I seem to have a computer part hoarding illness...anyone else suffer from this?

[Muadib]

I think that you could still be a married old electronics hoarder if you really wanted to, but you better have a pretty big house with a big basement or with a separate detached storage garage or something. Once your crap starts encroaching on "her" closet space or the closet space for the kids, it's Game Over for sure.

Yes you can, I know a few myself. However, I moved into her place, and sort of took over space slowly. One day she looked at what I had in the basement, and went nuts. It's been her way for 3 years now, but we are moving once her place sells. I've been looking at sheds to put my stuff, so my time will come.

 

[dave_the_nerd]

Yes. Used to a lot worse though.

When I was moving around in grad school I replaced my collection of vintage gaming desktops with a collection of laptops. I still have most of them somewhere, but honestly, they take up a lot less room.

The existence of MicroCenter means that I don't have to keep a stock of spare parts "just in case" for my homebrew(s). Most of that stuff (several boxes full) was Athlon/P4 era ATX kit that got ditched shortly after I built my first ITX rig (so, like, 2013-ish), because I couldn't make the argument that it was still in any way compatible with the systems I was using daily. But I kept a few parts I was sentimental about. (Early Swiftech heat sinks were just cool.)

The existence of VMs and RasPis mean I don't need to build a second/third/fourth ATX rig from "spare parts" (which always seemed to involve dropping some money anyway) to "experiment" with some Linux thing, programming trick, etc. (And don't they all end up just being Folding@Home boxes eventually anyway?)

My career in tech means I spend a lot more time on the software - where the money is - than worrying about the subtle differences between 47 motherboards with the same chipset or obsessing about GPU performance so that I know I get the "best". When I identify a performance bottleneck, I drive to MicroCenter and address it. No worrying about sales, no screwing around with rebates or coupons.

All the money I save by not having multiple PCs more than makes up for it.

 

[Perknose]

I know I'm not the only one.

You are not. Upon advice of my lawyer/life coach, I will say no more.

(Just came across this thread. Hilarity and the stern shock of personal recognition ensued.)

 

[IronWing]

My old case is sitting here on the floor because I'm trying to decide what to do with the 1070 card. Craigslist has gotten weird but the card is probably worth something.

The case is gone. The card is sitting in the closet. I don't know anybody else with a desktop PC anymore.

 

[Perknose]

The case is gone.

I have something like 6-7 virgin cases, not to mention some really nice ones harboring tons of parts still in them.

It's a disease.

 

[IronWing]

I have a ten year old iPod that I put through the wash, thereby killing it. Somewhere deep inside part of me still says that when the iPod is truly dry it will work again.

 

[Muse]

Yea, I tend to hoard electronics. The last couple years I've been purging. Best buy takes anything but monitors, I bring a box (or boxes there). Tossed a bunch of old stuff out finally.

I don't give them hard drives unless I can successfully wipe them or smash them

I have my packrat issues too. Lots of old computer parts, not anything like the OP, but they do litter one of my "spare" rooms.

Also have a problem with cardboard boxes. I figure I might be able to use some, and I do, but have way more than I can justify keeping. Everything I order online comes in some packaging, much in cardboard boxes, and I have them piled in my living room and dining room! I need to get out a box cutter and recycle them, do sometimes, but not enough.

I have a couple of LCD monitors I'm not using too, a 19" and a 23". Old mobos, some not functional, fans, cables, computer case brackets, old memory sticks...

 

[Muse]

I think we all do to a certain extent, maybe on a subconscious level it's tough to toss that 256Mb memory stick even though you know it's utterly worthless, probably because these parts cost so much when we bought them new long ago.

I have my very first CPU, I'm looking at it right now, it's in a plastic bag hanging from a cord strung catty-corner across my bedroom. Um, just removed it from its bag (first time since probably around 1994). Says:

Intel
i486 DX
A80486DX-33
SX419
INTEL 1989

I upgraded it with IIRC a year or two later with an AMD CPU, a 486-DX66 I got at a computer show. The computer itself was used and put together by an electrical engineer who (this was 1993) had decided to get rid of the desktop and go forward using a laptop, a pretty novel idea at that time. I used to call him from time to time and pump him for help. He made his living then using Autocad on property designs. One day he got appendicitis, died in Kaiser Permanente care, his wife told me.

 

[BUTCH1]

I have my very first CPU, I'm looking at it right now, it's in a plastic bag hanging from a cord strung catty-corner across my bedroom. Um, just removed it from its bag (first time since probably around 1994). Says:

Intel
i486 DX
A80486DX-33
SX419
INTEL 1989

I upgraded it with IIRC a year or two later with an AMD CPU, a 486-DX66 I got at a computer show. The computer itself was used and put together by an electrical engineer who (this was 1993) had decided to get rid of the desktop and go forward using a laptop, a pretty novel idea at that time. I used to call him from time to time and pump him for help. He made his living then using Autocad on property designs. One day he got appendicitis, died in Kaiser Permanente care, his wife told me.

My first PC build was an AMD K-5 100Mhz, a huge upgrade from my 1st rig, a 386-16, I paid $400 for that one and it was a refurb!.