Particle's Custom Upgrade Fund

[Particle]

Hey folks.  I go by Particle.  For those of you who haven't heard of me yet, I run the server called Particle's Custom RPG.  To those of you who have, welcome to this thread.  Also, if you seriously haven't heard of me and are on this forum:  holy crap.

Anyway, in all seriousness now.  I'm trying to field a platform upgrade for the rig that develops PCRPG and other Hexide Studios software, including PCRPG Source.  I've been trying to find a way to raise the spare money needed to do this upgrade and do it right.  So far, I'm short on viable ideas.  Corona suggested doing ads on my website and/or doing a paypal donation button on my page, but these ideas go against the spirit of what I like pcrpg.org to be:  an advertisement free community center for PCRPG with all the downloads, information, and community services (forum) that are desired for a smooth in-game and out-of-game experience.  I've never put ads on this site and never intend to.  Nor do I want to bug people with a donation button on the site.  It subtracts from the feel that I want here.

This leaves me pretty short on ideas.  There is a little bit of computer gear I can sell around here, but not enough to finance this upgrade entirely.  I would also consider allowing donations specifically to this purpose via paypal if the community feels that would be acceptable.  It wouldn't be an obligation or any pressure.  It wouldn't be permanent or on the main site as an eye sore, either.

So that's what I'm left with.



Option A:  Particle's Custom Begging Booth
If you want to just donate to this cause, paypal some dough to <please PM me for my email so I don't get annihilated by spam crawlers>.  As this is largely to help with PCRPG Source development, I'll make special mention of anybody who donates in it somehow.


Option B:  Particle's Custom Olde Crap Shoppe
Need some used hardware to upgrade your machine?  Working on building another machine?  Have pity for my situation?  Make me a reasonable offer on any of the following and I'll consider it.  Everything listed is in operable condition as of now.  I'm not responsible for what happens to it once it is shipped.  Also, offers and prices will be for the item itself.  Shipping will be calculated depending on how you want it shipped and where you live.  Please, serious offers only.  Teasing me will only make me accidentally delete your characters.  I prefer paypal but will also take money orders/checks.  I reserve the right to reject any offer due to price, whim, or if something comes up to where I can no longer sell an item.

Processors
AMD Athlon XP-M 2600+ (sold to Justin for $40)
This processor has served me well in years past.  It is a Mobile Athlon XP processor that defaults to 1.8GHz if I remember right, but I ran it at 2.61GHz without any problem with air cooling.  Socket A, works fine in a normal Socket A motherboard.  It doesn't require a special motherboard or anything.  Currently retails for about $85 new, but I'm willing to take less than that for it.

AMD Athlon XP 2500+
This is the processor that I used before I ran the 2600+.  It is a normal desktop Athlon XP processor that defaults to about the same clock frequency if I remember right, but it will run at 2.3GHz without much effort using air cooling.  It is also Socket A and should work in any Socket A motherboard produced within the last 3-4 years.  They currently retail for about $75 new, but I'm willing to take quite a bit less.

AMD Athlon 64 3000+
The Athlon 64 I am selling is one of the Venice core types--the one with 512KB of L2 cache.  It is a Socket 939 processor and comes with a heatsink and fan that works just fine.  The default clock speed is (surprise--noticing a pattern?) 1.8GHz, but it will run 2.5 to 2.6GHz without much effort using air cooling.  I've had it up to 2.8GHz before, but it crashed.  I'm pretty sure it's the motherboard's fault instead of this chip's.  I've had it for a year, but it is about half a year older than that if I recall.  I bought this thing second hand for $100 a year ago and it retails for $85 now.  It's in perfect working condition and has lead a rather cool life with a good heatsink and fan.  It's never been hot enough to shut down from thermals or anything.  I'll take somewhere below retail as it is used.  It isn't damaged and has been treated well though, so don't think I'm giving it away for $8.

[Particle]

Memory
SimpleTECH 512MB PC3200 DIMM
This DIMM is one I picked up as a way to get some extra use out of Photoshop 6.0 when working on large projects.  It is a solid PC3200 DIMM.  While not exactly an overclocker's dream, it will run rather stable at its default timings (@ 200MHz, true clock).  This module is currently retailing for a bargain $54 price.  It has been used but works fine.  It also carries a lifetime warranty, so if it ever does fail in like 42 years, you can get it replaced assuming you are still alive.

SD Cards (64MB and 128MB)
These things are too small to be useful for me anymore, but they would still work as memory for a digital camera or solid state MP3 player.  These things go pretty cheap anymore, so just make me an offer...preferably more than one digit.


Video Cards
ATI Radeon 9700 All-In-Wonder
This video card is just what the name implies.  It is an AGP 8x card sporting the Radeon 9700 GPU, but it also allows you to watch/record television.  For those of you who have seen some of my work prior to last September, you know what this card can do capture-wise in the right hands.  It was fast enough to play Doom 3 and Half-Life 2 just fine, though Doom 3 was about as much as it could comfortably handle.  It does not have a DVI connector on it--it is VGA only but can be attached to almost any LCD (via VGA or with a DVI/VGA adapter).  It comes with the audio/video input breakout box and everything.  Heck, I'll even clean the dust off of it.  It doesn't overclock extremely well, but it is capable of a modest boost.  These no longer retail at an attractive price, but it looks like refurbs on eBay are priced at $165ish buy-it-now.  That's rather high compared to what it should really be currently, so I'd say somewhere around the $100 mark is reasonable.  Perfect working order.

