How can I search (to purchase) a computer by features/ports?

[strantor]

I'm looking to buy a computer for a specific purpose, and I need specific features. But I cannot find any sales/search engine that lets me filter results like that. All the searches only allow you to filter by brand/HDD cap/RAM/processor/etc. - none of those matter to me. I'm looking for a low cost temporary replacement for an old industrial PC used in a control system. The old PC is circa '06 and had weak specs even as of its date of mfg, so anything on the market, if it has a HDD+RAM+processor, probably has 10X as much HDD+RAM+processor as I need.

But what I DO need is:
DVI port
(2X) serial ports for RS232 - (or an empty PCI slot - a search term seemingly even harder to ferret out than 'serial port')
(6X) USB ports (or not, I could use a hub)
CD drive
ethernet port

If you can't suggest a search engine for me, could you suggest a PC that has those ports? preferably a small form-factor type that could be mounted to a wall. I would really appreciate it. I'm spinning my wheels here. I'd really rather not build from scratch.

 

[Reloadron]

Good luck on the RS232 ports, I just use cards in an empty PCI slot. If you want small and compact an old Dell Optiplex or similar HP system may work out but then there is sometimes an issue with getting a two channel RS 232 card. You really aren't asking much. If it has a VGA port can you just use a VGA to DVI adapter for the monitor? Here is a suggestion, I see you are in Houston TX. Microcenter opened a new store out there:
Texas
New Location!!
Houston / 5305 S. Rice Ave.
Dallas Metroplex / Richardson

They sell refurb units like the Dell Optiplex I mentioned. That is where I would start. Most of their stores have a good selection of used and refurbished and inexpensive stuff.

Ron

 

[MaxHeadRoom78]

Many PC.s have an on board ports, that just need the external socket and connection, many of the fairly recent Asus boards have them, if looking at a particular PC, check what MB and go to the manuf site to find out the on-board features that may not be presently external to the PC.
Max.

 

[granddad]

Hi strantor why not build your own ?

 

[strantor]

Many PC.s have an on board ports, that just need the external socket and connection, many of the fairly recent Asus boards have them, if looking at a particular PC, check what MB and go to the manuf site to find out the on-board features that may not be presently external to the PC.
Max.

Yeah that's a possibility, but it means doing this for each PC in a list of >20,000 PCs until I find one. I am short on time and short on patience here. It's been a long time since I shopped for PC parts and I assumed that by now someone would be on the ball and listing things like [# of unused expansion slots] and [available I/O ports] and etc. as search criteria on their SALES website. I can't filter by the only criteria that matters to me, and that pisses me off. C'mon, I'm a millennial; I expect everything to be easy and delivered to me on a platter.

Hi strantor why not build your own ?

See above.

 

[strantor]

Good luck on the RS232 ports, I just use cards in an empty PCI slot. If you want small and compact an old Dell Optiplex or similar HP system may work out but then there is sometimes an issue with getting a two channel RS 232 card. You really aren't asking much. If it has a VGA port can you just use a VGA to DVI adapter for the monitor? Here is a suggestion, I see you are in Houston TX. Microcenter opened a new store out there:
Texas
New Location!!
Houston / 5305 S. Rice Ave.
Dallas Metroplex / Richardson

They sell refurb units like the Dell Optiplex I mentioned. That is where I would start. Most of their stores have a good selection of used and refurbished and inexpensive stuff.

Ron

Good call on the Optiplex. I did investigate those briefly and (at least the ones I found on Newegg), while they're still for sale (refurbs), they are discontinued. I would like to preserve some minimal amount of "standardization" in my selection because if this works out as well as I hope, then it may transition out of "temporary" and into "permanent," and there may be at least 3 identical systems which could use the same "upgrade."

I found something similar though, A Lenovo H30-05. I'm not sure the actual tower profile standard but I believe it's a mini-tower; they claim "1/2 the size of a standard tower."
It doesn't have a DVI port, but it does have a PCIe x16 slot into which I plan to install a MSI Gforce GT610 video card.
It doesn't have serial ports, but it does have a PCIe x1 slot into which I plan to install a Rosewill 2port serial card.
Both those cards come with "low profile" bracket options.
For the video card, when using the LoPro bracket, you lose the VGA port, which is fine since it has onboard VGA, and I won't even be using VGA.
For the serial card, when using the LoPro bracket, you lose the one of the ports, which is fine since they are on a ribbon cable and I can just punch a hole in the case to feed through the 2nd serial.

I think this will be good. Do you see any problems with it?

 

[MaxHeadRoom78]

In the past I have used Advantech products, A PC on a card and you get to chose different types of buss boards that the PC card plugs into, makes for a compact and flexible system for industrial uses.
Advantech would put a suggested system together if asked.
Max.

