How to Find the Resale Value of a Computer

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A comprehensive guide on getting the top dollar for your PC
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Wondering how much your desktop or laptop computer is worth? We'll show you how to determine your computer's resale value so you know how to price it when it's time to sell!

How Do I Find the Value of My Computer?

For a custom PC, use your system information and about tabs to find the specific components in your build. Use eBay and PC Part Picker to find the average cost for those used components and combine them to get a price. For prebuilt PCs, use eBay to find what identical models are being sold for.

Method 1
Method 1 of 2:

Pricing a Custom PC

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  1. Step 1 Compile a list of the individual components.
    If you don’t remember what’s in your PC, don’t sweat it. Click on the Start button, click Settings, then select System. Scroll down and select “About” to get all of the system information you need.[1] The core components you need to price out (in order of general importance/price) are:
    • Graphics processing unit (GPC)
    • Computer processing unit (CPU)
    • Random access memory (RAM)
    • Motherboard
    • Storage (solid-state drive (SSD) or hard disk drive (HDD))
    • Case
      • Won’t be listed in the “About” menu.
    • Power supply (PSU)
    • Fans
      • Won’t be listed in the “About” menu.
  2. Step 2 Look up the average used price for each component.
    Visit PC Part Picker’s website and select “products.” Then, look up each individual component in your computer. Take the lowest retail price listed and jot that down.[2]
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  3. Step 3 Discount each component by 50-75% depending on its quality.
    Used PC components do not fetch the same price tags as new components. Take the prices for each of your components and discount them based on how well they’ve held up.[3] Here are the variables to take into account:
    • Age of each specific component: The older a part is, the deeper your discount should be. New computer components are coming out all the time, so your components are losing a lot of value over time.
    • Rarity and demand of your component: Basically every PC enthusiast today would love to have a 4090 Founder’s Edition GPU, so if you’re selling one, congrats! Boost that estimate. Moving a 1080 card? Drop that price a bit.
    • Condition of each component: Got a GPU with a busted fan from the time you hit it with too it with too much canned air? Your PSU have a bad SATA cable? Discount the item even further.
  4. Step 4 Deeply discount the fans, PSU, and any HDDs.
    Your computer’s fans aren’t worth much to begin with most of the time and they experience a lot of wear and tear. As a result, they aren’t normally worth much used. The same goes for PSUs, which often need to be replaced in used computers if the new owner wants to make any upgrades (which is likely).[4]
    • Hard disk drives are basically worthless when it comes to resale unless you’re selling an HDD with a lot of storage (at least 1 terabyte), and even then, they just don’t fetch a premium used. PC users vastly prefer SSDs for their speed, and HDDs fail with consistent regularity over time.
  5. Step 5 Combine the prices to get a general sense for the overall value.
    Once you have a realistic understanding of what all of your components are worth, combine them to get a feel for how much your PC is worth as a whole. You still may not want to sell the PC as a single piece, but you’ll have a better sense of the overall value you want to shoot for by knowing your bottom line.[5]
  6. Step 6 Piece the components out if your build is outdated or deficient somehow.
    If you’ve got a higher-end graphics card in a PC with an outdated CPU, only 8 GB of RAM, and an odd fan setup, you’re probably better off just listing your PC components separately to move them in a reasonable time frame. You may also want to piece your PC out if your build is especially outdated (i.e. you’re running an old version of Windows, or you can’t run modern games or programs).
    • This is also the way to go if you plan on potentially reusing some of your components in a future build. Nobody will want to buy a full PC that’s missing 1-2 key pieces.
  7. Step 7 Sell your PC as a single unit if your build is solid and high quality.
    If your PC build makes sense and everything is in working order, sell it as a single PC. There is a lot of demand out there for solid used PCs, so if your computer is well-constructed and working right, don’t take it apart.
    • You should still clean your PC before posting any ads!
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Method 2
Method 2 of 2:

