View Full Version : Any idea how much my PC is worth?
I'm considering selling my old PC and picking up a low-end Mac mini as a nice upgrade. But first, I need to make sure I can get enough money out of my PC to fund the mini.
Here are it's specs:
Model: Gateway 505GR
3.0GHz Intel Pentium 4
1GB RAM (Unknown brand)
200GB Hard Drive (Unknown brand/RPM)
NVIDIA GeForce4 MX4000 with 64mb VRAM (replaced Intel integrated graphics)
1x DVD-R/W drive.
1x CD-ROM drive.
1x "Media Manager" with SD/MMC/SM/MS/MS-Pro and CF/Microdrive readers.
~5 USB, ~3 FW ports (Don't feel like dragging my tower out to check exactly)
Running Windows XP Home Edition, SP2.
Hopefully some can tell me what I could expect to get for this system (just the tower, no monitor/keyboard/mouse). Hopefully it's about enough to fund a Mac mini - atleast $800 for lowest-spec'd mini with Applecare and the darned USB modem I need.
Of course, if I can sell this PC for a decent amount, I'll probably wait for Santa Rosa-based minis that may even come with a price drop. :)
I'd say around $300. The CPU isn't bad, and you have decent hard drive and RAM specs, but the main failing is the graphics card. If you had, say, a GeForce 6800/7800 or higher, or a Radeon X800/X1800 or higher, that would add a significant amount to the value. Also, I think the value is also lowered because it's a Gateway rather than a homebrew system (meaning they don't know what kind of motherboard it has or how expandable it is).
It's definitely not worth $800, though. Not even half that. $300 may be a little generous, come to think of it, since you can get brand new desktop systems for about that. On the other hand, those sub-$400 desktops generally don't even come with DVD burners, and their CPUs are crap (some 1.6 GHz Celeron version of the Core). So I'd still say $300 and no more.
Windowsrookie
2007-11-20, 21:40
Hopefully it's about enough to fund a Mac mini - atleast $800 for lowest-spec'd mini with Applecare and the darned USB modem I need.
Not even close. A new PC is like a new car, it looses 30% of it's value as soon as you turn it on.
...it loses (not looses, dummy) 30% of its (not it's, dummy) value as soon as the company posts it for sale on their website.
That's more like it. Grammar issues aside, WR is completely right. Windows PCs are such a commodity that they lose their value incredibly quickly. When I think about it more, that $300 value probably is generous. Think about it—a new PC doesn't just come with all newer components, but you also get a warranty and a new OS. In this particular case, you're getting Windows Vista, which is... eh... not necessarily an upgrade. But it is newer, and it's fully licensed for this computer. Can you say the same for yours? When you sell your computer, will you also be selling a legal copy of Windows XP to go with it?
So yeah, don't expect much at all for the PC.
That's better than my crap Dell. If it wasn't for the fact that I'm saving for a MacBook and thus really can't buy a desktop, I would go for it, for example. And it would be enough for many people's uses. I think between $275 to $300 would work, but don't expect much more than that.
Yep, resale value on PCs suck. Even the "extreme" systems are cut in value to the point you almost wish you never paid for it. Homebrew or chain bought doesn't even make much difference.
Just do what I end up doing; turn them in the Folding@Home machines and HDD servers on the network. At least there is still some use in them. One of them I ended up turning into a SME server/gateway for my home network.
If U can, take 150-200 and run - it's the way it is in PC land. Just a commodity. A "Mod" unit is only a hobby machine - value only to its builder. Compare to a car with a fat exhaust pipe. Who is excited besides the original owner? Nobody. Harsh? - sorry - but true.
Dorian Gray
2007-11-21, 02:13
Seriously, it would be amazing if you could get even $300 for a standalone tower of those specs. It's possible someone would pay that if you advertised it for long enough, but you might have to be patient. Here in the UK you'd have a job finding a buyer for it, because everyone wants notebooks except the performance-orientated crowd (gamers, Photoshop jockeys, etc.), and your computer is much too slow to satisfy them. I suspect iDorf's price is closer to the mark.
iDorf's estimate sounds pretty good (~$200), as does turtle's suggestion.
This machine has plenty of legs, not just for a server but for most kinds of desktop work, if it's quiet enough and free of problems. Very little resale value in comparison. So, I'd seek to use it or hand it to someone I know.
The reason everyone wants a laptop is that a new minimum-spec laptop is so cheap vs new minimum-spec desktop that the portability, which most folks don't really need, comes almost for free. That is not the case with used machines.
I'm thinking $150, max. Nobody wants to buy a used desktop any more. If it had a decent graphics card, you might be able to sell it to a kid wanting to upgrade it to a decent game machine, but a GeForce 4 is way, way behind the times.
Throw it on Craigslist and take the first offer you get for more than $150. :\
I'm thinking $150, max. Nobody wants to buy a used desktop any more. If it had a decent graphics card, you might be able to sell it to a kid wanting to upgrade it to a decent game machine, but a GeForce 4 is way, way behind the times.That makes no sense IMO. If someone were to buy an older machine like this in order to upgrade it and do some gaming, then the graphics card is exactly what they would upgrade first, seeing how it's the fastest developing part in computers. Whatever the most powerful card that was available at the time of purchase of this computer, it would need replacing just as much as the GF4 MX.
The viability of the gaming upgrade strategy would be very much dependent on whether the motherboard has AGP or PCI Express, and whether the socket is LGA 775 or not.
Here's some information on your motherboard:
http://support.gateway.com/s/MOTHERBD/Intel2/102007/102007sp33.shtml
It looks like it supports LGA 775 and PCI Express. You definitely need to advertise those two aspects if you're going to target this toward upgraders.
Not even close. A new PC is like a new car, it looses 30% of it's value as soon as you turn it on.
And 60% of its value as soon as you install Windows. ;)
Here's some information on your motherboard:
http://support.gateway.com/s/MOTHERBD/Intel2/102007/102007sp33.shtml
It looks like it supports LGA 775 and PCI Express. You definitely need to advertise those two aspects if you're going to target this toward upgraders.Hm.. though it's 775, the specs only talk about support for P4, not the Cores. Not much upgrade room for the processor. Then again, you don't necessarily need to upgrade it. Just a $120 Radeon X1950 Pro in there, and you have a very capable gaming box for low resolutions. Most things should run well at 1280x1024 and nearly everything at 1024x768.
Just remembered there is the question whether the Gateway's power supply will provide any power over the bare minimum. But probably it will, as long as there aren't any extra drives. Doesn't matter if there are dedicated connectors, adapters will handle that.
Thanks for the helpful replies everyone. I figured $800 was being far, far too optimistic, but then again, I don't follow the resale trends for PCs!
Looks like I'll just keep it, since there's no sense in selling it. Home server seems like as good an idea as any! Thanks!
Dorian Gray
2007-11-21, 17:32
In my experience no computer holds its value as well as a low-end Apple notebook. MacBooks (especially the cheapest model) and even old iBook G4s are priced incredibly high on the used market.
torifile
2007-11-21, 18:03
Reading this thread just made me cringe for the OP. I always knew macs hold their resale value well but I didn't realize how well compared to PCs. Ouch.
You may be able to sell it for more than it is worth, but you can build a good system for cheap. I built a PC with dual core 2.2ghz AMD Athlon processor, 1gb ram, 160gb HD, 5 USB 2, 2 PCI-Express, 3 PCI, SATA, IDE for just under $300. Integrated graphics, but it's 256mb I think.
Granted I didn't have to buy a dvd burner or windows. I think the $200-$300 range is close.
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