I.T. FAQs

How to sell your used hard drives?

To sell your used hard drives, you should ensure you fully delete your data, properly inventory and assess the condition of all your drives, find a buyer or seller platform, properly package up your hard drives, then complete your sale. We made a handy guide: how to sell your used hard drives with even more information. Or, the easiest option is just to fill out a quote form right here and we'll take care of everything.

Where to sell your used hard drives?

Common places to sell your hard drives include eBay, direct to seller, Amazon (used), reddit.com/r/hardwareswap, or ITAD company like us, exIT Technologies. If you're here, you're already at the right place to make selling your equipment easy and maximizing your value.

Why you should sell your old hard drives?

The best reason to sell your old hard drives is extra cash. Reducing failure risk of older drives and increasing performance with newer drives are a couple others. In our guide, how to sell your used hard drives, we cover this a little more in depth.

What kind of hard drives do you [exIT Technologies] buy?

Desktop 500GB+, Laptop 250GB+, Server 300GB+, SATA, SAS, PCI-E, NVMe, SSD, & HDD. If you're not sure if what you have is something we would buy, then just contact us on our chat below and we'd be glad to help. Here's a guide on the different storage types, should you need a refresher.

What’s the minimum quantity of hard drives you [exIT Technologies] buy?

About $1,000 worth, or about 100 500GB Laptop drives, but you can combine it with memory or processors to hit the minimum.

What’s the difference between “hard drives” and “storage”?

Storage is the type (tree), and hard drives are the kind (Maple). Storage can be solid state drives, flash drives, RAID arrays, etc, they are all considered 'storage' as they all serve the purpose of holding data. Hard drives, describe a certain type of storage, namely data residing on spinning palladium disks read by a mechanical arm. We have a more in depth article comparing HHDs, SSD, and storage systems for more information.

What’s the difference between a “hard drive” and “SSD”?

Hard Disk Drives store data on solid platters that spin, SSDs are lighter with no moving parts and store data on chips. SSDs are also generally more reliable due to no moving parts, are significantly faster than HDDs, but have an increased purchase cost.

How to sell your used RAM?

The best way to sell your used RAM will largely depend on what quantity you're trying to sell. For bulk quantities, an IT asset disposition company like us will be your best bet.

If you have large quantities of RAM to sell, contact us or fill out a form below to get a quick cash offer.

For consumer quantities, eBay and reddit.com/r/hardwareswap are good options. Check sold listings on eBay to get a good idea for what your memory is going for. Make sure you ship the memory in tightly sealed memory trays and pack the boxes snugly. We've written a handy best place to sell RAM guide to help with this.

What’s your [exIT Technologies] purchasing minimum for used IT?

About $1,000 worth or any combination of used IT including used ram, used hard drives HHDs, used SSDs, used processors or CPUs, used memory or ram, used servers, used computers, used networking, or similar used IT equipment you have to liquidate.

If you're not sure if what you have qualifies, just contact us below to let us know what you have and we'll be glad to help out!

What speed of DDR4 should I buy?

For gamers, 3000 MHz is more than sufficient, with anything above that being almost surely overkill.

For servers, compatibility limits your options anyways, but speed's impact varies wildly depending on the use case. Consult your manufacturer or read through our guide on what speed of DDR4 to get.

What is DDR3 VS DDR4 RAM?

DDR3 is the past generation of RAM, with DDR4 being the most recent. DDR4 reaches faster clock speeds, is more expensive, operates at lower voltages, has higher latency, and 288 pins to the 240 pins of DDR4.

How to Sell CPUs

To sell your used CPUs, look for an ITAD company if you have a bulk quantity (more than a few processors). Otherwise, you can use reddit.com/r/hardware swap, eBay, Amazon Trade-In, or sell locally using Facebook groups or Craigslist.

Make sure you've got good pictures and accurate part information before you listing them online.

For a more in-depth explanation, we wrote a guide on why and how to sell cpus.

Where to Sell CPUs

Depending on your quantity, the condition of the CPUs, and the kind of processors you have, the ideal buyer will vary. For scrap processors that are old and damaged, a precious metals reclamation company or recycler is going to be your best bet.

For a bulk quantity of working processors that are 5 years or newer, an IT Asset Disposition Company will help you liquidate them wholesale. If you only have a few or less processors, eBay, reddit.com/r/hardwareswap, Amazon Trade-in, or local options will bring a higher return.

To learn more you can read our cpu selling guide. If you do have a few or more CPUs, you can fill out a quote right at the bottom of this page and we'll provide you a free valuation.

How can I protect my IT equipment in transit?

Standard packing materials is simply not sufficient to protect your IT assets during the shipping process. We are happy to provide shipping materials for your IT assets and shipping insurance free of charge.

A good rule of thumb is to leave no wiggle room for any parts whatsoever. CPU and RAM trays should be taped together, servers should be packed in form fitting polyurethane foam, and GPUs should have custom foam boxes. For more information consult our IT packing instructions page.

How to Sell GPUs

To sell GPUs, first you must determine what your GPUs are currently worth. You can check sold listings on eBay to see what buyers are currently willing to pay. If you have a smaller quantity of cards, you can go to reddit.com/r/minerswap or reddit.com/r/hardware swap.

Be sure to thoroughly investigate users, and if you're selling using PayPal, always list the transaction as "goods and services," not friends and family. You can also sell through Amazon Trade-in or eBay, though returns are lower.

For a more detailed response, check our where and how to sell graphics cards article, or to get a quote now, drop a line on our sell graphics cards page.

How to Sell Computers

In the modern data center, technology advances at breakneck speed. Because of such rapid advances, when and how to sell old computers, servers, CPUs becomes more and more complicated.

The good news is that for every data center that removes a server from active use to replace it with a newer model, there are hundreds of other businesses for whom that retired server might be a perfect fit.

In general here are some tips on how to sell your old computers:

• Selling in bulk is optimal
• Break retired hardware down to its base components to sell individually
• Use an e-waste recycler: recondition parts and extract the precious metals used (plus guarantee data destruction)
• Sell enterprise-grade switches, routers, firewalls, and management engines

Where to Sell Computers

All IT resources should be seen as a corporate asset, even when they are planned to be replaced with something bigger, faster, and newer. Selling used computers can offer a valuable revenue source, as long as the company chooses the most effective method for completing the transaction.

