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United States24745 Posts
![[image loading]](http://i.imgur.com/vXMDl.png) Yes, this is my 300th blog, believe it or not! Even the featured blog section cannot overshadow my prowess =3
Something I find interesting (and suddenly highly relevant) is utilizing spare computers. This blog will list many different potential uses, as well as discuss my thoughts and what I might possibly do.
For anyone following the computer build resource thread, I recently built myself a computer (first time doing it, thanks a lot guys for your help). Although I cannibalized my previous computer for a few parts, it's still perfectly functional. Also, while looking through my parents' basement I found my sister's old computer from a few years ago collecting dust. Here are the specs:
#1: Dell Vostro 400 Mini Tower
Intel Core 2 Duo E6750 @ 2.66 Ghz
NVIDIA GeForce 8600 GT
2 gigs of ram
32 bit Vista
300 Gig Sata HD
#2: Dell Dimension 3000
Celeron 2.66 Ghz
Not sure offhand what the graphics card is
512 Mb of ram
Windows XP
80 Gig HD
Optical Drive
I also have one spare keyboard, mouse, crappy VGA 15" flat panel monitor to share between the two computers (KVM switch sounds good right about now).
I've done some searching online and found some resources that offer suggestions for things you can do with spare computers (other than obviously sell/donate/discard them).
http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/top-10-cool-uses-for-old-computers-and-laptops/
Here are the 10 suggested uses and my thoughts:
- Make a Media Station - cool, but I don't think this helps me currently
- Set up an external firewall or router - cool, but I think this is very tricky to set up and I'm not a computer whiz... it would give an excuse to learn/play with linux I guess...
- Use it as a file or print server - I don't think this really helps me
- Try Linux - Cool idea if I can segue it into another use
- Donate CPU Time - I'm currently running some @home simulations on the computers which is cool but gets old fast
- Make someone else happy (freecycle, etc) - screw someone else this is about me!
- Sell the parts - I don't think they are worth much and it's nice having at least one backup computer
- Create an external hard drive - This probably makes more sense for broken or older spare computers
- Create a digital photo frame - seems kinda overkill, even for an old computer, to use it just for a photo fram
- Run a geek beamer - not applicable to me, I don't think
So far the only thing that really seems cool is to install linux/ubuntu on to one of them. But as I mentioned above, I don't want to install a new OS just for the sake of it.
http://www.pcworld.com/article/209079/11_uses_for_an_old_pc.html
Here are 11 more suggestions (with some overlap). I'll just comment on a few of them:
- It suggests converting it to NAS (network attached storage). This might make sense in tandem with one of the other suggestions, but by itself doesn't seem useful. If all I want is to use the hard drives of the older computers for storage I can just take them out of the case and put them into my new computer (which has plenty of room). Of course this makes all of the remaining hardware pretty useless.
- Create a dedicated gaming server. I don't play games which require me to host games, so using a second computer dedicated for this purpose doesn't make sense.
- Use it for old school gaming. This is a cool idea. I could install Windows 98 and play old 95/dos games. I don't currently have them but I still like this idea (good luck running really old games on modern computers with modern operating systems!)
- Use it as a secondary computing server. This is a cool idea but I currently don't have a need to perform rendering or similar tasks.
http://geekyprojects.com/old-computers/old-computer-uses/
- It suggests building your own CCTV system (using Linux and Zoneminder, and webcams). Cool idea, but not useful for me.
- Build a home automation server (cool, but too involved)
- Build your own web server. I haven't checked if Fios is okay with it or not, but this is a cool idea. They recommend using XAMPP.
- Build your own proxy server. I actually am not sure what the benefits of this would be.
http://www.techradar.com/news/computing-components/computing/pc/dont-trash-it-15-great-uses-for-your-old-pc-464128
Here is another (creative) suggestion:
- Deter thieves. Lol this is a funny one. Leave an old, crappy computer running in plain view and leave your sick new computer out of sight! Alternately, you could connect the old computer to the network and try to usher hackers towards it instead of your 'real' computer.
http://www.computeractive.co.uk/ca/pc-help/1913315/pc
Here is a suggestion to run a sophisticated voicemail system using the old computer and a modem. I don't have a landline but it's a cool idea.
One idea I had (although it's not in any of the lists I searched through) is to create a cluster. Here is a guide for how to set up a cluster with two or more computers: http://www.webstreet.com/super_computer.htm
Suggestions from TL Users: I will include here at the end any suggestions you readers might have for what to do with spare computers!
 
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I'm a fan of the legacy machine thing. It's an utter pain in the ass to play old games on new stuff. You wouldn't believe the hoops I had to jump through to get X-wing vs Tie Fighter to work on my machine.
Had to make a custom install disk with a third party installer and shit. Even then, it's a pain in the ass due to resolution wonkiness and stuff.
Of course, next time I build a rig, my current one will probably get downclocked to stock and go to my wife, and hers will go to our son.
Aside from that, I can't think of much that isn't on the list already.
