I want to build and sell computers.

G80FTW

Active Member
Im sure alot of people here have thought about, or even are, building and selling computers. I built my first computer in 2001 with my step-dad and have been doing it ever since. I have always thought about building and selling them to friends and what not but ran into the problem of not seeing a profit.

The problem is, big name PC makers like HP and Dell can both get wholesale prices on all their hardware and probably have deals with hardware makers to make their prices even lower. Someone like me cannot compete with that.

For instance, when I built my current PC 2 years ago it costs me $1,300 for the whole thing. Thats excluding a monitor. When I looked it up though, Alienware was charging over $3,000 for essentially the same equipment with a monitor and junk. So I guess, if I built gaming computers I figure I could probably flip them for $500 profit each provided I could find a big enough customer base of people who dont know how to build them themselves.

So difficulty establishing a solid customer base was the main reason I have never gone about it. But I feel like I wont be able to do what I love for a living without going to college. Which I refuse to waste my money on. Granted I dont know everything by any means, but to pay upwards of $20k+ for a piece of paper telling me Im qualified to work with computers is just a scam if you ask me. When anything I would ever need to know is a second away at the hands of Google.

So as of right now, Im going to just try and sell the computers I already have. Which is going to prove the most difficult since they are all ancient. Here is what I have that works as of right now:

Pentium 4 Prescott 3GHz socket 478
ASUS P4P800
2GB DDR400
6800 Ultra 128MB AGP

Pentium Celeron D 2.13GHz
ASRock P4i945GC
2GB DDR2667
onboard video

I also have my old AMD build which I dont know if it still works or not but assuming it does:

AMD Athlon X2 Brisbane (dont remember the speed)
ASUS M3A
2GB DDR2667
8800GTS 320MB

Now Im not expecting to get much of anything out of these builds except maybe the AMD one provided it works.

All these computers need is a case, power supply, and HDDs. So that would run me about $200 per computer just to make them operational.

I think I might be able to get $200 out of the AMD, the others I highly doubt.

If anyone has any experience in this business I would love some advice on how to get started into it if its even possible. Im not looking to quit my day job over it or anything, just would like to make a little extra money doing what I love is all. Right now I have just under $1,000 a month of disposable income. I dont want to dump ALL that into this, as Im also trying to save up for a house, but I think that should be enough to build simple basic computers to sell as opposed to $1,000+ gaming machines.

I would also like some opinions on what these machines would be worth each paired with a 1TB HDD and Windows 7 Basic.
 

PCunicorn

Active Member
Where do you want to sell them? eBay and Craigslist are completely overbloated with custom PC sales. And even the sellers that actually get stuff sold don't make near a $500 profit, more like 100. The AMD PC might be worth $150, hard to say. P4 PCs are worth about 20 bucks on Craigslist and after shipping about the same on eBay.
 

Twiki

Active Member
I agree. Older systems are selling for nickels and dimes on CL and EBay. Some even asked too much for them.

Only way to make money is to build new systems, with good parts and make $150-$200 in profit on 'em.

Good systems cost money and the companies cut corners by using el cheapos while making profit.

Build a better mousetrap and people will beat a path to your door. :)
 

PCunicorn

Active Member
I agree. Older systems are selling for nickels and dimes on CL and EBay. Some even asked too much for them.

Only way to make money is to build new systems, with good parts and make $150-$200 in profit on 'em.

Good systems cost money and the companies cut corners by using el cheapos while making profit.

Build a better mousetrap and people will beat a path to your door. :)


That's actually the worst way lol. So many people have done that its crazy and the market has tons if them. You just won't get them sold.
 

G80FTW

Active Member
I agree. Older systems are selling for nickels and dimes on CL and EBay. Some even asked too much for them.

Only way to make money is to build new systems, with good parts and make $150-$200 in profit on 'em.

Good systems cost money and the companies cut corners by using el cheapos while making profit.

Build a better mousetrap and people will beat a path to your door. :)

Thats what Im talking about. Building new computers and selling them.
 

