Any Uses for Old PC?

[Aleksbgbg]

I recently built a gaming PC which I love, however I have two monitors, keyboards, mice, speakers etc. so I was thinking I could set up my other PC as well on the same desk. I could wire up the 2nd monitor to both PCs, and only change it to the old PC when I need it.

 

Old PC specs:

CPU - Pentium G2030 w/ stock cooler

Motherboard - ASRock H61-VG3

RAM - GoodRam 1x4GB DDR3 1066MHz

HDD - Seasonic 5400RPM 2.5" 500GB

GPU - Palit Nvidia GT610

PSU - 500W 80+ ATX Generic PSU

Case - ATX Generic Case

 

However, what would I use it as? I was thinking about a heavy load machine - I know, I know, it's not exactly good at rendering or that sort so it would do it slowly...

 

Exactly! I could have it running in the background doing that stuff whilst I use my new PC. However energy bill comes into this - managed to save £100 on the monthly bill by not having the PC turned on 24/7. New PC probably takes ~200 - 300 watts more than the old, so plus the old makes it quite a lot.

 

So what would you guys use it for? What are tasks that could be offloaded to the old PC? Personal experience with this stuff or similar? Thanks

[ToniBamboni]

Eat it

[AverageHardware]

Router with pfSense.

[GeorgeKellow]

Harddrive at a push and maybe the ram? 

[MarcelKapono]

You could reuse the hard drive for RAID or backup or something.

You could reuse the RAM.

or

You could make a pretty powerful router/firewall with pfsense if you are willing to buy a NIC.

[ManWithBeard1990]

Depends. Are you cold?

[Aleksbgbg]

You could reuse the hard drive for RAID or backup or something.

You could reuse the RAM.

or

You could make a pretty powerful router/firewall with pfsense if you are willing to buy a NIC.

 

Router with pfSense.

 

That sounds cool, but I don't know what it means.

 

or what it does

 

Please elaborate? Thanks

[MarcelKapono]

That sounds cool, but I don't know what it means.

 

or what it does

 

Please elaborate? Thanks

Well you could essentially hook up your computer to your modem via Ethernet and install an OS called pfsense, which basically turns it into a router/a firewall. Your system would make a router and firewall that is much more powerful than some regular consumer routers.

[Bouzoo]

I'd use it as a home server. Unless you don't need a lot of space that is. Or backups.

[potoooooooo]

100 pounds a month?

 

You are really paying out the ass for power if thats what your PC costs you to run it 24/7

[WkdPaul]

I recently built a gaming PC which I love, however I have two monitors, keyboards, mice, speakers etc. so I was thinking I could set up my other PC as well on the same desk. I could wire up the 2nd monitor to both PCs, and only change it to the old PC when I need it.

 

Old PC specs:

CPU - Pentium G2030 w/ stock cooler

Motherboard - ASRock H61-VG3

RAM - GoodRam 1x4GB DDR3 1066MHz

HDD - Seasonic 5400RPM 2.5" 500GB

GPU - Palit Nvidia GT610

PSU - 500W 80+ ATX Generic PSU

Case - ATX Generic Case

 

However, what would I use it as? I was thinking about a heavy load machine - I know, I know, it's not exactly good at rendering or that sort so it would do it slowly...

 

Exactly! I could have it running in the background doing that stuff whilst I use my new PC. However energy bill comes into this - managed to save £100 on the monthly bill by not having the PC turned on 24/7. New PC probably takes ~200 - 300 watts more than the old, so plus the old makes it quite a lot.

 

So what would you guys use it for? What are tasks that could be offloaded to the old PC? Personal experience with this stuff or similar? Thanks

What about a NAS + torrent box?

[ShadowDeity]

Depends. Are you cold?

Stole the words out of my keyboard.. Lol

[ShadowDeity]

Depends what you do but rendering would be bad. You could use it for work and your other for gaming/streaming or whatever else you do with your time.

You could reuse the RAM though.

[AshleyAshes]

I recently built a gaming PC which I love, however I have two monitors, keyboards, mice, speakers etc. so I was thinking I could set up my other PC as well on the same desk. I could wire up the 2nd monitor to both PCs, and only change it to the old PC when I need it.

 

Old PC specs:

CPU - Pentium G2030 w/ stock cooler

Motherboard - ASRock H61-VG3

RAM - GoodRam 1x4GB DDR3 1066MHz

HDD - Seasonic 5400RPM 2.5" 500GB

GPU - Palit Nvidia GT610

PSU - 500W 80+ ATX Generic PSU

Case - ATX Generic Case

 

However, what would I use it as? I was thinking about a heavy load machine - I know, I know, it's not exactly good at rendering or that sort so it would do it slowly...

 

Exactly! I could have it running in the background doing that stuff whilst I use my new PC. However energy bill comes into this - managed to save £100 on the monthly bill by not having the PC turned on 24/7. New PC probably takes ~200 - 300 watts more than the old, so plus the old makes it quite a lot.

 

So what would you guys use it for? What are tasks that could be offloaded to the old PC? Personal experience with this stuff or similar? Thanks

 

1) This sounds like a super combination Kodi/Steam Machine, why needs consoles when you have Steam Big Picture Mode?

 

2) What in the hell are you paying for power?  Seriusly, something is wrong there and unless you're in some situation where this makes sense, you should SERIOUSLY look into this.  Honestly, consider scanning, censoring your name and personal info, and then posting one of your bills for others to look at.

[AshleyAshes]

100 pounds a month?

 

You are really paying out the ass for power if thats what your PC costs you to run it 24/7

 

I mean, maybe hydro rates in the UK are CRAZY?  But that's the ONLY way this makes sense.  I'm in Toronto, Canada, and my bill for the last month just came in at $60 total.  I;m running an i5 4590 server with 6 HDDs 24/7, plus a fridge, 3.5cft freezer, and some other stuff.  My bill is USUALLY more like $70-$80, but I was working 60-70hr weeks most times and spent a lot less time at home so TVs, desktop, and other stuff were mostly unused for more than a couple hours a day.

[VinsinityKT]

My friend used his old pc to download stuff because he is too cheap to buy it himself or stuff that is only obtainable through illegal use like older game roms. Basically a torrent server that he reinstall windows every time a virus happens and screws his thing over. Or what I did with mine is as a storage pc for all my files incase anything goes bad to my main rig.