I hope it's ARM or RISC-V, and not x86-based computronium.
What sci-fi would you recommend if I want to read more about this computronium?
Some of the later books in the Culture series (most directly The Hydrogen Sonata) deal with civilizations trying to get a leg up on the galactic tech ladder by scavenging the leavings of older civilizations that have "sublimed" and left the physical realm.
A Deepness in the Sky and the related books.
Beside the already mentioned Culture series and Deepness in the Sky, I can recommend the Revelation Space saga.