How do you test ram, CPUs and hard drives for resale?

Interested in getting into selling what is resellable from computers we recycle all the time. Normally we would just tear the desktops apart, separate everything and sell it all to an ewaste buyer, but recently we set up an Ebay store and are going to start reselling what we can.

Curious to know how you resellers out there test all your computer components to determine if they are sellable or only good as scrap. Processes, what equipment we need to invest in, etc. Interested in testing the major components. CPUs, ram, and hard drives specifically. I found 1 thread about hard drive testing and 1 about ram testing when searching the forum for testing computer parts but both were very vague.

there is a standalone Ram tester called Ramcheck....just trust me, it is NOT cheap. You can find them used for between $500-1500. The best part is that you can do a full test on a ram stick in like 60 seconds and not have to install it, go through the boot process on a computer and them run a software ram tester. It is a base machine and then adapters to test the different ram. A full new one that will test DDR, DDR2, DDR3 and DDR4 along with SODIMMS (laptop memory) would run you $4-5K from the company! ::YIKES::

Now as long as you have a good supply of RAM to test, it can pay for itself...it is just an investment. I am looking to get a used machine and start from there.

Harddrives...the thread gives you some good starting points....just BUY good software that will erase the drives properly...I will shortly be using Kill Disk (How to erase hard drive by Active@ KillDisk? Low Level Disk Format)... you can load onto a thumbdrive and have at it.

CPU's....yeah this one is fun...I would suggest an open testbench case to easily change out the CPU;s you are testing....I have not found a way to test otherwise....you just will need basically a basic computer for EACH socket type you want to test. Basically, about 4 or so for Intel (any older and not worth the time) (I would go for P4 and newer along with Xenons if you get those) and then another set if you want to bother with AMD's.

Hopefully some others will chime in with any other methods they have found.

If it's a Dell computer, you can go to the Dell website and run their diagnostic program regardless of how old the computer is. It only works with IE though. I think HP also does the same thing. I know for a fact that Toshiba is very quick to end support for their older laptops.

Many computers come with diagnostics software on a separate partition nowadays. Of course, if the computer doesn't work then that could pose a problem. But if it does, or is repairable, you could use that for a test computer.

I use SeaTools for Windows to test hard drives. It's free. Also there is a free program called Speccy that you can install on any Windows XP, Vista, or 7 computer that gives you a lot of info about RAM, CPU, hard drive, etc. In some cases it reports the status as well.

A friend of mine who is a repair tech suggested PC Check. I looked into it, but that's not cheap either.

That's all I can think of as far as software. One of these days I want to have the guts to ask different repair techs how they test hardware.

Edit: As per the above post, I often use DBAN to wipe hard drives. If I only need to perform a lower level wipe, I use Linux to wipe them clean. Never stick them in a Windows OS based computer. Most viruses are written for the Windows OS and can't touch Linux. It is much safer to connect them to a computer run by a Linux OS and do a low level wipe first just in case. This way you don't have to constantly restart the computer if the hard drive doesn't work. Just make sure, in either instance, that you choose the correct hard drive to wipe. Believe me, I know.

As one of the folks on here who tests and re-sells these items, let me say that you have a lot of reading to do if you want to be successful.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by webuyselltradestuff

you just will need basically a basic computer for EACH socket type you want to test. Basically, about 4 or so for Intel (any older and not worth the time)

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You also need to make sure that the motherboard is compatible with the CPU. There are many types of socket 775 for example, and they are not all compatible with all boards. To test any Intel desktop CPU's that are worth re-selling, you could end up with close to 10 different machines.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by AuburnEwaste

You also need to make sure that the motherboard is compatible with the CPU. There are many types of socket 775 for example, and they are not all compatible with all boards. To test any Intel desktop CPU's that are worth re-selling, you could end up with close to 10 different machines.

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Or just a very high end gaming ASUS board that will run p4 all the way to quads. But the board alone will cost the same as 10 machines.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by PartTimeScrapper

Or just a very high end gaming ASUS board that will run p4 all the way to quads. But the board alone will cost the same as 10 machines.

