q about scrapping some computer components

[ilyaz]

I've accumulated a whole box of various devices that I pulled out of old computers, i.e. CD/DVD drives, floppy drives, even an external JAZ drive. What's the best way to scrap them? They all have small boards inside but do these boards have any gold or other similar metals? Does it make sense to disassemble them, or should I just dump them all as steel/iron?
Thanks.

[theirrationalist]

There is no gold in the CD/DVD drives or floppies, at least from my experience. I've never scrapped a JAZ drive, but those things make me laugh. It's amazing how fast technology becomes obsolete. I would take it apart if I had it to see what it was made of. Some CD/DVD/floppy drives may have aluminum components.

[ilyaz]

Just took apart the JAZ drive. Not much there: the casing is cast alum like those in HDDs, plus a magnet, also like those in HDDs.

[silversaddle1]

There is no gold in the CD/DVD drives or floppies, at least from my experience. I've never scrapped a JAZ drive, but those things make me laugh. It's amazing how fast technology becomes obsolete. I would take it apart if I had it to see what it was made of. Some CD/DVD/floppy drives may have aluminum components.

That is a totally false statement. If you take any CD/DVD drive, turn it over and remove the bottom, there will be a PCB that will go in your high grade box. If you have a bunch of time to waste, you could pull the gold pins off the connector header. Same with a floppy drive but harder to remove the board. We pull all the boards from our CD/DVD drives then throw the rest in the steel pile.

[Dr. Cadmium]

silversaddle is correct, there is a small amount of gold in CD/floppy drives.

However it's labor intensive to pull those apart and most yards do not deal with them. Even many specialized electronic scrap yards don't want them.

Right now they sell for around the same price as electric motors when intact if you can get a few thousand pounds together and find a buyer. A few yards will also buy them in small quantities as electric motors or low grade board scrap.

Otherwise, most yards will either not buy them at all or pay only shredder scrap price.

Some of the older 5 1/4" drives are worth breaking down because they're mostly non-ferrous and have nice high-grade boards (note that working 5 1/4" drives are worth far more as working units).

[theirrationalist]

That is a totally false statement. If you take any CD/DVD drive, turn it over and remove the bottom, there will be a PCB that will go in your high grade box. If you have a bunch of time to waste, you could pull the gold pins off the connector header. Same with a floppy drive but harder to remove the board. We pull all the boards from our CD/DVD drives then throw the rest in the steel pile.

You're right silversaddle, I stand corrected. The gold pin connectors hadn't crossed my mind. I've never really bothered taking the boards out of those devices, however, as I've always focused on the motherboards, hard drive boards, and the PCI boards. How do you usually sell your high grade boards? The best option in my area is to sell them online...

And I didn't know that about the 5 1/4. I came across one a few months ago and didn't think anything of it.

[silversaddle1]

It's all about learning here, so we share information.

We sell our high grade boards 10,000 pounds at a time. We get some pretty decent bids from our local yards with that amount. Our local yard will buy the CD/DVD drive boards as high grade, so to me it's worth the 4 screws to remove them.

[fb101]

ram modules any good?

[theirrationalist]

There is no gold in RAM, at least from my experience....

jk

[messymessy]

ram modules any good?

Ram modules are about the best thing you can pull out of an old computer. Get a pile of them and sell them on Ebay. I can't remember, but it seems like they sell for $16 to $25 a pound.

[cyberdan]

Get a pile of them and sell them on Ebay. I can't remember, but it seems like they sell for $16 to $25 a pound.

I have some RAM on ebay right now, it closes tonight. It is at $22.56 for 2.5 lbs. That is $9 lb, hope it goes up. But it has 5 watchers and 40 hits so I know there is interest.

[messymessy]

Get a pile of them and sell them on Ebay. I can't remember, but it seems like they sell for $16 to $25 a pound.

I have some RAM on ebay right now, it closes tonight. It is at $22.56 for 2.5 lbs. That is $9 lb, hope it goes up. But it has 5 watchers and 40 hits so I know there is interest.

You're right. RAM usually sells for about $9 per pound. I was thinking about processors.

Just how many modules did it take to get 2.5 lbs?

