Used PC builds: What are they worth?

If you aren't in any particular rush, why not just list the price right there in the description? $333 Maybe try dropping the price by $33 every week or so. Though, honestly—I wouldn't be surprised if you didn't get even a handful of bucks for it, considering how old it is.

Thanks 🙂 but I actually already have a buyer lined up offering $1,500. The guy doesn't really know his way around computers or anything... 😁 I just wanted to double-check I wasn't lowballing myself before I closed the deal
...

It’s possible that value applies if you include a graphics card, the monitor, and all the peripherals... but even then, that’s just a maybe.

Intel Core i7 3GHz LGA775, 2GB DDR2, Ati radeon 3450 512 DDR2 (brand new), 320GB SATA HDD, DVD.

Is five hundred bucks asking too much for this junk?

It's not too bad
The only issue is that it's a pretty weak machine by today's standards—having only a single-core processor

Thanks, I get it, but I really need this for my folks... just so they can run some basic programs without everything crashing...

Anyone got some advice? Are these machines actually worth the asking price? If not, what's a fair offer? I just need something for light gaming—just to decompress from work. Most of my time will be spent in Word, browsing forums, or streaming movies.

Link 1

Link 2 - I had to ask them for screenshots of the specs since the description was pretty vague. 🤷

Right now I’m stuck with a super weak laptop (emachines e442) that can't handle games at all, and even running Word alongside five or six browser tabs is a total struggle. 😬 So, yeah, this would be a massive upgrade for me. 🙂 I'll probably just keep the old laptop for basic typing tasks. 🙂

ruggedeagle40 said:Hey everyone, I could use some advice. Are these computers actually worth the asking price? If not, what’s a fair offer? I'm looking for something decent enough for light gaming—just something to decompress after work. Most of the time, I'll just be using it for Word, browsing forums, or streaming movies and shows.

Link 1

Link 2 - I asked him for screenshots of the specs since his description was pretty vague. 🤷

Right now, I'm struggling with this ancient laptop (emachines e442) that basically chokes if I try to run anything more intense than a calculator app. Even having five or six browser tabs open alongside Word is a massive struggle for it. 😬 Moving to either of these would be a huge step up for me. 🙂 I'd probably just keep the old laptop strictly for typing up documents. 🙂

What's the absolute most you're looking to spend?

ruggedeagle40 said:Hey everyone, I could use some advice. Are these computers actually worth the asking price? If not, what's a fair offer? I just need something for light gaming to unwind after work. Most of the time, I'll just be using it for Word, browsing forums, or streaming movies and shows.

Link 1

Link 2 - I asked him for screenshots of the specs since his description was pretty vague 🤷

Right now, I'm stuck with a super weak laptop (emachines e442) that can't handle games at all; even having five or six browser tabs open alongside Word makes it struggle 😬 So, moving to either of these would be a massive upgrade for me 🙂 My current laptop will just stay on the desk for basic typing tasks 🙂

Go with the second one; those motherboards on the first one are notoriously unreliable.

swiftfalcon89 said:So, what’s the actual budget you're working with here?

Maybe $1,700 or $1,800 max. I wouldn't go any higher than that—it feels unnecessary, and honestly, spending more right now seems pretty irrational.

I don't know what you're trying to get at with that. Not sure what that means—maybe just nonsense? Anyway, moving on. ruggedeagle40 says:
Go with the second one—the motherboard on that first one is incredibly unreliable.

Thanks for the info—is it really that critical? 😲

ruggedeagle40 said:Maybe $1700-$1800 max. Anything higher feels like a waste. There's really no point in overspending right now.

Thanks for the heads up, is 😲
really that much of an issue?

I don't buy that...
if memory serves, those Abit boards were solid as a rock...

ruggedeagle40 said:I’d cap it at around $1,700 or $1,800 max. Honestly, I wouldn't push past that. I don't think I really need more than that, and it feels pretty irrational to blow extra cash on anything higher given how things are looking right now.

