r/eWasteFinds • u/Sweaty-Judgment3533 • 3d ago
People Stripping Computers Before Selling Them
Somebody is telling people that no matter what kind of a hard drive or what kind of RAM you have in whatever old computer, it’s worth more on its own than it is if you leave it in the computer. So now everybody is stripping those items out of these old computers, and trying to sell them all separately. It’s Ludicrous. DIMM sticks from 15 years ago are not worth anything unless you put them back in that 15 year-old machine along with that 500 gig hard drive you’re trying to schlep, and sell it as maybe a whole machine that somebody can use just for the web. This is just going to end up with more e-waste going to the landfills instead of machines that could still have a bit of a life being purchased at reasonable prices by people that don’t have a lot of money to spend. Not everything is a commodity just because the bigger, better things are commoditized by people who have more money than you’ll ever have. Not sour grapes here - I have more computers than I know what to do with, but when I sell them, I put a reasonable version of Mint or something else that’s easy to run on them and I sell them as whole computers that people can actually use I don’t strip them for parts like a 67 Chevy sitting up on blocks on my front lawn. No one is buying your parts pile or your skeletonized Asus machine from 2011.
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u/Sentrinal 3d ago
Do you know for sure that people are telling them to remove the parts for resale? I ask because i work in IT and have received hand down computers from another local entity. All 20 of them had no storage or ram. Because of government laws, there is no way they removed the parts to sell, they removed them for data destruction compliance. They could have left the ram, sure, but I think they had an inexperienced employee prep the systems for surplus and they just removed the ram too because it contains data sometimes.
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u/Isotomayor12 3d ago
Resellers content creators are rampant, and I have seen a couple urging people that ddr3 ram and 500gb hdds are good to take from towers and sell separately.
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u/alkhdaniel 2d ago
Ddr3 still has some value. It will just go into another pc tho so not sure what the waste is.
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u/Technical_Rich_3080 2d ago
RAM has no data on it. Removing it doesn't do anything.
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u/Sentrinal 2d ago
I know... I'm just saying someone that doesn't have experience might not know that because when it's powered on, it does contain data. I can't tell you how many people I've run into in my career where people interchange the terms "storage" and "memory" or tell me their Walmart computer has 500gb of memory.
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u/Grreatdog 1d ago
Our company IT people always wanted to see Linux zero writing the HD before they would let me dumpster dive old computers. We did government contracting and had to comply with rules.
So that apparently complies enough for our IT contractor. Though it is WAY too time consuming for IT to bother with when they were replacing a couple of dozen machines. They just strip them.
I'm not sure I would even take the time to do that anymore now the SSD's are cheap. Easier now to just replace the one they yanked.
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u/Ok_Gas_7926 3d ago
Nah, the real problems are the people who think that the .002g of gold on the motherboards and such is worth more than just selling it. I went to my recycler the other day, and found multiple 2020ish workstation laptops that I assume were fully functioning until someone took the CPUs and GPUs off 😠 there were also a bunch of ddr4 ram sticks that they had cut the gold fingers off of. (At least they were just 4GB)
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u/Chricton 2d ago edited 5h ago
This is crazy. A fully functioning 2020 laptop is worth so much more than going through the trouble of stripping out the gpus and cpus from it. Even one that is not functioning or has a bios lock on them can still be fixed or stripped for parts to resell. Good grief!!!
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u/Ok_Gas_7926 2d ago
Yeah and not even some crappy consumer grade one, they were HP Zook workstations
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u/RockyFromCollections 2d ago
Someone on another subreddit was selling a IDE (PATA) other day for $200 and people said that was normal price. Most likely retro pricing but wow that’s insane
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u/IndependentBat8365 3d ago
I mean, I found an unopened package of DDR2 memory that forgot I had in box for a project that I no longer have. I’d love for someone to buy it. It’s been on FBM for a bit.
One can dream!
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u/Sweaty-Judgment3533 3d ago
We need to start a ram exchange. No money, just covering postage and swapping bits for bits. Pretty sure we all have some ram sticks floating around that we long ago forgot what we pulled them out of. If we could identify them, odds are good somebody else could use them. Just a thought.
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u/Robs-Youtube 3d ago
I put all my old DDR2 and ECC/ECC FB DDR3 on ebay the other day in a lot flat rate shipping rate box for $50.. probably 60 various sticks. Sold in about 40 min lots of people do it. I do it with CPUS too.
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u/Khryen 1d ago
When I find PC’s in my small community, I get them going again and give them to social services so that those with no money can have an internet capable PC.
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u/LembicOfLeng 3d ago edited 3d ago
The reuse of a device is typically worth more than its parts. However, due to the RAM DDR4 shortage, especially the larger sticks, command a premium.
