Digital Trends

Take it apart and learn how to build a computer

If you have never built a computer or installed components, your old rig is a great place to learn. You can work on it without the fear of ruining your main workstation. If you take common precautions, you really can't ruin anything anyway.

Once you take it apart, those parts may be useful for someone else. If you want to try selling the parts, you'll usually get more money if you sell part by part instead of the whole computer. Put a few items on eBay and see how it works out. You might be able to buy something else of value to you from the proceeds of your eBay sale.

Whatever you do, don't throw it away

If you still don't think there is anything useful to do with your old computer after reading this article, please don't just throw it away. It still may be useful to someone and even if not, there are parts of computers that really shouldn't be just thrown in a landfill.

Hewlett-Packard has a good hardware recycling program that will take old computers and recycle them in a manner that is safe for the environment. There is a substantial list of recylcers at the PEP National Directory of Computer Recycling Programs and the CRC (Computer Recycling Center) is also a great place to start. There are also usually local school programs that are looking for donated computer hardware.

This article is only the tip of the iceberg. There are thousands of other projects and uses just waiting for your hardware to be used for. Now what are you waiting for? Get out there and put that old hardware to use!

We'd like to hear what you think about these projects and are always looking for more useful projects on the Web. If you have any comments or suggestions for other uses, please send us an email or post in our forums.