Where a company chooses to sell used computers is just as important.

A few selling options can include:

• Local buyers - Depending on the region and willingness to possibly sell to competitors, companies can reach out to supply chain and purchasing vendors directly. And no third party means the possibility of more profit.
• Online auctions - Using eBay or something similar, companies can set their price, break auctions down individually by product or type, and watch as bidders drive profits. This can be risky depending on market demand.
• Utilize trusted technology liquidators - exIT Technologies is an example of one of these firms, as we specialize in the sale and re-purposing of a wide range of IT resources.

What types of SSD will you buy?

We are interested in every type of SSD, including those new, used, and even damaged from servers, desktops and laptops. 

What specific SSD brands are most valuable?

On the secondary market, the brand of the SSD is not typically as important as the density. Samsung, Intel, Dell, HPE, Seagate, etc. are all viable brands of SSD to sell. Regardless of whether you're selling NVMe or SATA SSDs we will help you get top dollar for your drives.

What specific server brands are most valuable?

For value, it's less about the brand of server than it is about the model number and the specs of the components. For example, a barebones Dell poweredge r740 without any components in the chassis is actually less valuable than an HPE dl380 proliant gen9.

What determines the value of my graphics card?

When you sell graphics card inventory to us, the value of your GPUS is determined by the following factors: Age, condition, packaging, number of cores, rendering capabilities, graphics memory density and memory type, and bandwidth. 

What specific graphics card brands can I sell?

We’re interested in new and used graphics card inventory and GPUs of all types, including: Nvidia Graphics Cards, AMD Graphics Cards, MSI Graphics Cards, XFX Graphics Cards, PNY, Saphire, EVGA, and even cryptocurrency mining rigs. 

Where to sell used IT equipment

Where to sell used IT equipment really depends on exactly how much IT equipment and what type of IT equipment.

When dealing with very small quantities of consumer items like single hard drives, 1 or 2 sticks of ram, used laptop, etc. then direct selling on sites like eBay, Reddit hardware swap, or Facebook marketplace will likely be your best option.

If you're selling enterprise-grade IT equipment or large quantities of consumer product, you probably want to source an IT Asset Disposition company like us. Just fill out our get an offer form below with exactly how much of what you have, and we'll be in touch asap to give you a fair market cash price for your equipment.

If you'd like to learn more, check out this how-to guide on best places to sell used IT equipment here.

How Do I Know What My Hard Drives Are Worth?

By far the biggest factor in determining the value of a hard drive is its storage capacity. However, other factors that determine market value include:

• General condition (new or used)
• Density
• Connector (SATA, SAS)
• Size
• Brand 

What specific hard drive brands are most valuable?

We’re interested in new and used hard drives of all types, including those from servers, desktops and laptops. On the secondary market, Seagate and Western Digital tend to bring in the most consistent value. But no matter what brand of hard drive you’re looking to unload, from Toshiba to Hitachi and SanDisk, odds are we’ve worked with it before!

Are there restrictions to what processors you’ll buy-back?

Nope! At ExIT, we’re interested in purchasing old, used, and damaged servers in bulk your company might have in storage. Even those that are no longer active in your network. Get value back from that equipment that’s simply collecting dust!

What types of SSDs will you buy?

We are interested in every type of SSD, including those new, used, and even damaged ones taken from servers, desktops and laptops. We buy SSDs with density from as low as 100GB to several TBs. As long as there is sufficient quantity, we will purchase your used SSDs.

What determines the value of my memory?

When you sell memory inventory to us, the value of your hardware is determined by the following factors:

• Age
• Condition
• Packaging
• Generation
• Density (space in GB)
• DDR3/DDR4 Speed.

What specific processor types can I sell?

We buy most varieties of both AMD and Intel processors if they are aren't more than a few years old. However, in particular we buy the following models most often:

Which Supermicro Servers Do You Buy?

We buy Supermicro Ultra Servers, Supermicro WIO Servers, Supermicro BigTwin, Supermicro FatTwin, Supermicro 2U TwinPro, Supermicro 1U TwinPro, Supermicro 2U Twin2, Supermicro 2U Twin, Supermicro 1U Twin, Supermicro MP Servers, Supermicro GPU Solutions, Supermicro 2U Twin System Boards, and MP Servers System Boards

Which Types of CPUs do you Buy?

We purchase the following: Intel Xeon E3 V6, Xeon E5 V4s, Xeon E5 V3s, Xeon E5 V2s, Xeon E7- 4870, Xeon e7 8870, Intel xeon E7 V2, Intel Xeon E7 V3, Intel Xeon e7 V4, Intel Xeon scalable bronze 3104, Intel Xeon scalable bronze 3106, Intel Xeon Scalable Silver 4110, Intel Xeon scalable silver 4114,
Intel Xeon scalable silver 4116,
Intel Xeon scalable gold 5120,
Intel Xeon scalable gold 6142,
Intel Xeon scalable gold 6140,

Intel Xeon scalable gold 6152,
Intel Xeon scalable gold 6154,
Intel Xeon scalable platinum 8180,
Intel Xeon scalable platinum 8164,
Intel Xeon scalable platinum 8160,
Intel Xeon scalable platinum 8165,

What Kinds of Memory Do You Buy?

By brand, we buy Samsung, SK hynix, Micron, Dell, Corsair, Kingston, G.Skill, and others not listed.

We buy memory made for Cisco, Dell, Fujitsu, HPE, IBM, Lenovo, Supermicro, Quanta, and other systems

We buy All DIMM types: LRDIMM, RDIMM, SODIMM, and UDIMM

We buy DDR4-3200, DDR4-2933, DDR4-2666, DDR4-2400, DDR4-2133, DDR3-1866, DDR3-1600, DDR3-1333, and DDR3-1066

By Capacity, we buy 128GB, 64GB, 32GB, 16GB, 12GB, and 8GB DDR3 and DDR4, though only in bulk

Why Is exIT the Right Choice to Sell IT Equipment?

