Value of a complete desktop computer

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Mcnew32(Ag)

Well-known member
Joined
Sep 3, 2014
Messages
125
Hello my fellow refiners,
I am writing this post to get some more information on the value of a complete desktop computer. I have been breaking down desktops and laptops for a while now but never really got a grip on what a tower and laptop actuall can bring completely broken down. If anyone has some figures on what can be made from a tower and laptop once broken down. I have a few contacts through computer repair shops where i get scrap from and am trying to get more information on what i can pay and make from a desktop and laptop.
 
The question you have asked is impossible to answer due to the many variables in the make up of desktop or laptop computers.
Age of the computer, where it was made, its spec can all alter the overall recoverable value contained within it.
Your ability to recover all that is recoverable also impacts on the overall worth of said computer.

By far the best price you can offer the owner is removing it from their property for free, if you can get them to pay your gas money then that's a bonus.
 
It all depends on what you can get for the scrap in the end.

Do an excel sheet with the different scrap categories and what you can get per kg (or pound), then scrap a computer and weigh the different parts. Add it to the sheet and you will know what you can get from that computer.
Do this with enough machines then you can say something about an average value.

Don't forget to add in costs for getting rid of things like plastic, glass or other thing you can't sell and all fuel costs. In the end you will see that there isn't a lot of money in running around picking up single computers. Any money in this game is in quantity, all else is just for fun and hobby.

Göran
 
A local scrap yard here pays 20 cents a pound for a whole desktop computer. There are places online to get prices on what the parts are worth, boardsort, cashforcomputerscrap, and so forth.

One thing is sure though, you will never make money paying for scrap, get it free or get paid to haul it off is the current business model.
 
rickbb said:
A local scrap yard here pays 20 cents a pound for a whole desktop computer. There are places online to get prices on what the parts are worth, boardsort, cashforcomputerscrap, and so forth.

One thing is sure though, you will never make money paying for scrap, get it free or get paid to haul it off is the current business model.

I am new here and upfront will say when it comes to refining, I certainly am not in the know. However there is one thing I know to be true to the buying and selling of any product. The profit is never made in the selling...the profit is made in the buying of that item, with the intent to sell.

Craig
 
I posted this add a little while ago and since then have been logging weights and sorting components. I have experimented with 25 different full size desktops, from dell, compac, hp, prasario, and so fourth. Took me a little while but i have concluded that if you were to scrap out a complete desktop with 1 stick of ram, CPU, heatsinks, HDD, PSU, 1pci card, disk drive, cd drive, wires, MBs and scrap iron you will consistently get 10$ Per unit. Thats just in scrap value mind you meaning no clipped ide ends, no cut gold fingers, no further breakdown than initial breakdown. This is for current scrap prices in my area. This is for just breaking down and selling everything to scrap yard. I personally keep to process ram, cpus, fingers, HDDs, and mother boards for the flat packs and monolithic capasitors. Again this is for normal size desktop towers. I pay anywhere from 5$ per tower or less. When i can break down a desktop in roughly 5-7 minutes im making 40$ an hour roughly
 
Sorry Mcnew32(Ag) but I gotta call BS... Where in the world are you that you can get $10 per computer just for the "quick scrap"?

Here in Denver, Pennsylvania, USA, there's no way to get more then maybe $4 per computer.

Fill us in a little more please...

B.S.
 
Pantherlikher said:
Sorry Mcnew32(Ag) but I gotta call BS... Where in the world are you that you can get $10 per computer just for the "quick scrap"?

Here in Denver, Pennsylvania, USA, there's no way to get more then maybe $4 per computer.

Fill us in a little more please...

B.S.

You would do well to know the correct information, prior to calling "BS" on another member. Doing what you did is very rude, when you haven't given him/her a chance to explain first. However doing it, when sufficient facts were posting is just ignorant.That's an easy way to get on the wrong side of someone.
Mcnew CLEARLY stated, that the $10 per computer, was a result of breaking the computer down, and even went as far as to list the components after the "breakdown". And for clarification, if you take a 2 pound motherboard, and sell it for $2.60/lb, that is $5.20 for the motherboard alone.
 
Forgive me mic and Mcnew32(Ag) for my local dialect. I find it tough to find $10 for a computer. Without fleabaying every part possible.

What Mcnew stated I don't see that happening so in my neck of the woods, you call "BS" indicating more proof or verification needed.
Nothing Rude or other intended or implied. Just not believing what was stated.

Thoughts anyone?

B.S.
 
Pantherlikher said:
Forgive me mic and Mcnew32(Ag) for my local dialect. I find it tough to find $10 for a computer. Without fleabaying every part possible.

