NerdNextDoor Jun 5, 2025

Rescued and repaired a #HP EliteBook 840 G7 over the last day. Had a bent screen and 8GB RAM running W11 that took a minute to start.

Grabbed a screen and another stick of RAM to make 16GB (same RAM) from a broken donor of same model which was dropped yet screen was fine.

Slightly dented in some areas but great condition overall in my opinion.

Threw #Ubuntu 22.04.5 on the 256GB M.2. Arch is overdone and Gentoo isn’t worth it.

Lemme know what you think about this!

#Linux #Tech #Technology

Show threadKevin Karhan Jun 5, 2025

@mrmasterkeyboard #GlareScreen|s aside (which isn't your fault but #hp's) I'd say totally fine!

  • If not yourself, someone else will happily find a use-case for a cheap yet useable #laptop to get something done.

#Ubuntu is a good choice as #Desktop #Linux #distro when you want to hand this to someone who may not be as "#TechLiterate" but then again the "full" install comes with #LibreOffice, #Thunderbird and #Firefox so all the #Normies' needs are fulfilled.

  • If I only had like €/$ <100 and needed to get a laptop that works and didn't knew how to get something else (fixed) I'd propably buy it for that.

#Repair & #Reuse is always better than #Upcycle and espechally #Recycle, and getting a decent #OS on that machine and the screen fixed really made it useful...

Show threadNerdNextDoor Jun 5, 2025

@kkarhan Thank you for the comment!

In person the screen is great for me, just unfortunate camera lighting angles. :p

Ubuntu is something that I thought would suit this laptop, I wasn't wrong, it's blazing fast. The startup time is only more evidence to that.

I would also get something like this as well if my budget was £100 and if I couldn't fix things.

#Repair and #Reuse needs to be the default, I love repairing machines.

Not all broken screens and dented machines are junk, people!!!

Show threadKevin Karhan 

@mrmasterkeyboard np.

  • I thought the glare was excessive due to the lights, but then again I'm not gonna complain more about it. Noone expects you to have a fancy mattebox with turntable to make some professional product photo.

Also even if people don't have a donor to transplant a screen assembly from or don't feel comfortable fiddling with eDP cables they could just remove the screen and have a compact AiO Desktop.

  • If it has like a "full function" #USBc port with #PowerDelivery than this can result in a sleek desktop that also looks good and doesn't require much space. Ideal if the battery is busted and a replacement isn't worth it! I've seen those in like #RepairShops where they basically setup some #MacbookPro that way as a DFU machine to reflash / reinstall other #Macs.

I think it's a necessity that we as #TechLiterates propagate the need to #UseLonger and the #RightToRepair as essential, given that #tech inherently is expensive in terms of #resources and that avoiding #eWaste and #Upcycling is an act of #EnvoirmentalProtection.

  • Tho make shure to safely remove any "#DangerPillow|s" and handing it over to the relevant #recycling provider(s)...

If I had the necessary €€€€€ I'd literally start my own "#upcycling" #business, even employ some folks collecting all the #surplus'd #Windows10 machines and just cleaning, wiping, repasting, fixing and selling them as cheap #used #PC|s for those that kinda need something to do their casual "#office", #LightGaming and #MediaConsumption.

  • I mean people are surprised how zippy even old hardware can be with just few tweaks (more RAM, a fresh SSD, cleaning it of dust bunnies and repasting the cooler with some quality (longlife #ThermalPaste, like #ArcticMX4) "#ThermalGrease" (that costs like €1/g in a 20g syringe and a #RepairShop can easily go through one in a shift)...
Jun 5, 2025 at 11:29pmWeb