6 Tips for Finding Cheap Hardware for Self-Hosting | Hardware Haven

Comments

• veniasilente@lemmy.dbzer0.com ⁨2⁩ ⁨days⁩ ago

  Transcript / useful rundown for non-youtubers?

  source

  • 45o3b@lemmy.ml ⁨2⁩ ⁨days⁩ ago

    Here you go. (Disclaimer: I used AI)

    ---

    This video by Hardware Haven, titled “6 Tips for Finding Good Deals on PC Hardware,” provides actionable strategies for finding cheap and heavily discounted used computer components, servers, and office PCs.

    Here is a breakdown of the six main tips covered in the video:

    • Find local ITAD (IT Asset Disposition) businesses [01:40] These companies wipe, recycle, and resell old equipment decommissioned by businesses. Since they deal in bulk, you can often score incredible deals on enterprise or office hardware. If they don’t have a public storefront, you can sometimes find them by searching for local eBay sellers dealing in bulk office PCs.
    • Use eBay local pickup [04:27] For large or heavy items like servers and tower systems, sellers bake the high cost of shipping directly into their asking price. By filtering for “local pickup only,” you avoid those shipping costs and can often secure a much lower base price.
    • Get creative with the platforms you use [07:46] Don’t rely exclusively on eBay. Check out niche component sites like jawa.gg, local thrift stores, university surplus auctions, or GovDeals. When using Facebook Marketplace, browse generic local buy/sell groups rather than PC-specific ones—you are more likely to find sellers who don’t know the exact value of their hardware.
    • Use unconventional search terms [11:04] Instead of searching for highly sought-after product lines, search for the specific, less-common processors inside them. You can also find steep discounts by intentionally searching for minor cosmetic defects using words like “missing,” “cracked,” or “damaged.” For local marketplaces, try generic, non-technical terms like “CPU tower” or "good computer."
    • Put in more effort than other buyers [13:46] You can find extreme discounts if you’re willing to buy hardware that requires a bit of troubleshooting. This includes buying locked systems and clearing the BIOS, flashing custom firmware onto cheap Chrome boxes, or taking a calculated risk on “for parts” listings that might just need something as simple as a new CMOS battery.
    • Be patient [18:03] Used enterprise gear hits the secondary market in massive waves when companies do their hardware refresh cycles. If a particular component is overpriced right now, don’t overpay—wait for the next wave of surplus gear to flood the market and drive prices back down.

    source

    • foxymochakitten@slrpnk.net ⁨2⁩ ⁨days⁩ ago

      thank you for being honest about it but please remember that each and every AI query is absolutely devastating to the environment!! It’s pretty easy to just type up a quick summary (or let someone else do it) rather than do that damage

      source

      • -> View More Comments
    • veniasilente@lemmy.dbzer0.com ⁨1⁩ ⁨day⁩ ago

      Thanks for admitting it’s done with AI, I’ll wait for someone else to provide humanely useful information since presumably about 60% of that text is hallucinated.

      source

      • -> View More Comments
• foxymochakitten@slrpnk.net ⁨3⁩ ⁨days⁩ ago

  oooh very useful, thank you! I am hella broke (like rationing my SNAP money broke) but I’d quite like to get into this hobby

  source

  • KryptonNerd@slrpnk.net ⁨1⁩ ⁨day⁩ ago

    When you’re running so low on money, the increased energy costs are potentially more of an issue than the hardware costs. You can often find cheap or free hardware, but if it is inefficient and increases your energy bills then that’s more money coming out every month.

    That being said, I’ve seen some people have success with using old Android phones as small servers. Probably can’t do much, and not the most secure (as they will no longer get security updates) but definitely a low power option that should be easy to get hold of for free or very cheap.

    source

    • foxymochakitten@slrpnk.net ⁨1⁩ ⁨day⁩ ago

      I didn’t think about that… thank you!! I can definitely get my hands on an old cellphone.

      source
• activistPnk@slrpnk.net ⁨2⁩ ⁨days⁩ ago

  Is there a cliff’s notes? I tried to reach it via invidious:

  inv.nadekonw7plitnjuawu6ytjsl7jlglk2t6pyq6eftptmi…

  Could not even get the transcript, and 403 forbidden when just trying to get audio.

  source

  • violetrage@slrpnk.net ⁨2⁩ ⁨days⁩ ago

    works fine on inv.nadeko.net

    source
  • 45o3b@lemmy.ml ⁨2⁩ ⁨days⁩ ago

    vger.to/lemmy.ml/comment/26190217

    source