Buying a Processor on Ebay (Trustworthy or not?)

Hello all you happy people

I'm planning on completing a rig that I never got around to putting together for the past 2 years (yeah I've been that busy).

Planning on getting an i7 990X for my Rampage 3 Extreme motherboard.

While doing some online window shopping I came across a few i7 990x processors on ebay and I have to say that some of the prices are way too good to be true.

Here check these links out:

Here's an i7 990x worth $599 (the company selling it looks legit though and is a top rated seller)

http://www.ebay.com/itm/INTEL-CORE-...BVZ-/190686268180?pt=CPUs&hash=item2c65c98b14

Here's another worth $625 (also another top rated seller)

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Intel-Core-...OEM-/200769065689?pt=CPUs&hash=item2ebec4d2d9

and lastly here another worth $670

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Intel-Core-...sor-/251079008733?pt=CPUs&hash=item3a7579a1dd

The offers are all tempting as hell since this would enable me to save a ton on my rig, but.......I dunno......I don't want to wind up with a processor that doesn't work.

What do you guys think? Legit or not?

Looks legit enough, considering they are old tech now and you can get an unlocked 6 core sandybridge for 600 new, which I would do before buying an ebay processor, even if it meant buying a new motherboard. But no, those prices dont seem too low to be true.

Supertrucker said:

Looks legit enough, considering they are old tech now and you can get an unlocked 6 core sandybridge for 600 new, which I would do before buying an ebay processor, even if it meant buying a new motherboard. But no, those prices dont seem too low to be true.

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Oh? YEY!

Thanks Thanks, this is for a setup I'll be using for the next 3 years.

Will be ordering by the middle of the month

You've made me so happy sniff* (actual tears in my eyes)

get a new SB-E 2011 not this old stuff!
+ you can get a 6 core SB-E for ~$600

I've bought many CPU's on ebay. Just be sure you're comfortable with the seller feedback, item location and read the details carefully.

I found this statement on the webpage of the first link "All products being sold are refurbished, unless otherwise stated." How do you 'refurbish' a CPU? I know nothing about the manufacturing process that creates them.

If they are a retail CPU they have a 3 year warranty and they came out Q1'11

like this one http://www.ebay.com/itm/Intel-Core-...sor-/251079008733?pt=CPUs&hash=item3a7579a1dd

So , used but within the warranty period , is considered refurbished? I would consider that just used.

Alaric said:

So , used but within the warranty period , is considered refurbished? I would consider that just used.

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A retail CPU i consider a safe buy in the warranty period, OEM is not.

Ahhh! A distinction I failed to make. I understand a little better now , I think. Thanks!

yea i bought my 2500k week of release from ebay for 30 bucks cheaper than newegg just gotta check the seller reviews really

trekky said:

get a new SB-E 2011 not this old stuff!
+ you can get a 6 core SB-E for ~$600

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True, but the parts I have laying around that I never got around to using consist of a brand new Rampage 3 Extreme Motherboard (mint in box, never ever used) and an Asus Ares 4gig Video card (mint in the steel suitcase it came in haha).

So while I would love to use the SB, its not compatible with the R3 Extreme, and I have tried to sell the R3 to get a Rampage 4 Extreme but no takers so far.

If I combine these parts with (4x6)gb Dominator RAM modules from Corsair, 1 SSD 120 gb hard drive, a few 1 TB for RAID, and use liquid cooling on the processor in order to overclock it, I should have a system that will last at the very least 2 years before it couldn't run any of the latest applications.



Unless any of you know someone that wants a Rampage 3 Extreme and an Asus Ares

Well, both setups use ddr3 so in some form or another the ram will work, though you will want 4 sticks, not 3 or 6. Ditto to the video card. The issue is you will be paying 600+ for a used processor, off of ebay, when you can buy a better processor brand new for 589, but would then be looking at selling your current mobo for whatever you can get, and covering the difference for a 250-300 dollar x79 mobo.

Its really up to you if the hassle of selling the current mobo and pitching in extra for a new one is worth the new processor. Either setup will last a good couple of years id imagine. If it were me, and i were dropping 600 dollars on a processor, i would want it to be brand new, with the full warranty, and the option to buy intels overclockers replacement plan, rather than wonder what hell this used chip has been put through. It could have been left at stock its whole life, it could have been someones subzero chip and has been fed ungodly amounts of voltage until it just doesnt like running anything but stock, or it could be anywhere in between.

Supertrucker said:

Well, both setups use ddr3 so in some form or another the ram will work, though you will want 4 sticks, not 3 or 6. Ditto to the video card. The issue is you will be paying 600+ for a used processor, off of ebay, when you can buy a better processor brand new for 589, but would then be looking at selling your current mobo for whatever you can get, and covering the difference for a 250-300 dollar x79 mobo.

Its really up to you if the hassle of selling the current mobo and pitching in extra for a new one is worth the new processor. Either setup will last a good couple of years id imagine. If it were me, and i were dropping 600 dollars on a processor, i would want it to be brand new, with the full warranty, and the option to buy intels overclockers replacement plan, rather than wonder what hell this used chip has been put through. It could have been left at stock its whole life, it could have been someones subzero chip and has been fed ungodly amounts of voltage until it just doesnt like running anything but stock, or it could be anywhere in between.

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Unfortunately this is me attempting to sell the motherboard at a fair price =

I've been doing some research on the company on the first link, they primarily buy overstock components or components that come from companies like Dell and IBM so there I doubt that the processor has been overclocked at all.

While I know I can get a better system with how much I've spent so far on the parts I'm getting:

$1,500 for the motherboard and video card + $2,000 more for the CPU, Casing, RAM, hard drives, Liquid cooling system, monitor, blue ray player etc.

= $3,500 total

I'm currently stuck with the feeling that if I start something I gotta finish it, y'know?

Yeah I'm insane as hell but I don't like leaving things unfinished.

So "HOPEFULLY" everything will work out and I get to use this PC for the next 3 years while I save up and get a new rig in 3 years time.

Wish me luck in the CPU trenches I'm going to need it

I wish you luck and post some pictures when your done..

I'd say for the most part buying used CPU's on ebay is relatively safe usually.

I've myself bought a dozen or so CPU's off ebay in the last year and of those only one was DOA. Though on that same note two of the CPU's I purchased were from the same seller and one arrived in good working order and the other was DOA though both were packaged and shipped in the same manner. Luckily it's fairly difficult to kill a CPU, even if say your power supply blows up and takes out everything else in your system with it, I have seen such instances where the CPU was the only thing to survive. It's kind of down to the luck of the draw whether a used CPU will work or not, but if my results are a good indicator of the norm then I'd say you've got a good chance of receiving a working one most of the time.

Usually the greatest risk you run into on ebay when it comes to CPU's/processors is how the seller packages it, if they just put it into a plastic bag and then stuff that into a mailing envelope or padded envelope and it has pins chances are at least a half-dozen of those pins will be bent when it arrives at your home. I've had several arrive like that. The bad news is that many ebay sellers don't seem to know how to package a CPU for shipping and how they package them varies greatly. I've seen them in plastic bags, foam padding, CPU clamshell containers, just wrapped in cardboard, and several other packing methods.

Just check the feedback and do your research. I've sold my computer parts on Ebay after upgrading and all the parts worked perfectly fine just previous gen tech. Just have to check out someone's reputation via the feedback and consider the price and shop around to see if it's a good buy or not.