What do you do with old tech?

[DragonTamer1]

I don't know about you guys, but I have a thing where if the computer (or other electronic device) still works, I can't just throw it out or send it off to be recycled.

 

The computer that I'm using now used to be the family computer but was displaced when we upgraded. It currently has an Intel Pentium D 945, 4 GB DDR2 and a GTX 760 4GB(crazy specs right?). Truth be told this one should have been tossed when the processor, graphics card and OS all died at the same time, but I refused to let go of it. I fixed it for about $8 by buying a used Pentium D off of amazon, then a friend sent me his 760 that he just replaced with a 970 and another friend sent me a power supply to drive all of it. I installed windows 10 and I've been pushing it pretty hard despite its age. Even when I upgrade to newer hardware, I will not throw it out. I'll probably convert it to a NAS and it will quietly live out the rest of its life in the basement.

 

The computer that I used to have used have as my personal rig used a Pentium 4 a whopping 2GB of DDR(1) RAM and an AGP card (don't know it's specifics). It still worked when I was done with it so I didn't throw it out. I ended up selling it for $50 to my cousin so her 4 year old daughter could play games on it which I also installed before giving it to them.

 

The computer connected to the TV was inherited from my late uncle. It still worked perfectly (though was filthy inside) and after a little cleaning it was like new. It has an AMD Phenom 9100e, 4GB DDR2 and a HD6450 1GB silent. It also has a wireless network card (which I can't think of off the top of my head). It is used as an HTPC and is also used to store the entire music library and the entire DVD library. Because of file sharing, movies can be watched from any room but they are still best on the TV. It also does Netflix, Pandora, Youtube, Animu or litterally anything else I want to do with it. I still need a BluRay player and a new case for it though and it will be done (may also need a new graphics card but further testing is required first).

 

The newest PC has an i3 with 4GB of DDR3 and a GTX 750 running Windows 7. This needs some work before I'll be happy with it, I would like to upgrade the CPU but that is not likely to happen (since I don't technically own the rig in question) but I will probably drop another 4 gigs of RAM in and swap the 750 with the 760 in my other computer. I would also like a 1080p monitor for it but since it's in a cabinet there isn't a lot of space especially with the two speakers hooked up. As of right now I rarely game directly on this machine because the language I use with my friends is not family friendly and the computer is in the family room. Instead I use Steams streaming feature to stream it to computer 1 and sometimes the HTPC but the wireless connection is very unstable. This one will probably also be retired to an HTPC at the end of its life.

 

Sorry for the wall of text. It's late and I tend to ramble when I'm tired.

 

Are any of you guys obsessive about re-purposing your old hardware?

 

 

[thekeemo]

Sell.

[Jacktastic-Mofo]

Well I collect old GPU's and I have so far about 8 of them sitting on my shelves. I have some of both NVIDIA's and ATI's early desktop dedicated GPU's.

[Maslofski]

i laugh at the old hardware from time to time. atleast the "disasembled" 9800gt on my nightstand

[RZeroX]

I just leave any sort of old tech I have like a laptop either in my draws or something.

[Timmahnz]

Depending on the age of the equipment, I sell it, or I give it to my friends who need it. 

[Guest]

Show it off.

 

Its your experiences & memories (DDR Memories, that is). Don't ruin it.

[elecxonica]

If it's broken and has little value (both sentimental and monetary) I'll typically throw it out (although I should do more Ewaste recycling...).

 

If it's still useful, it becomes something, either a server, or just a basic machine with limited use.

 

If it has sentimental value then I keep it and do something with it, and if it has monetary value I'll consider selling it.

[iHardware Shelden]

Show it off.

Its your experiences & memories (DDR Memories, that is). Don't ruin it.

I like your thinking B)

[-iSynthesis]

I have a shelf for old stuff. I got a 580, HD 4350 and a CPU from some Windows XP ancient laptop. 

[awhillustrations]

Hi, I'm a semi computer literate new user so please no big words. I'm getting a better setup for work and gaming. I've already sourced the best options I can afford, but they usally come without wifi cards.(I guess most people who get $1000 hardware have a better internet setup) My workstation is upstairs and I need one in the new machine. I have a crappy Acer xc603 that I'm using as a media centre that I could easily wire in. Could I save a few coins switching them over or is it unlikely that It's acually going to fit?