Look, I honestly think some of you guys on this forum are more than capable of putting together a killer new PC build for anyone looking to upgrade. $667 If you aren't worried about the graphics side of things, I'd say go ahead and pick up a used GPU while you can—provided you find one that still has some warranty left. Aim for somewhere in the $500 range.$233 If you're looking at options like the HD7750, the HD7770, or even the GTX 550—honestly, those might actually be worth considering... $233 If you can swing that kind of cash, try to snag an HD6850 or maybe a GTX 460 while they're still under warranty. Of course, that's only if your budget allows for it. 😬

Nah, honestly, I’d rather just grit my teeth and suck it up with this old eMachine for another year or two—give up gaming entirely, keep it clean, and call it a day. It’s basically a bottom-tier rig, but I’ve already got enough hobbies and responsibilities as it is; I don't really see the point in dumping a ton of cash into a PC right now. 😢

What about these two options:
Link1 - A cheaper bundle that includes a monitor, though it looks like the specs are pretty outdated?

Link2 - A bit more expensive; I’m debating if spending $67 is actually worth it.

You posted the exact same link—look, the PC isn't bad, but it’s definitely not worth two cents. I should probably let Oscar know that his graphics card is actually worth about... $133Maybe nudge that price down just a hair—$1,600 would be more in the ballpark. 🙂

ruggedeagle40 said:Honestly, I’d rather just grit my teeth and limp along with this old emachine for another year or two. I'll give up gaming entirely, keep it clean, and call it a day. It’s definitely bottom-of-the-barrel stuff, but my life is already packed with enough hobbies and responsibilities; I really can't justify dumping a massive amount of cash into a new PC right now.😢

As for these two options:
Link1 - A budget-friendly choice that includes a monitor, but it feels like the specs are pretty outdated, doesn't it?

Link2 - A bit more expensive; I’d try to haggle them down to about $67, but is it actually worth it?

Regarding that second build from Oscar, the GTX 260 is roughly on par with the GTX 650. I suspect you could put together a fresh setup using a GTX 650 and a Pentium G2020 for around $667.

Already asked him—he says $2,000 is his bottom line. Moving on then. 🤷

Hey Benjamin King2, aren't those the exact same links? 🤔

Right now, I'm looking at this one: Link

Is that a fair price? I mean, I'll probably try to shave off a few bucks just to satisfy my inner cheapskate. 🙂

Anyway, thanks everyone. 🙂 Benjamin King2, move this elsewhere if this isn't supposed to be an advice thread. 🤷

My bad, I probably misclicked or something... anyway, that monitor setup doesn't actually tell us anything useful—it’s basically useless info. Either ask them to give you the actual specs (and I mean specifically, not just some vague "Dual Core Intel 5400 and a 1GB card" nonsense) or just cross it off your list entirely. You aren't going to get much gaming done on a GT 630, let's be real. That one with the GTX 260 is decent enough, but honestly? It's definitely not worth the asking price.

The photos show the specs for the one with the monitor: ATI Radeon 4350, Dual Core Intel 5400, MSI G31TM-P21 motherboard, 2 gigs of RAM... I know nothing here is particularly impressive, but maybe it's okay for a casual user? I'm guessing it might handle modern games at medium settings? (Looking at Far Cry, GTA IV, Star Trek Online) It would be great if a monitor comes with it for such a small amount of cash 🙂

If this isn't enough, maybe it's better to just hit up "Emil"—that rig seems way more powerful. LINK

EDIT: Regarding that other option with the GT 630... is the extra cost actually worth it? I’d ideally want a PC that lasts me 3 or 4 years without headaches (even as a "casual user"). In a year or two, I could probably swap out the GPU—I assume there will be plenty of decent used cards out there for maybe $75 (compared to this)—but then I'll need solid "foundations" for an upgrade. I mean, 8 gigs of RAM, a quad-core processor, a 1TB drive (I'm a big torrent user 🙂)... so that computer still looks tempting. Does it make sense given everything else?

Alright, I'll stop messing around with you guys... I decided to go ahead and grab Emil's for 1500. I guess it makes sense, considering I'm not exactly demanding—my absolute limit is just playing Star Trek Online.

Thanks for the help 👍

If you're looking to actually play games, the setup with the Q6600 and the 4850 is the better pick, even if the parts are a bit dated.
Sure, that Phenom build might have a slightly punchier processor, plus you get 8GB of RAM and a 1TB hard drive—which all sounds great on paper—but there’s a catch: neither listing specifies what kind of power supply is inside. Plus, that GT 630 is definitely the weaker card here.