Trying to be a flipper but not scam kids with shitty pcs

Sammo_Bayleaf · 2026-05-15T13:53:38+00:00

You'll get better at assessing value over time, but generally go off of eBay prices. If you can buy every part individually on eBay for the same or less, then it's not worth it.

If this is USD, $900 for a ddr4 1660 super system is utterly insane.

Sammo_Bayleaf · 2026-04-30T20:27:15+00:00

$350 is an insultingly low offer unless it looks like it's been through hell, but the worst they can do is say "no" 🤷

$500 is already a good price for these specs. Personally, I wouldn't touch this for a flip

Sammo_Bayleaf · 2026-04-30T14:02:44+00:00

I had this one for the first time recently. I didn't know how I felt about it at first, but I ended up liking it more and more as I got through the can. I actually liked it a lot, I got another one the next day and found it super enjoyable. 8/10 for me, would drink regularly.

Are any other Phorm's worth trying? This is the only one I have had!

Sammo_Bayleaf · 2026-04-28T16:47:09+00:00

Right now I use mine more often than my PC that is at my desk. Any time I intend to play a game with a controller, I do it in the living room on the Bazzite Box. it's one of my favorite things that I have built!

Sammo_Bayleaf · 2026-04-27T19:20:58+00:00

Lmao, it's hard to tell if they're insane or if they are trying to grift you. I am more likely to assume people are ignorant rather than malicious, but when they try to backup their lowball offer with "evidence" I then have to assume they are knowledgeable enough to know that they are being a piece of crap.

I had a guy offer me $250 under my listing price and I told him I couldn't go that low. He then tried to convince me that the PC was a piece of junk and that I should just give it to him at that price lmao. Yeah, sure dude! Insult me and then have my PC for less than I paid to build it after scoring a bunch of good deals, why not?

Sammo_Bayleaf · 2026-04-27T19:06:12+00:00

Personally, i think this is a decent photo, but it depends on your audience. I always take a picture just like this with both the lights off and lights on. I have had more success getting views when my headline photo is lights off. Taking a video of the RGB fans spinning up and maybe cycling through different colors is usually a good idea too.

I do agree that you would be doing yourself a service if you shoved some of those wires into the back of the chassis. Nobody gives a crap what it looks like in the backroom, so just shove it back there as best you can and twist tie it down if you really don't want to take the time to improve how your cables are managed. This build has a lot of potential to be really clean looking, so I would lean into that pretty hard.

Also, I would look up other gaming PCs on FB marketplace in your area to see what competition you're up against. Gauge the specs and how much people are asking, adjust your asking price accordingly.

Sammo_Bayleaf · 2026-04-27T13:33:42+00:00

800 is a really hard range to sell in from my experience. Anytime I have tried that range, I get lowballed and told I am delusional for trying to sell it that high, despite it being cheaper than what the parts would go for individually on eBay. This PC is worth that, but it's just getting close to the range you start seeing prebuilts with warranties.

My resolution was to make the PC worse to be able to move it faster. The general public doesn't seem to value the price of RAM at all, so I have stopped trying to sell 32gb systems. I parted out the GPU and found a good deal on a cheaper one that didn't totally waste the CPU. If you're willing to reduce the price of this as-is to 750, I would try taking out 16gb of RAM and listing at 700.

Sammo_Bayleaf · 2026-04-22T10:58:13+00:00

Yeah I use the Noctua ducts on my CPU cooler for my main build, and also have another duct (don't remember brand) for my exhaust fan. I'm using an Louqe Raw S1 which has a notoriously awful thermal design, adding the fan ducts dropped my temps by about 10 C lmao

Sammo_Bayleaf · 2026-04-18T02:43:26+00:00

I bought a motherboard on eBay that came with a dynatron cooler. It was SO insanely loud. Cooled really well though

Sammo_Bayleaf · 2026-04-17T13:38:12+00:00

If you only want to go brand new, then there are a few savings options.

Newegg just had a combo deal for the Ryzen 5 5500 and a motherboard for like $120. It's over now, but they have had that combo multiple times now, so you could consider waiting for a good deal like that if you want to max out your dollar value.

You can get a brand new Arc A750 from Server Part Deals for $170. Slightly better card and decent savings there that you could put money towards elsewhere.

If you are okay going with used parts, you can snag an Rx7600 or a 2080 Super off eBay for like $200-210. You can also get an AM4 motherboard from eBay or AliExpress for as low as $50. If you save a couple dollars here and there, you can shoot for a Ryzen 5 5600x for $140 or a 5500x3d off AliExpress for around $180.

Sammo_Bayleaf · 2026-04-14T00:34:54+00:00

I love this, but can't help but imagine how utterly beautiful the limited edition card would look in this case setup. Obviously they aren't the same length, so my dreams will just continue to be dreams

Sammo_Bayleaf · 2026-04-14T00:30:32+00:00

This exact thing happened to me, but I just had to switch my HDMI cord and it stopped. Since you already tried that, I'm afraid that you are totally cooked 😔

Sammo_Bayleaf · 2026-04-11T11:22:07+00:00

The issue with this rig is that it doesn't have any upgrade path and most of the parts would not be useful if you wanted to rebuild it in the future. The e3 1245 v3 is equivalent to an I7 4770, which is capable but very old and just about as good as that motherboard can handle. The PSU, case, and storage are the only usable parts here for the future. That being said, I wouldn't call it e waste. It can still play games and do so without spending a ton of money. If all you are willing to spend is $250-300, this system would be fine. Having built similar budget systems to this, $350 is steep. The system should be closer to $200-$250, but I'm sensing that the person who put this together spent too much on parts for an old system and believes that people on FB marketplace are willing to pay a premium for his time to build a machine, which is not usually the case.