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While I'm sure it is excellent advice, this ↑↑↑ is exactly why I don't bother trying to test my own hardware! Yes, the margins are smaller, but it's so much easier taking things apart than putting them back together again...

cheers,
tbg

I got a gaming rig, an I'll be ****ed if it'll be used for testing anything. lol.

I'm with TBG, this is why I just break things.

So..WBSTS an Auburn..your market is safe from me. ;)

Sirscrapalot - Me smash!

But what if you test them *before* you break them?

That's when I bug folks like you if it's worth my time. ;)

I don't bother to resell CPUs, or RAM. If it's one them fancy gold cpu's it goes in my OMG IT"S GOLD™ bucket for future refining.

Otherwise it all gets shipped out to the buyers unless I see someone on here looking for something. I save my reselling for whole computers that function, and other various goodies. Testing computer stuff is just not worth the time for me, since I don't deal with eBay in anyways as most here know. I will set cards to the side tho, simple to test, an what not. No need to build a rig, or own 50 different ones just to test a cpu.

I dance to my own tune, so it's ok if nobody else digs the way I do things. ;) If folks want to test items, more power to them. I choose not to. Leaves me more time to do other things.

An..Good to see ya back FL, place was a little quiet without you popping in!

Sirscrapalot - Does the funky chicken while the rest of you do the waltz.

True, there are plenty of PITA factors on the resale side -- testing, shipping, the risks of selling to picky/insane buyers, the lack of alternatives to ePay, etc. I know a lot of big-volume resellers just offer their items as is. They don't have time to test everything, and if they did, they'd have to price their goods too high for the market. Other folks focus on items that are easy to test and/or repair and have decent resale value.

If you process used computer gear/electronics for a living, you have to make sure you're getting an adequate return for your labor. (Whereas for a hobbyist, like me, testing and repairing these things is a recreational activity.) From time to time, though, you'll probably end up in possession of something that's worth much more than scrap just as it is (maybe with a minor repair or a quick cleanup), or something that contains a valuable component, like a processor or a card that sells for a huge multiple of its scrap value. If you can recognize those winning lottery tickets when you see them, you'll earn some nice bonuses for yourself. :cool:

I am reselling more and more items, as I learn more about the hardware, and get more buyer contacts. At the beginning I was strictly into scrapping, and did not re-sell anything. Now I probably re-sell 30-40% of what I get coming in, usually for many times scrap value. For example I got a load of 120 HP small form factor desktops a few weeks ago. Most were missing too many parts to re-sell or fix, but all had nice dual core CPU's (Intel E8400). Sold all the CPU's for $16 each (nearly $2000!!) and scrapped the rest (150 lbs motherboards, another $450). Not bad considering I paid $2 each for them.

I also save and test all larger SATA hard drives, they sell well. Also have a localbuyer for all working or non-working LCD monitors, as well as most P4 and newer laptops (working or not). I sell most 1GB and larger RAM, as “untested” to a local buyer for about 4-5 times scrap value.

Even with scrap prices being lower compared to before, I’m making way more money now.

Good deal on those CPUs!

I buy almost all my RAM modules and hard drives untested. Even if I assume a certain % of them are DOA, I can still easily offer more than scrap value (especially if they're local or shipping is cheap).

I have a complete price list of ram and cpu's up here on the forums and will gladly buy them for anyone not wanting to test the stuff themselves. No reason to scrap out stuff just cause you dont want to test it.

Problem there PTS in my case is, you don't buy the ram I get in a lot. I get lots of lower then 1gb, or I'd be glad to sell it to you. ;)

Till someone starts buying that smaller ram, it gets added to my pile to ship out when that time comes. Same with HD's. I get plenty of the older, low gb ones. Not the ones you guys buy for more then scrap. Just how the cookie crumbles I reckon.

Win some ya lose some. I'm full of cliche's today!

So if any of you have an interest in the lower end ram, do post. Other into the ram/omg it's gold ™ bucket it goes.

Sirscrapalot - Currently staring at several sticks 256 ddr laptop ram, an not going down to stare at his desktop ram, cause it's raining cats and dogs.