Matt of DIY Perks built low-cost PCs around recycled laptop motherboards, arguing they can deliver a CPU, embedded RTX graphics and 32GB of soldered RAM for roughly the price of new RAM sticks alone.
A key hurdle is power-on control: he traced the laptop keyboard membrane and made a single-pin ribbon cable to trigger the board, while noting donor laptops with separate power buttons are easier to repurpose.
An old Intel iMac supplied the display side of the project, with Matt delaminating cracked front glass to recover a better-than-4K Retina LCD that was otherwise headed for the bin.
The broader pitch is e-waste reuse as a cheaper, more engaging alternative to buying new parts, extending even to salvaged TV speakers and a custom all-in-one build.