 

[Reloadron]

Good call on the Optiplex. I did investigate those briefly and (at least the ones I found on Newegg), while they're still for sale (refurbs), they are discontinued. I would like to preserve some minimal amount of "standardization" in my selection because if this works out as well as I hope, then it may transition out of "temporary" and into "permanent," and there may be at least 3 identical systems which could use the same "upgrade."

I found something similar though, A Lenovo H30-05. I'm not sure the actual tower profile standard but I believe it's a mini-tower; they claim "1/2 the size of a standard tower."
It doesn't have a DVI port, but it does have a PCIe x16 slot into which I plan to install a MSI Gforce GT610 video card.
It doesn't have serial ports, but it does have a PCIe x1 slot into which I plan to install a Rosewill 2port serial card.
Both those cards come with "low profile" bracket options.
For the video card, when using the LoPro bracket, you lose the VGA port, which is fine since it has onboard VGA, and I won't even be using VGA.
For the serial card, when using the LoPro bracket, you lose the one of the ports, which is fine since they are on a ribbon cable and I can just punch a hole in the case to feed through the 2nd serial.

I think this will be good. Do you see any problems with it?

I see that working. Every now and then I would have a similar problem at work before I retired. An ancient data acquisition system would die and frequently one that used the RS 232 ports. In some cases a cheap laptop would get me over other times I went to the local Micro Center and bought a refurb beater system. Anyway, I see your plan working.

Ron

 

[ClydeCrashKop]

Try a second hand / Good Will store. They have plenty of XP desktops cheap.
Buy a couple of them to get the all cards you need.

 

[strantor]

Try a second hand / Good Will store. They have plenty of XP desktops cheap.
Buy a couple of them to get the all cards you need.

My luck with similar endeavors has always ended with driver issues. (well maybe not always, but the all of experiences that cling to memory are bad ones).
Obsolete components whose support died before Vista was born, trying to make them play nice with Windows 8, puke.

 

[large_ghostman]

PCI!! is this for the ARK??? Those newer fangled ones have PCIE in them , I got a great double serial card from ebay, it was only £2 and works a treat

 

[strantor]

In the past I have used Advantech products, A PC on a card and you get to chose different types of buss boards that the PC card plugs into, makes for a compact and flexible system for industrial uses.
Advantech would put a suggested system together if asked.
Max.

Now that's sexy. Gratuitously sexy. Thanks for the tip. I might go that route... more research is in order. But I'll save that for tomorrow.

 

[strantor]

PCI!! is this for the ARK???

Actually not far off. Picture a 20ft offshore shipping container outfitted inside with a snap-on tool chest, video security monitors, transformers, a few miles of wires and cables, a server rack, a 200HP VFD, fiber optics everywhere, an A/C unit, a battle axe, "HIGH VOLTAGE" stickers on every lateral surface, and a nerd sitting in a chair that looks like it was stolen from Capt. Kirk's mancave. Oh, and a satellite dome on top. And then picture this on the deck of a ship.

If Noah had it to do over again in 2006, I'm pretty sure that's the route he'd take. Until his WinXP industrial PC shat the bed 10yrs later.

 

[large_ghostman]

Actually not far off. Picture a 20ft offshore shipping container outfitted inside with a snap-on tool chest, video security monitors, transformers, a few miles of wires and cables, a server rack, a 200HP VFD, fiber optics everywhere, an A/C unit, a battle axe, "HIGH VOLTAGE" stickers on every lateral surface, and a nerd sitting in a chair that looks like it was stolen from Capt. Kirk's mancave. Oh, and a satellite dome on top. And then picture this on the deck of a ship.

If Noah had it to do over again in 2006, I'm pretty sure that's the route he'd take. Until his WinXP industrial PC shat the bed 10yrs later.

You need some help, I know just the person *cough* cough* call me I am sure you can afford me I am extremely reasonable pay wise

 

[strantor]

You need some help, I know just the person *cough* cough* call me I am sure you can afford me I am extremely reasonable pay wise

Axe-wielding nerd emerges from electrically energized metal box, challenges Earth to provide worthy assistant. Scottish ghost accepts.
An alliance is forged, spanning the Atlantic.

I really could use an assistant. Too bad you're not in TX.

 

[strantor]

In the past I have used Advantech products, A PC on a card and you get to chose different types of buss boards that the PC card plugs into, makes for a compact and flexible system for industrial uses.
Advantech would put a suggested system together if asked.
Max.

FYI You've dropped off a kilo of blow on the doorstep of an addict.
Since you turned me on to it, I've spent more time on the Advantech website than I have spent sleeping.
So many ideas for what I could do with this stuff.
I don't know how I managed to never hear of it.

 

[large_ghostman]

Hmm I wonder how many air miles mums got .

 

[MaxHeadRoom78]

So many ideas for what I could do with this stuff.
.

A lot of the stuff I used is now legacy products but they made into nice compact PC behind-the-screen all-in-one units for machine control.
Max.

 

[smartguy2005]

since i build computers i can build you a computer with all that stuff and it will be only 150 and the parts i use are almost all brand new and you will love that i build