What each route is really trading
This is a trade between total return and effort, and which one wins depends on the machine rather than on a general rule.
Selling whole
One transaction, one trip, one quote. A machine that boots and runs well is worth more assembled than the same parts loose, because somebody can use it today.
Parting out
A higher ceiling on paper, spread across several sales, each with its own listing, buyer and risk. The ceiling is only reachable if you have the patience to hit it.
We price both and show you both. You are choosing between two numbers in front of you, not guessing which route was better afterwards.
When selling it whole tends to win
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It boots and runs cleanly
A tested, working system is the thing most buyers actually want.
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The parts are balanced
A sensible processor-and-card pairing is worth more together than either is alone.
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You want it gone this week
One visit, paid the same day, done.
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You do not want to open it
Perfectly reasonable, and it costs less than people think.
When parting out tends to win
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One component is far better than the rest
A strong graphics card in an otherwise ordinary build carries most of the value, and the rest can drag the whole-system number down.
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It does not boot
Then there is no working system to sell, and the parts are the only question. Bring it as it is.
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You are keeping something
Plenty of people keep the drive, or move the card into a new build. That is normal and it simply changes what you bring.
Keeping the drive lowers the offer on the machine by a known amount rather than complicating it. If the drive is the reason, this may help →
What it costs you to part it out yourself
The honest accounting includes the parts nobody mentions: photographing and listing each component, answering messages, packing and shipping or meeting strangers, and absorbing the occasional dispute or return.
The ceiling is genuinely higher. So is the work, and it is spread over weeks rather than an afternoon. If you enjoy that, do it — you will beat us, and we are not going to pretend otherwise. We buy to resell, and the margin is exactly why a shop cannot match a patient private sale.
What to bring either way
The decision does not change the packing list much.
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Bring it assembled if it boots
We can only price it as a working system if we can turn it on.
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Bring the cooler
And the box if it is already to hand. Neither is required.
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Bring the parts loose
If you have already stripped it. That is fine and nothing is lost by it.
Reckon on ten to fifteen minutes of evaluation per item, and bring a valid photo ID — 18 or over.
Common questions
Will you buy just the graphics card out of it?
Yes. Individual components are bought on their own, and the card is usually the most valuable thing in the machine anyway.
If I part it out, do you buy the leftovers?
The parts we buy, yes. The case, fans and power supply generally carry very little, and loose power supplies are not bought at all — but we will recycle any of it free.
Do I get a better price if I strip it myself first?
Not automatically. Sometimes the parts total more, sometimes the working system does. That is precisely why both prices are worked out and shown to you.
How long does the whole thing take?
About ten to fifteen minutes per item, and you are paid the same day in cash or by company check.