How Much Is My PC Worth? [Valuation Guide]

When it comes to selling your PC, the first question that will pop up in your mind is, “How much is my PC worth?”. Well, after the recent spikes in computer prices, you’re likely to sell it for more than you bought it. 

However, a lot of factors must be taken into consideration before determining any PC’s real worth. For instance, you will likely get less money if you plan to sell your PC as a whole. On the other hand, you have more chances to get a better deal if you sell every PC part individually.

On top of that, factors like PC condition, specification, and market demand also have a significant effect on its worth. So, in this guide, we will walk you through the entire process of evaluating your PC’s worth. This way, you will have an exact answer to your question. Also, if you’re currently building your first PC, make sure to check out PC-building mistakes you should avoid. 

Let’s get started!

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Key Takeaways

• It is important to learn about the worth of your PC before you sell it. 
• You can get more money by selling individual parts instead of selling your PC as a whole.
• There are different methods that can help you determine the worth of your PC. 

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How Much Is My PC Worth?

Follow along as we walk you through the steps to evaluate your PC’s worth.

Find Out Your PC Specifications

The first step to figuring out how much your PC’s worth is to write down its entire specifications. You need to know exactly which model of what component is installed on your PC to evaluate its worth correctly. Typically, your PC will have a CPU, a couple of RAMs, an HDD or SSD, or maybe both, a GPU, a PSU, and a motherboard.

If you built your PC from the ground up, or if you purchased a pre-built PC from a gaming shop, then you’re likely to have extra accessories as well that can bump up your PC’s worth. For instance, you might have a gaming case, some RGB lightning and fans, an aftermarket cooler, and much more.

Here’s how you can determine your PC’s specifications:

1. First, press the Windows + R keys to open Run.
2. In the dialog box, type “msinfo32” and press Enter.
3. After that, a System Information window will open. From here, start noting down the specifications from the top. First, note down the value of the OS Name, which will be your operating system. Next, note down your CPU model under the Processor name. Your motherboard’s model number is written under BaseBoard Manufacturer, BaseBoard Product, and BaseBoard Version.
4. You will find the amount of RAM installed under the Installed Physical Memory Ram (RAM) label.
5. Next, to figure out which GPU you’re using, click Components on the left sidebar of the System Information window. After that, click Display. Note down your GPU name from the Name label. If you have a GTX 3090 installed, its full name will be listed. For more information about the GPU, you can use a third-party software called GPU-Z.

By now, you would have noted down all the basic specifications of your PC. However, if you want to go deeper and understand more, like which RAM manufacturer you’re using and how many DIMMs are populated with RAMs, then follow these steps:

1. First, press Windows + R keys again to open Run.
2. After that, type “cmd” and press Enter to open Command Prompt.
3. From there, type the command “wmic memorychip get devicelocator, manufacturer” and press Enter.
4. Finally, note down the DIMMs and the RAM manufacturer.

Similarly, to note down how much storage you have and more importantly, what type of storage media you’re using, then follow these steps:

1. First, press the Windows + Shift + Esc key to bring up Windows Task Manager.
2. From there, head over to the Performance tab.
3. Here you will see how many disks you have. For instance, if you’ve one HDD and one SSD, you will likely see Disk 0 and Disk 1. Click on each Disk one by one and note down its Type, Capacity, and Name. 

For more information about your PC components, you can google their names and note down additional specifications.

Other Specifications

Please keep in mind that so far, you have not figured out your PSU specifications and your CPU cooler, along with additional bells and whistles that your PC might have, like RGB lightning and a gaming case. Therefore, there are still some things to figure out before you can determine your PC’s worth. 

If you’ve purchased a pre-built PC, then you can go through its manual to find out these specifications. However, if you’ve built your PC yourself, then you will have to inspect your PC to figure them out physically. 

1. First, power off your PC, then take out all the peripherals and unplug it from the wall outlet.
2. After that, remove the side panel of your PC case. It can be removed by unscrewing it or unclipping it. You will have to analyze your side panel to figure out the way to remove it.
3. Once you are inside your PC, you will find your PSU, where you plug in the power cord. Read the sticker on it and note down its name and model number, like Corsair VS600. Here, the 600 indicates your PSU’s wattage, which is 600W. For more information about your PSU, you can Google its name and model number.
4. While you’re at it, you can also note down your CPU cooler. If you’re using an air cooler, you will find the heatsink sitting on top of your CPU. From there, note down its manufacturer name and model number from the sticker. For a water-cooled system, there will be a radiator attached to the casing wall.

