Learning the hardware aspect of computers... without money or parts. - Hardware & Software

So I'm pretty computer hardware illiterate. I want to learn how to build computers and stuff. Problem is, I don't have a job, money, or any method of obtaining computer hardware to gain hands-on experience. Is there any way I can learn how to build computers, and get pretty well acquainted with the hardware aspect of them, without actually buying parts and building them and stuff?

hit scrapyards and yard sales. you can often pick up a (sometimes working) computer for under $30 from either one.

Cruise around the side of the road on garbage day, you're bound to find something. Or dumpster dive around large businesses, found tonnes of perfectly good CAT5 and lots cool computer stuff that way.

Alright, sounds cool. Would the experience gained from assembling old parts help me in the realm of like, learning the difference between certain slot types and shit? It'd suck to be a pro at assembling parts on a really old motherboard, but then buying a newer one and not knowing what the hell to do.

If anything its better to start with old parts since you can experiment and break stuff without worrying about killing something expensive.

and if you ask the right employee, the guys at goodwill will set aside donated computers for you (since goodwill usually throws them away anyway, it end sup being cheaper for them).

[QUOTE=ButtsexV2;24851971]and if you ask the right employee, the guys at goodwill will set aside donated computers for you (since goodwill usually throws them away anyway, it end sup being cheaper for them).[/QUOTE] well fuck, i'm not sure who to ask. anything i should look for in an employee to see if they'd to that?

[url]http://www.pcityourself.com/[/url] helped a friend who wanted to get into PCs.

[QUOTE=plazzydan;24852450]well fuck, i'm not sure who to ask. anything i should look for in an employee to see if they'd to that?[/QUOTE] look for moderately overweight white employees with neckbeards. if they look like they fit right in with the internet then they're probably all up for it.

You can get old PCs (about 2.8 P4, 512 MB, and 40GB HDDs) for about 50-70 bucks on eBay. I bought one just to run Linux on. If that's too much, just keep your eyes open for garage sales.

[QUOTE=plazzydan;24851874]Alright, sounds cool. Would the experience gained from assembling old parts help me in the realm of like, learning the difference between certain slot types and shit? It'd suck to be a pro at assembling parts on a really old motherboard, but then buying a newer one and not knowing what the hell to do.[/QUOTE] Pfft. Fuck modern hardware. Be like the retro hardware Quake guru or something, with the beowulf cluster of Frankenstein-ish Athlon+Voodoo3 machines built in cardboard boxes with duct tape.

[QUOTE=ROBO_DONUT;24853444]Pfft. Fuck modern hardware. Be like the retro hardware Quake guru or something, with the beowulf cluster of Frankenstein-ish Athlon+Voodoo3 machines built in cardboard boxes with duct tape.[/QUOTE] Doom>Quake

[QUOTE=Marnetmar;24853703]Doom>Quake[/QUOTE] they're in totally different classes. compare ut to quake all you want but not doom it's completely different.

Doom is more like Duke Nukem 3D than anything.

[QUOTE=creefer;24854586]Doom is more like Duke Nukem 3D than anything.[/QUOTE] yeah pretty much

I learned by disassembling an old HP with a fried motherboard and trying to fix whatever was wrong (I didn't know the mobo was fried). Of course I didn't get anywhere but it was much easier to get what was going on when I later built a computer, which was a small challenge that required a guide the first time, but honestly after that its just expensive legos. If you don't have any money to buy an older slow one just ask around with relatives or friends, sometimes craigslist yields broken ones that people don't want to take the time to properly dispose of.