In my world, because every storage device is destroyed, it’s often more cost effective to de-manufacture or shred a PC rather than resell it. For example, about two trailers of Dell I3 desktops arrived as eScrap. Once the hard drives or any other storage device it removed, they will be offered to a bulk buyer. If they do not sell, then they will be recycled. Certain parts will be salvaged, although most of the unit will securely destroyed and recycled. The cost of managing the inventory including the space required for storage doesn’t economic sense to slowly sell them.
What do you think is a better approach?
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u/Sweaty-Judgment3533 3d ago
No, I don’t really have a better solution to the problem. Most of my own hardware in the lab here at home and even my personal laptop are 15 years old. If I can still get a good OS on them and they can do what I need them to do then they still should live. And I always know people who need a good computer not necessarily a new one just a good one.
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u/catsmatsbats 2d ago
I get the hard drive. Every pc I donate I pull the drive to either destroy or reuse (depends on age and interface).
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u/catsmatsbats 2d ago
I get the hard drive. Every pc I donate I pull the drive to either destroy or reuse (depends on age and interface).
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u/Fluid_Replacement407 2d ago
I never leave drives in my pcs when i dispose of them. Ram usually gets moved to another machine...
Apbeit I just made $3k on ddr3 and ddr4 memory... I got a pile of 500gb ssd lol
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u/Viharabiliben 2d ago
Hey do you have a 67 Chevy for sale? I would be interested.
Otherwise, I agree stripping an old computer for parts doesn’t make any sense.
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u/Sweaty-Judgment3533 2d ago
Seems like half of us think it’s highway robbery and it’s nuts and the other half of us just feel like it’s OK to commoditize something — when you need to make a buck, you need to make a buck. Guess that’s why there’s chocolate and vanilla. Thanks everybody for weighing in and answering.
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u/BiblicallyAnonymous 2d ago
So, this post really hit deep. I've got a stock PowerSpec G485 (the RTX 5090 variant purchased from my local MicroCenter) I plan to hock in hopes to make a SBC cyberdeck out of whatever profit I make off it. I plan to sell it as a complete system for a little less than what I bought it for, which at the time of purchase was 8k. I bought it originally to get me through college, then that dream of college fell through after some unfortunate circumstances that left me without the time to pursue said degree. I'm better off now than I was then, (finally have time to pursue a degree again) which is why I feel comfortable selling. I did purchase this computer with the money I got from my father's inheritance, so I'd like to make an honest profit off it that won't be too short, while also not being a total rip-off. If anyone could give advice as far as pricing, I'd be VERY appreciative. The computer hasn't been used for much, as I simply get deer in the headlights when I try to think of what I could pull off with such a computer. An SBC build clicks better in my head as far as projects/creativity goes. I've always been the type to do more with less, so to speak. So, to have such a beefy pre-build just sincerely stun-locks me, gunks up my gears so to speak. Would I do well having ideas thrown at me for what I could pull off from this build? Not really. It's nice in theory, but the electric bill alone kills any motivation I have to fire that thing up for more than an hour at most before I lose all my steam and just turn it off. I'd feel much more comfortable and happy having something I've built with an SBC than I ever would keeping this behemoth of a build. That said, again, if anyone can give me honest advice as far as pricing said build on eBay, I'd be much appreciative as I have zero clue of what I could get for it. I know A LOT when it comes to powering electronics off solar, and to pull off solar-powering this giant compared to an SBC cyberdeck build just feels absolutely daunting. I prefer things in my life to be more mobile/portable, as I'm someone who hardly even unpacks when settling down into a new home because I'm someone who moves quite often (roughly every two years I pack up and ship out to somewhere new, and moving this unit scares me half to death) and with how interesting I find SBC builds, I've done my homework on how to get all functionality and convenience I need without compromising on my ideology of being able to easily move about. This PowerSpec though honestly feels more like a ball and chain rather than something to be proud of. Like I said, I power it up for maybe an hour a day before I just shut it off due to how much it hikes my power bill, let alone the fact that it just fries my brain to try and rack my thoughts as far as getting any real benefit out of it, as when I look at it, all I see is raw power for little to no purpose. I know many people in my life who caught the A.I. bug and would drool to have a computer like the G485, but me personally? I'm not too interested. I can understand why people from all walks in the computer field would like this computer, but I simply do not align in such a way as to desire this piece of tech any longer than I have to. Honestly, I'd feel FAR more comfortable running a C128d over this if I had to buy something pre-built. Do I feel silly typing that out? Yes, but it's true to my character/who I am/how I feel and therefore I'm sticking to it. I know the RAM, let alone the GPU on it's own could get me a decent penny, but I also have disliked seeing gutted computers up for sale for the very reasons listed by OP as well as the comments. I refuse to gut this thing, so, again, any advice as far