This complete guide answers the question of how much is my PC worth based on different criteria. The cost to build a high-performance computer has peaked in the last couple of years, as many gamers, developers, and editors are interested in the latest technology.
Whether you opt for a personal PC build, find the best buy, or simply try to sell your computer, understanding the unit’s price is important. When are done reading this comprehensive guide, you will learn how to assess your PC’s value properly.
Contents
Determine the Specifications of Your Computer
The first step you must make is determining the pieces of hardware installed in your PC before you can start evaluating the cost of your computer. The typical components you will find in most PCs include a motherboard, processor (CPU), CPU cooler, graphics cards, RAM, hard drive (or SSD), power supply, and case. In addition, higher-end computers may include additional components such as air or liquid coolers, RGB cases, and fan lights.
Fortunately, checking the PC hardware is easy because all the information is stored inside your computer. You should follow several steps, and in only a couple of minutes, you will know the essential information. Please look at the following list to learn how to check your hardware:
- Open the Start Menu of your Windows computer
- Search System Navigation and select it from the search results
- Find the essential information in the System Summary tab
- Navigate the Components section for additional information
You can repeat the same steps on any PC to learn more about it. Additionally, you can install third-party tools to help you learn more about your PC specifications. So, before you purchase your gaming PC from Newegg, Tigerdirect, or Micro Center, it is time to evaluate it. Keep reading for more.
How To Assess the Value of Your Computer?
It is possible to assess the value using several methods. Now that you understand a lot more about your PC hardware and key specifications, it is time to evaluate the cost. In this section, we will answer the most important question, “how much my PC is worth,” by providing several methods of determining the price. So, we recommend using each method for a fair estimate.
In addition, if you are selling your PC, you should decide whether you will sell the whole unit or each component individually. For example, you should expect to earn extra cash by selling each part individually, but you must consider the additional time and effort. So, without further delay, let’s learn more about the first method of determining your PC’s value.
– Method 1: Using the PC Part Picker Tool
The first method you can use to determine the value of your PC is to navigate the PC Part Picker tool. This website specializes in computer builds of any shape and form. So, you can build your personal computer on their website without creating an account. In addition, you will get an estimate of how much the PC would be worth brand new.
You should navigate the PC Part Picker tool on their website and utilize the System Builder tool. This section contains an empty list of all the essential components of your PC, so you should add them to the list. Next, the tool will calculate how much each component is worth and the overall cost of the unit. However, since this is the price of a new computer, you should do additional calculations.
Once the PC Part Picker Tool evaluates the overall cost of your PC, you should multiply it by 35-70%, depending on how old your computer is. For example, a computer that cost $1400 five years ago may now be worth around $700 depending on the condition; hence 1400 * 0.5 = 700. In addition, your calculation should be based on the quality of the parts, the age of the PC, and the overall condition. After all, no one wants a beat-up PC. Now, let us learn more about the second method.
– Method 2: Using Online Classifieds
The quality of your components and the overall condition of your PC do not always have to be the determining factors in determining the price. For example, the sale price of your PC and the hardware components can depend on the PC market demand. However, demand is an important factor, especially in the second-hand computer market. So, we recommend using online classifieds to discover the market demand and determine whether your components are sought after.
Some of the most common online classifieds are Facebook Marketplace, Craigslists, eBay, and Amazon. You should navigate your favorite marketplace and search for the parts and hardware installed on your PC. In addition, it would be best if you navigated all marketplaces for the most optimal results. Finally, we recommend finding the average price of at least 3-5 different parts or units. For example, if three parts cost $200, $250, and $300, the average price should be $250. This is considered the average fair sale price.
On the flip side, if you plan on selling your PC as a whole unit, you should add the average price of all individual components. Then, you should multiply the overall price by around 80-90%, which will give you a fair representation of the average price of your PC. So, your final estimate value should be similar to the final value from the previous method. Now, let us learn the reasons why you should know your PC’s worth.
Why Is It Important To Know the PC’s Value?
The most common reason is understanding whether selling your PC is worth it. Now that you know a lot more about assessing the value of your computer, we will provide some of the most common reasons why it is important to know that. Not only should you be ready to calculate the value, but you should also understand whether all the hustle is worth it. Please take a closer look at the following bullet list to learn more about the important reasons:
- Learn whether selling your PC is worth it
- Evaluate your PC’s price correctly
- Sell individual components versus the PC as a whole
- Know whether it is worth upgrading it or buying a new one
- You want to ensure your PC
As you can see, these are some of the most common reasons why a person would want to assess the value of their PC. Now, we will discuss each reason in more detail and explain its importance. Although adding other points to this list is possible, we only tried to include the essential. So, without further ado, let us begin explaining the first point from the list.