When it comes time to sell used IT equipment, you have many choices for IT equipment buyers. You could sell on eBay, reddit, craigslist, or to any number of IT recommerce companies and equipment liquidators. What makes exIT stand out is our commitment to the customer and integrity as a company. Our ratings across all of the broker platforms are stellar. We receive virtually no negative reviews on eBay, broker bin, or from our global contacts. We are family-owned for more than two decades and work diligently to ensure that anyone who sells used IT hardware to us is taken care of. We provide free shipping with insurance and custom packaging for any type of hardware. If there are any errors, we strive to right any wrongs. We are also R2 certified and industry leading in logistics, data security, and data erasure methodology.

What If I Have A Different Brand HBA than Emulex or Qlogic?

Don’t fret! Emulex and Qlogic are definitely the primary Fibre channel HBA manufacturers. However, HP, IBM, and SUN/Oracle often use those cards and put their own label on the card. That brand label can actually increase the value of the card beyond its MFG part number since it guarantees that the card works in server-specific applications.

What Kinds of Networking Equipment Do You Buy?

In general, we focus primarily on switches, routers, and HBAs. While technically we would be happy to provide a quote on any types of networking equipment, in practice certain types are less viable than others. Firewalls for example can be a hassle in terms of licensing.

What If I Have Too Much Networking Equipment to Ship?

If you have pallets worth of networking equipment to ship, we realize that logistically this would make shipping a hassle.

We would be happy to come to you and provide on-site managed logistics. We'll help you decommission your hardware, package, load, and ship all of your hardware so that you don't have to worry about the heavy lifting.

How Do I Know What My Networking Gear Is Worth?

As with any IT, the value is primarily based upon age.

Another significant factor with networking equipment is the speed of data transfer.

With switches, the number of ports is also determinative of value.

For a complete valuation, feel free to submit your HBA cards, switches, firewalls, routers, or other networking equipment below and we'll get back to you with a quote.

What’s the Benefit of Using You Instead of eBay?

The most obvious benefit is that you can save time and money on shipping, packing materials, fees, and time. Especially if you have more than a few laptops or tablets, it will take time to list each and every one of them and find buyers. If you have to ship them one at a time, that process gets to be quite a hassle. By selling your laptops and/or tablets to exIT, you don't have to worry about any of that. We'll send you shipping materials, take care of the shipping labels, and pay you all at once for all of your material.

Why Sell Computers to You?

We understand that when you sell your computers online, you want to get the best deal in the most convenient way possible. We strive to provide a service that does just that. You don't have to worry about pricing, fees, or finding buyers like on ecommerce sites. All you have to do is provide a list of what you've got and you'll get a fast purchase offer. We also make shipping effortless and provide all of the materials and labels. Additionally, we're R2 certified so you don't have to worry about your data security, and we can take any of your recyclable materials along with the material you're looking to sell.

How do I know my data is safe?

For starters, we are R2 certified. This means that all of our processes are 3rd party audited to ensure that we meet certain data security and environmental standards. We've also been in business for over two decades as a family owned company, and we have never had a single situation with a data leak or any client have issues regarding their data security. If government institutions and fortune 500 companies can trust us with their data, you can too.

What if I’m not sure what IT equipment I have?

Don't worry, we can help you figure out what IT equipment you have. It's extremely with large lots as in data centers to have inaccurate hardware maps anyways.

If you take a picture of the equipment labels, barcodes, model numbers, etc., or even just a picture of the equipment itself, we can easily determine what you're working with.

With servers, brand names of the server chassis are less important than the actual components in the systems themselves.

You may need to open up your systems and figure out how homogenous the systems are.

For example, with storage systems, how many of them have the same number of drives?

Does every server have the same amount of RAM?

In that case you can just send us the specs for one or two and we can generalize to the whole lot.

From there we'll provide you with a purchase offer.

In the worst-case scenario, we can always take the equipment in on consignment and determine what you've got at our facilities, but this shouldn't be necessary.

What if I have a lot of computers?

Not to worry, we actually specialize in bulk/ wholesale transactions.

Depending on the situation, we can handle the logistics a few ways.

If you have thousands of computers and work stations spread across different locations, we'll need to coordinate with your IT department.

We want to make sure we help you minimize labor costs. We can handle the majority of the heavy lifting while we rely on your IT staff to direct us and ensure we're complying with all of the necessary policies.

For single location jobs that aren't so complex, we can simply come in and take care of everything for you.

Selling computers in bulk doesn't have to be a hassle with exIT, so just drop in a spreadsheet or give a ring and we'll get the process started.

How can I figure out what memory I’ve got?

For windows systems, just right click the windows icon in the bottom left and then task manager. Click "more details", then the "performance" tab, and then "memory." You should see the speed, form factor, and types of memory you've got.

With servers, you can always simply pull the memory and then look at the model number labeled on the module.

If there is no label, you can use control panel --> system and security --> "view amount of RAM and processor speed" within Windows Server 2016 (should work on 2012 as well) to find the specs on the live system.

We can also just help you determine your hardware's specs if you send us some pictures.

Will you buy my one computer?

Sorry, but we only deal in wholesale.

If you have a single computer to sell, your best bet is probably just to list it online or trade it in to someone like Best Buy or Amazon.

Best of luck!

Do you buy mining rigs?

It depends on the specific setup.

Things like antminers, we typically are not interested in purchasing, but mining rigs that are primarily composed of GPUs that haven't been overclocked too hard are certainly of interest.

If you aren't sure, feel free to fill out a quote form with your mining rig's card specs and we'll get back to you soon.

What if I’ve overclocked my GPUs?

Depending on how far you pushed the hardware, they may be undesirable for remarketing.

If you know specifically how your graphics cards were run or you can run comprehensive testing on them we can give you a definite answer.

We would also be happy to ship them in on consignment if you aren't sure and we can make a determination at that point to either ship them back to you or pay you for them.

What Kinds of Dell Servers Will You Buy?

The most common servers we purchase are the 14th and 13th generation Dell Poweredge servers, such as the Dell Poweredge R740 or the Dell Poweredge R730.

