How to Calculate Profit Margins on PC Flips (With Examples)

Every successful PC flipper knows: if you're not tracking margins, you're not running a business — you're gambling.

But calculating profit on a PC flip isn't as simple as "sell price minus part costs." There are hidden costs that eat into your margins. Here's how to calculate your true profit on every flip.

The Real Formula

Most beginners use this formula:

Profit = Sell Price - Part Costs

But the actual formula is:

True Profit = Sell Price - Part Costs - Platform Fees - Shipping - Supplies - Time Value

Let's break each one down.

Part Costs

This is the obvious one. Every component that goes into the build:

• CPU
• GPU
• RAM
• Storage (SSD/HDD)
• Motherboard
• PSU
• Case
• Fans/Cooling
• Cables, adapters, thermal paste

Pro tip: Include shipping costs on parts you ordered online. That $45 GPU becomes $55 after shipping.

Platform Fees

Where you sell matters enormously for your margins:

• Facebook Marketplace: Free (0% fees)
• Craigslist: Free
• eBay: ~13% (final value fee + payment processing)
• OfferUp: Shipping orders have fees; local pickup is free
• Mercari: 10% selling fee

Selling a $500 PC on eBay? That's $65 in fees. The same PC on Facebook Marketplace keeps that $65 in your pocket.

Shipping Costs

If you ship PCs, factor in:

• Box and packing materials ($10-20)
• Actual shipping cost ($30-80 depending on weight and distance)
• Insurance (optional but recommended for expensive builds)

A single shipped PC can cost $50-100 in shipping and materials. This is why most successful flippers sell locally.

Your Time

This is the cost most flippers ignore. A typical flip involves:

• Sourcing parts: 1-3 hours
• Building: 1-2 hours
• Testing: 30 min - 1 hour
• Listing (photos, description): 30 min - 1 hour
• Meeting buyer / shipping: 30 min - 1 hour

That's 3-8 hours per flip. If you value your time at $20/hour, that's $60-$160 in labor.

Worked Example

Let's say you build a budget gaming PC:

Item	Cost
Dell Optiplex (Craigslist)	$60
GTX 1070 (eBay)	$85
16GB DDR4 RAM	$22
500GB SSD	$30
RGB fans + cables	$15
Thermal paste	$2
Total Parts	$214

You sell it on Facebook Marketplace for $475.

Line Item	Amount
Sell Price	$475
Parts Cost	-$214
Platform Fee (FB, 0%)	$0
Gas for pickup/meetup	-$5
Net Profit	$256
Time Spent	4 hours
Hourly Rate	$64/hr

That's a solid flip. Now imagine doing 3-4 of these per week.

When a Flip Isn't Worth It

Not every deal is a good deal. Watch out for:

• Margins under $75: Not worth your time unless the build is very fast
• Obscure platforms: Harder to sell = longer holding time
• Expensive parts with no buyer: That $300 GPU is great, but if it sits for 3 weeks, your capital is locked up

How to Track It All

Spreadsheets work, but they're tedious to maintain. Rig Flip was built specifically for this problem — it tracks your builds, calculates real margins (including fees and time), and shows you which types of flips are most profitable.

Stop guessing. Start tracking.