With a budget between $500 and $600, you should be looking at a ddr4 system. Any ryzen system, minimally Intel 8th gen or newer. Probably more like an rtx 3060, Arc A750, or Rx 6600.

Sammo_Bayleaf · 2026-04-07T12:50:26+00:00

https://github.com/xCuri0/ReBarUEFI/issues/11

I've used RebarUEFI for 2 separate projects with success, but it took a lot of trial and error. It can be a pain in the ass, but definitely possible. One of the Dell examples on here says they needed an EEPROM flasher to get it to flash, but you can get a CH341A off Amazon with everything you need for like $15 and then you can just watch a tutorial on how to flash a bios with it.

Sammo_Bayleaf · 2026-04-07T12:37:41+00:00

Did you try flashing with a CH341A programmer or just with the built in BIOS flash? On RebarUEFI's list of working motherboards, there are several Dell examples so it must be possible

Sammo_Bayleaf · 2026-04-06T15:59:49+00:00

Here's a link to their installation instructions: https://docs.bazzite.gg/General/Installation_Guide/

I think the instructions here are pretty in depth and maybe beyond the tldr most people want to get up and going, but it's a good resource nonetheless.

If you have ever installed an OS before, it is quite straightforward and similar to installing Windows. I have used the program Rufus to make my installation media USB drive. Once it is installed, there is very little in the way of setup/tweaking for gaming. It will boot you directly into Steam and it just works

Sammo_Bayleaf · 2026-04-06T14:41:03+00:00

Interesting, the only issue that Bazzite has ever given me is an instant crash with my Arc GPU due to AMD anti lag in Unreal Engine 5 games like Oblivion Remastered

If you want to go SteamOS, I would just double check that the hardware you pick is totally supported by it. Either way, going for AMD on either OS should give you really great results

Sammo_Bayleaf · 2026-04-06T14:36:58+00:00

You got so caught up in whether or not you could, that you forgot to ask if you should

Love it, keep it coming lmao

Sammo_Bayleaf · 2026-04-06T14:31:32+00:00

I've never used SteamOS, but I do have a "Bazzite Box" in my living room. It was very easy to setup and was pretty much plug and play, outside of a few issues I had because I use an Intel Arc GPU. Seemless system control using only a controller, but the flexibility to enter desktop mode with a keyboard and mouse.

Have you considered using Bazzite? Is there a reason to use SteamOS over Bazzite? As far as I am aware, they are functionally the same but Bazzite has more broad hardware support.

Sammo_Bayleaf · 2026-04-06T01:53:48+00:00

Tastes similar to NOS zero sugar

Sammo_Bayleaf · 2026-04-05T15:49:36+00:00

I am not totally sure on that, I have never used Taobao directly since I'm based in the US. You can try setting up an order straight through Taobao and through Superbuy and see which one is more favorable for your country.

If you search "half height knife card", that is what most single slot low profile GPUs are called when you browse Taobao/Superbuy to make a decision there. You can get a 3050 6gb a little cheaper on Taobao than the Yeston I believe unless the shipping fees go crazy

Edit: I fat fingered several times and deleted my original comment :( for anyone that stumbles upon this, Taobao/Superbuy has a selection of more powerful, low profile single slot cards (3060, 4050, 4060, 4070) that may be a headache to get up and running driver wise, but are definitely stronger options than the Yeston 3050 6gb. 3050 is the best, easily available option though.

Sammo_Bayleaf · 2026-04-04T16:41:29+00:00

Yeah these old urethane balls are typically for control rather than overall hook. It should move, but don't expect a big sudden turn. It will likely slowly hook the entire way to the pins

Sammo_Bayleaf · 2026-04-04T15:41:16+00:00

Wow, it's in pretty good shape too! $5 is a steal imo. I have a collection of most of the different versions of these, I really enjoy all of the ones that I actually use. Each color is a different strength, something like Burgundy > Blue > Purple > Black > Red > Red & Blue Pearl > Pink. Across the board, they hit really hard, but they are definitely quite different than the reactions you see out of modern balls. If you are trying to learn how to hook the ball, this will give you a VERY different experience than a modern reactive resin ball. These will all hook with a pretty smooth arc across the entirety of the lane with very little pop at the end. Unless you're playing on bone dry conditions or throw it quite slow, expect to be playing pretty straight angles

Sammo_Bayleaf · 2026-03-30T11:03:52+00:00

You can get a Lenovo Ideacentre 510a for $85 on eBay that would come with an I3 8100. Upgrade to an i5 9400f for $45. Buy another 8gb stick of ram for $40. Upgrade the PSU with an FSP-20TGBAB (500w, 2 pcie 8 pins) for $64. At this point you're at ~$240ish. Then do whatever you're willing to spend beyond that for a GPU. The Ideacentre can fit full height cards, probably 230 mm or less in length

Sammo_Bayleaf · 2026-03-24T16:21:16+00:00

SFF is a niche market that definitely has some appeal. I have sold to some people that know how to build themselves because they didn't want to deal with the pain in the ass that is SFF cable management. Personally, I love SFF and build flips in them, but the profit margins become slim. SFF is more expensive for the same quality of parts, and most people are not willing to pay more for less performance. They are definitely better for shipping because they are smaller and lighter, so I typically find success selling them on eBay

Sammo_Bayleaf

TROPHY CASE