What to Do with Old Computers that Still Work? 12 Great Uses

Almost all stuff requires an upgrade or an update after a certain time.

The same is the case with computers. Although they are getting more and more updated and efficient, you need not waste your old computers.

Know what to do with old computers that still work so you can make good use of them.

It is true that after a certain period of duration, the computer system retains its attractive design, or it doesn’t remain in the trend.

But if it’s still working, you can make good use of it by making some fruitful efforts.

What to Do with Old Computers & Laptops that Still Work?

Surprisingly there are some impressive ways by which you can make good use of your old computer instead of throwing it in the garbage. This way you can get some great benefits from your old PC.

1. Sell it

As you desire to buy a new and an upgraded computer, similarly, on the other hand, someone might be in search of a PC at an affordable price.

This way, you can sell your old PC at an affordable price, and the person on the other side can buy it according to his budget.

There are different websites online on which such buying and selling occur.

You can advertise your PC there. Also, there are some scammers everywhere, so you need to be careful, too, while buying and selling online.

Furthermore, instead of selling the complete PC to anyone, you can earn by selling it parts too. There is a huge demand for different computer parts like RAM, graphic card, ROM, and motherboard.

2. Donate it to a School

If you intend to buy a new computer and don’t want to recycle or sell your old PC, you can also donate it to any hospital or school.

3. Use as an Experimental Box

You can use the old PC as an experimental box. This way, you will learn a lot. You can test different hardware devices and software on this PC. You can also build a new PC yourself.

4. Game Server

If you are a gamer or have a keen interest in multiplayer gaming, then you might know that a hosting server is required in multiplayer gaming on which you have to run the game server.

You can use this old system as a dedicated game server. Using a separate PC for a dedicated server helps in performance.

This is because if you use the same PC as a dedicated server and for playing, then you will witness the working speed of the system gets affected.

Checkout Using Dual CPU Motherboard For Gaming

5. Security Systems

You can use it for security purposes.

Attach the computer to the security computer, and this way, you can view live coverage. This computer will store the recorded data too.

6. Use as a Secondary System

This old PC can be used for data work in your office.

If switching to different computers for different applications irritates you, you can open that other application on this second PC, and this way, complete your projects quite easily.

This will affect the working speed of the computer, too, as it will not have to open different programs at a time. Thus you get the solution to the computer slowness in an impressive way by doing so.

Also, by using it to manage and hold data, you will save some memory space, and the data will remain separated.

Useful Read How to Upgrade RAM on Laptop For Free?

7. Contribute to CPU Cycles

Even the Oldest PCs have impressive computing power that gets unused during idle moments.

You can use such PCs in the distributing computing project where the software connects different PCs to work on high computational problems.

8. Make it a Kitchen Computer.

You can use it to look up recipes while cooking.

9. Digital Photo Frame

This old pc/ laptop can be used as a digital photogram to display family photos. You can mount the flat monitors quite easily by a small drywall hole.

10. Cannibalize

Before buying components or your new laptop, do check your current one. You can use the parts of the old one that seems in good working condition.

11. Use it as a Chromebook

You can use the old PC/laptop like a Chromebook. A Chromebook is a system with some limited process power. It has a Google powered interface.

Also, Read The Difference Between a Laptop and a Notebook

12. Recycle Old Computers

To get rid of the old PC or its parts, then avoid throwing them in the trash and recycle them. This is because they have harmful metals, and they can be quite dangerous if left in the trash.

Thus you can recycle them.

Before recycling, makes sure you have removed all the data from your PC as it can result in identity theft too. Also, destroy the old hard drive, so no one gets its data.

Things to Do With Old Computer Parts

If you have your old PC parts lying, then you can use them for some fun too.

• You can use the old PC case as an aquarium.
• Turn the graphics card into a circuit board table.

How to Prepare a Computer For Disposal?

Computer disposal refers to the disassembling of its parts.

Follow these steps to prepare your old PC for disposal.

Backup

Saving important data is essential. Thus, backup the data and save it on cloud storage or any other portable storage device.

Clear the Hard Drive

Wipe out the hard drive. This doesn’t refer to deleting data only. It would be best if you cleaned it properly.

Reset the PC

There is a different option in each window for resetting it to factory settings.

Wipe Out the External Drives

If there is an external drive connected to your PC, then wipe it too.

Browsing History

Clear the browsing history and also the search history from all browsers.

Uninstall Programs

Uninstall the programs as some programs save data secretly, which is quite dangerous.

Encrypt All Data

This will make the data password protected.

Also Checkout Data Encryption Standard

Final Thoughts

Don’t waste your old PC if you intend to move to a new one.

There are many impressive and superb ways by which you can make brilliant use of that old computer or its parts.

Old computers can be used for learning purposes, security, and other decoration purposes too.

You can make some great fun stuff and do cool things online if you know what to do with old computers and laptops that still work.

Have a Look at 10 Best Motherboards for i7-9700K