Don’t cripple a system upgrade with false economies
Buying a new PC off-the-shelf might be simple, but it can be annoying to pay for components you don’t use. If someone else builds your PC for you, you also risk voiding your warranty by opening it up to install your existing gear. What’s more, if you want to transfer that expensive SSD or Blu-ray drive into a new computer you’ll have to build it from scratch yourself.
If you’re doing that anyway, there’s no reason not to re-use as much as you can, and recycling hardware has lots of benefits. It saves money, it reduces waste, and it means you’re familiar with your PC’s components if you encounter a problem you’ve solved before.
Not every piece of hardware should be recycled, however. So here’s our rough guide to what you should and shouldn’t keep.
CPU
If you’re upgrading your main system, it’s likely because it’s no longer fast enough. If that’s the case, hanging onto your old CPU isn’t a good idea. That’s not to say that it’s impossible – if your new motherboard socket is compatible with your old chip you could absolutely put it in a new PC – but if that’s the case then it may be worth saving longer to get an upgrade to a newer, more powerful platform.
If you DO transfer your old CPU over, take great care when removing and reinserting it, and be especially vigilant about cooling. You’ll need to wipe clean and reapply thermal paste to your chip and cooler to ensure heat is dispersed efficiency.
RAM
Although memory is cheap, it’s definitely worth transferring into a new system provided you’ve got room for it on your new motherboard. If you buy new RAM as well, make sure the older modules are placed in the second set of slots so the newer stuff is used first, but other than that having extra memory available can only be a good thing.
The shift to DDR4 does means that the time is coming when DDR3 modules can no longer be transferred over from an old system to a new one, so you might find your new motherboard doesn’t actually support them – but if it does, the only reason to drop RAM (assuming it’s error-free) is when you haven’t got space for it.
Motherboard
Although motherboards themselves are broadly re-usable, the main limiting factor is the CPU socket. Shelling out for a new system seems redundant if the motherboard still prevents you from upgrading the processor much!
If you do re-use an old motherboard in a new system, be aware that you might also miss out on the latest versions of common connections, like HDMI 2.1 and USB Type-C. This may not be a deal breaker, but it could limit the functionality of a system as they become more popular.
If you decide to re-use a motherboard, it’s probably only worth doing if you’re repurposing an old system, rather than upgrading it. At least in this case you have the benefit of being able to easily hang onto the old CPU and RAM as well!
PSU
Having a working PSU to hand can save a huge chunk of money on a new system build, since the average decent one costs around £40-£80. Wait a moment, though: PSUs are notoriously vulnerable to aging. Not only do they clog with dust, their components also lose efficiency from the extreme stresses they face.
Most PSUs have a safe lifespan of around five years, and should be replaced once they pass that point (take that advice from someone who’s seen an old PSU burst into flames before). It’s alsp worth noting that, even if your PSU seems fine, plugging a new system into an older component might be enough to push it over the edge. The increased drain of (for example) a more powerful graphics card might be too much stress for an already-failing unit, and the resulting surge as it dies could damage your new components. If your PSU is getting old, we can strongly recommend spending the money on a replacement alongside your new hardware – if only for the peace of mind.
HDD / SSD
Storage is some of the most easily reused hardware, and can be useful as primary drive (if you want to save money) or secondary drive (if you want to increase overall storage). If you’re using the old hardware as your primary drive, it’s worth wiping it and starting with a completely fresh Windows installation if only to prevent the OS being confused about what system it’s been installed on (it uses the motherboard serial code for authentication, so if that changes it won’t be happy).
Whether it’s used for primary storage or backup, make sure you check the disk thoroughly for errors before you make it permanent. If the hardware has already been in use a long time, it could be vulnerable to bad sectors, or (in the case of mechanical drives) a crash, which would result in data loss.
Generally, though, there’s little risk to re-using storage of any kind unless it’s particularly old. At worst, all you stand to lose is data, and proper backups can make the risk of that negligible in itself.
Optical Drives
Do computers still need optical drives? It’s hard to say. Certainly, manufacturers think laptops don’t, but if you’ve got one in an old PC and you think you might use it, there’s no good reason not to put it in. The power drain, effect on boot times and contribution to a PC’s internal temperature are all negligible. Failure is both incredibly rare and completely harmless when it does happen. If you want to buy an external optical drive or you don’t think you’ll need your current one, that’s fair enough – but if you’ve got them going spare, they might as well go in there if there’s room!
Cases
The case is the one part of a PC that can persist almost indefinitely if you treat it right. Again, take it from someone who used the same basic case for almost 17 years. As long as your case fits an ATX motherboard (and most do) you can hang onto it forever, basically.
Reasons to upgrade might include a desire for more advanced features, like tool-free fittings and 2.5mm enclosures, but it’s even possible to add these features yourself for less money than a new case would end up costing you. Perhaps the only definite reason to upgrade is if your case is insufficiently ventilated for new, hotter-running components you might have bought – but even that can be fixed with a drill!
We know it’s sometimes nice to have a new case, especially if you’re looking to save space with a smaller one – but short of actual damage there’s almost nothing that’ll necessitate one. The only down side is that basic specifiaction cases are so cheap that you save almost no money by re-using one!