Trading in old hardware makes upgrading easy, but selling your old GPU on your own could leave you significantly more money in your pocket.
Newegg's GPU trade-in programme makes upgrading surprisingly straightforward. The user chooses an eligible replacement component, tells Newegg what old components they have, completes their purchase, and the retailer sends them a prepaid UPS shipping label to return the obsolete hardware. Once the trade-in passes inspection, the agreed credit amount is refunded to the original payment method. However, there is a quite considerable convenience fee hidden in those numbers.
Those trade-in values can fall well short of what comparable components have fetched recently on eBay, which raises a pretty obvious question: just how much is avoiding the hassle of selling your GPU, CPU or memory on your own actually worth?
The difference is hard to ignore, especially with the RTX 2060 Super. The 8GB card is listed at $60 on Newegg, whilst a working Zotac RTX 2060 Super sold on eBay for $161.99 on 13 July. An Asus Prime RTX 5070 sold for $565 on 4 June compared to Newegg's $400 offer, whilst an RTX 3080 Ti Founders Edition fetched $500 on 26 June against Newegg's $380 offer.
Of course, these are individual sales. GPU prices vary by manufacturer, condition, accessories and simple buyer demand, whilst selling through eBay also involves dealing with marketplace fees and potentially paying for shipping.
Still, there is quite a margin in some of those differences. That RTX 2060 Super sold for $101.99 more than Newegg's offer before marketplace fees came into play. That is a pretty steep price for avoiding an eBay listing. Newegg says it can change its trade-in offers based on market conditions, but the company does not explain how it calculates those values compared to the broader used components market prices.
To be fair, convenience is where the programme makes its case. Newegg handles shipping with a prepaid UPS label, gives customers 14 days to send in their old component and returns rejected hardware without charging return shipping.
Inspection is also thorough. Newegg verifies the model and serial number submitted, examines physical damage, rust or corrosion, fan and port functionality, operating temperatures, noise levels and test performance before accepting a trade-in. Once you send your item to Newegg, the trade-in can no longer be cancelled. Inspection takes 10 to 15 business days, and another three to five days for the credit.
There is another limitation worth knowing about: you cannot simply send Newegg an old GPU, CPU or memory and ask for cash. A trade-in must accompany an eligible purchase, such as another component or a qualified gaming PC, and the replacement product must cost more than the trade-in offer.
Graphics accessories and other electronic devices traded in can also feed Newegg Refreshed, the retailer's refurbished electronics programme where inspected hardware is resold.