How to Build Your Own SETL Ubuntu 8.10 Linux Desktop Computer for About $250

[ First published as How to Build Your Own SETL Ubuntu 8.10 Linux Desktop Computer for About $250 on April 3, 2009]

It is recommended, but not required, that you do your work on the SETL project using a computer that you have built yourself.

See Building your own Linux Ubuntu computer using the ECS GeForce 6100SM-M motherboard for instruction on how to build your own computer. [1]

You should get all the components from Newegg. See On Buying and Building Hardware: Break a Leg with Newegg

Here are the recommended components:

AMD Athlon 64 X2 5400 Brisbane 2.8GHz 2 x 512KB L2 Cache Socket AM2 65W Dual-Core black edition Processor – Retail

Kingston 2GB (2 x 1GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 800 (PC2 6400) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory – Retail

SAMSUNG Black 22X DVD+R 8X DVD+RW 16X DVD+R DL 22X DVD-R 6X DVD-RW 12X DVD-RAM 16X DVD-ROM 48X CD-R 32X CD-RW 48X CD-ROM 2MB Cache IDE 22X DVD±R DVD Burner – OEM

APEVIA ATX-CW500WP4 500W ATX Power Supply – Retail

Antec Three Hundred Black Steel ATX Mid Tower Computer Case – Retail

As I write this post, these components can be bought for just over $250. There is a *very* powerful computer. [2]

You can use any keyboard or mouse. I strongly recommend a “Unicomp” keyboard. They can be had for about $60. Lacking that I recommend the Kensington 64365 Black 104 Normal Keys 8 Function Keys USB Wired Slim Keyboard – Retail, which costs $30.

I have at hand a comparable machine, so I will not get one now.

An additional advantage of building your own SETL computer is you will then be able to report on performance information that can be shared with others. Each such machine will serve as a benchmark.

Note:

1. The first post about building your own Ubuntu desektop is my most popular to date, with 13,600 of the 153,000 views to date.

2. It is left as an exercise to the reader familiar with hardware to determine the earliest year this computer would have been ranked among the world’s one hundred fastest supercomputers. I would venture a guess that the date is in the 1990