For a more complete list, see below:

• Dell 14th Generation Servers
• Dell PowerEdge T440
• Dell PowerEdge T640
• Dell PowerEdge R440
• Dell PowerEdge R540
• Dell PowerEdge R640
• Dell PowerEdge R740
• Dell PowerEdge R740XD
• Dell PowerEdge R840
• Dell PowerEdge R940
• Dell PowerEdge FC640
• Dell PowerEdge M640
• Dell PowerEdge C6420

• Dell 13th Generation Servers
• Dell PowerEdge T330 Servers
• Dell PowerEdge T430 Servers
• Dell PowerEdge T630 Servers
• Dell PowerEdge R230 Servers
• Dell PowerEdge R330 Servers
• Dell PowerEdge R430 Servers
• Dell PowerEdge R530 Servers
• Dell PowerEdge R630 Servers
• Dell PowerEdge R730 Servers
• Dell PowerEdge R730XD Servers
• Dell PowerEdge R830 Servers
• Dell PowerEdge R930 Servers
• DellPowerEdge FC830 Servers
• Dell PowerEdge FC630 Servers
• Dell PowerEdge FC430 Servers
• Dell PowerEdge M630 Servers
• Dell PowerEdge M830 Servers
• Dell PowerEdge C6320
• Dell PowerEdge C4130

• Dell 12th Generation Servers
• Dell PowerEdge R220 Servers
• Dell PowerEdge R320 Servers
• Dell PowerEdge R420 Servers
• Dell PowerEdge R520 Servers
• Dell PowerEdge R620 Servers
• Dell PowerEdge R720 Servers
• Dell PowerEdge R720XD Servers
• Dell PowerEdge R820 Servers
• Dell PowerEdge R920 Servers
• Dell PowerEdge T320 Servers
• Dell PowerEdge T420 Servers
• Dell PowerEdge T620 Servers

Do You Also Buy Dell Storage Arrays?

We do buy Dell Storage Systems, Including but not limited to:

• Dell Storage SC9000
• Dell Storage SC4020
• Dell Storage SC7020
• Dell Storage SC5020
• Dell Storage SCv2000
• Dell Storage SCv3000
• Dell Storage SC7020F
• Dell Storage SC5020F
• Dell Storage PS6610
• Dell PowerEdge FD332

What Kinds of HP Servers Do You Buy?

We Primarily purchase HP Proliant Gen 10s, Gen 9s, and Gen 8s. We also buy Apollo servers, Integrity servers, and HPE storage systems such as 3PAR BladeSystems, and gateway systems. For a more complete list, see below:

Proliant Servers

Proliant Gen 10s

ProLiant ML350 Gen10,
ProLiant DL360 Gen10,
ProLiant DL380 Gen10,
ProLiant DL560 Gen10,
ProLiant BL460c Gen10,
ProLiant DL580 Gen10,
ProLiant BL460c Gen10

Proliant Gen 9s

ProLiant BL660c Gen9,
ProLiant BL460c Gen9-cg,
ProLiant DL380 Gen9-cg,
ProLiant ML10 Gen9,
ProLiant ML30 Gen9,
ProLiant ML110 Gen9,
ProLiant ML150 Gen9,
ProLiant DL20 Gen9,
ProLiant DL60 Gen9,
ProLiant DL80 Gen9,
ProLiant DL120 Gen9,
ProLiant DL160 Gen9,
ProLiant DL180 Gen9,
ProLiant ML350 Gen9,
ProLiant DL360 Gen9,
ProLiant DL560 Gen9,
ProLiant DL380 Gen9,
ProLiant XL260a Gen9 Server,
ProLiant XL230a Gen9 Server,
ProLiant XL250a Gen9 Server,
ProLiant DL580 Gen9

Proliant Gen 8s

ProLiant ML310e Gen8 v2,
ProLiant ML350e Gen8,
ProLiant ML350p Gen8,
ProLiant DL320e Gen8 v2,
ProLiant DL360e Gen8,
ProLiant DL380e Gen8,
ProLiant DL360p Gen8,
ProLiant DL380p Gen8,
ProLiant DL560 Gen8,
ProLiant DL580 Gen8,
ProLiant DL385p Gen8

What If the Drives Were All Pulled?

Typically when we're valuating a lot of systems or a single system, the hard drives or solid state drives provide the majority of the value. Second-hand buyers have the most demand for systems that are already loaded and ready to use, so we may find it difficult to recover value from storage systems without any drives in them.

Can You Erase Drives While They’re Still In the Racks?

We realize that many of our clients have strict policies about any data leaving the data centers. For this reason, we will provide on site drive erasure, and our software is customized to make the process scalable and as far as we know the fastest in the industry. If for whatever reason you need your drives shredded, the majority of the systems' value will be lost, but we can provide that service as well.

What If I Need to Clear Out Infrastructure As Well?

If you are decommissioning infrastructure along with your arrays/ storage systems, we are fully equipped to assist with that process as well. Whether you've got a few HVACs or a massive liquid cooling set-up, we've got you covered.

What is the oldest generation of Proliants you buy?

The short answer would be that anything older than generation 8 Proliants is probably not something we would make an offer on. Even Generation 8 Proliants would be decided case by case. In terms of the deciding factors, servers' components are what determine most of their value, so a large quantity of servers with fully loaded top of the line components may still be something we could help you with.

What info do you need for my servers quote?

If you already have an updated inventory list with server specs on it that would be ideal. Alternatively, if you can send us a picture of a tag from every model of server you have along with the quantity and a general idea of the components inside, that will be sufficient for a reasonable estimate. If you know the model numbers and can provide details on the components for every server, we can provide a very precise quote for your HP servers.

What kinds of Supermicro equipment do you purchase?

We buy all of the following equipment and many more not listed:

• Twin Servers
• SuperServers
• Blade Servers
• MicroCloud
• TwinPro
• SuperBlade
• MicroBlade
• Ultra Servers
• SuperStorage
• Fat Node Servers
• Multi-node Servers
• Motherboard
• Chassis

What are my Supermicro servers worth?

