What computer parts keep the best resale value?

glenn1

Lifer
Sep 6, 2000
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I'm going to say laptops, followed by monitors, then sound cards. Heck, I remember buying a used SB Live, using it for a couple of years, then selling it for the same price I originally bought it for...
 

DurocShark

Lifer
Apr 18, 2001
15,708
5
56
Monitors first.
Then laser printers. Especially color lasers.
Then laptops.
Then everything else. It's all commodity stuff.
 

ElFenix

Elite Member
Super Moderator
Mar 20, 2000
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Originally posted by: ElFenix
cables, floppy drives, cases, speakers, 10/100 nics

meant to edit :eek:


actually... my laptop appreciated cuz it was a super hot deal :cool:
 

desteffy

Golden Member
Jul 16, 2004
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of nontrivial things, i'd say monitors. as long as its not some superhigh priced LCD.
 

silverpig

Lifer
Jul 29, 2001
27,703
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I'm sure you can get the Linksys LNE100TX 10/100 LAN card for the same price today that you could 4 years ago :)
 

So

Lifer
Jul 2, 2001
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Monitors are definitely #1 and laser printers are #2. Laptops don't hold value that well, IMHO.
 

Falloutboy

Diamond Member
Jan 2, 2003
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memory as of late I bought my current stick for 50 bucks 8 mounths ago and could get 70 for it now.
 

jlee

Lifer
Sep 12, 2001
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Over what period of time? I remember paying over $100 for 128mb (or maybe 256..I forget) of PC133 only a few years ago.

I'd say cases, monitors, and power supplies..
 

Falloutboy

Diamond Member
Jan 2, 2003
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Originally posted by: CadetLee
Over what period of time? I remember paying over $100 for 128mb (or maybe 256..I forget) of PC133 only a few years ago.

I'd say cases, monitors, and power supplies..

memory had a big drop about a year and a half ago but hasn't budged much since. I got my 512mb of PC3200 for 50 bucks in january of last year and I would easily go for 70 now.
 

Mallow

Diamond Member
Jul 25, 2001
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I'm going with the case. I mean why should it decrease in value? As long as someone thinks it looks cool it doesn't really depreciate :)
 

BurnItDwn

Lifer
Oct 10, 1999
26,353
1,862
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IBM Moder M Keyboards
5 or 6 years ago at computer shows, you could pick up IBM Model keyboads for between $5 and $10 each.
New it's hard to find them for less then $30 (in decent condition)

3.5 inch 1.44MB High Density Floppy Drives.
a 10 year old working floppy is worth the same amount as a brand new one that works.

Cases generally hold their values, however, power supplies don't since the power demands of PCs' keep going up.

Monitors hold their values pretty well currently, compared to say, CPUs or Hard Drives, however, 5 years ago $400 was touching on the very low end of 19inch CRTs. Those monitors now go for about $100 used. (or less)

Memmory prices fluctuate a lot due to the somewhat volitile memmory market. Memmory that was bought in the last 2 or 3 years has maintained its value pretty well, but I remember purchasing a 32MB stick of SDRam for almost $300 back in 96. Nowadays, that RAM chip is worth like, less than 10 bucks.
 

TerryMathews

Lifer
Oct 9, 1999
11,464
2
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Motherboards hold their value in proportion to the amount of processors they support IE a 2 cpu motherboard will hold it's value much better than a uniproc one.
 

PoPPeR

Diamond Member
Oct 9, 2002
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definitely CD/DVD burners. I swear, it's only been like 6 months or something since I got a SCORCHING hot deal on a Lite-On 851S (4x dvd+-rw for $20 AR). Now i dont even know how fast these things are
 

simms

Diamond Member
Sep 21, 2001
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Sorry, but statisically a monitor (what I thought as first) won't. Take your 17" LCD.. a few years back easily for $700. Now, it's at about $350, if that.

A power cord, retailing at $1 still retails at $1. It's still at 100% resale, if not more, and that won't drop.