PCunicorn

Active Member
And that's what I was talking about. There's no room for any more people to do it. You could try but would almost certainly fail. Think about trying to open G80FTW-Mart. Exactly like Wal-Mart in every way, but Wal-Mart has a better reputation. Why would any body go to G80FTW-Mart?
 

voyagerfan99

Master of Turning Things Off and Back On Again
Staff member
I've built custom computers and listed them for $599 and I sit on them for months. If you try and go any higher you'd be sitting on even more money for even longer. There's no money in it unless someone you know wants one built. Then you charge them for parts and labor. The labor is where your money will come from.
 

lion149

Member
To anyone who has been in the industry for more than 5 minutes can tell you that your previous statement about "googling" answers is comical. Just my 2 cents...
 

claptonman

New Member
It would be better to put an ad out on craigslist's services section offering to build computers for people. Say that you will build it for a fee and the buyer needs to buy the parts with their own money.
 

G80FTW

Active Member
To anyone who has been in the industry for more than 5 minutes can tell you that your previous statement about "googling" answers is comical. Just my 2 cents...

Really? Do you not realize we live in an information age? Mass information. Google is your friend. And while not everything on the internet is true, there is alot that is. Its not a text book by any means, but its not just a web of lies either.To say what you just said also implies that the help posted here is comical. Im sure alot of people here get their information from various internet sources and their own experience. I for one rebuilt an entire engine for a 2002 Focus SVT using nothing but youtube videos and google. Worked just fine.

And maybe I will just stick with trying to sell my existing hardware through here if anyone is interested. I will make a post once I get around to testing everything. I have various video cards and motherboards just sitting in my storage room gathering dust. I actually need to construct a testing bench....always been meaning to do that.
 
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spirit

Moderator
Staff member
There's no money in it unless someone you know wants one built. Then you charge them for parts and labor. The labor is where your money will come from.

Exactly. This is what I do. I don't often build PCs, but when I do it's always for somebody who has approached me and asked for one.

When people buy desktop PCs, most of them just go to HP or Dell or Acer or whoever. Those who actually want to build one will usually do it themselves. Less and less people are buying desktops anyway - sales of laptops and tablets have taken off in the past few years as I'm sure you're aware. This means you will have a hard time actually selling them, unless somebody is specifically looking for what you'll build.

I don't think the Craigslist idea is a bad one - maybe try that?

Just my thoughts - I've often thought about doing this kind of thing before and ultimately never doing it because there's little or no money to be made.
 

spirit

Moderator
Staff member
Hmm just seen the PCs you're trying to sell. Honestly, not worth spending the money on them. They're old. There comes a point where it's not even worth trying to sell them because you'll get a pittance if anybody buys them.
 

G80FTW

Active Member
Just my thoughts - I've often thought about doing this kind of thing before and ultimately never doing it because there's little or no money to be made.

Yea. Same thing here. I guess theres just not a real market for it anymore.
 

spirit

Moderator
Staff member
Yea. Same thing here. I guess theres just not a real market for it anymore.

Sadly, that is the case. There's going to be even less of a market as time goes on and the sales of tablets and smartphones increase.
 

Troncoso

VIP Member
Being a technician is a better option. There are more PC's with problems than there are people to fix them.
 

strollin

Well-Known Member
Actually, being a tech isn't much better unless you branch out into repairing cracked phone screens and such.
 

Troncoso

VIP Member
Actually, being a tech isn't much better unless you branch out into repairing cracked phone screens and such.

A tech is much better as people are much more willing to pay to have computers fix rather than pay to have a new one built.
 

johnb35

Administrator
Staff member
I work on computers as a side job to make more money. Most of the time its repairing them such as replacing a bad hard drive or fixing a windows issue. I built 4 new systems last year and already slated for 2 more shortly and 1 coming up in a few months. I usually charge $50 to build a new system, install windows, all updates and some programs. Trying to sell old machines will never happen, the most you'll get out of them is less than a $100. I have a couple I could get running but they require memory. I would have to find some cheap and that would seriously reduce my profit if I can even sell them.

As Troncoso said, there is a more of demand for repairing then building right now.
 
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