Similarly, you can inspect the PC case to find its model number and manufacturer as well.

Evaluate Your PC’s Condition

Once you have a complete list of your PC specifications, you can move on to checking its overall condition and health. 

Before we begin, keep in mind that it’s your PC, and you know its condition better than anyone. If you think some part is about to die, then it’s best to take that into consideration. For instance, if you are experiencing GPU artifacting, then it will be wise to get the issue fixed first, as you won’t be able to see it that way. 

First of all, to test your GPU, you can run a stress test using FurMark. Be sure to take screenshots of everything, as it will be useful in the selling ad.

Similarly, you can use Hard Disk Sentinel to check your hard disk’s health and temperatures. For your CPU, RAM, and cooler performance, you can run supported games to keep track of FPS and temperature. This will give you an overall good idea of your PC’s health.

Next up, you need to analyze your PC for any physical damages. 

1. First, take out the side panel again to get inside your PC.
2. After that, remove your GPU and inspect it thoroughly to look for any physical damage. Make sure to account for any scuff marks and general wear and tear. You can read our guide on how to remove GPU from the motherboard. 
3. Apply the same procedure to your RAMs and the overall PC in general.

For better understanding, you can personally rate each component out of 10 according to its condition.

Find Out Your PC’s Worth

So far, you know exactly which components your PC is equipped with and what’s their condition. The next and final step is to go through ads for similar PCs online to judge your PC’s worth.

Head over to Facebook marketplace, eBay, Craigslist, and similar websites to look for sell posts. Check if the PC for sale has the same specs as yours, and note down its asking price. This way, you will have a rough estimate of how much you should be demanding for your PC. You can also check the prices of individual components to get a better idea. 

Additionally, you can also touch the local offline PC market and ask around for a PC of your specifications. Note down how much the shopkeeps are asking for a PC similar to yours. Usually, you can sell your PC online for a bit higher than its offline market rates. That’s because most people prefer to deal online right from their homes.

Last but not least, you can also find out your PC’s worth by going through the prices of its brand-new parts. Head over to PCPartPicker and build a virtual PC of the same specs as yours. After that, PCPartPicker will show you how much your PC would cost as brand new. You can take that amount and multiply it by 70-80% to get an estimate of your PC’s worth.

Worth Of Individual Parts Vs. Whole PC

As a general rule, you will get more money for your PC if you sell the parts individually. For instance, if your entire PC is selling for $1000, then you can get like $1200 in total if you sell each part individually.

However, there is a trade-off, you will have to spend significantly more time selling each computer part as compared to the whole PC. This also means dealing with a lot more buyers, which can be quite hectic. 

Overall, if you have the time and you can deal with multiple people, then it’s best to sell your PC as individual parts. However, if you’re looking for a quick sale, then you should sell your PC as a whole.

Additionally, you can also find a middle ground between the two. Meaning you won’t have to sell each part individually, nor the entire computer as a whole. You can pair up several parts and make a deal to sell them. For instance, you can combine your CPU, motherboard, and cooler in a deal to sell them all at once.

Other Factors Which Effect PC Worth

Other than the general condition and health, there are a couple of other factors that can ramp up or bring down your PC’s worth.

1. First of all, if you have original boxes and receipts for every component, then you can get a better deal. 
2. Secondly, you can also get a better deal if you have regularly cleaned and maintained your PC. Additionally, when sending pictures to a potential buyer, make sure the PC looks as immaculate as possible.
3. Last but not least, if the major components of your PC are still under warranty, then you will definitely get a much better deal.

Summary

“How much is my PC worth?” You can now hopefully figure this out. Figuring out your PC’s worth is not a difficult task. All you have to do is note down its entire specification, then analyze its condition and health, and then go through the prices of PCs with similar specifications on sale. This way, you will have an idea of how much you should be asking for your PC. Also, make sure to check our guide on how much it costs to ship a PC, as this will help you greatly. 

Also Read: What Is The Motherboard IO Shield & How To Install It?