Has anyone head about or done this...

I think i;m gonna try it...

Don't have the money to dish out for a decent system...

Theres heaps of computers at my college that my tutor collects from the local dump and companies that are throwing them out etc. i dont know what country your in so i cant say for sure if you will be able to go to the local tipping site and ask they folks down there if you can take some pc parts, over here they pull Pc's and things like that off the tip so they can be recylcled. (the strips on pci cards etc are gold plated, theres also silver and platinum and copper to harvest)

Go see, or ring local schools, colleges etc, go to a large pc wholesalers or manufacturers and raid the skip out back, usually they throw stuff out thats only marked and still works, or is easily fixable.

your not alone, i believe even Bill gates and his buddies used to do this back in the day

Where do you live? the states.

I'm in canada, I guess I'll try over the x-mas holidays.

But, if they threw the stuff outside, I think all the parts would freeze...

he lives in the UK they dont call him scrap man jack for nothing

Thing is snoop, you PAID for your pile of junk

do u reckon if i went to the local retail park where there is a currys, comet and pc world and said can i go round back and see if there is anything worth having...

would they tell me to f%6k off or say go ahead and feel free.

as i need a new 80mm fan for other puter as its making horrid noises

the_John, it couldn't hurt to ask, but why? Just do it. I doubt you will find one. Look in FthrJack's dumpster he probally has a lot of them, LOL.