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ruytlm | 2 years ago

I really like this as a way to repurpose old hardware; I have known many laptops that end up sitting around in cupboards after their 'useful' life is over, that could probably still comfortably be serving as lightweight desktops even today.

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clnq|2 years ago

Yes, or servers. I've been searching for ways to convert an older Dell laptop mainboard into a simple server. It has great power consumption on account of being a laptop logic board, and enough power to run serious server workloads.

Unfortunately, I do not think a universal product for reusing laptop logic boards exists. Although it might be easy enough to make. All ports on the logic board could be wired up to a backplate in the case with extension cables. Airflow could be controlled by temperature inside. Only designing a solder-less power button extension and a universal mount for mainboards in the case might be challenging.

It is really wasteful to throw away old laptop hardware which could be made into either low-end PCs, or game emulator consoles, or home servers, or NAS devices.

dspillett|2 years ago

> Yes, or servers.

Though take care with the batteries. Left plugged in 24/7 some turn a bit fiery after a time, or just fail in a way that takes out the device at an inconvenient time.

Some remove batteries from laptops used this way for that reason, though that throws away the built-in-UPS benefit. Another option to mitigate the issue is a timer switch that disconnects power for an hour every few, this works well while the battery still has enough life in it at all.

If you are a smart-home-hacker you could rig a controlled plug up to the battery state so you can flip power back on/off when the battery hits a certain level, rather than relying on a fixed time period, though I'm unsure whether that is worth the effort in terms of preventing potential faults and preserving battery life (IIRC charging up to 80-to-90% and discharging to ~40% is considered optimal for prolonging the useful life of modern batteries?) or if it would “just” be an interesting nerd project.

nnnnc|2 years ago

You don’t need to re-case them. I had three old thinkpads as servers a few years ago. Took the batteries out and connected them to Ethernet switch. Built in KVM. Job done!

jareklupinski|2 years ago

Interesting... don't most older laptops have some sort of docking mechanism that exposed basically every connection?

The physical interface wasn't the same for every laptop, but with a common backplane it should be possible to make a seperate docking connector daughterboard for the most popular laptops taking up cupboard space.

I would love to collab on an open-source dock that turns laptops into servers :)

lostlogin|2 years ago

Media server! It has a built in UPS if the battery works at all. Video transcoding will likely be good, low power draw, will fit on a shelf or 1U rack shelf.

No need to remote into it when you can just open it.

coffeebeqn|2 years ago

It’s a little half assed though. Moving to a more desktop form factor would allow them to dump the laptop thermal solution with maybe one large case fan and a low profile cpu cooler. You could have an extremely quiet little machine instead of a jet engine that barely moves any air.

I’ve been doing a somewhat similar mod on an old Lenovo tiny pc and it’s definitely great value as long as you put a little effort and thought into it. Once you get into a M.2 to PCIE adapter and cutting holes to fit fans you know you’re building something neat

brnaftr361|2 years ago

I thought the same thing, too. But I also wonder if the cooler mounting pattern is going to be compatible with consumer market coolers. I expect the one they've chosen is already tooled.

I've got an older laptop with a busted screen, I've thought about pulling the mainboard and dropping it into a 3D printed chassis myself, and using it as a server. Haven't gotten around to it.

irjustin|2 years ago

Previously we were giving our old laptops to friends with kids. Now our kids use our old Macbook air to learn to type and other learning programs.

My old MBP runs our 2010 "smart" TV via HDMI. It's not perfect because we have to get up to change the movie or skip an ad, but it works. And man, that thing still heats up like a mofo even when only running a browser, jeez.

JoshTriplett|2 years ago

> It's not perfect because we have to get up to change the movie or skip an ad, but it works.

If you're running on a computer rather than a locked-down device, why do you see ads at all?

Also, you've probably already considered this, but a wireless keyboard/mouse would nicely complete a living-room computer.

hellweaver666|2 years ago

My 2010 MacBook Pro still lives on my network running as a print server for my old laser printer that no longer works with modern OS's due to the lack of 64 bit drivers. I'm looking into installing HomeAssistant and possibly PiHole as well in the near future since it's way overkill for only running a print server.

LBJsPNS|2 years ago

Or NAS. Or other appliances. "Obsolete" hardware has a lot of life left in it after the mainstream has passed it by.

cbsks|2 years ago

I have a few old laptops as servers at home. It’s great because they have a (limited) built-in battery backup, and a keyboard and screen are there if you need a local terminal.

vladvasiliu|2 years ago

My biggest issue with those is that sometimes their cooling solution is ridiculously bad. They have a next-to-nonexistent heat sink, so the fan needs to spin like crazy to cool it down. Bonus points for the fan stopping from time to time, so it has to spin even faster than it would need to if it were running all the time.

Had this is an older HP laptop. My newer one lets me configure it so that the fan spins all the time, so it's very quiet as long as it doesn't do anything.

shanebellone|2 years ago

I have a Pixelbook running as a web server. It's nice using old hardware to address new needs.