Computers on a budget

A guide to ultra-cheap computers—where to get them and what to do with them

Computers are not always cheap. A new computer can set you back anywhere from Rs 20,000 to Rs 30,000. However, if you are willing to compromise, you can get an entire computer setup for less than Rs 10,000, and in some cases even Rs 5000.

You will need to start with lowering your expectation. Lower-end computers may not be able to run the latest version of Windows or any Windows at all. That said, there are plenty of Linux options that offer robust performance even on older hardware.

Why?: There are several reasons to get a cheap computer. You may want to construct an in-house server for movies, music, VPN, a machine for an online school or just a retro gaming PC. You might want to also donate computers to the needy. Cheap PCs are great to learn to program as the computing needs are generally lower.

Where to find it?: There are several places you can find a cheap computer. Some require a leap of faith, other sources are extremely reliable.
Your circle: I think the best place to start is to ask your immediate relatives and friends if they have a PC they no longer want. Likely, someone in your circle is just holding on to that 10-year-old laptop even though no one uses it anymore. With people constantly upgrading their computing setups, you can score an old PC for next to nothing from someone you know.

Lamington Road: Lamington Road is a great place to find second-hand machines or refurbished machines. You can get a machine starting at Rs 5,000 and if you are willing to bargain, you can probably score an entire machine including monitor and keyboard for under Rs 10,000. There are at least three to four refurbished computer shops on the main road itself. You can always ask around to find more inside the bylanes.

OLX and Quikr: There are lots of old computers to be found on OLX and Quikr, some of these are in good shape and are selling for a fraction of their original cost. However, these sites have many scammers so if you see a deal that is too good to be true, it probably is. I prefer to contact the seller, meet them and test out the goods myself before buying. There is also a safety concern here, so keep that in mind as well. I would say target computers in your local vicinity. 

Amazon and Flipkart: If you aren’t too keen to go out to find a computer, Flipkart and Amazon both have sellers who sell refurbished computers. The range starts at Rs 8000. You can find a complete PC along with a monitor, keyboard and mouse for around Rs 10,000. 

Raspberry Pi: Raspberry Pi makes an excellent low-cost PC. It won’t run Windows, but it has great support for Linux. For those who don’t know what a Raspberry Pi is, it is a credit card-sized computer that runs off a regular phone charger and supports OS installs on SDcard. It can connect to a screen via HDMI and has four USB ports and an ethernet port. Remember that this computer runs on an ARM-based processor very similar to the ones found on your phone, which means only certain versions of Linux can be used on this system. The board can be bought for Rs 4,211 for the 4GB version, but for a computer, I would recommend paying Rs 5,744 for the 8GB RAM version. You can buy this from Element 14 India. 

What to look for in an old computer: Make sure your old computer has a minimum of 2GB of RAM, more is better; 4GB is ideal for Linux. Second is 1GHz Dual-core processor. The processor should be a minimum of 1GHz, you can go lower but your choices of Linux operating systems will be limited. At least 16GB drive space. You can go lower to 8GB, but you will be restricted with what you can do with the computer. Make sure the system turns on. When buying a second-hand PC make sure the computer turns on and stays on for at least 10 minutes. If you can stretch the testing time longer, do it. Also, try to get a return policy in place, in case the computer doesn’t function. Try to score an entire system. If your budget permits, try and get a complete system, that is a monitor, keyboard, mouse and computer. 

Ways to save money: Skip the monitor. You can save the most money by skipping the monitor. Instead, use a TV as a display. This of course doesn’t work with older cathode tube TVs; newer flat screens are a good bet as most come with HDMI and even PC input. Keyboard and mouse sets are generally cheaper. Search for cheap keyboard mouse sets. You can find these for as low as R600, instead of buying them individually. Skip the hard drive. In case your PC doesn’t come with a hard drive you can easily run the OS from a pen drive. A cheap 32GB pen drive will cost under R500. You can also use a 16GB or an 8GB pen drive, with plenty of spare space for documents and files. Not only that, you can use a personalised USB drive for each person using the computer. 

Best Linux distributions for a low-end PC

Manjaro: Manjaro Linux has a pleasing interface that supports a lot of software. The interface will be very familiar to macOS and Windows users. 

Ubuntu: Ubuntu is hugely popular and has a lot of support built into it. The interface is meant to be simpler, though traditional Windows users might not be into it. You can also install RetroArch on Ubuntu for some retro gaming. 

Lakka: Lakka is a great distro (distribution) for a retro gaming machine. It emulates the look and feel of the PlayStation interface and has all of the supported emulators built into the system. 

Bodhi: Bodhi Linux is a tiny distro with very low system requirements. If you happen to have a really old PC that can’t run anything else, there is a good chance Bodhi will run on it. 

Puppy: Puppy Linux is a tiny Linux interface that is suitable for programmers and people with more experience with computers. It is super light and tiny in size, under 400MB. 

Raspberry Pi OS: Previously known as Raspbian, this is possibly one of the oldest distros for Raspberry Pi. It is a complete OS with everything you would need to run a computer. The fully loaded version of Raspberry Pi OS is around 3GB. Manjaro, Ubuntu LibreElec and RetroPi are other distributions you can look at for the Pi.

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