{"id":878,"date":"2026-10-25T17:18:19","date_gmt":"2026-10-25T17:18:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/thatpaulguy.tech\/?p=878"},"modified":"2026-10-25T17:18:20","modified_gmt":"2026-10-25T17:18:20","slug":"new-uses-for-older-processors","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/thatpaulguy.tech\/?p=878","title":{"rendered":"New uses for older processors"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

How did we get here?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

To say this started with a failure is a bit of an understatement. It actually goes back much further. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

A couple of years ago, I made the choice to have a back up storage server. There are two routes for this. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

One, buy a new Network Attached Storage device at retail. These are specialized and easy to set up, but the cost can be prohibitive. The software is sometime proprietary, so it’s a bit like adopting an ecosystem. They are reliable, and of course usually brand new, so that is a huge plus.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Two, build your own NAS. There are literally thousands of PCs not suitable for a certain large company’s operating system that lived worthy lives as someone’s home PC or Office unit. There are even more components with no driver support. Used parts and open source software can give many of these a new life. Used parts, though cheap, fail more than new ones. So beware.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How to Choose<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

How tech savvy are you? Do you like to tinker? What is the budget like?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

All of these are relevant questions when it comes time to decide, but if you decided as a casual user that you need it, you probably aren’t too afraid of choice number two. It was the choice I made and it served me well, until lately. Twice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The process was easy enough. I have been building PCs for a while and this was just a PC with a different Operating System and more storage. Instead of streaming, gaming and making videos, I was storing data and for a while running other apps like Home Assistant. I then started splitting those duties up into more power efficient, smaller PCs, but kept the big one for data. Until it failed. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

No errors, no warning, no indication of any kind that it failed, it just did, and then refused to post. I spent the better part of a day swapping into a different set up that thankfully I had already been testing and I was back in business. That is until I messed with it. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Bad Luck, or Bad Choices<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

It may have been a bit of both. My buddy Gus has a new project he is working on and needs a place to store back ups, and of course bulk data. It was an easy choice for me to build him something using, you guessed it, some of the parts I had just put together for my replacement server. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

His server works great. My rebuild didn’t. Things like my security and Home Assistant were fine, I had already migrated them, but my NAS wasn’t “NAS-ing” anymore.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In steps the Ryzen3 3100, that I hadn’t even written about in here yet. (Some of the reasons for that can be found here<\/a>.) I had most of the platform already built, and I already had the storage in the case, I just needed a transplant. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

TrueNas doesn’t care what kind of hardware I’m using. I discovered recently that TrueNas is hardware agnostic and easily swaps between set ups. The last change went from later XEON to fourth gen intel. You can find that YT video here<\/a>. This change was from intel to AMD. If I wasn’t a believer then, I am now. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

What’s Next?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Um, actually, it’s probably going to be newer equipment. I’m not buying a new NAS, no, I meant newer parts for my custom effort. It’s proven itself twice and been reliable even when the hardware wasn’t. The learning curve for the software is small and I don’t have to worry about where my files are being stored. They’re on my<\/strong><\/em> equipment. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Is that the correct answer then? Nope, but it’s correct for me. In a way this is just one man’s experience, but I encourage anyone out there to try something that might make you uncomfortable. Yes, this is PC stuff, but it can apply to anything. Try learning a new language, to read music, anything. Life is a wonderful chance for us to live. Live it. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

As a note, I am also putting my effort where my writing is. In the next few weeks a new site will be live, and I’m helping my buddy Gus with his stuff. There is a lot going on, I hope you’ll join me for at least part of it. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

How did we get here? To say this started with a failure is a bit of an understatement. It actually goes back much further. A couple of years ago, I made the choice to have a back up storage server. There are two routes for this. One, buy a new Network Attached Storage device at … <\/p>\n

Continue reading “New uses for older processors”<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[8],"tags":[106,44,103],"class_list":["post-878","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-tech","tag-back-up","tag-pc","tag-repair"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t