How Much Is Your PC Worth? (Let’s Find Out!)

If you have been planning to sell off your old PC or laptop but have always been hesitant to do so because you were unsure how much it would actually fetch you, we are here to tell you how you can find out your PC can be exactly worth for. 

Once you understand the peculiarities of it and what your PC is exactly worth for you can use this knowledge in both ways. Whether you are buying a second-hand PC or selling yours, you will know what to expect or what to do to get the maximum value of your PC or laptop.

In this piece, we will therefore help you assess the worth of your PC and the hardware component and will cover everything included in the entire appraisal process. 

We will also make sure you are aware of certain general guidelines that help you in selling or buying a PC. So, how much is your PC worth? Let’s find out. 

Why you may need to find your PC’s worth?

So, the first thing that you need to determine is the reason why you need to find out the worth of your PC. So, it would either be if you are buying a used PC or a laptop, or if you are selling your own PC or laptop.

There can be many instances when both of the reasons can be valid. The purpose of finding the reason is to determine the approach of appraising the PC that you are either planning to buy or sell. 

Now in determining the worth for your computer. It will be different for different cases. For instance, if you need to sell your laptop, the things you need to consider would be different than the things that you need to consider when you sell your computer. 

So, let us look at both cases. 

How Much Can Your Laptop Be Worth for?

When you are appraising the price of a laptop, it is simpler than that of a PC. A laptop comes with set specifications and determining the pricing of a laptop can be as simple as entering a service tag into the support portal of your manufacturer. 

Modifications that can be made to the laptop specifications such as upgrading the RAM or installing a new hard drive can help a great deal in increasing the resale value of your computer.

The calculation of the value of your laptop will include all the hardware and software that is installed and that you will consider while listing your laptop for sale.

Once you get the total of your calculation you can then compare with resellers online to determine and set a competitive price.

It is imperative that you understand that the technology will upgrade with time.

If you want to match with the changing technology you will have to make a timely assessment of the laptop you have so that you can appraise and sell your PC before the underlying technology of your PC goes obsolete.

When determining the worth of your laptop certain points are worth noting:

  • High performance gaming PCs and workstations from brands such as Alienware from Dell, ASUS, or HP, will have better resale values as they have unique designs and are well recognised.
  • Other brands that are consistently priced include Cyberpower, IBUYPOWER, and Origin as these workstations use high quality components and hence have a better baseline pricing.
  • Technology is constantly upgrading, so old laptops may fetch you very little money. Even minor upgrades to your laptop can increase your laptops overall value a great deal.

How Much Can Your Desktop PC Be Worth for?

When it comes to pricing a desktop, it is far trickier than laptops. The reason being, a desktop PC can be customized into something that is completely different than what it was when it was purchased.

You can purchase a prebuilt computer at a certain price and then based on your own specifications you can build your own PC and when you actually sell your PC you tend to get a better value overall.

Desktop PCs can be appreciated with time as they can be easily upgraded and enhanced. This means that the value of the hardware that you originally purchased can be upgraded with time-based on your requirements. This can greatly increase the resale value of your desktop PC.

To get an idea of the resale value you will need to know how the various components you install perform with time. Many online resellers provide a good idea of component pricing and that can help you calculate the price of your desktop PC.

How Much Is Your PC Worth

What are the major factors on which the worth of your computer depends?

Now that you have seen the pricing consideration for both a laptop and a Desktop PC let us list out some of the common factors that decide the price and worth of all PCs be it a laptop or a Desktop:

  • Underlying technology and the make and model also determines the resale value.
  • Processor Generation whether it is Intel or Core or AMD, etc. 
  • Size of the RAM – 2, 4, 8, 12 GB so on and so forth.
  • Speed of the Computer Processor – in RAM (Mhz)
  • CPU manufacturing year – the more recent the CPU manufacturing date is, the better it gets. 
  • Computer Graphics – The more advanced the computer graphics cards installed are the better it is.
  • Battery Life – more the battery life better the resale value.
  • Processing Speed of the Computer (GHz)
  • Capacity of the Hard Drive (in TB or GB)
  • The Operating System used on the Computer impacts the resale value of the computer in a great way. Having licensed software installed in your computer is sure to increase the resale value. 
  • Overall look and feel of the PC, its casing and the components determines the resale value. Scratches and Scrapes on the casing impacts the value of the PC. 
  • Internal components should look neat and free from dust as it can greatly impact the resale value of your computer.

Above was a list of some of the general factors on which the resale value of any PC would largely depend. Now that you are aware of the factors, let us look at some other aspects of the pricing of your PC. 

When is it right to sell your Computer?

