Its been a while since I've built a new computer system and the situation while dormant is starting to show its ugly head. New system standards have made most of the rigs I still use completely obsolete while my latest build is now simply acceptable.
I have 5 computers in total, not including the spare computer parts which take up space in my desk drawer. I'm not sure why I keep the extra cards, I just do. Still the 5 that I do have do what they need to do and haven't given me any real issues aside from a few fan failures and a power supply. No big deal until the unexpected from my newest system. Of all the computers I expected to fail, my HD equipped powerhouse that handles my TiVo downloads, HD video editing, and High Definition video viewing on my Samsung 52" LCD is the last one in my mind. The failure is again a minor one and one that is actually somewhat desirable. When I built that particular system I did something that I usually do not do. I purchased my hard drives from an independent seller at the Market Pro Computer Show & Sale. Normally I would be hesitant to buy storage drives from an independent seller but I had yet to have a Western Digital drive fail and figured the risk was low. Of the two 500GB SATA drives my secondary (D:) hasn't quite failed but I can hear the constant sound of the armature attempting to read data. Along with that the read / write speeds have fallen and the other day it dissapeared completely from my drive list. Scandisk discovered corrupt sectors confirming my fears and as it clicks away while I watch History Channel movies over the internet I know its days are counting down.
All is not lost though! As luck would have it Western Digital just released their new 2TB drive for a mere $299! I needed more space anyway so as soon as NewEgg has them in stock the shipping will commence! The system will now be 2.5 TB in total storage capacity. Oh the amount of HD video I can store from my TiVo on that.
My other systems while running well are reaching the end of their life expectancy. I've needed to upgrade the power supplies to keep up with the increased draw as the components age and replacement components are either more expensive than they were when they were brand new, or are not even available anymore. That horrifying fact accounts for the remaining 4 systems I have. All run AGP graphics, have IDE drives and old single core Cpu's. Now those systems all have multiple hard drives which I will have to deal with as each system fails since repairing them is just not cost effective at all. This is the dilemma I will be contemplating and analyzing over the next several months as I determine the best way to start replacing and or consolidating my resources into a more efficient package.
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