Re:Usability of Old Computers
by bombcar on Sunday September 24, 2023 @09:57AM
(#37633171)
>A desktop computer emits 778 kgs of CO2e annually.
It's patently false; a desktop computer emits barely any emissions at all; maybe a tiny amount of off gassing as it heats up.
The power to run the device may emit CO2 during generation, but that's a separate question and isn't from the device itself.
The gist is still correct, reduce and reuse are very important overall.
What I haven't really worked out (and the math would be involved and difficult) is whether all things considered running old enterprise hardware is better than buying new power-efficient hardware for the same use case. A quick cost-benefit analysis says buying new is 'better' because the energy use of the old pays for it, but that doesn't correctly account for all the cost of manufacture and if you're in a climate that mainly heats the house, you get "free heat" from the use of the older equipment.
It's patently false; a desktop computer emits barely any emissions at all; maybe a tiny amount of off gassing as it heats up.
The power to run the device may emit CO2 during generation, but that's a separate question and isn't from the device itself.
The gist is still correct, reduce and reuse are very important overall.
What I haven't really worked out (and the math would be involved and difficult) is whether all things considered running old enterprise hardware is better than buying new power-efficient hardware for the same use case. A quick cost-benefit analysis says buying new is 'better' because the energy use of the old pays for it, but that doesn't correctly account for all the cost of manufacture and if you're in a climate that mainly heats the house, you get "free heat" from the use of the older equipment.