Can you sell a gaming monitor that does not work?
Yes. Repairers, people replacing one component and buyers who want a project all shop deliberately at this end. None of them will accept a fault they discover after paying.
What actually goes wrong with gaming monitors
These are the faults that move a gaming monitor down the grades, and the first things a buyer will ask about:
- Dead or stuck pixels
- Backlight bleed and IPS glow at the corners
- Missing stands, which are model-specific
- Older low refresh panels
Grading it honestly
Fair covers something heavily used, or with a described fault or missing part: around £32 to £158. For Parts covers something not working or incomplete, sold as seen: roughly £18 to £88. Grades are seller-declared and nobody inspects them for you, so grading up does not raise what you get — it produces a buyer who arrives expecting something else. All five grades explained.
Working out what you actually have
Establish the fault properly rather than guessing at it:
- Display full-screen black and white images to find faults
- State the exact resolution, refresh rate and panel type
- Confirm the stand and cables are present
Photographing the fault
Photograph the damage directly and in focus — it is the evidence that the rest of the description is honest:
- The monitor on, displaying a normal image, straight on
- A full-screen white image and a full-screen black image, to evidence the panel
- The rear label showing the model number
- The stand, cables and any bezel or screen damage
What to state in the listing
Alongside the fault itself, buyers of broken gaming monitors want these confirmed:
- Screen size, resolution, refresh rate and panel type
- Exact model number, and whether it supports FreeSync or G-Sync
- Dead or stuck pixel count, and any backlight bleed
- Whether the stand, screws and correct cable are included
Size, resolution and refresh rate: “27-inch 1440p 165Hz IPS Gaming Monitor”. Those three numbers are the entire search. Add the panel type, since IPS, VA and TN behave very differently and buyers have preferences.
What buyers will ask
Answer these in the listing rather than waiting to be asked:
Cycle through solid colour test screens and photograph the results. Offering that evidence unprompted sets your listing well apart.
Display a full black image in a dark room and photograph it. Some bleed is normal on IPS panels and buyers accept it when shown.
Confirm you have the stand and its screws. Replacements are model-specific and awkward, so this genuinely affects the sale.
Is it worth repairing first?
Usually not, unless it is cheap and you can evidence it. What lifts the price is condition and completeness, which a repair rarely restores:
- High refresh rates and low response times
- Panels with no dead pixels or backlight bleed
- Adaptive sync support
- Original stand and all cables
If the work would cost more than the gap between £88 and what a sound one fetches, sell it as is broken and let the buyer decide.
When to list it
Steady with lifts before Christmas and in autumn. High refresh rate and 1440p panels sell fastest; older 1080p 60Hz monitors are abundant and cheap.
Getting it to the buyer
Fragile and awkward to post without the original box. Local collection with the monitor powered on is much the safer route for both sides.
WishThrift does not process payments, arrange delivery or hold funds. Confirm the money has cleared before the item leaves your hands, and keep the conversation on the site so there is a record of what was agreed.
Ready to list it? Free to list, no commission, and neither side pays a buyer-protection fee — create a free account, or read the full gaming monitor selling guide if yours turns out to be sound.
Frequently asked questions
Is a broken gaming monitor worth anything?
Yes — typically £18 to £88 at For Parts against £70 to £350 working. Repairers and people harvesting one component buy deliberately at this end. Dead or stuck pixels
Should I repair it before selling?
Usually not, unless the repair is cheap and you can evidence it. The things that genuinely lift the price are high refresh rates and low response times and a repair rarely restores those.
What do buyers ask about a faulty gaming monitor?
The fault itself, in detail. Cycle through solid colour test screens and photograph the results. Offering that evidence unprompted sets your listing well apart. The listing that answers it before being asked is the one that sells.
See also: what gaming monitor is worth by condition · how to sell gaming monitor · condition grades explained · all broken & damaged guides · all selling guides.