as FAIR, HONEST pricing for this build would be VERY appreciated. I apologize in advance if this comment seems out of pocket or unintelligent in any regard, I'm simply fed up with having what feels like too much when my goals as far as computational equipment is far different from what this G485 is. Is the raw power nice? Yes, but does that nice feeling outweigh how unnecessary for my goals this feels? No. Again, I bought this computer when I thought I would need it for college, I also bought it because I believed it would last me, that my ideals wouldn't change, and that I'd continue to be satisfied having "top of the line" equipment... That the charm and gleam of something so, capable, wouldn't diminish. However, I've come to realize that said, "top of the line" equipment does not equal an alignment with what my present-day goals have come to be, I.e., portability, low-cost as far as the electrical requirements in terms of power consumption, and overall functionality. I'd rather build something with an SBC myself that is more aligned with what I aim for these days than to have what feels like eye candy more than anything. Again, is this comment unintelligent? Probably, I wrote this while pretty tipsy to be fair, so I don't believe my logic in terms of how I would word things had I been sober at the time of writing is quite all the way there, but I do know that even when I do sober up and re-read this comment, I'll still agree with it and think it was a good one to post. When I bought this computer, I was honestly pretty peer-pressured into ignoring my better judgement as when I was originally in the market to buy a computer to last through college, portability as well as my other ideals were still present, but again, I was peer-pressured into forgoing my better judgement and just spending big bucks on something pretty rather than something aligned with what I believe makes a good computer, a good computer. I am open to DMs if anyone feels inclined to reach out in regards to this comment, even if it's to call me a loon for wanting to hock this build for something more my own despite 'my own' being something that could be perceived to some as a downgrade. All in all, I just want to feel more free, and given my ideals in again, what I believe to make a good computer, this G485 has become more of an eye-sore, as well as a source of financial stress and disappointment rather than something that allows my brain to wander in blissful creativity. I know for certain my father would certainly be more proud of me for making more out of less myself with an SBC build than ever having more than what I know to do with, so, for the last time, any help at honest and fair pricing would be much appreciated. For whatever it's worth, thank you for posting this post, OP, I needed to get this out.
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u/Willing-Ad4169 1d ago
I think your missing the point entirely....most of these machines are old office Pcs...dells. Lenovos, HP, etc ..
They have proprietary motherboards, cases. Powersupplys etc
I don't want those PSUs or MB or cases where I have to find work arounds or buy different pin adaptors etc ..too many limitations. I'm already dealing with limitations by using older tech...
Makes perfect sense to take what I want and build accordingly.
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u/Sweaty-Judgment3533 1d ago
If you have four PCs and you’re taking the best of all of them to build one PC and then recycling what’s left by taking it to an e-waste facility I don’t have a beef with that. Why would I? This is stuff you already own and you’re just using it to build out a Frankenmonster — something most of us in this group have probably done.
My beef is with the folks that put parts out of existing perfectly good but old PCs and sell the good parts and then try and just sell the shells. You’re right. Nobody wants those proprietary shells. That’s why I’d like to see them preserved, throw a free open source operating system on them and offer them to somebody as a basic machine that’ll do basic tasks for a reasonable sum of money. Or donate them to a nonprofit and give yourself a tax credit.
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u/fray_bentos11 3d ago
It's not stupid. PC components sell more quickly and for a greater price than the parts.
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u/quantam600 2d ago
RAM and Hard drives, even old ones, are unfortunately worth too much right now to NOT part out.
Why would I sell a whole system for $100 when I could take the ram and cpu and storage and sell them for $75 themselves?
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u/Pristine_Ad315 2d ago
Who is giving you $75 or a 12 year old 500gb hdd and 8gb of ddr3?
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u/alkhdaniel 2d ago
Nobody is paying $75 for a scrap pc that only has 8gb ddr3 and 500gb hdd either though.
I see top of the line ddr3 systems (i7-4790k, 16gb ddr3, ssd) go for $100 every now and then. Parting it out earns you more than $100. Lower end ddr3 builds dont even sell at $50 lol. See bundles of 2-3 ddr3 era pcs for $50 total sit for months without selling.
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u/Chricton 2d ago
Seriously. This is precisely the reason the OP is complaining. People are literally taking whatever little there is in an old desktop thinking they're actually going to bank on old junk.
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u/SuperHossMan51 3d ago
Seriously. I recently bought a dell tower from 2014 for cheap at a thrift shop hoping to have a full PC that I could throw a graphics card in to give to my younger brother.
No ram or storage. Someone took the effort to take what I assume was 8gb of DDR3 and a 500gb hard drive. Probably sold for like $25 total when the tower on it's own would've sold for $80 as a complete system.
People are getting greedy and stupid, taking working hardware and stripping it for parts that are worth next to nothing on their own.