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Ask HN: What should I do with a broken laptop
About 3 months ago a family member gave me their Dell Inspiron 3520. Its about 2 years old, she bought it at best buy but was not using it. I was happy to have it, my intension was load ubuntu. I probably used it previously, with Windows 10, maybe 12 times?
Never got to installing ubuntu - last week I turned it on and it would not turn on. Eventually it started making 3 beeps. Apparently 3 beeps means an issue with the motherboard. After doing a bit of research on the web it turns out many others have had the same issue with the same laptop.
My issue is it's not worth it to me to fix it, as replacing the motherboard costs at least $250. Even repairing it might cost money. I think it initially cost of the laptop is $450 or so. I'm not qualified to fix it myself, not sure I want to invest the time to do so.
Mt question is this - what do you think is the most cost efficient thing to do with this relatively new but broken laptop?
- dmfdmf 10y agoI'd say if others are experiencing the same issues and there is no easy fix (do a search for baking HP printer motherboards at 350Deg for 12 minutes or fixing a Brother printer error with scotch tape) then it is toast. It sounds like a production flaw and you will just be wasting your time.
- wprapido 10y agosavage it for parts (RAM, HDD, DVD, case, display)
- cbanek 10y agoI find there's never enough hardware that you can go all Officespace on. Go to a field, with a baseball bat, and beat your frustrations out of it. You get to keep the bat, so I'd say it's pretty cost efficient.
- Ryanb58 10y agoRecycle it. Some places pay you for old electronics. You can also pick it apart and sell the items individually on ebay or something.