I downsized my PC hardware stash and learned 4 harsh truths about myself

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I’m in the middle of a major cleanout at home. Space is limited in San Francisco—a fact I blithely ignored through the pandemic. However, my behavior now borders on problematic for getting along with others. So here I am.

While upending boxes and dumping out drawers to identify stuff I don’t need, I’ve had to take a hard look at the spare PC hardware and related accoutrement I’ve amassed. And while sorting through it, I realized a few unfortunate truths about myself.

I have no sense of organization

More accurately, I have hot and cold fits of organization, resulting in a muddle. I discovered multiple troves of cables, for example. Some bagged in labeled Ziplocs in my primary box, others coiled in mixed stacks in multiple drawers of a plastic organizer. I also found separate stashes of motherboards, case fans, and other parts.

Everything sparks joy

According to the KonMari method of organization, you should only keep the things that spark joy. I stretch this definition, because no sane person says owning extra HDMI cables brings delight. But knowing I have at least one spare for a test setup because the other 38,946,021 have gone missing? That does spark joy (and relief). I do not need fourteen micro USB cables at this point, though.

I don’t get to projects the way I think I will 

I want to try so many different types of PC setups. Seeing Reddit posts or watching YouTube videos just isn’t the same as having real-world, hands-on time. But while I’m good at amassing the equipment and hardware I need, I’m slow to actually complete the builds. Apparently when I have a million projects ready to go, I finish (almost) zero of them.

I overestimate the value and longevity of hardware

I have an internalized belief that “This will keep” for computer hardware. And yes, I can run a system with old hardware. But peak performance for some parts has a shelf life. Whether a CPU, GPU, or memory is used or sits in a box, it will become older while performance demands grow.

I discovered multiple Ryzen 5000 series CPUs in my collection, for example—and while they served their function for benchmarking at their launch, and still perform well now, I was still sad to realize another person could have experienced their best performance (and a lot of joy) when newer.

What’s helping me change

I have a plan for what comes next, like consolidating everything in one place and keeping more reasonable amounts of…everything. I’ll also transform a couple of decommissioned PC builds into framed art of the mobo/CPU combo.

But the real drive is coming from a personal loss. A good friend died unexpectedly earlier this year. Before that happened, I’d always floundered on decluttering and organizing. I found some methods that worked, but the motivation was lacking.

My friend didn’t own all that much. Just about a lightly filled bedroom’s worth of things—but I still stood bewildered in the middle of everything, not knowing where to start looking for his wallet and identification, much less his important paperwork. I don’t want my friends and family to go through an even more overwhelming experience.

Also, I’d prefer no one at my funeral ask the group why I owned 12 serial cables.

In this episode of The Full Nerd

In this episode of The Full Nerd, Adam Patrick Murray, Alaina Yee, Will Smith, and our colleague Michael Crider discuss AMD’s growth in desktop CPU marketshare, coming upgrades to Nvidia GeForce Now, and Adam’s addition to performance monitoring. Spoiler: A good number of us (and the audience) play ‘Overlay’ more so than actual video games. I remember a time when min/maxing everyday life sounded boring and dreadful, and now it’s…fun.

Also fun: I admitted my ignorance around mouse settings for playing games, and now I might be a real PC gamer one day. (If you have further advice for me, please drop me a line in the YouTube comments for the liveshow or on Bluesky!)

And truly exciting: We’re finally launching our new Linux new podcast series this week! Just head on over to our newly renamed YouTube channel (@TheFullNerdNetwork). You’ll get to see Will and Adam discuss their experiences with a dual Linux / Windows lifestyle, and whether they fully switch away from Windows in the final episode. (I’ve placed my bets already.)

Missed our live show? Subscribe now to The Full Nerd YouTube channel, and activate notifications. We also answer viewer questions in real-time! 

And if you need more hardware talk during the rest of the week, come join our Discord community—it’s full of cool, laid-back nerds.

This week’s shocking nerd news

Last week, I had on rose-colored glasses while looking at the past. This week, the freshest news poured a strong dash of cold, current reality on everything. Continuing fluctuations in U.S. fiscal policy still has me low-key concerned that innovation will slow dramatically for the next few years, as companies continue to adjust and weather this out. 

Still, some reports cheered me up some, particularly on the science front. And the world’s never too bad when people release more games (and game related content) featuring kitties.

• A black market exists for Nvidia AI GPUs: Steve Burke over at Gamers Nexus did a deep investigation into the reselling of these restricted graphics cards in China. As you’d expect from Steve, it’s thorough, clocking in at over three hours — but every second is eye-opening.

• Plex user? Patch now: If you didn’t see the heads-up in your email, you should patch Plex ASAP. The security vulnerability hasn’t yet been disclosed, but this kind of urgency implies it’s pretty serious.

• I always wondered what satellite internet was like: I’m fortunate that I have several options for internet service where I live, but I’m still curious about what the experience is like using cellular or satellite. PCWorld contributor Jon Martindale recently switched to Starlink, so I found his first-hand account fascinating.

• What did I just read: I’m not sure what I expected from a story about a security researcher, McDonald’s, and the company’s cybersecurity weaknesses, but I definitely didn’t anticipate such a cavalier attitude from the house of Ronald. Does this mean I should worry about food safety?

• I’m glad they’re renaming these Pebble 2 models: I’m a fan of the original Pebble (well, Pebble Round), but as a PC hardware enthusiast, a device called a “Core 2 Duo” just feels odd. I have my fingers crossed that a Pebble 2 Round will come out eventually.

• Yo, science is metal: I hate pollen. You probably hate pollen. But scientists? They have chosen to bend pollen to their will. I am transfixed by the idea that it can be used to create other materials.

Catch you all next week, after I take an extended weekend to deal with my hoard of stuff. If you don’t hear from me, I’m probably buried under a fallen pile of ancient product boxes.

Alaina

This newsletter is dedicated to the memory of Gordon Mah Ung, founder and host of The Full Nerd, and executive editor of hardware at PCWorld.