Key findings

• I still use my old wired keyboard and mouse to set up new PCs for clients.
• The Samsung 860 EVO SSD I bought a long time ago still hosts my secondary Windows 11 installation.
• I use my 5 year old GTX 1660 Ti when testing other PCs and it is one of the pieces I will always keep.

PC components don’t suddenly become “outdated” as soon as something new comes out. You can easily use hardware that’s been around for years without having to constantly wait for upgrades. For example, many PC users are still using a first-generation Ryzen 1000 series processor, a GTX 900 or GTX 1000 series GPU, or DDR4 systems built 8-9 years ago.

I’ve been building PCs since 2007 and have seen the industry evolve a lot over the years. I’ve also tried to keep my older hardware in some form. I don’t have anything super old, but I’m happy to still have 5 components and peripherals from 2017 that I still use in some capacity – either in my existing setup or for my business needs.

5 Cooler Master Mouse

The only time I use a wired mouse

I still have my old mouse that comes with a Cooler Master Devastator 3 combo that I bought in 2017 when I built my Ryzen 5 1600 PC. It’s a basic black wired mouse with the bottom part reserved for RGB lighting. I assume it’s a gaming mouse because it also has two side buttons on the left side and I can change the DPI on the mouse itself from 600 to 2400.

All buttons still work – in fact, I used the mouse every day until a year ago.

I kept this mouse even after I sold the keyboard that came with the kit. The reason is that I often have to set up new PCs for clients and I don’t want to go through the hassle of plugging my main wireless mouse into the new PC and then back into my personal system. I can just plug the wired mouse into the client’s PC and do what I need to before shipping it. All the buttons still work – in fact, the mouse was my daily companion until a year ago (for 6 years), after which I got a Razer DeathAdder V2 X.

4 Cosmic Byte Mechanical Keyboard

My very first mechanical keyboard

You never forget the first time. Although the Cosmic Byte CB-GK-18 is a subpar, cheaply built keyboard, it was still the first mechanical keyboard I ever used. When I upgraded from the Cooler Master Devastator keyboard to this mechanical keyboard, the thing that stood out to me the most was the sound. However, the typing feel and premium feel that I got from my later keyboards was missing from the Cosmic Byte model.

Connecting the USB keyboard is just easier and it still works perfectly, so there’s no reason for me to buy a replacement part.

The reason for keeping it is the same as mentioned above. I have to connect a keyboard to customers’ PCs to set them up before shipping and it’s a hassle to switch my main wireless keyboard between PCs. Connecting the USB keyboard is just easier and it still works fine so I have no reason to buy a replacement keyboard.

3 Creative speakers

If it ain’t broke…

In 2017, I needed a pair of speakers for my budget gaming PC and wanted as little as possible. The Creative SBS A120 happened to be the model I picked out at the computer store where I bought parts. It’s a 2.1 channel speaker with a subwoofer and two satellite units. It’s still the primary audio system of my personal system, although one of the satellite units no longer works.

Sometimes I am satisfied with the good sound from the speakers, which is enough for an occasional gaming session.

I don’t always like wearing my wireless headphones when I’m gaming. Sometimes I’m happy with the good sound from the speakers, at least for a casual gaming session. And they’re perfectly fine for watching YouTube. I’ve been thinking about switching to a soundbar for a year now, but I still need a bit more convincing – I might be willing to part with them if the speakers stop working altogether.

2 Samsung SATA SSD

My NVMe SSD is ten times faster

When I first got the Samsung 860 EVO a few years after building my previous PC, it was an eye-opening experience. Everything on my PC was extremely responsive, from boot time to programs to games. Even at around 500MB/s, the 250GB SSD made me feel like I would never need anything faster. Of course, that wasn’t the case. I later got a WD Blue SN550 and then a WD Black SN770 on my latest PC.

I’ll probably use it until it dies, then I want to take it apart and look at some NAND flashes myself.

However, I still have the 860 EVO with my secondary Windows 11 install on it, and it’s more than adequate when I need to use Windows 11 for some screenshots. It cost a lot more back then than a 250GB drive does today, but it was one of the best SSDs you could find. I’ll probably use it until it dies, after which I’d like to take it apart and look at some NAND flashes myself.

1 GTX 1660 Ti

The best-before date has long since passed

While the GTX 1660 Ti is more than adequate for 1080p gaming in 2024, the best time to sell it at a reasonable price is long past. I bought it for over $300 in 2019, but if I want to sell it now, I’ll be lucky if I get a third of that back. Even in 2022, when I built a new PC, I wasn’t willing to sell the card at the current market price, so I decided to keep it for a future use case.

The 1660 Ti was one of the last great GTX GPUs to hit the market. Nvidia recently discontinued the GTX brand for good.

Today, I use it regularly when testing PCs old and new. It runs without any fan issues, temperature problems, or other noises. And if I decide to build a replacement PC, I would have a great graphics card ready to go. The 1660 Ti was one of the last great GTX GPUs to hit the market. Nvidia recently discontinued the GTX brand for good, so I may just keep my GTX card in the hopes that it becomes an antique (one can dream).

Sometimes old is gold; sometimes it should just be sold

There are many ways to breathe new life into your old tech instead of selling it or throwing it away. However, sometimes you need to make the call at the right time to sell your old PC hardware and get your money back, especially if you have no use for it and don’t plan on reusing it for another project.

If selling isn’t an option, you can keep your old parts to use as backups or just for sentimental reasons. You can also try gutting your old PC to see if you can salvage anything for your next build.