E-waste: what to pull and what it's worth
A computer sold whole is worth a few dollars. Parted out, the same machine can be worth several times more. Here's what to pull first.
Safety first
Unplug it and let it sit. Power supplies, microwaves and old TVs hold a charge in their capacitors. Wear gloves; edges are sharp.
Pull these first
- CPUs: ceramic processors are worth the most per pound of anything in a computer. Plastic ones are worth less but still pull them.
- RAM sticks: the gold contact fingers make them valuable.
- Circuit boards: green boards with lots of chips and gold connectors (computers, servers, phones) pay far more than brown or sparse boards (TVs, power supplies, toys). Keep them apart.
Then the metals
Cut off wire harnesses, pull copper heat pipes and aluminum heat sinks, and save fans and motors. Each one goes into its own metal grade. The empty steel case sells as light iron, so strip it clean.
Set these aside
- Lithium batteries: fire risk if punctured or swollen. Never sell them mixed in.
- Large capacitors, CRT tubes (leaded glass), thin backlight tubes from older flat screens (mercury) and toner.
- Hard drives: wipe or drill them. They hold people's personal data.
Whole or parted out?
For a quick load, whole towers and laptops still sell. When you have the time, parting out almost always pays more. MetalMint shows both numbers from one photo of the inside.
Let MetalMint do the sortingSnap a photo, tap your magnet and scratch results, and MetalMint gives you the grade, the weight and today's price. Free to start, in English and Spanish.Try MetalMint free