Six grades, one meaning each. Accurate grading is what lets strangers buy used hardware with confidence, and it's what protects you as a seller when questions come up.
Every grade above For Parts / Not Working describes a fully functional item. The grades differ on cosmetics and completeness, never on whether it works. If something is wrong with it, the listing is For Parts, whatever it looks like.
Factory sealed, never opened, never powered on. If the seal is broken, even if the item was never installed, it is Open Box, not New.
For example: A GPU still in its shrink wrap, or a CPU with the factory seal intact.
Opened but unused or barely used, with every accessory, cable, and manual that came in the box. The honest grade for “bought it, opened it, never built with it.”
For example: A motherboard opened for a build that never happened (wrong socket, returned plans), with all accessories still bagged.
It has been installed and run, but you would have to look hard to tell. No scratches, no scuffs, no discoloration. Original packaging is a plus worth mentioning.
For example: A GPU that spent a month in a dust-filtered build and looks showroom-fresh.
Honest wear from normal use (light scuffs on a shroud, shelf wear, a scratch on a backplate), with nothing that affects how it runs.
For example: A CPU cooler with minor scratches on the housing that performs exactly to spec.
Clearly used. Noticeable cosmetic wear (yellowed plastics, a chipped fin, a cracked shroud corner) or minor accessories missing, all spelled out in the description.
For example: A working PSU with scuffed housing and only the core cables included, each absence listed.
Something is wrong with it, and the listing says exactly what. Plenty of buyers want repair projects and donor boards. What kills trust is a fault the description didn't mention.
For example: A GPU that artifacts under load, or a board that won't POST, stated plainly.
Between two grades? Pick the lower one. A buyer who receives better than expected leaves a great review. A buyer who receives worse opens a dispute. There is no version of rounding up that ends well.
The condition on a listing isn't decoration. It's part of what the buyer paid for. “Not as described” is a valid reason to open a dispute, and when we review one, the listing's stated grade and description are the standard the item is judged against. A snapshot of the listing is saved at the moment of purchase, so both sides are protected: the buyer's claim is measured against exactly what they saw, and nothing edited afterwards can be held against the seller.
A card that spent two years hashing is a different purchase from a weekend gamer, even at the same cosmetic grade. Say how the item was used.
Daily-driven overclocks, BIOS flashes, and shunt mods belong in the description. Stock-settings use doesn't need a confession. Sustained out-of-spec operation does.
If the manufacturer warranty is still active, say so, and whether it transfers to a second owner (policies differ by brand). Never imply coverage you can't pass on.
Original box, brackets, adapters, modular cables. For power supplies especially: only ever include the unit's own modular cables. Mixing cables between models can destroy hardware.
Repasted cooler, replaced fans, third-party heatsink, board-level repair: disclose it. Careful maintenance can be a selling point; a surprise is a dispute.
Securely erase drives before listing. That protects your own data, and a drive that arrives with someone's old files does not read as professionally handled.
When in doubt, more photos and more description. Shoot the actual unit you're selling, including the serial number and any blemish you mentioned, and you'll sell faster and have the record on your side if anything is questioned. After a sale, you can also attach proof of condition photos and test results to the order itself before you ship. See seller protection.
Condition describes how an item looks and whether it works. For CPUs, sellers can go a step beyond either: attach their own test results for silicon quality (SP scores, CPU Force scores, V/F curves, stability results) and the listing carries a Binning proof badge. It's the difference between “works fine” and “here is exactly what this chip can do.” The results come from the seller; we don't test or verify them.
That's the whole formula. Ready to list?