supply should fit just fine where the current one is, so long as this is a standard AT case. Good luck and post pictures of how it turns out.

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http://www.sporkaudio.com

Making an ATX board fit is just simple cutting, drilling and tapping. You shouldn't have many problems.

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Bassoon, n. A brazen instrument into which a fool blows out his brains.

you can still do a lot with a 486, especially with linux if oyu want to run a server.

don't know about a 386, though. That is ANCIENT.



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The University of North Carolina has finally found a network server that, although missing for four years, hasn't missed a packet in all that time. Try as they might, university administrators couldn't find the server. Working with Novell Inc., IT workers tracked it down by meticulously following cable until they literally ran into a wall. The server had been mistakenly sealed behind drywall by maintenance workers.

Uh, he's just using the case.

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Bassoon, n. A brazen instrument into which a fool blows out his brains.

Routers, DHCP servers, DNS... Anthing lightweight.

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Dear lady, can you hear the wind blow, and did you know
Your stairway lies on the whispering wind.
:wq

A good motherboard? Asus A7N8X. It's got a better chipset than the V8X.

Save the $80 and buy socket A, unless you specifically want to multitask.

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Wise men say that fools rush in where angels fear to tread, so look before you leap, so to speak, because the grass is not always greener on the other side of the hill.

Socket A it is. Thanks Tony, for being the only one to answer my question.

Today, I'm going to pull the old comp apart and put all the parts back together inside of a trash can. I've always wanted to have a "computer in a bucket" kind of deal, but it won't fit into any of the buckets we have. But I'm gonna mod a trash can so that it will fit everything. I just have to pull out the buttons and switches now and rewire them.

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Our very existence is at stake

Yay! I can finally join the snail-racing crew.

-@%