What would you do with this old PC if you had €0 to invest in it?
I have an older desktop sitting around with:
- AMD FX-6100, 6 cores at 3.3 GHz
- NVIDIA GeForce GT 730
- 24 GB RAM
- ASRock 970 Extreme R2.0 motherboard
- One SSD and one HDD
It still works, but I currently have no money to upgrade it or turn it into an ambitious homelab project.
I am trying to decide what would be the most useful and least wasteful thing to do with it.
A few possibilities I have considered:
- Install a lightweight Linux distribution and use it for experiments
- Turn it into a local server, NAS, self-hosting box, or automation playground
- Use it to learn more about local AI, although I assume the GT 730 is far too limited for most modern models
- Keep it until I have money for a few upgrades
- Sell it cheaply and put the money towards a newer, more energy-efficient machine
My main concern with using it as a server is electricity consumption. Keeping an older FX-based desktop running all day might cost more, both financially and environmentally, than the practical value it provides.
What would you do in my situation?
Are there any genuinely useful €0 experiments this hardware is still suitable for? Is it worth keeping, or would selling it or reusing the parts elsewhere be the more sensible choice?
For us here, my advice right now is to not sell any computers. Shortages will end, but we have no idea of when that will happen. For now, you never know when you’ll need spare parts or a spare machine.
That being said (selfishly) if you’re an ebay seller please keep selling :D