Pricing a Prebuilt Computer

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  1. Step 1 Determine the make, model, and specifications of your computer.
    To determine the resale value, you must know the exact details of your computer. If you’re selling a computer with a Windows operating system, right-click on the “My Computer” icon from the desktop, then select “System Properties.”
    • If you’re selling a Mac, click the Apple menu and select “About This Mac” to get all of the info you need.
    • Alternatively, consult with the manual for your computer to determine features like the manufacturer name, model, processing speed, hard drive size, memory, the size of the screen, the type of disk drive it has, and more.
  2. Step 2 Access the eBay website.
    eBay will allow you to search for the prices of computers of your same make and model that are currently being sold, as well as previous listings for computers that have already been sold.[6]
    • Visit the "PC World" website provided to you in the Sources section of this article, then scroll down to the "Common Questions" section of the web page.
    • Click on the embedded link within the "Common Questions" section that reads "eBay's home page" to access eBay's website.
  3. Step 3 Search for listings of computers that match your make and model.
    Enter the model and manufacturer's name of your computer into the eBay search field, then press the “Search” button. For example, if you are selling a Dell Inspiron Mini laptop, enter this exact criteria into the search field.[7]
  4. Step 4 Refine the search criteria based on your computer's condition.
    Specifying whether you have a used or new computer will provide you with more accurate resale values. Place a checkmark within the box next to "New" or "Used" below the "Condition" section in the sidebar located on the left side of the web page. The website will automatically update and reload new results based on the criteria you indicated.[8]
  5. Step 5 Browse the search results to determine your computer's resale value.
    Although the prices of computers displayed will vary from seller to seller, you can determine an accurate price range for the value of your computer.[9]
  6. Step 6 Review eBay's completed auctions for more accurate estimates.
    This procedure will display the prices that buyers have paid for the same make and model of computer. This step can only be done if you have an eBay account.[10] Here’s how you do it:
    • Scroll to the top of eBay's website, then click on the "Sign in" link to sign in to your eBay account. If you do not have an eBay account, click on the "Register" link to sign up for eBay.
    • Click on the "Advanced" link to the right of the "Search" button to access the advanced search tool.
    • Enter your computer's manufacturer name and model into the search field, then place a check mark next to "Completed listings."
    • Click on the "Search" button to review listings or auctions that have been completed, which will list the final prices for computers of your make and model that have already been sold.
  7. Step 7 Use an online appraisal tool if there are no eBay results.
    A variety of websites exist that allow you to enter your computer's features and specifications to calculate the resale value. The two most popular PC price calculators are:
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References

  1. ↑ https://www.lincolntech.edu/news/information-technology/basic-computer-hardware-essentials-networking-student
  2. ↑ https://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/selling-used-pc-parts,5690.html
  3. ↑ https://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/selling-used-pc-parts,5690.html
  4. ↑ https://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/selling-used-pc-parts,5690.html
  5. ↑ https://www.ricksdailytips.com/determine-value-of-used-computer/
  6. ↑ https://www.ricksdailytips.com/determine-value-of-used-computer/
  7. ↑ https://www.ricksdailytips.com/determine-value-of-used-computer/
  8. ↑ https://www.ricksdailytips.com/determine-value-of-used-computer/
  9. ↑ https://www.ricksdailytips.com/determine-value-of-used-computer/
  1. ↑ https://www.ricksdailytips.com/determine-value-of-used-computer/

About This Article

Eric McClure
Co-authored by:
Eric McClure
wikiHow Staff Writer
This article was co-authored by wikiHow staff writer, Eric McClure. Eric McClure is an editing fellow at wikiHow where he has been editing, researching, and creating content since 2019. A former educator and poet, his work has appeared in Carcinogenic Poetry, Shot Glass Journal, Prairie Margins, and The Rusty Nail. His digital chapbook, The Internet, was also published in TL;DR Magazine. He was the winner of the Paul Carroll award for outstanding achievement in creative writing in 2014, and he was a featured reader at the Poetry Foundation’s Open Door Reading Series in 2015. Eric holds a BA in English from the University of Illinois at Chicago, and an MEd in secondary education from DePaul University. This article has been viewed 155,596 times.
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Co-authors: 9
Updated: November 13, 2024
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Categories: Selecting and Buying a Computer
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