Recycling PC's - Anyone Done It?

[leeave96]

Recycling PC's - Anyone Done It?

Firstly, thanks for everybody's help! Though I am considering a new desktop PC or a laptop, the thought of recycyling my current desktop has me thinkin' - dangerour :wink:

The hard disk on my PC just failed (I’m typing from work!). I thought that instead of replacing my hard disk, I might want to consider just buying a new PC. Then I thought (being the cheap-o that I am…..), I’ve got two PC’s, both towers. One is a Gateway P2-600 (Pentium II) and the one that just failed is a Dell Dimension 4000 series (PIII 933).

I’m thinking about perhaps trying something different – building a PC out of the two and adding some stuff to bring me up to date on the hardware side.

What is the possibility of using one of my current cases (the Gateway’s case is really big), adding a new motherboard and power supply? Use my current floppy, CD drives and the good hard drive from the gateway, my current keyboard, mouse and monitor.

Question is – would all if this stuff go together and work?

Another question is – I have a Dell version of Windows 2000 professional and the CD’s that came with the Dell. Can I load this software onto the new configuration?

The last thing I would add is a really hot video card and about a gig of ram.

Anyone recycled their old PC’s like or kind of like I am talking about?

Any recommendations would be appreciated.

Thanks!
Bill

 

[mkent]

OPINION!!! Old PC's are like used toilet paper; hardley worth recycling. You would be throwing good money after bad. New PC prices are way down now and if you buy from a good company ( I like Dell) you will save yourself headaches. Ask yourself "do you really want to become a PC expert (very difficult) or do you want to consiter the PC as a tool and become a 3D CAD expert. {from a 63 year old EE who has been there}

 

[cclark440]

I tend to agree with Mick.

For the last 6-7 years I have been building my own PCs. In the last couple of years I have begun to realize that unless you are building a really high end system, it just isn't worth the time or effort anymore. You can buy complete systems for what you are going to pay to build it yourself.

Another thing that makes the few extra dollars for a pre-built name brand PC more attractive is that you are guarantied hardware compatibility. You will also get a warranty. If you build your own system and something doesn’t work right, you could have a heck of a time trying to return it or even figuring out which part is really the problem.

So in my opinion unless you are well versed in PC hardware and configurations, your money would be much better spent on an out of the box system.

 

[macinc]

I'll third that....if building a pc interests you (it can be addicting), that may be a good way to learn. Thats how I learned. But if you need the box to draw with, go with a new pc by a good company that has good service and support, and experiment with a 2nd pc. Buying a new mobo is not "plug 'n play", it may involve sorting out issues like no posts, bsods, random reboots, all with elusive causes. Maybe the mobo doesn't like the ram you got for it, or the cpu needs to be re-seated, or the bios that shipped with the board needs to be updated. Figuring out these types of problems should they occure can take an awful lot of time, with no warranty to fall back on.

 

[leeave96]

Firstly, much thanks for all of your replies!

I think I’ve dodged a bullet on this PC – it lives another day.

I switched on my PC last night and the hard disk booted-up and ran like it should. Not wanting to take any chances, I quickly went out and bought a new hard disk, installed it as a slave and via the new disk’s software, I made it bootable and copied all of the files from the old hard disk. Then, I shut things down, removed the old hard disk, configured the jumpers on the new disk for solo duty – sort of a PC heart transplant! I then buttoned things-up and it looks like (knock on wood) like I’m good to go for a while longer.

Next thing I’m going to do, before I put it back under my desk is give it a good blowing out – dust everywhere! And add another 256mb of ram to max it out at 512mb. Oh, I think I am also going upgrade to cable modem service. Around my neck of the woods, it costs less for that than DSL and I gather it is faster too.

Thanks again,
Bill

 

[bscott.arc-tech.com]

Re: Recycling PC's - Anyone Done It?

Building your own PC (or performing major upgrades on one) is usually only a good idea if (1) you have the time and (2) you have either (a) the experience or (b) want to learn. If you just want to get work done (or only have the time get work done), just go buy a new one.

Even if you're an expert, it's often still cheaper (in terms of cash spent) to buy a new computer. High-volume buyers like Dell get huge discounts, to the point where even if you only need to buy half the parts Dell will sell you in a new PC, the new PC is still cheaper. Plus you get all brand new parts, with everything assembled, integrated, and tested, plus tech support and warranty service.

To put it another way: At home, I build my own PCs, because then it's a hobby. At work, I buy pre-built name-brand stuff, because then it's for real.

What is the possibility of using one of my current cases (the Gateway’s case is really big) adding a new motherboard and power supply?

It depends. Some big vendors use non-standard parts, just because they can. You may find a standard motherboard or PSU won't fit. On the other hand, even Dell has been known to use standard ATX cases and power supplies.

Use my current floppy, CD drives and the good hard drive from the gateway, my current keyboard, mouse and monitor.

Those parts are all easy to recycle, but may not be worth it. Or you might consider buying a new Dell without a monitor, and adding those parts to that system to form a greater whole.

I have a Dell version of Windows 2000 professional and the CD’s that came with the Dell. Can I load this software onto the new configuration?

It depends on the license that came with the software. For Microsoft Windows and Office, any software that came with a computer is legally married to the computer. It is a violation of the license agreement to install the software on a different computer.

Hope this helps,

 

[electrodynamics]

Your bios will determine if you can install Windows for a specific computer in your computer. Yeah, if you need a serious machine to work on don't go out and assemble it from parts. If you just want to play around, yeah, put it together and see what you get.