Building a very simple computer?

dg__83 writes: I have an old PC (bought around '98) I've taken apart, and I want to make a very simple computing machine. I want to make a programmable computing machine with an input (power source activated by switch), the RAM taken from the old PC used as working memory, the hard drive as the permanent memory, the processor (Pentium I, 166Mhz) as the CPU, and the output as 8 small light bulbs (subject to change). I have a soldering board, wires, all kinds of circuits of mine own to work with here, etc. I want to build a very, very simple computer first, and then after experimenting gradually make it more complex. I would like to make a very basic computer using as few components from the old one as possible. Something like a computer from 1950, just with a faster processor, and lots more memory. I want this thing to be the most primitive possible example of a computer so that I can mess around with it and build my knowledge up from there. Any help greatly appreciated. :)