ATI Radeon X800XT Platinum Edition...Technically Speaking (sold to Ventura for $200)
I am using this video card currently and have done so since last September.  It was sold to me as an X800 Pro, but it was a limited edition card that was identical to the XT Platinum Edition cards being sold--the only difference was the BIOS software on the card (which I changed to the XTPE version).  It has been happily running as an XTPE ever since--same as if it had been bought that way to begin with.  It is an AGP 8x card (rare for this series) and is plenty fast for everything you would want to play with it.  I play all of my games at 1600x1200 with this card smoothly, with the only exceptions being games that don't support 1600x1200, DOD Source (which after they introduced HDR killed my frame rates even though CS Source runs fine with it), and Oblivion.  Everything else from Doom 3 to Half-Life 2 to CS Source to WoW runs fine at 1600x1200.  Retail for this is a tricky one, as this particular card in its original Pro form cannot be bought.  That wa a special deal.  The XTPE cards retail for $330 (holy crap?) currently and this card includes an aftermarket full-sized VGA cooler.  It will run in an average case completely fanless and stay rather cool.  I'm only asking $225 for it.  This may already be a taken item, but you are welcome to give a price for it in case he doesn't want it afterall.

[Particle]

Other Crap
Intel 10/100 Pro Management Network Cards
I recently found myself in a position to obtain 22 of these cards.  My original thought was to replace the burnt out cards in our computer network after lightning damage.  Now that the original task has been accomplished and the problem likely resolved in the future, I can spare to lose half a dozen of these to anybody who wants or needs one.  They are all used but working.  Comes with a Wake-On-LAN cable if you want one, no extra charge.  These are really solid cards that just work year after year after year...unless fried by a huge lightning bolt.  I'm asking $7.50 each for these cards.

Lite-On 52x CD-RW Drive
This is a classic CD-RW unit.  It was one of the first 52x burners on the market and remains one of the highest quality to date.  It will burn CD-R media at 52x or CD-RW media at 24x (assuming the media can handle it; both cases).  This is really a nice unit.  It still has a clean fron like the day I put in my computer.  Asking $15 for this.

Hard Drives (3x sold to VorterX for $40, 0 left)
I've got some old hard drives to sell as well.  They may not be in the best of shape (hence, not using them anymore) but that shouldn't be a problem to some people *cough*Corona*cough*.  There is a 60GB Maxtor that shows up as a 15GB Maxtor ALTAIR hard drive unless the machine is restarted once after every cold boot.  As far as I'm concerned, that isn't really a problem as the drive itself is fine.  If you want it, $20.  I also have two 40GB hard drives which have feigned death before, so they are no longer in circulation.  They otherwise both seem fine today, as they store data and aren't dying...haven't for years.  One is an IBM Deskstar and the other is a something that I don't remember.  Either one of them (or both) is/are yours for $20.

21-Inch P1110 FD-Trinitron
I used this monitor for years and years, until I received a nice 20.1" LCD.    Anyway, this monitor is fine outside of the color being a bit washed out.  Likewise, the black is more like dark gray than actual black.  It's a problem with FD-Trinitrons in general from what I hear.  Anyhow, this thing still displays an image just fine outside of the wash-out problem I described and is a nice 63-pound addition to any desk that you would rather not fly away in the event of a tornado.  Refurbs are going for like $65, so I'm only asking about half of that.

[Noalear]

particle i need one of them thar network cards. as long as vista is down with them.

[KoRo]

If you have multiple sticks of that 512mb ram, i'll buy that.
And if only that monitor was a flat panel =\

[Particle]

I have two 512MB sticks of GeIL PC3500 UDL in addition to it, but I'm going to be keeping that.

[KoRo]

Regarding your fund, what's the goal you're trying to reach? How much $?

[Particle]

As much as possible.  The upgrades are going to cost about $1700.

[GE]

I have heard the specs of this new machine and trust me its well worth the 1700$ he is spending.

[Vorter_X_]

Oh very much so indeed...Btw those 3 Hdd's are mine!

[KoRo]

ATI Radeon X800XT Platinum Edition...Technically Speaking (Possibly Taken Already)

I have a friend who wishes to buy this one. Newegg sells it new for $200, so he won't be paying more than that for it. What is the current offer on this one?

[Particle]

ATI Radeon X800XT Platinum Edition...Technically Speaking (Possibly Taken Already)

I have a friend who wishes to buy this one. Newegg sells it new for $200, so he won't be paying more than that for it. What is the current offer on this one?

Newegg hasn't sold the X800XT Platinum Edition in either AGP or PCI-E for months, actually.  You can get a PCI-E version of the X850XTPE (about 5% faster) for $190 on Newegg if you want.  However, this card is the more-rare AGP variant with VIVO and has about $30 of aftermarket cooling gear on it.  This card is already sold, so the discussion is pretty pointless.

[KoRo]

In that case, he might go with the 9700. The thing is, it must be AGP, and this is like the last place on earth that we can find AGP cards

[Particle]

Yeah.  Outside of older, slower cards, AGP is becoming rather rare.  Let me know if he wants it for sure.

[Noalear]

i may or may not have an x800xtpe for sale (same as particles- cooling and all) in the coming months/weeks.
If sold on here half the sale goes to particles fund.