DDR4 & DDR5 payouts are up. See this week’s index

Operator-written

Guides

Plain-English guides to selling used RAM, SSDs, and laptops without getting burned — what your hardware is worth, how to wipe a drive, and when eBay actually beats a buyback. Written and reviewed by the operator who runs the bench, each with a byline and last-reviewed date.

How to Sell Used RAM in 2026 (Without Getting Scammed)

Where to sell used RAM in 2026, what it resells for, and the red flags that separate honest buyers from requote artists. Channel-by-channel fee math inside.

Reviewed Aug 12, 2026

What Is My Server RAM Worth? (Living Guide)

What server RAM is worth in 2026 and the six factors that set the payout - generation, capacity, speed, type, condition, quantity - tied to live data.

Reviewed Aug 11, 2026

How to Wipe an SSD Before Selling It (NIST 800-88, Plain English)

How to wipe an SSD before selling it - NVMe and SATA secure-erase commands, why quick format fails on flash, and what NIST 800-88 Purge actually does.

Reviewed Aug 12, 2026

Is It Safe to Sell a Used SSD?

Selling a used SSD is safe if the drive is sanitized to NIST 800-88 Purge. What survives deletion, what Purge actually does, and how to verify it happened.

Reviewed Aug 12, 2026

RDIMM vs UDIMM vs LRDIMM: Identify What You Have

RDIMM, UDIMM, LRDIMM, or SODIMM - identify your RAM type in seconds from the buffer chip or the label letter, and see why the type changes the payout.

Reviewed Aug 12, 2026

How to Read a RAM Label: Samsung, Hynix, Micron Part Numbers Decoded

Decode Samsung, SK Hynix, Micron, Kingston, and Crucial RAM part numbers - capacity, speed, rank, and module type straight from the label, no software.

Reviewed Aug 12, 2026

Why RAM Prices Doubled in 2025–26 (and What It Means for Sellers)

Why RAM prices roughly doubled in 2025-26 - the AI-datacenter memory squeeze, the DDR4 production sunset, and what it means if you still hold used modules.

Reviewed Aug 12, 2026

Selling RAM on eBay vs a Buyback Service: The Real Math

eBay nets list price minus fees, returns, and weeks of effort; a buyback pays a firm quote in days. The honest math for both, and when eBay still wins.

Reviewed Aug 12, 2026

How to Sell a MacBook Safely (Activation Lock, iCloud, and Wiping)

Sell a MacBook safely in three steps - back up, remove Activation Lock by signing out of iCloud, then erase. Why locked Macs are worth almost nothing.

Reviewed Jul 23, 2026

What Happens to Your RAM After You Sell It

After you sell your RAM - intake photos, the SPD read, MemTest batches, honest regrading, and the refurbishers and homelab racks where modules end up.

Reviewed Aug 12, 2026

How We Grade: Condition Tiers With Example Photos

The exact grading rubric behind every quote - four RAM conditions, SMART-based SSD grades, the laptop matrix, and our monthly published paid-as-quoted rate.

Reviewed Aug 12, 2026

Enterprise SSD Endurance Explained: DWPD, Wear Level, and Why Your "Used" Drive Still Has Value

DWPD, wear level, and TBW in plain English - how to read an enterprise SSD's remaining endurance and why a datacenter pull still sells for real money.

Reviewed Aug 12, 2026

DDR4 vs DDR5: Which Is Worth More on the Used Market?

DDR4 is scarce because production is winding down; DDR5 is the platform standard. Which generation resells for more, and how to compare per-gigabyte value.

Reviewed Aug 12, 2026

ECC vs Non-ECC RAM: What It Means for Resale Value

ECC RAM explained for sellers - how to spot it by chip count or label, why ECC RDIMMs are the most liquid used memory, and where non-ECC kits still win.

Reviewed Aug 12, 2026

How Much Is Used DDR5 RAM Worth?

What used DDR5 sells for depends on form factor, capacity, and speed. How RDIMMs, UDIMM kits, and SODIMMs rank for resale, and where to see live payouts.

Reviewed Aug 11, 2026

How RAM Buyback Payouts Actually Work: Quote to Payment

How a RAM buyback payout works end to end - firm quote, prepaid label, intake photos, SPD and MemTest verification, payment within 48 hours of testing.

Reviewed Aug 12, 2026

How to Safely Remove RAM Modules (Without Killing Them)

How to remove RAM modules safely - full power-down, static discharge, latch technique for DIMMs and SODIMMs, and packing sticks so they ship undamaged.

Reviewed Aug 12, 2026

Is It Safe to Sell Used RAM? What Happens to Your Data

Selling used RAM is safe - DRAM loses all data within moments of power-off, so there is nothing to wipe. The physics, the cold-boot caveat, one exception.

Reviewed Aug 12, 2026

What 2Rx4, 1Rx8, and Other Rank Markings Mean on RAM

2Rx4, 1Rx8, and other rank markings decoded - what ranks and chip width mean, why server buyers care, and how the marking changes your module's resale value.

Reviewed Aug 12, 2026

How to Sell RAM From Decommissioned Servers

A step-by-step process for selling RAM from decommissioned servers - BMC inventory, pulling and sorting by part number, lot quoting, quantity bonuses.

Reviewed Aug 12, 2026

How to Tell What RAM You Have Without Opening Your PC or Server

Find your exact RAM model without opening anything - Task Manager, CPU-Z, dmidecode, and server BMC tools that read the part number from the SPD chip.

Reviewed Aug 12, 2026

Why Sealed RAM Is Worth More (and What Counts as Sealed)

Sealed RAM earns a premium because the seal proves provenance - no handling, no swaps, no static exposure. What counts as sealed and what never qualifies.

Reviewed Aug 12, 2026

How to Sell Decommissioned Servers: Where the Value Actually Hides

What a retired server is really worth, component by component - CPUs, drives, memory, NICs - plus when to part it out instead of selling it whole.

Reviewed Jul 28, 2026

Selling IT Equipment as a Business: Manifests, Data Destruction, and Getting Paid

How business IT asset disposition really works - what a manifest needs, clearing MDM and Activation Lock, certified wipes, and how companies get paid.

Reviewed Jul 28, 2026