To be honest, the case is still the original one, but almost every other part has since been replaced. Now, I’ve taken it back to the shop where I bought it 20 years ago and asked them to upgrade the motherboard, CPU, and memory - the last of the original parts.

So, is it still the same computer?

I also like that I can just keep replacing parts on an existing product rather than buying an entirely new device each time. That’s exceedingly rare feature these days.

  • 👍Maximum Derek👍
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    112 days ago

    I used to do a lot of building, modding, overclocking, etc. I can’t tell you why, but I always associated the motherboard as “the computer.” If I replace the CPU, RAM, cards, cooling, drives, case, etc it’s the same computer. And if a take a mobo out and put it in another chassis, that’s now “the computer” or, at that point, “the old computer.”

    I had one 3/4 tower case that lasted me from 486sx, all the way to Pentium 3 and I still miss it, but I wouldn’t say it was the same computer. The same case sat next to Moss’s desk on The IT Crowd, and I’d get a little nostalgic seeing it.

    • @[email protected]
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      31 day ago

      I feel the same. The motherboard determines what else you can fit in, like the chassis of a car. It determines the maximum GPU, CPU, ram, etc you can use.