Frequently Asked Questions

If my experience is anything to go by, yes! I am just one of many people in my area selling PCs on the online marketplaces and I’ve sold 60+ PCs over the past few years since I started. You’ll see lots of posts online asserting people would rather build a PC themselves or buy a pre-built. While I think there’s some overlap between gamers and PC building enthusiasts, the former significantly outnumbers the latter. Many (probably most) people would much rather simply pay for a pretty ARGB build that they can plug in and immediately hop into games with their friends instead of researching parts, waiting for deals, and then learning to assemble their own PC.

Basically, just because us Tinkerpreneurs get excited about researching the least bottlenecked CPU/GPU combo, finding the best fan configuration for optimal airflow, or learning to revive “bricked” GPUs, doesn’t mean it’s how everyone else wants to spend their time.

As an example in a completely different line of business: while I’m fully capable of washing and detailing my own car, I’d rather pay someone who already has the proper equipment and location, and knows the best products to use and how to use them, to do it for me.

In many cases, by buying secondhand you can get a cheaper, more powerful build versus going the pre-built route. Moore’s Law has slowed down significantly, and hardware that is several generations old is still perfectly capable of playing AAA titles at acceptable frames at a fraction of the cost of new components. Indeed, I often sell complete PCs that are ready to play the latest games for the same price as just a new Nvidia GPU.

Keeping with the auto theme from above, people buy used cars because they can get similar performance and features at significantly lower prices versus buying new.

The honest answer: probably not. Even though people do buy secondhand PCs, the market is simply smaller. Once you take into account the time it takes sourcing parts and assembling, as well as any losses incurred from buying duds, your margins are razor thin.

The good news is that flipping PCs is still a great side-hustle that can sustain all of your own PC upgrades, or just earn some extra guilt-free spending money while doing something you enjoy.

How much you need to build your first PC to flip depends on what spare parts you have laying around and how lucky you are sourcing any additional components you need.

You may get lucky and inherit parts from a friend's upgrade or find someone on an online marketplace giving away parts for free. In general though, you can put together a budget PC flip for around $200.

The short answer: I see nothing wrong with buying PCs or parts and reselling them for a profit, as long as the transactions are transparent and willingly undertaken by both parties.

The longer answer:

Buying: My view is that all of the resources for pricing are readily available online and it’s perfectly acceptable to purchase something as long the seller freely set their price. In fact, some sellers may even prefer a quick sale at a lower price over listing it for more and waiting longer for a buyer. A variety of factors might also affect the price, such as the condition of the item, distance to pick up, and the reliability of the seller. As a flipper, I’m taking on the risk and effort of purchasing used parts from randoms on the internet, cleaning and testing (+ possibly fixing) them, then using my knowledge and expertise to assemble aesthetic PCs that can run games at acceptable framerates. I’m also extending the service life of parts that would otherwise go to e-waste or the landfill.

Selling: I am completely honest and upfront about each build and its components and I provide realistic FPS estimates. I test each PC and don’t sell anything has any issues. I also demo the PC for buyers at the point of sale and they have every opportunity to inspect before purchasing and walk away if they so choose. There are plenty of competing listings for gaming PCs in my area, many at cheaper prices. It’s up to the buyer to decide what combination of features, reliability, and price they’re willing to accept. If someone ends up buying from me, it’s because they’ve done their research and believe I’m an honest seller providing a PC that can perform as advertised at an acceptable price.

Since I only sell locally on Craigslist / OfferUp / Facebook Marketplace, buyers inherently know that transactions are final and they don’t usually expect any ongoing support. I demo the PC at the time of the sale so buyers can be confident the specs are as advertised and that it all works.

After the sale, I specifically do not say I will provide a refund, but I always tell buyers to message me if they run into any issues and that we can work something out. Lots of posts online make it seem like you’ll be handling a never-ending supply of support requests if you flip a PC, but I only get follow up messages from ~10% of buyers, and they’re usually for simple issues (i.e. plugging HDMI into the motherboard instead of the GPU). When there are any actual hardware problems that can’t be fixed, I do think it’s the right thing to refund the customer. Of the 60+ PCs that I’ve sold, I’ve only ever had to refund 2 customers. One was for a faulty onboard Wi-Fi adapter - I added a PCI Wi-Fi adapter and resold this PC. The other was for a crashing RX 480 that I had BIOS flashed to a 580 – I flashed it back to a 480, provided a $20 discount, and the buyer happily took it back.

Of course, this is simply my way of handling post-sale support. The beauty of having your own PC flipping side-hustle is that you’re free to decide how little or how much support you want to provide your buyers.