The resale value of supermicro servers is primarily based upon the residual value of three primary components: drives, RAM, and CPUs. The following is a full list of components and what determines their contribution to the value of your supermicro servers. Besides that:

• Condition
  • Brand new, refurbished, used, etc.
• Total Storage Density
  • 5 TB, 10TB, 25TB, 50TB, etc
• Total RAM
  • 256 GB, 1TB, 1.5TB, etc
• Type of RAM
  • DDR3, DDR
• Number of CPUs
  • 1, 2, 4, 8, etc 
• Type of CPUs
  • Intel® Xeon® E7-8880 v3, Intel® Xeon® E3-1585 v5, etc

HPE

Dell-EMC

Quanta

Supermicro

How do you decommission a data center?

1. 1. Write up the goals, expected outcomes, and the scope of work.
   2. Share the planning document with relevant stakeholders
   3. Determine the needed human resources and schedule their involvement.
   4. Contact third party vendors if necessary.
   5. Acquire any needed tools which are not in inventory
   6. Verify the current network map by performing a new round of discovery
   7. Remove the relevant equipment
   8. Wipe all data
   9. Pack, palletize, and clean up
   10. Coordinate with a recycler, itad company, or in house disposition team to recover value or dispose of the equipment responsibly.

What is the server decommissioning process?

Server decommissioning is performed thusly: 

1. Determine the most prudent time to decommission the server
2. Identify replacement servers if necessary
3. Determine if disposition, reprovisioning, repurposing, or recycling is most sensible. 
4. Reallocate its workloads to other servers
5. Back up any data unique to the server
6. Test the backups
7. Disconnect the server and wait to ensure nothing breaks
8. If issues don’t manifest, remove the server from the network and power down
9. Wipe all data 
10. Dispose of the server as determined previously

What is decommissioning in information technology?

Decommissioning in information technology is the process of retiring or shutting down IT equipment such as computers or servers. This process usually involves replacing the hardware with new units and then disposing of the old ones with strict methods to secure company data. 

What is the future of data centers?

While it is impossible to predict the future, there are a few probable trends: 

1. Rack densities will increase to 80 kWh and beyond
2. 60% or more of all computing will be based in the cloud within 10 years
3. Solar will contribute 25% or more of data center energy
4. The amount of data created outside of the cloud will grow up and above 70% over the following years from 40% today. 
5. The prevalence of fiber optic networking will continue to increase
6. Next-gen computing technologies such as photonic computing and quantum computing will see greater implementation for fringe cases or even general use cases
7. The spread and ubiquity of edge computing nodes will steadily grow year over year to meet low latency demands of autonomous vehicles or augmented reality devices, among other technologies
8. IoT and other smart devices with unique networking protocols such as zigbee or 5g will contribute to the growing complexity of network management
9. Machine learning will necessarily rise to meet those of the aforementioned management demands which exceed the capabilities of human IT managers. 
10. Network security will either improve to protect the rising number of entry points and vulnerabilities, as with new container security protocols and hypersegmentation, or we will continue to see an increase in network breaches and data breaches

Why data centers are proliferating

Put simply, data centers are proliferating because more people are gaining access to phones, computers, and other devices which rely on data centers. Additionally, as cameras, web applications, and other common technologies becomes more advanced, the amount of data that they produce also grows, which increases the demands on data centers. 

Who uses data centers

Any person who accesses the internet, uses applications like google photos or icloud, or communicates through text messages and other telecom services. 

When should you scale out your deployment in Azure?

You should scale out when your application(s) are not fast enough due to an insufficient number of virtual machines to handle workloads.

What is the difference between remove from inventory and delete from disk?

Specifically in terms of a virtual machine in vSphere, to remove from inventory simply means to deregister the VM without touching its data stores. However, if you delete the VM, you will not only remove the VM from inventory but you will also delete all of its related data. 

More generally in terms of IT equipment, when you remove something from inventory, you are simply deleting a record within your own personal inventory log. On the other hand, if you delete something from disk, you are actually deleting the physical information that is stored on a data device. Put more simply, inventory is usually referenced or viewed by the company employees, whereas data on the disk is usually for end users, applications, or data needed for computer operations. 

How do I decommission a server in VMware?

The procedure varies depending on the server and on which management software you are using, but before you decommission any virtual machine, you’ll want to transfer any data or workloads that you need if they would be affected. Afterwards: With an ESXi server host machine: 

1. Delete any VMFS data stores so that your disks aren’t set up to store virtual machines any more
2. Change your BIOS boot setting so that the host doesn’t boot into ESXi any longer

With a Cloud Foundation Product host

1. Ensure that the host is in the free pool and isn’t assigned to any workload domains. 
2. Go in your Manager Dashboard
3. Click Inventory > Hosts.
4. Within the hosts table, click the FQDN of whichever host you want to decommission.
5. Click Actions, then click Decommission.
6. Click Confirm. 

With a vCenter Server, or VCSA

1. Connect via SSH or console to whichever PSC your VCSA is pointed at
2. Afterwards, enter into the shell
3. From there, power down your VCSA
4. Finally, remove the VSCA from your inventory

For more information, visit https://communities.vmware.com/thread/473242

How do I delete an unregistered virtual machine?

Occasionally, the option to delete an unregistered VM is unavailable, usually when the datastore is deleted before the VM is. In this case:

1. within your dashboard, highlight the virtual machine(s) along with a valid/registered machine
2. Click deregister. 
3. The unregistered virtual machine should automatically be removed
4. If this did not resolve the issue, visit this resource: https://www.virtualizationteam.com/server-virtualization/how-to-remove-orphaned-vm-from-vcenter-the-easy-way.html

How do I decommission a VM in VMware?

The procedure varies depending on the server and on which management software you are using, but before you decommission any virtual machine, you’ll want to transfer any data or workloads that you need if they would be affected. Afterwards: With an ESXi server host machine: 

1. Delete any VMFS data stores so that your disks aren’t set up to store virtual machines any more
2. Change your BIOS boot setting so that the host doesn’t boot into ESXi any longer

With a Cloud Foundation Product host
3:40

1. Ensure that the host is in the free pool and isn’t assigned to any workload domains. 
2. Go in your Manager Dashboard
3. Click Inventory > Hosts.
4. Within the hosts table, click the FQDN of whichever host you want to decommission.
5. Click Actions, then click Decommission.
6. Click Confirm. 

