I recently got back two old PCs from my grandparents that I had stored away since 2020. One is an HP Pavilion a6750t and the other is an HP Slimline s5610y. I've been able to power them on but haven't connected them to the internet yet because I'm concerned about security. I'm looking for suggestions on what I can do with these machines. I know they're pretty outdated, and I'm not expecting to use them for anything intensive, such as modern web browsing. Here are some basic specs:
HP Pavilion a6750t includes an Intel Core 2 Quad Q8300 CPU, 4GB DDR2 RAM, NVIDIA GeForce 9300 GE graphics, and a hard drive between 500GB and 750GB.
HP Slimline s5610y has an AMD Athlon II X2 250 CPU, 3GB DDR3 RAM, ATI Radeon HD 3000 graphics, and a 640GB hard drive.
I'm someone who hates wasting technology, so I'm hoping to find some creative or non-frustrating uses for these old PCs. I've considered turning one into a storage device for my photos and music, using it as a CD/DVD burner, or making a Linux playground to learn more about Linux. Any other ideas?
4 Answers
Unfortunately, older desktops don’t age as well as laptops. If you already have something modern, these may only suit very light tasks. You could use them for basic word processing or as a basic web server, but consider recycling if they’re just taking up space.
You could repurpose one of those machines as a network-attached storage device for backing up files. Set up some network folders for easy access, but keep in mind it could be a bit slow and consume more energy than a newer model.
Running a lightweight, non-GUI Linux could make those PCs into servers. You could set them up as a Plex or Jellyfin music server. They can also run RetroPie for some retro gaming fun if you enjoy that.
With the specs you've got, a lightweight Linux distro like Mint or Fedora could work really well. I have similar machines that handle basic tasks without issues, and you can have fun experimenting with different environments.
Yeah, if they’re just sitting around, it might be best to let them go. You can find refurbished machines that’ll run more efficiently for daily tasks.