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Im going to be making my own version of this with one of my old PC's:
http://www.pugetsystems.com/submerged.php
*insert clever 'some people ask why, I say why not' quote*
oh and btw, if you decide to sell them let me know! acording to your hole-in-one blog, you arent that far from my house ^^
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United States24745 Posts
On April 19 2012 07:45 tw!tch wrote:Im going to be making my own version of this with one of my old PC's: http://www.pugetsystems.com/submerged.php*insert clever 'some people ask why, I say why not' quote* oh and btw, if you decide to sell them let me know! acording to your hole-in-one blog, you arent that far from my house ^^
Hahaha what the hell XD
BTW How much could you get for computers like those? I'm under the impression it's not worth selling them unless you are 100% sure you have no use for the computer.
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Brazil537 Posts
I formated my sister's old Celeron and installed a media-center oriented linux distro. I use it to watch youtube videos and lesser quality videos on my HDTV (only has a ATI 9600 card, doesn't really support HD resolutions). But since you don't want a media center right now, you should look for someting that fits your needs...maybe run a FTP/ Backup server..or install a distor like Gentoo or Debian to learn about linux...(if you need help just PM me ^_^)
Can't go wrong really ^_^
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Depending on what the person needed them for, possibly up to $80-100 for the C2D, and maybe $50-60 for the Celeron. Unless you opted for some... creative marketing?
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On April 19 2012 07:48 micronesia wrote:Show nested quote +On April 19 2012 07:45 tw!tch wrote:Im going to be making my own version of this with one of my old PC's: http://www.pugetsystems.com/submerged.php*insert clever 'some people ask why, I say why not' quote* oh and btw, if you decide to sell them let me know! acording to your hole-in-one blog, you arent that far from my house ^^ Hahaha what the hell XD BTW How much could you get for computers like those? I'm under the impression it's not worth selling them unless you are 100% sure you have no use for the computer.
ahhh I'm not sure. It depends on who is buying them really, I bet the prices can differ widely. There are people on craigslist all the time asking for HDD's and stuff, but I have no idea what they pay. Probably better off selling the components individually.
*what he said ^
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I had an 8-9 year old computer with an amd athlon 64 single core and used it for a Diablo 2 server, just opened ports for it, so people and myself could join it all the time via direct ip or whatever it's called! Great for duels and muling!
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Why not take it to learn more about computers? You say you just recently built your first computer, having a back up/"test" computer is great because you don't risk your main machine and you can still explore new software, hardware, and other things. You can also run risky programs on your older PC first since if it becomes infected worst case scenario is you have to wipe it and reinstall windows. I have a cluster of desktop PCs+my laptop+my android phone that I use to process and look up various things at once. You could also look into craigslists and grab a second monitor for cheap especially old CRTs and use it to look up stuff or as a IRC/Skype/Vent client to free up your other computer to properly render games.
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United States24745 Posts
On April 19 2012 09:52 FromShouri wrote:
Why not take it to learn more about computers? You say you just recently built your first computer, having a back up/"test" computer is great because you don't risk your main machine and you can still explore new software, hardware, and other things. You can also run risky programs on your older PC first since if it becomes infected worst case scenario is you have to wipe it and reinstall windows. I have a cluster of desktop PCs+my laptop+my android phone that I use to process and look up various things at once. You could also look into craigslists and grab a second monitor for cheap especially old CRTs and use it to look up stuff or as a IRC/Skype/Vent client to free up your other computer to properly render games.
Yea I might use one of them for that very purpose (experimentation). I am seriously considering putting linux on the weaker one (I also don't have a windows reinstallation disk for it right now lool).
I could also do what you do and have a cluster of my main computer, core2duo machine, celeron machine, netbook, android phone, etc, and put together a slightly impressive system... however I don't really have a use for it now. How hard is it to set all that up? Any suggestions for what I could do with it?
Using them as a second computer for things like irc/etc might make more sense in the future if I have more space, but probably not now.
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Well i personally just use network shared drives on my file server, have a media HTPC connected to a 32" tv+wireless keyboard mouse, my gaming PC with dual monitors to look up stuff/chat/play game same time, and then my laptop runs all my skype/vent/teamspeak clients. They are each independent yet in a matter of seconds I can have files transfered over to one to process.(like if Im ripping a dvd, I'll run it on whichever one is not running important stuff and dump the files to a network share to encode on a faster machine). Its like 1 cluster that are independent of each other.
What I think you're talking about is like that link you put in the OP about a true cluster that runs the programs as one, the only down side is you have to have a program specifically designed to be split amongst all the systems, the way I do it is each system is seperate but dumps files in a shared file server(like I mention above) thats also has remote privileges for me to turn on FTP servers for when im mobile.
I prefer my way because it lets you "dedicate" a machine to something without actually having to do any sort of wierd program setups to mimic stuff across the way. Just save to a mapped drive or file server and bam, ezpz. It also allows me to leave more sensitive information on my main computer and since my file server is the only one with remote privileges and doesn't have any drive mappings, I don't have to worry about someone stealing anything more then videos, lame personal pictures, and video games.
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EPT![[image loading]](http://i.imgur.com/xUfh9.png)
