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At what point do you let go of hardware after upgrading? (self.pcmasterrace)

submitted 2 years ago by Sticky to c/pcmasterrace

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I've got a problem. I'm a technology hoarder. I still have the first PC I bought myself some 15 years ago cause "I might use it for something!"

My desktop after that one is an unRAID box. The one after that is my "lab" PC (3d printing, embedded projects etc) and then finally, my current generation main PC.

I want to upgrade my main PC soon (can't run new games, CPU and GPU limited), which means potentially kicking everything else "down the chain" to a new purpose as it gets a slightly better version of itself. I find the thought of this exhausting though. So much configuration/setup to give upgrades to things whose existence is only because I didn't want to part with functioning hardware.

My current thought is to "break the cycle" by condensing all non-primary functions to my current PC, as an unRAID box hosting everything other than main gaming PC. From there, the rule needs to be tech goes into one of those two boxes, or it gets sold/donated.

What do you all think. Is that reasonable? How do you manage your spare equipment post upgrade?

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[–] WaltJRimmer 3 points 2 years ago

My dad used to have some really old hardware, and he ended up getting rid of it after we convinced him to because it was so outdated and there would never be a time we'd actually want to use that.

I kind of regret that now. Some of it was broken and a lot of it was outdated, but I could really use a dedicated machine for older software and games. I'm sure if I look online, I can find that stuff. But not that long ago, there they were, in the garage, about a half-dozen old enterprise machines that between them probably had enough to run an XP machine for some old games and other programs.

I'm in the process of upgrading to a whole new computer and putting my six-year-old tired prebuilt to more relaxing work. My dad and I are discussing what to use it for. We can hook it up to get games and movies we have on its hard drive on the TV. Or, my dad hasn't had a desktop of his own in ages and he's considering turning it into a Linux box for his own projects that just can't be built comfortably on a Pinebook.

It sounds like you've considered doing that kind of stuff, finding the right job for the tool. Well, here's what I, someone who often doesn't finish what they start, did to finally kick my own train into gear. I made a plan. And I'm sticking to it. Hell, my parts got here early and my plan still isn't to start building until Thursday because it's all part of the plan. My old PC will be put to use, one way or another. He's still got a lot of fire in him. Runs a hell of a lot better than a machine of his specks and age has any right to! There's no way I'm junking or scrapping him or leaving him in a corner to collect dust. But without a plan? Without a plan, he'd be piled up like the 16-year-old hard drives my dad will never throw away.

So if you don't want to give your machines to people who can use them or otherwise get rid of them, but you also don't want to start up your own personal museum, then make a plan. All the work to get everything running sounds like it sucks before you do it, hell, it might while you're doing it, but it'll be over soon enough and you'll forget all the trouble you had with it.