Retailer Newegg is offering a new trade-in program in the US, where you can get some cash for an old GPU when you buy a new graphics card.
It works pretty much as you’d expect: find the graphics card upgrade you want, then enter your existing model and the condition of the GPU to receive a trade-in offer.
That money is deducted from the cost of the new GPU, and you use a prepaid shipping label to send your old graphics card to Newegg.
There are a few pitfalls, as you might imagine, one in particular being that only certain newer models of graphics cards can be traded in against a purchase.
The listed trade-in cards are RTX 2000 and 3000 series GPUs on the Nvidia side of the equation, and RX 5000 and 6000 models for AMD graphics cards. So you don’t get anything for a solid older model such as an Nvidia GTX 1080 Ti.
In addition, your trade-in must be in Newegg’s acceptable (working) condition as described by you as part of the appraisal process.
The final trade-in value may be lower than estimated, and if that is Newegg’s fault, Newegg will offer to return your item free of charge (assuming you decide not to accept the lower value). However, if a valuation issue is your fault, you will have to cover the costs of returning the GPU.
The graphics cards that Newegg buys are of course resold on the site as refurbished items at a markup (after being properly sanitized, no doubt).
Analysis: a matter of convenience
Of course, you will definitely get more for your used GPU on an auction site, or by selling it elsewhere yourself. What Newegg is banking on is that it offers a much more convenient option, without the hassle (or at least with less chance).
After all, dealing with another person as a buyer could lead to all kinds of problems – including scams, or disputes over whether the hardware worked when it arrived, and other nasty issues – so some people will decide it’s worth something. from a hit to value, just to work with a trusted party on a trade-in deal.
How much can you expect for a given GPU? Newegg lists a number of examples of trade-ins, although monetary compensation will of course vary depending on the condition of the product, and where it ranks in terms of performance among the best graphics cards.
At the top end of the Nvidia scale, an RTX 3090 GPU has an estimated value of $457, while the 3090 Ti costs $561. A more modest RTX 2070 will run you $120 (not much more than a $110 2060 Super).
With AMD’s range of GPUs the RX 6950 XT will set you back (estimated) $375 and further down the range the RX 6600 XT is valued at $108. So yes, all of these prices are invariably a lot lower than what you would normally expect if you’re selling yourself at auction – even after the sales fees have been deducted – but the hassle is considerably less with Newegg, as already noted.
Ultimately, it’s always useful to have options when upgrading your graphics card, and it certainly doesn’t hurt for people in the US to have this kind of facility available if they buy from a big box store. For those who want to make a relatively hassle-free choice to upgrade, here it is, albeit at a significant financial penalty compared to doing the sales work yourself.
Perhaps the trade-in option will eventually be offered to Newegg customers outside the US, but for now it will remain available exclusively to US customers.
Through VideoCardz