With a vCenter Server, or VCSA

1. Connect via SSH or console to whichever PSC your VCSA is pointed at
2. Afterwards, enter into the shell
3. From there, power down your VCSA
4. Finally, remove the VSCA from your inventory

For more information, visit https://communities.vmware.com/thread/473242

What is asset decommissioning?

Asset decommissioning is the process of removing from use and then repurposing, reselling, or disposing of an asset to optimize the total asset cost of ownership once the asset reaches its end of life

Is Nvidia owned by ASUS?

No. Nvidia merely depends on ASUS to meet their manufacturing needs. ASUS manufactures the GPUs that Nvidia designs, as would be designated by an ASUS Geforce, for example.

Is AMD better than Nvidia?

It depends on what you're looking for. While you may be able to find a better deal on AMD GPUs sometimes, Nvidia is certainly miles ahead in the enterprise GPU market, and also leads in the consumer market, though AMD and Nvidia are comparable for most consumer applications.

Can AMD beat Nvidia?

AMD has managed to succeed as a competitor against Intel, so it's certainly not unfeasible for them to come out ahead in the GPU wars. That being said, GPUs continue to grow more heavily entwined with machine learning applications, and Nvidia's R & D department has accomplished great things in that realm. It's hard to say if the ML application side of things will shift how GPU hardware is developed, but Nvidia is well positioned in that sense.

Is Nvidia a Chinese company?

No, but a massive chunk of Nvidia's sales growth has come from the Chinese market, and subsequently Nvidia shareholders are beholden to China in a sense. If China wants something from Nvidia that wouldn't lose them massive sales in other areas, Nvidia will likely do it.

What companies use Nvidia?

Virtually every single major cloud company and artificial intelligence company uses Nvidia, as they have the lead in terms of enterprise grade GPU technology. Examples include Google, Amazon, Facebook, and even Tesla.

Is Intel making a GPU?

Yes, the Intel Xe GPU is set to be announced this month in August. Details are scant. Find more details here.

Why are graphics cards so expensive 2020?

The cost of GPUs has increased partially because of an increased demand for DRAM, but also due to the increase in the R & D expenses it requires to fabricate new GPU systems. For example, Nvidia spent 2.8 billion dollars on R&D in the most recent fiscal year.

How do I test my GPU?

The simplest way to test your GPU is to run a benchmark software. One of the most popular benchmarking softwares is 3DMark, which can be downloaded on steam at a cost. You can also use the free Heaven Benchmark if you do not wish to pay anything to test your GPU(s).

What causes a GPU to die?

A GPU can die for a number of reasons. The earliest reason a GPU will die is faulty manufacturing, where components of the circuit board are loose or the integrity of the circuitboard is already compromised. You can cause a GPU to die earlier by overclocking it in excess of its tolerance levels, which puts strain on the system. The GPU can also be damaged during installation if static is allowed to build up and is transferred to the card. Finally, if the GPU you installed is incompatible with other components, that can cause damage to the GPU, though often it simply won't work to begin with.

Is GTX better than RTX?

• generation
• Cost
• Ray Tracing
• Multithreading

"RTX" simply refers to the ray tracing abilities of the newer graphics card model. It isn't an entirely different category of card so much as it is the successor to the previous GTX generation. There isn't really a reason to buy the older GTX cards aside from cost if you're looking to get a budget GPU option.

Nvidia v100 Specs

The specs for the v100 can be found at Nvidia's page here. The Nvidia V100 has 16GB HBM2 memory and 16GB of PCIe memory, and the two are connected through a 4096-bit memory interface. The memory runs at 876 MHz and the GPU can be boosted up to 1380MHz.

Nvidia v100 Data Sheet

The Nvidia v100 data sheet can be downloaded here. The Nvidia v100 has 640 tensor cores, provides 130 teraFLOPS, and 16GB of HMB2 memory along with 16GB of PCIe memory.

Nvidia A100 vs V100

The Nvidia A100 with 108 SMs has roughly 2.5x the peak throughput of the Nvidia V100. Additionally, the A100, shows as much as a twenty fold increase over V100 performance in some workload benchmarks, as discussed on Nvidia's blog.

Nvidia T4 vs V100

The Tesla T4 runs anywhere from one quarter the performance of the V100 (in matrix multiplication) to just over 50% the performance (in max FLOPS) of the V100. Its performance is most respectable for molecular dynamics, where it exceeds the performance of the P100, but still falls short of the Nvidia V100.

Nvidia V100 Price

The Nvidia V100 costs somewhere in the $8000 range as of August 2020 for a new GPU, while a used card could cost close to that or as low as a few thousand dollars less, depending on condition.

Nvidia A100 Specs

The Nvidia A100 has 54 billion transistors, 3,456 FP64 Cuda Cores, 6,912 FP32 Cuda Cores, 108 streaming multiprocessors, and a max effective TOPS of 2,496 with 624 max effective TFLOPS.

Can A GPU Wear Out?

Yes, you can gradually wear out a GPU, causing its performance to decrease. The electrolytic capacitors on a board can dry out more quickly if your GPU heats up excessively during operation. Additionally, electromigration, where electrons move around the metal atoms, can create gaps in conductors, eventually causing failure. With that said, most GPUs don't significantly degrade in performance over their typical lifespan.

HPC GPU vs CPU

For HPC applications, the expansive quantity of cores on GPUs allows for generally much faster parallel processing than is possible with CPUs. As a result, GPU server architectures are ubiquitous for HPC applications like AI and 3D modeling in physics or biology.

Tesla P100 Price

The Tesla P100 GPU runs upwards of $3000 retail, though used GPUs and GPUs purchased in bulk will cost less than that figure.

Tesla P100 vs V100

The Tesla P100 is a predecessor to the V100, with considerably less FLOPS and other features which reflect its older age and lower cost.

Tesla P40 Price

The tesla P40 costs around $3500 used, per sold listings on eBay at time of writing 8-3-2020, though bulk orders and orders with varying condition will have different costs.

Tesla T4 vs P4

The Tesla T4 is anywhere from 3x to 36x faster than the Tesla P4, depending on what operations you need it to perform. More information can be found on Nvidia's website. Both have been succeeded by the Vesla A100 and V100.

