If you're based in the US and you're in the market for a new GPU, Newegg has a GPU trade-in program that might be of interest to you. It's a way to grab yourself a credit towards a new card, with the additional benefit of reducing electronic waste. Well, on paper anyway. It's not like your 'old' RTX 30-series graphics card can really be considered e-waste.
The idea looks good initially. After you add a new card to your cart, you'll get an option to enter the make of your old GPU and its condition. Only RTX 20-series and RX 5000-series cards and newer are accepted. You'll be asked to pay the full price for the new card, and after buying it, Newegg will cover the cost of shipping the old card with a prepaid UPS shipping label. After it receives the card, checks it and approves, Newegg will give you a credit. If not, Newegg will send the card back without a credit.
Sounds good? But before you go and add that speedy new RTX 4090 to your cart, we need to tell you that the prices Newegg is offering for your old card are not great—to put it mildly. The full list can be seen in the link in the opening paragraph.
For example, if you were to trade in your RTX 3090 Ti, Newegg will give you a rather paltry $561 for it. That's not great at all when you consider a second hand RTX 3090 Ti on eBay sells for $800 to $900.
Some of Newegg's prices are a little better, though not by much. The RTX 3060 Ti can be found on eBay for around $240, while Newegg's trade-in price is $176. Don't go thinking AMD's prices are any better. Newegg will give you $293 for a Radeon RX 6800 XT, while on eBay, you can get over $400 for one.
Best CPU for gaming: The top chips from Intel and AMD.
Best gaming motherboard: The right boards.
Best graphics card: Your perfect pixel-pusher awaits.
Best SSD for gaming: Get into the game ahead of the rest.
It's a good program for customers looking for a hassle-free option instead of dealing with a second hand marketplace, which can incur fees, shipping costs and force you to deal with a stranger—which doesn't always go smoothly. If you can stomach not getting the maximum dollar value for your old GPU, it's something that could appeal. Effectively, Newegg takes care of the risk.
Newegg will obviously test returned GPUs and re-sell them, making a handy profit in the process.
This trade-in program looks like it'll be lucrative for Newegg, but not so much for a gamer looking for an upgrade. But hey, at least your old card won't end up as e-waste, right?