As far as the right time to sell your PC, if you are not using your computer, make sure to sell off your PC before the technology and the components from which the PC is made become obsolete.

If you feel that the price of your PC can increase in the near future owing to the shortage or due to the fact that the technology you own is different, you may decide to wait.

It is more like holding on to an investment or a stock until it is the right time to sell and earn some profits. But holding on to selling off for a long time may turn out to be unprofitable. So, you must ensure you are not delaying selling off your PC for a very long time. 

There may be a situation when there is a shortage in the semiconductors and when that happens your computer may fetch you a good resale value.

But you need to keep a close watch on the market as anytime the market may bounce back which can bring down the value of your PC.

Calculating Your PC Worth – The PC Calculator

Like you have in everything, there is a formula used in PC value calculation as well. Here is how the value of a computer can be determined:

Total Value of the Computer = (Hardware + Software) – Any Damages and Adjustments + any accessories & peripherals included (Keyboard, monitor, etc.) 

The above gives you a general idea of the value of your PC but may be difficult to translate it into figures or mathematically. As such, to calculate the worth of the PC there are many PC Worth Calculators that you can find online.

These can be used to find the worth of a desktop, a Windows laptop, or a Mac. While using one of these online tools to calculate the price of your PC online you must know and understand the components that reside inside your PC.

If you are someone who is not so tech-savvy you can go into your computer and get the properties of your computer to find the specifications of the computer. PCPricer is one such tool that can help you determine the value of your PC.

You will need the following to calculate your PC’s worth on an online calculator. These include the following:

  • CPU Configuration of the Computer.
  • RAM information.
  • Motherboard.
  • Graphics Card.

We have already pointed these as the deciding factors of your PC’s resale value and in the online PC Worth Calculators as well you will need the numeric values for all of them. Now that you know about the PC worth calculator, let us find out more about it.

How can you appraise your computer?

You can choose to appraise your computer locally and can take your set up to them. Many local retailers would even agree to offer some additional services and discounts if you agree to purchase a new computer from them.

They will follow the same process of looking at the computer components used and then based on the age and quality of the components they will evaluate and propose the best offer.

If you have a custom build PC, the appraisals may be different as the components used will vary and thus may increase or decrease the resale value based on the quality and the make of the components that you have used.

You can refer to this guide to check your PC specifications for detailed steps.

At times, you may even be told that your computer is worth scrap and the price that they offer will feel like it is better to just keep it. If that happens, you will have to do your own research well and can then visit some other retailer.

If you get a better price elsewhere go for it. The idea is to ensure that you shop around a bit with different retailers and get the best value of the PC you have. 

Gaming computers always fetch higher prices than other general use PCs as they are always made from better quality components, have high-speed processors, contain advanced graphics cards, and computer processors.

Overall, gaming PCs have a great resale value than general use laptops.

How much can you fetch for Customized PCs?

This is a category of PCs where you can see a wide range of price differences. If you have bought a PC that is prebuilt from a local boutique shop and did not upgrade or use any branded components in the machine, then your computer will not be worth anything near any of the branded PCs.

If you wish to keep the resale value of your Custom PC good enough, ensure that you make smart choices while purchasing the components and ensure that the PC is kept in a pristine state.

That way when it is time to resell the PC, you will get a better deal and you will get the advantage of the upgraded hardware in your Custom PC.

Also if you include some genuine software from the official websites of the products, it could add great value to your products.

You will also need to ensure that all products and software you have installed and purchased can add some value to your PC and can fetch you a good deal at the time of reselling.

Ensure the products that you get to have proper licenses and are transferrable and should not have any issues while reselling. If you are buying a PC, ensure you check the genuineness and licensing of all the products included in the deal.

If you find anything shady avoid the deal as many retailers may sell cracked software loaded in the PC and you may not even realize you are being sold something you should not. 

Where and how can you sell your PC?

When you are planning to sell your PC, it is best to start looking for an offer near you. First, try to get an offer from the local markets and then look for offers online or in global markets.

You can try selling your PC in the local markets starting with the following:

  • Amidst your friends and colleagues 
  • Local Marketplaces online, Facebook marketplace, etc.
  • Global Markets such as eBay.
  • Local retailers and Computer Shops.

Basically, you can sell almost anywhere you like. It all depends on the deal you get. Sell your PC anywhere you get a good deal.

Final Thoughts

When it is about finding the best price for your PC, it may look like an overwhelming task but it is not so difficult after all. Finding the worth of your laptop is easier than that of a desktop.

Use this comprehensive guide to know everything and much more you need to know about calculating the exact worth of your PC. Happy Reselling!!