Tesla M10 Price

The Tesla M10 goes for anything from $1000-$1500 used per sold eBay units, though bulk orders or orders with worse conditions will go for less per unit.

Tesla M60 Price

The Tesla M60 goes for anything from $1000-$1500 used per sold eBay units, though bulk orders or orders with worse conditions will go for less per unit.

Quadro RTX 8000 Price

The Nvidia Quadro RTX 8000 goes for anywhere from $3000 to upwards of $5000 used, based on sold listings on eBay. Bulk sales and cards with lower condition will go for less per unit, however.

TITAN RTX Price

As of August 2020, the Titan RTX is selling for about $2000 for one unit, though less in wholesale.

RTX 2080 TI Price

The Nvidia RTX 2080 TI is currently selling used for around $1500; units bought in bulk will of course be sold for less.

Nvidia Titan V Price

The Titan V is selling used for anything from $1300 all the way up to $5000, currently. The market will likely stabilize on the lower end soon.

Nvidia Titan XP Price

The Titan XP is currently selling used for around $600 to $1500 on the upper end.

Nvidia Tesla T4 Price

The Tesla T4 is currently selling used for around $1300, though less for bulk transactions.

Quadro RTX 6000 Price

Currently the Quadro RTX 6000 is selling for around $3000 used. The price is lower for bulk sales, of course.

Tesla P4 Price

The Tesla P4 is currently selling for around $1000 to $1200 used. New units will sell for more, while bulk sales will be less per unit.

Quadro RTX 5000 Price

The Nvidia Quadro RTX 5000 sells for about $1300 to $1800 used. New units sell for more, while bulk sales are a lower price per unit.

Nvidia Quadro RTX 4000 Price

The Quadro RTX 4000 sells currently for around $600 to $1000, depending on condition. Bulk sales will be priced lower per unit, however.

Quadro GV100 Price

The Nvidia Quadro GV100 GPU sells for anywhere between $3000 and $5000, with $5000 being the upper end for a single unit in ideal condition, and $3000 being the lower end. Bulk sales of course are subject to lower pricing.

Nvidia Quadro P6000 Price

The Quadro P6000 sells for about $1500 pre-owned in ideal condition, with newer units worth slightly more, and bulk sales subject to discounted pricing.

Nvidia Quadro P5000 Price

The Nvidia Quadro P5000 is worth about $800-$900, with brand new units selling for slightly more, and units sold in bulk at a moderately lower price per unit.

Quadro P4000 Price

The Nvidia Quadro P4000 sells for roughly $500 depending on quantity and condition.

GeForce RTX 2080 Super Price

The GeForce RTX 2080 Super sells for about $600 to $800 dollars, depending on condition and quantity. Bulk sales will go for lower.

Can I sell old hard drives?

That depends on how old the drives are. Hard drives that are older than 5 years tend not to retain much value if any. We buy old hard drives that are newer than 5 years old. Simply let us know part numbers and condition and get you a purchase quote put together right away!

Do old hard drives have any value?

Depending on how old the drive is, you'll either be looking at a portion of its initial value for newer drives, or scrap value for precious metals (which are insignificant if you don't have a bulk quantity of old drives).

Do pawn shops buy hard drives?

Some pawn shops will buy hard drives, though it is unlikely they will provide competitive pricing. For single drives, your best bet will be eBay, and for bulk hard drives you'll want to reach out to an IT asset disposition company (ITAD) or a recycler if they're older drives.

Is it safe to sell SSD?

If you have wiped your solid state drive(s) correctly, then yes it is certainly safe to sell SSDs. Many manufacturers provide a drive erasure utility for their specific drives, but in most the built in partition management software on Windows is sufficient, or a software like killdisk.

Can you recover data from a wiped hard drive?

If you have correctly wiped your hard drive, then no, your data is not recoverable. If you have simply deleted the files, or attempted to destroy the hard drive, or wiped it improperly, then it is quite possible the data could be recovered.

Can an SSD be wiped?

Yes, an SSD can be wiped fairly easily using Windows Console or KillDisk software, among others.

Do SSD drives need to be wiped?

If you have any data on your SSD that you'd prefer others didn't have access to, then yes it is important to wipe your solid state drives. This can be accomplished with built in Windows tools like the console, or a software like KillDisk.

Can you destroy a hard drive with a magnet?

If the magnet is powerful enough, then you can irreparably destroy the hard drive, though you shouldn't assume that the data is irrecoverable.

Can you destroy a hard drive with a hammer?

You can fairly easily destroy the hard drive by taking a hammer to the platter, though you should definitely erase the data before doing so, or otherwise you have no way to truly prevent your sensitive data from being vulnerable.

Can You Sell Old Servers?

You can sell your old servers directly to exIT Technologies, and you'll receive your quote and payment quickly. We back our process with R2, ISO 14001 and OHSAS 18001 certifications, an excellent Trustpilot rating, and thousands of five-star reviews from our customers.

Is There a Market for Used Servers?

Yes! The market for used servers and other computer equipment is quite large. Previously owned technology finds homes everywhere from corporate data centers to nonprofit organizations. Let exIT Technologies find the buyers for you so you can concentrate on more strategic business tasks.

How Do I Get Rid of Old Servers?

The best way to get rid of your old servers is to sell them. Our three-step process is easy — when you give us a list, we'll give you a quote, and you'll get paid. We also offer free on-site erasure, degaussing, and data destruction certificates for your security.

Can Servers Be Recycled?

Yes! When renewal isn't an option, exIT Technologies will pay for your used servers, erase them, and recycle them with a certified electronics recycling program. We'll provide you with documentation each step of the way for your protection.

How to sell networking products

To sell networking products, there are a few options depending on how many networking products you have.

1. For a small number of networking products, ebay or reddit's r/hardwareswap are good choices
2. For larger batches of networking products, an ITAD company is a better fit. Submit a quote below if you want to be pointed in the right direction for your list of hardware.

Where to sell network switches

Here is a list of places you can sell network switches:

1. ebay.com
2. reddit.com/r/hardwareswap
3. reddit.com/r/homelabsales
4. brokerbin.com
5. https://www.exittechnologies.com/#footer_cta

The first 3 are for only one or two switches - the 4th and 5th option are for if you want to sell several switches or more.

