7 cool ways to reuse your old CPU and motherboard

PC builders are often left with a spare CPU and motherboard when moving to a newer processor and motherboard socket. Other components, such as the graphics card, RAM, storage, cooler, and power supplies, are easily carried over to the new system as long as they’re compatible with the new CPU and motherboard. This leaves users wondering whether to scrap their old CPU & motherboard combo or find an alternative.

The latter is where this article comes in, helping you take the thinking part out of the equation and focus only on which DIY project suits your fancy. You could reuse your old components to create your own NAS, learn something new such as delidding or soldering, create cool artwork to remember your beloved components, or simply pass them over to a loved one with a technical bent of mind.

7

Give them to a friend or family member

It’s technically still DIY

Handing over your old PC or components to someone in need might not seem creative, but it’s still a great use of hardware you’re not using anymore. An old CPU and motherboard, in particular, can get a young family member started on a new PC build or at least spark an interest in PC hardware. If your old CPU and motherboard aren’t ancient, they can hold some value for someone who simply needs a budget home/office PC.

Building a PC also requires a GPU, memory, storage, and power supply, at the very least. However, a CPU with integrated graphics takes care of the display department, whereas RAM, SSD, and PSU can be purchased from the used market at nominal costs. Even if there are concerns about buying old PC components, you only really need a new PSU; everything else can still be bought used.

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6

Build your own NAS

It might be time to take control of your data

While you can always buy an off-the-shelf NAS device, reusing your old PC hardware to build your own NAS is much more satisfying. Your spare CPU and motherboard could be the foundation of your DIY NAS, but you still need some storage drives, memory, a power supply, and a case (still optional). The most significant cost here would be the storage, but you can reuse old hard drives that you might not prefer on your new PC.

You’ll also need a GPU for display output during the setup process, but the good news is that you can remove the GPU once you’ve installed the OS of your choice (TrueNAS Core, UnRAID, OpenMediaVault, etc.). So, even if your old CPU lacks integrated graphics, you only need your attached storage to boot automatically once the system restarts.

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5

Learn to solder on your old motherboard

Time to solder on

One doesn’t simply start soldering out of the blue, but if you’re already into DIY PC projects, you might be itching to get this skill under your belt. It turns out that an old motherboard is the perfect playground to get started on your soldering journey. Just ensure you don’t need the motherboard for anything else, get a soldering iron and solder wire, clean the motherboard with flux, and fire up a YouTube tutorial to get your solder on.

Practicing soldering and desoldering on an old motherboard can be perfect for you to understand how to apply heat properly, clean the tip, apply solder to the joint, and remove the soldering iron at the right time. Once you’re confident in your skills, you can move on to more advanced projects involving repairs or other inventive applications. You can also skip this one if you aren’t comfortable — just watch some tutorials to decide.

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4

Delid the CPU with nothing to lose

Unlimited cooling, unlocked

PC enthusiasts swear by delidding the CPU to achieve the lowest temperatures possible, something that can’t be done with the CPU IHS between the die and cooler. If you’re finally ready to learn how to delid a CPU, but don’t want to experiment with your primary CPU, consider making a guinea pig out of your old processor. This will allow you to retain the warranty on your main CPU while you learn a new skill to keep your CPU temps extremely low.

While delidding a CPU (even an old one) can be intimidating initially, you can learn the ropes with detailed tutorials and the right equipment. For instance, Thermal Grizzly’s Delid-Die-Mate gadgets take most of the hard work out of CPU delidding, making the process much less stressful. The risk of damaging the CPU is still there, especially with more recent models, but hey, that’s why you’re learning on your old CPU.

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3

Create a memento of your old PC

Give your CPU and motherboard their due

Passing down or potentially destroying your old CPU and motherboard aren’t the only things you can do with them. To pay your respects to your old hardware for years of loyal service, you can choose to create a cool art piece to hang on the wall above your new PC. You can take various approaches, but the easiest one is to design a cardboard case for your CPU and motherboard combo and paint it the way you like before installing it on your wall.

Another approach could be removing individual components from your motherboard — capacitors, VRMs, heatsinks, CPU socket, chipset — and arranging them inventively on a canvas or cardboard to create a cool, blown-up artwork. This one will take a lot more time, but the results can be rewarding, making the exercise worth it.

This project can be used to create a sort of tomb to mark the resting place of your old CPU and motherboard, something you can always look at and wax nostalgic about the good time you had together.

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2

Create a CPU keychain

You gotta try this at least once

Turning an old piece of silicon into a keychain you use daily ought to be one of the coolest ways to amp up your CPU’s afterlife. This project works best if your old CPU package is LGA type, meaning it has no pins on the processor itself. Otherwise, you’ll probably want to remove the pins before using it daily, simply for more convenience.

The process is fairly simple. The only modification you need to do, aside from potentially removing the pins from a PGA-type CPU, is to make a hole in the corner of the substrate (the green base of the CPU package). Older Intel CPUs will probably already have holes in the corners, but you will need to create a new one with a drill. Again, do this only if you’re confident in using power tools and don’t have any use for the old or dead CPU.

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1

Honor the “heart” of your PC à la Tony Stark’s arc reactor

Go for the ultimate conversation starter

The CPU is often called the brain of the computer, but I prefer calling it the heart instead. If you concur, turning your old CPU into a cool collectible in the vein of Tony Stark’s original arc reactor might get you excited. If you remember Pepper Potts sending Tony his old arc reactor inside a glass case, that’s precisely what this project is all about.

All you need is a cube-shaped glass case for your old CPU, a vertical stand/column to prop up your CPU inside the case, and whatever else you wish to adorn it with. These could be other props, lights powered by a battery, or the IHS itself, removed carefully from the CPU package. The result can be a beautiful reminder that your “old PC had a heart” and something you can proudly showcase on your desk.

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Your ancient CPU and motherboard aren’t scrap metal

Old CPUs and motherboards are often left gathering dust in drawers or shipped to the scrapyard when moving to a new computer. However, you can repurpose them in cool and inventive ways to extend their life, learn new DIY skills, or create lasting memories. All you need is some time, effort, and sometimes a bit of money to make it happen. It’s more about crafting cool new stuff out of seemingly useless PC hardware than recycling or reusing old components, but that’s a welcome bonus.