– Understanding Whether Selling Your PC Is Worth It
One of the most important decisions is making sure whether selling your PC is really worth it. No one wants to end up selling their PC, only to end up needing it at a later point. It can be difficult to predict when your PC will start facing issues, so you should consider certain backups. One of the first things to recommend in this case is getting a backup PC, which does not have as powerful and expensive as your main computer.
In addition, if one of the main components in your primary PC conks out, you can immediately find a replacement on hand to either replace the hardware or troubleshoot the problem. It would be a great idea to make sure the components of your backup PC were compatible with your primary computer. Finally, although you will spend the extra cash, the secondary PC offers a variety of functions, such as additional rendering and freeing up your primary system.
Moreover, you can use your backup PC for gaming and streaming to prevent your main computer from overloading on complex tasks. So, before you decide to sell your computer, think carefully if is it worth it and whether you will need it in the future. Do not sell your PC if you do not have a backup.
– Evaluating the PC’s Price Correctly
Sometimes, selling only a single component from your main setup may be necessary. This is the exact reason you must understand how to evaluate your PC’s price correctly or the price of the specific component. So, the time and effort you spend coming up with the price can be worth it. There are numerous reasons people decide to sell a single component from their PCs.
First, one of the leading hardware may have failed or underperformed, so the user decides to look for a different option. In addition, users usually sell their components when they want to invest in more powerful hardware. They can reuse the money from selling the old parts and get the desired part easily. So, you will first want to conclude that you assess the price correctly to maximize the value you can get. Let us discuss the following bullet point.
– Selling Individual Components Versus the PC as a Whole
You will face a big dilemma if you decide to sell your PC completely. So, it would help if you understood whether you would sell individual components and hardware from your build or sell the PC as a whole. This decision can be tricky to make and depends on the hardware and components you have, and one method proves to be better than the other. This is another reason why knowing how to value your PC correctly is important.
For example, if you decide to sell individual components, you should consider the additional time and effort you will spend. On the other hand, selling individual components usually means around 10-20% more cash. However, selling your PC as a whole will save a lot of time, but you should expect to get less money unless you make a fantastic deal. So, no matter whether you prefer one over the other, evaluating the price properly is an essential step of the whole process.
– Is It Worth Upgrading It or Buying a New One
The second to last reason why evaluating your PC’s value is important has to do something with those who decide to purchase a new PC. So, if you are a person who has decided to purchase a brand-new computer instead of upgrading it, you should consider several things. For example, you must assess if your PC is worth selling in the first place, or you can solve the issue by upgrading it.
Although upgrading several components from your PC can cause compatibility issues with other parts, you should consider the price. Upgrading a PC usually costs less than completely replacing your computer, and you can fully customize your build. However, you need to ensure your motherboard has the latest CPU slots or a proper thermal solution for best results.
In addition, newer components have different thermal solutions, so you might need to invest in a newer case with sufficient cooling. Nevertheless, knowing how much your PC is worth is important for determining whether to sell it as a whole or upgrade several components. And, finally, let’s move on to the last reason.
– Ensuring Your PC From Potential Damage
Finally, the last important reason you should know your PC’s exact value is when buying computer insurance to protect it from any potential harm or damage. Professional computers, especially high-end workstations, feature extremely expensive parts. So, getting proper insurance will allow for peace of mind in case something goes south.
Consequently, assessing the value properly is an essential step because insurers must know what they are dealing with. This is how you can be sure that there will be someone to cover the damage or replace it at a minimal cost, even in the worst-case scenario. So, now that you know everything about assessing a computer’s value let us summarize the important detail.
Conclusion
Our complete guide answered the important question of understanding how much your PC is worth based on several criteria. We have thoroughly covered a plethora of crucial information, and you can remember all the details in the following bullet list:
- Assessing the value of computers can sometimes be a tedious process, especially if you are a newbie.
- The first step in assessing the value is determining the main specifications of your computer.
- It is possible to evaluate the price using different methods, but the most common is the PC Part Picker tool.
- Searching the market is another way of telling the exact value of your computer.
- Several important reasons must be considered and will affect the value.
Finding the most optimal buyer for your computer or components is easy if you know how to assess the value properly. Fortunately, this article has made you an expert, so now, you can evaluate any component effortlessly.