If at any time you have updated your laptop or desktop PC , it is likely that you have saved its RAM memory with the intention of reusing it at some point, but that moment would never have come and that old RAM memory has been collecting dust in a drawer . If this is your case, in this article we are going to give you some ideas and projects so that you can reuse your old RAM memory and give it a second life .
Even in the middle of 2020 there are many people who still use old systems that use DDR3 RAM, but sooner or later it will be time to update the platform and precisely the RAM, since it is a component that as a general rule has a lifetime guarantee and It also costs very little to store since it takes up little space, it is one of the components that usually ends up in a drawer waiting for a second life.
Recycle an old RAM
Obviously, if the old RAM you have stored is so extremely old that it is no longer compatible with anything and its performance will not be worth it at all, the best you can do is recycle it.
Don’t throw away your RAM modules as they contain compounds that if they end up in a landfill could end up generating harmful chemical reactions, so recycling safely is paramount.
This means that if you choose to dispose of the RAM modules, the best thing you can do is give them to an accredited organization or, at the very least, take them to the clean point of your city so that they can give you the proper treatment. A quick search on the Internet will surely lead you to companies that take care of everything, but we recommend you not get carried away by the first one you find because many of them try to use the RAM and what does not work for them ends in a landfill. Clean point or accredited organization, do things well that does not cost anything.
Your old RAM, in the form of a keychain
This is much simpler than it seems, although it is true that you will have to be a little “handyman” and have some tools (at least a key ring and a drill). Desktop PC RAM modules are too long to be convenient to carry around as a keychain, so you will need to cut them by a third or at least half, so you will also need some kind of saw.
As a general rule, almost all RAM memory modules have small holes in the corners of the PCB, making it ideal for slipping the ring on the key fob. However, if you want, for example, to remove 3 key rings from a single memory module, then you will need a drill to be able to make a hole and insert the ring.
Whatever you do, our recommendation is that when doing crafts you do it with great care and, if possible, using gloves and protective glasses to avoid potential accidents.
Create a RAM Disk
Another way to reuse one or more old RAM modules is to build a RAM Disk, essentially a device in which you can plug multiple RAM modules to use as volatile storage.
There are many manufacturers that for several years have PCIe expansion cards for this, such as the Gigabyte i-RAM and its alternatives. All you need is to mount your old memory modules on this device, connect it to your desktop PC, and voila. Of course, keep in mind that it is volatile storage, so you will not be able to use it to save your files (but as a system cache to accelerate the performance of the computer, for example).
Connect your RAM to an Arduino
If you are a fan of Arduino and have some development boards for it, you can use your old RAM modules to give it additional storage (also temporary, let’s not forget that RAM is volatile storage). Of course, you will also have to be quite a “handyman” since you will have to use solder and a breadboard to make it work.
Of course, keep in mind that for example 16 MB RAM modules can only provide an Arduino with 256 KB of memory given its hardware limitations. Therefore this is not a long-term project, but if you are a hobbyist and have the material, now you know that it is something that can be done.