[silversaddle1]

Gold edge RAM can bring in the $13-15 range on E-bay. Hell my local scrap yard will pay $9.00 a pound for RAM. I bet yours goes up at the end of the auction.

Last time I sold my RAM I had 130 pounds and got $8.00 a pound for it. Needed quick money to purchase a truckload of IBM equipment. Otherwise, it would have been sold on the Bay.

E-bay is the best place to sell RAM and processors, period!

[mj74]

I recently sold a 4lb box of RAM on Ebay for $55.

[silversaddle1]

I recently sold a 4lb box of RAM on Ebay for $55.

Well there you go!

[rambo_k9]

GFY

[ilyaz]

I apologize in advance for the ignorance even as I have been tearing computers down here and there for about six months. Could anyone post pics of the above parts (i,e, RAM, Motherboards etc) I have about 80lbs of boards, chips, and components from ALL electronic devices. I really don't know what I have and could use help on identifying what it is I have. Or any website that could show detailed pics. Thanks again!!

http://www.google.com/imghp?hl=en&tab=wi

[rambo_k9]

GFY SS1

[Heartkill]

Dang, last lot of RAM I sold on eBay I got $49.76 for 5.2 lbs.

I did really well on the last lot of motherboards though; 40 lbs. sold for $149.01

I have a 17 lb. lot of PCI cards/video cards/sound cards up right now, it was at $44 and some change last I checked.

[silversaddle1]

I apologize in advance for the ignorance even as I have been tearing computers down here and there for about six months. Could anyone post pics of the above parts (i,e, RAM, Motherboards etc) I have about 80lbs of boards, chips, and components from ALL electronic devices. I really don't know what I have and could use help on identifying what it is I have. Or any website that could show detailed pics. Thanks again!!

Your kidding right? Six months and you still don't know what the basic parts of a computer are. Why don't you spend about two seconds and google them yourself. How can you not know what RAM is????

There you go big guy, hope that's some big help.

[mj74]

rambo_k9 wrote:
I apologize in advance for the ignorance even as I have been tearing computers down here and there for about six months. Could anyone post pics of the above parts (i,e, RAM, Motherboards etc) I have about 80lbs of boards, chips, and components from ALL electronic devices. I really don't know what I have and could use help on identifying what it is I have. Or any website that could show detailed pics. Thanks again!!

Memory= RAM

Hope this helps!

[rambo_k9]

THANK YOU mj74. Very much appreciated!! Thanks for taking the time. See that Silversaddle... not so hard.

[Dr. Cadmium]

If you don't know the basic parts of a computer, you shouldn't be scrapping them. The same rule also goes for most other types of equipment.

Most of the money made recycling computers and electronics is made from selling working and repairable items.

If you get a lot of computers, it's best to educate yourself how they work because you'll make far more money. Most desktop parts are easy to replace.

Also, it's a waste of time to deal with computer scrap if you don't get large quantites or have a reliable buyer to sell to.

[ilyaz]

Most of the money made recycling computers and electronics is made from selling working and repairable items.

Interesting...

I guess I am learning something every day...

My dayjob is in IT and I was under the impression that all components of a computer -- be it any types of drives, the processor, the motherboard, RAM, PCI cards etc -- become outdated so fast that there is no point in trying to resell those components from a computer that is even a couple of years old. But I might be wrong. IN your experience, what type of components are usually resellable?

[Dr. Cadmium]

Computer parts become outdated fast, but there's still a strong market for used parts.

Broken laptops are the easiest to sell. Anything built within the last ten years that's not completely smashed can be easily sold for more than scrap value. The same goes for laptop parts.

Working desktops that run XP can be sold locally for $40 and up depending on condition. Almost everything that predates XP is worth more as scrap with a few exceptions, such as collectible machines.

As for desktop parts, the key is to:

1) Sell in bulk. Gather up 20+ matching units and a lot more people will want it to stock their online store, service their company's aging machines, etc.

2) Sell globally. It may be old and worthless in the US where we have cutting edge machines, but in many parts of the world they'll happily pay good prices to import our used parts. Ironically, I find that many of the countries where the components are originally manufactured are the ones buying them back for their second life.