3 years is a very short depreciation timeline for computers and associated equipment. That's how you ended up finding clouds being cheaper. Many companies who

3 years is a very short depreciation timeline for computers and associated equipment. That's how you ended up finding clouds being cheaper. Many companies who buy their infrastructure learn that they can run servers for 10+ years if they are properly cooled and maintained. Parts that wear out (fans and disks) are cheaply replaceable.