Can Anyone Donate Computer Parts?

[StealthG]

Hey all,

Just recently I started working part time at a local Boys and Girls club. I'm there most evenings helping around doing what I can. They do have computers, but they are a couple of years old and terribly slow. Often, I see kids whining and complaining about how slow they are which just leads them to become frustrated. So I got an idea, to try and fix up the couple of computers they have there. So I cleaned them with antivirus, spyware etc. scans. But they are still slow and they cannot afford new ones. So I just started bringing in my own computer memory from home and what not to upgrade those computers.

But im still coming up short in upgrading some of them. So if anyone has spare computer parts they do not need (preferably some computer memory) and would like to donate them for this cause it would be greatly appreciated.

[shanenin]

A good reload can make a huge difference. What kind of memory do you need? What OS and how much memory are these current computers running?

[martymas]

unfortunately

i live many thousands of miles from this post

and i have a room full of old bits and peices

tho the only ram i have is 3 sticks of

64mgs dmm

sorry bout that

marty

[bearskin]

well while I do appreciate that you are helping out the boy's and girl's club I'm kinda wondering about the computers that are a couple of years old and terribly slow. how slow are they? My newest computer is 5 years old but it works for me. I don't want to sound cynical here but how fast do the computers need to be?

[Pete_C]

Hey all,

Just recently I started working part time at a local Boys and Girls club. I'm there most evenings helping around doing what I can. They do have computers, but they are a couple of years old and terribly slow. Often, I see kids whining and complaining about how slow they are which just leads them to become frustrated. So I got an idea, to try and fix up the couple of computers they have there. So I cleaned them with antivirus, spyware etc. scans. But they are still slow and they cannot afford new ones. So I just started bringing in my own computer memory from home and what not to upgrade those computers.

But im still coming up short in upgrading some of them. So if anyone has spare computer parts they do not need (preferably some computer memory) and would like to donate them for this cause it would be greatly appreciated.

It never ceases to amaze me that someone can whine and moan about how pitiful something they got for free is.

Having started out with a really nice fast 33MHz 286SX it really makes me laugh when someone complains that a two year old computer is slow.

The big question is just what are they doing which demands the latest and greatest?

For word processing, researching the internet for school papers etc then even an eight year old 400MHz Celeron is adequate, actually even a 133MHz pentium will do .

On bulk trash week and the normal moveout days (mid month and end of month) I see many computer towers (and even working monitors ) being thrown out.

Even if they are not the latest and greatest; they are worth collecting to part out and see if you can get any useable components ( RAM , a better video card , bigger hard drives)

Sure; often these are not functional (bad power supply, burned out motherboard ..._) but in most of those the drive , RAM and video card are still good.

So, make a sign "We need your help to upgrade these computers. If you see any computer towers being thrown out please bring them here for salvage."

You can strip out the components. Once you have a truckload of cases, take them to a scrap yard and sell them as steel. The motherboards you can probably find an electronics recycler which will take them off your hands to be recycled for their heavy metals (Gold traces you know) . Of course you should test what you can ; since you never know you may find one or two which are better than what you have.

Westminister appears to be in the Long Beach / Annaheim area; you should find some good pickings cruising the streets on trash days .

Edited December 24, 2006 by Pete_C

[StealthG]

Thank you for the great idea Pete_C!! I never thought of that. Later today I'm going to post on craigslist and see if I could get some donations that way as well.

[shanenin]

What kind of computers and how much ram do the computers currently have?

[Pete_C]

Thank you for the great idea Pete_C!! I never thought of that. Later today I'm going to post on craigslist and see if I could get some donations that way as well.

You would be amazed what people throw out . One mans trash is another mans treasure.

There actually are people (Remember Sanford and son?) who cruise the streets here on bulk trash days just to collect recyclable materials and cash them in at metal scrap yards . While their trucks generally look beat up, I know several who make quite a decent living at this.

Might even try an flyer at the local supermarket or similar "Got an old or broken PC? Please consider donating it for parts to the local Boys and Girls club rather than throwing it out. Please let us see if there is anything we can use or recycle."

[bearskin]

one more thing to consider. if you have a large college near you check out their dumpsters. I know down in college station, texas when school is out a lot of those aggies just throw their computers in the trash.

also if there is a large hospital near you they update their computers frequently. in the hospital where I worked the old computers were given to the chaplain to dispose of. be nice to the chaplain and/or his secretary.

I have 7 computers and the best one I have is 1.4 Ghz with 256 ram.

the one I use mostly is 200 Mhz with 32 megs ram.