If you'd like to know what your switches are worth, just send us your details or attach your hardware list below.

Who buys network equipment near me

Doing a search on google maps for computer stores and local recyclers may yield some results, but you don't need to limit your search to local buyers.

Many companies across the country will pay for shipping, shipping insurance, and send you packaging materials so the process is easy.

If you don't want to ship the hardware, you could always sell networking equipment with the "local pickup" setting on ebay, but in our experience this is rarely a good option.

If you want to know what your networking equipment is worth, fill out our form below and we'll give you a free valuation and purchase quote.

Where to sell network equipment

Below are some options for where to sell network equipment online:

1. ebay.com - High fees but most convenient for small deals
2. reddit.com/r/hardwareswap - Not as regulated as ebay and less enterprise buyers
3. reddit.com/r/homelabsales - Also not as regulated, but more enterprise buyers
4. brokerbin.com - Requires membership and is only for wholesale deals
5. https://www.exittechnologies.com/#footer_cta - Just send equipment details and receive a free valuation and purchase offer within 2 business days

How to sell networking equipment

To sell networking equipment, you'll need to follow these steps:

1. Find a buyer
   1. Ebay
   2. Reddit Homelabsales
   3. Reddit hardwareswap
   4. ITAD vendors (companies that buy IT equipment in bulk)
2. Compile equipment info
   1. Data transfer speed
   2. Model numbers
   3. Purchase date
   4. Condition
   5. Location of equipment
3. Send equipment info
   1. List on ebay or reddit, or submit a form with the equipment list to an ITAD vendor.

If you'd like a quote to sell networking equipment, fill out the form below.

Where to sell used networking equipment

Below are some options for where to sell network equipment online:

1. ebay.com - High fees for sellers, but it's the standard for small deals
2. reddit.com/r/hardwareswap - Somewhat less regulated, but no seller fees
3. reddit.com/r/homelabsales - Not regulated, has more enterprise equipment buyers, no seller fees
4. brokerbin.com - Requires membership and is only for wholesale deals
5. https://www.exittechnologies.com/#footer_cta - Just send equipment details and receive a free valuation and purchase offer within 2 business days

Who buys old cisco equipment?

exIT Technologies buys all varieties of old cisco equipment:

• Cisco switches
• Cisco firewalls
• Cisco routers
• Cisco Meraki Networking devices
• And many other types of cisco equipment

Submit a quote below to get a fair purchase offer - we'll cover shipping or remove the surplus equipment for you ourselves for larger deals

What do I do with old cisco equipment?

Depending on how old your cisco equipment is, you can do one of 3 things:

1. Give it to a recycler to responsibly dispose of
2. Sell it to an IT asset disposition vendor or to an end-user on eBay
3. Donate it for a tax write-off

If the equipment is older than 4 years old, chances are it does not have enough value to be resold.

How do you sell your used Cisco equipment?

To sell your used Cisco equipment, simply fill out the form on this page. We will provide you with free custom packaging materials tailored to your specific Cisco equipment needs.

What is the purchasing minimum for Cisco equipment?

When purchasing Cisco equipment, we like to stick to a minimum of $1000 in product value. If you are unsure of the value of your Cisco equipment, get in touch with us today for a free quote!

How can you protect my Cisco equipment in transit?

We provide free custom packaging materials tailored to your Cisco equipment in order to protect it while being shipped.

Where do you sell Cisco equipment?

We sell Cisco equipment all over the world. We have established trusted relationships with buyers in a variety of countries, so you can be sure to get the best return on your investment.

How long will it take to receive payment?

Once we have received and verified your Cisco equipment, payment will be processed almost instantly.

What determines the value of your Cisco equipment?

The value of your Cisco equipment is determined by a variety of factors, including market demand and the overall condition of the hardware. Our team of experts will work with you to determine the optimal price for your equipment.

What kinds of Cisco equipment do we buy?

We buy all types of Cisco equipment, including routers, switches, firewalls, servers, processors and more.

How do you sell your used Dell equipment?

To sell your used Dell equipment, simply fill out the form on this page. We will provide you with free custom packaging materials tailored to your specific Dell equipment needs.

What is the purchasing minimum for Dell equipment?

When purchasing Dell equipment, we like to stick to a minimum of $1000 in product value. If you are unsure of the value of your Dell equipment, get in touch with us today for a free quote!

How can you protect my Dell equipment in transit?

We provide free custom packaging materials tailored to your Dell equipment in order to protect it while being shipped.

Where do you sell Dell equipment?

We sell Dell equipment all over the world. We have established trusted relationships with buyers in a variety of countries, so you can be sure to get the best return on your investment.

How long will it take to receive payment?

Once we have received and verified your Dell equipment, payment will be processed almost instantly.

What determines the value of your Dell equipment?

The value of your Dell equipment is determined by a variety of factors, including market demand and the overall condition of the hardware. Our team of experts will work with you to determine the optimal price for your equipment.

What kinds of Dell equipment do we buy?

We buy all types of Dell equipment, including RAM, switches, firewalls, servers, processors and more.

How do you sell your used HP equipment?

To sell your used HP equipment, simply fill out the form on this page. We will provide you with free custom packaging materials tailored to your specific HP equipment needs.

What is the purchasing minimum for HP equipment?

When purchasing HP equipment, we like to stick to a minimum of $1000 in product value. If you are unsure of the value of your HP equipment, get in touch with us today for a free quote!

How can you protect my HP equipment in transit?

We provide free custom packaging materials tailored to your HP equipment in order to protect it while being shipped.

Where do you sell HP equipment?

We sell HP equipment all over the world. We have established trusted relationships with buyers in a variety of countries, so you can be sure to get the best return on your investment.

How long will it take to receive payment?

Once we have received and verified your HP equipment, payment will be processed almost instantly.

What determines the value of your HP equipment?

The value of your HP equipment is determined by a variety of factors, including market demand and the overall condition of the hardware. Our team of experts will work with you to determine the optimal price for your equipment.

What kinds of HP equipment do we buy?

We buy all types of HP equipment, including RAM, switches, firewalls, servers, processors and more.