[VAkena]

I don't know about you guys, but I have a thing where if the computer (or other electronic device) still works, I can't just throw it out or send it off to be recycled.

 

The computer that I'm using now used to be the family computer but was displaced when we upgraded. It currently has an Intel Pentium D 945, 4 GB DDR2 and a GTX 760 4GB(crazy specs right?). Truth be told this one should have been tossed when the processor, graphics card and OS all died at the same time, but I refused to let go of it. I fixed it for about $8 by buying a used Pentium D off of amazon, then a friend sent me his 760 that he just replaced with a 970 and another friend sent me a power supply to drive all of it. I installed windows 10 and I've been pushing it pretty hard despite its age. Even when I upgrade to newer hardware, I will not throw it out. I'll probably convert it to a NAS and it will quietly live out the rest of its life in the basement.

 

The computer that I used to have used have as my personal rig used a Pentium 4 a whopping 2GB of DDR(1) RAM and an AGP card (don't know it's specifics). It still worked when I was done with it so I didn't throw it out. I ended up selling it for $50 to my cousin so her 4 year old daughter could play games on it which I also installed before giving it to them.

 

The computer connected to the TV was inherited from my late uncle. It still worked perfectly (though was filthy inside) and after a little cleaning it was like new. It has an AMD Phenom 9100e, 4GB DDR2 and a HD6450 1GB silent. It also has a wireless network card (which I can't think of off the top of my head). It is used as an HTPC and is also used to store the entire music library and the entire DVD library. Because of file sharing, movies can be watched from any room but they are still best on the TV. It also does Netflix, Pandora, Youtube, Animu or litterally anything else I want to do with it. I still need a BluRay player and a new case for it though and it will be done (may also need a new graphics card but further testing is required first).

 

The newest PC has an i3 with 4GB of DDR3 and a GTX 750 running Windows 7. This needs some work before I'll be happy with it, I would like to upgrade the CPU but that is not likely to happen (since I don't technically own the rig in question) but I will probably drop another 4 gigs of RAM in and swap the 750 with the 760 in my other computer. I would also like a 1080p monitor for it but since it's in a cabinet there isn't a lot of space especially with the two speakers hooked up. As of right now I rarely game directly on this machine because the language I use with my friends is not family friendly and the computer is in the family room. Instead I use Steams streaming feature to stream it to computer 1 and sometimes the HTPC but the wireless connection is very unstable. This one will probably also be retired to an HTPC at the end of its life.

 

Sorry for the wall of text. It's late and I tend to ramble when I'm tired.

 

Are any of you guys obsessive about re-purposing your old hardware?

I didn't read it, it's too long to get people to reply.

[BurgerBum]

drool over it.

[BurgerBum]

I like your thinking B)

Jesus you're everywhere i look.

(TerrahBite/Terrah Marrephoa here)

[APersonWithABrokenChair]

Put it on a shelf

[KE2012]

If no one in my family wants my tech it will either go into a big box of spares, or if it's a looker out on display somewhere.

[PlayStation 2]

I just leave any sort of old tech I have like a laptop either in my draws or something.

That's a new way of hiding tech.

[VeeTeePee]

Be artsy and crafty with it...

[ShadowCaptain]

I either sell it, or if its worthless throw it

if its interesting, I keep it in a draw or on display

[Dabombinable]

If its shitty, stress it to the point that it catches fire (eg Pentium 4 %30 and Asus P5K-VM. The motherboard died but not even 2.2V will kill the damn Pentium 4), or if its rare and was very good for its time, use it in a Legacy Rig.

[Guest trucker2]

One thing I like doing is trying out old hardware with some of the lightweight alternative OS's that pop up. One suprise was about 6 months ago when Nvidia released a new Linux driver for my GT 520 silent. Once I spent a few days messing around with an old emachines 1300 and put Linux LXLE on it. I was amazed how well it ran.

[cragger89]

Sell it while it's still worth something and put the money towards dirty weekends for my wife and I.

[Patrick3D]

Over the years: garage sales, trash, eBay, Craigslist, Amazon Marketplace, e-cycling, trash. Some things just get ripped apart to see how they're made, then trashed.

 

The local waste management company stopped doing free e-cycling, now most things are just going back into the trash. I still sell whatever I can make a profit from on Amazon after shipping fees.

[MrDynamicMan]

Frame it, sell it, legacy it.