What Mcnew stated I don't see that happening so in my neck of the woods, you call "BS" indicating more proof or verification needed.
Nothing Rude or other intended or implied. Just not believing what was stated.

Thoughts anyone?

B.S.

At this point I am going to assume that you are aware that he/she stated that the computer was "broken down". Going on that principle, I will give you my rough estimate. Now I haven't scrapped out a computer in a couple of years, so these would be rough estimates. As stated before a 2lb motherboard at $2.60/lb would yield $5.20. 1 stick of ram $.50, HDD $2(board, aluminum,steel), cd drive $.50(board) $.30 (steel), CPU $1(or more depending on the type),heatsinks $.70 (1lb aluminum), PCI card $.75, wires $.50, scrap tin $1.80.
That would be a rough yield of $13.25. Now if someone were to argue that I am 20% too high on my estimations, it would still be over $10.00. Do you understand the potential now? If not I can provide prices and defined weights if it would help.
 
Mic...
Wish I could get prices like that here.
And what part of a computer is tin?
My scrap yards aren't even close to those prices...so is why I question.

And $2.60/lb for mother boards? Where and how much shipping?
$2. for a hard drive stripped down? huh...
Steel being 6 cents/ lb there's no way there's 5lb is there on average?
Even the aluminum is 48 cents or there abouts.

Maybe yesterday prices but not even close today...This is why I find it tough to believe even $10.
I strip computers all the time but have yet to completely calculate cost per unit but don't par much per batch.

What I get for everything except boards and PM baring stuff barely pays gas.
The good stuff I'm collecting until I find a good buyer or do it myself. I'd prefer to do it myself but have a long way to go for all of it.

This is why I questioned in such a "rude" manner as I've been told. Not to argue but to see how and maybe figure out where I'm going wrong.

B.S.
... Gold drops? huh...
 
Pantherlikher said:
Not to argue but to see how and maybe figure out where I'm going wrong.
Had you started with that comment, your reception to the post would have been more pleasant, and I would not have gotten involved at all.

All ferrous metal (steel,iron) here is called "tin".
I looked at 3 sources for prices, boardsort, my old buyer, and my local scrap yard.
If you do not have a personal buyer, I am sure one of the fine members of the forum can assist you in that, or you can look for a category or thread, about buyers.
large socket MOBO's are $2.40/lb (boardsort)
green fiber (no metal) CPU $14.25/lb (boardsort)
aluminum heatsinks, and aluminum HDD cases/HDD platters $.55/lb (scrapyard)
HDD boards are $9.25/lb (my buyer)
gold fingered cards $3.45/lb (boardsort)
cd/dvd drive boards $2.90/lb (boardsort)
power supply's with wires $.25/lb (boardsort)
Tin (steel) $.06/lb
I only checked Boardsort because they make their price list public, and update it frequently
 
How much does one of each part in a PC weight?

I've scrapped several hundred desktop PC's in the past year, broken them down and sold them off to the highest paying places I could find.

And I did not get $10 per unit. I'd say more like $5 to $6 per unit is typical, and that was before the current price drops. The one scrap yard near me that still buys them whole pays $.20 a pound, if a typical, complete PC weights 20 lbs., that's $4 per unit.

Most PC's made in the past 10 years are not large socket CPU's, most are small MOBO's and pin less CPU's that only bring the low end of prices.
 
Mic,
Thank you very much for clearing that up for everyone here on the forum. I thought i had explained the process well enough. Panther, i appreciate your comment and no hard feelings. Yes this was a test of roughly 25 standard size tower desktop units with all of the basic components. Like i said it takes me about 5-7 minutes to completely break down a tower and throw the different components into bins. I did not create a spread sheet which i probably should have for everyone here on the forum to see but it was just scratch paper for each tower. Just wanted to see what the average yield would be for just scraping everything. The 10$ per tower quote does not include the further breaking down of the HDD, clipping of gold fingers, sorting of different grade aluminum or the separating of wire from power supply. If anyone has any questions about anything please let me know. Again Mic thank you very much.
 
Rick,
Thank you for your comment. This price is for a 100% complete normal size desktop. And the 10$ is an average price some a little less and some a little more. Current scrap prices are way low right now as well. So there's really only room to move up. Obviously the further you clip, snip and separate the more you will make.
 
Mcnew32(Ag) said:
Rick,
Thank you for your comment. This price is for a 100% complete normal size desktop. And the 10$ is an average price some a little less and some a little more. Current scrap prices are way low right now as well. So there's really only room to move up. Obviously the further you clip, snip and separate the more you will make.

Always remember there is room to move down too.
 
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