Would you buy a used CPU off of Ebay?

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DrMrLordX

Lifer
Apr 27, 2000
21,797
11,143
136
I got my Athlon II x2 on eBay for just short of $30 shipped. It (eventually) unlocked to 3 cores + 6 mb L3 cache and will clock to 3.9 ghz pretty easily (3.95 if two cores). It runs at 3.6 with mostly stock voltages. No complaints here!
 

sm625

Diamond Member
May 6, 2011
8,172
137
106
I would, and have. But I wouldnt buy a haswell off ebay right now. Not even ebay can beat microcenter deals on haswell.
 

dud

Diamond Member
Feb 18, 2001
7,635
73
91
I would, and have. But I wouldnt buy a haswell off ebay right now. Not even ebay can beat microcenter deals on haswell.


True ... but how many of us actually have access to either a MC OR a Fry's? Both are extremely small chains with VERY limited market exposure. Most people cannot take advantage ...
 

BrightCandle

Diamond Member
Mar 15, 2007
4,762
0
76
I have certainly done it in the past, but ebay isn't the same site I was using 10 years ago. Its mostly full of small companies now selling new parts and it doesn't have the same second hand culture it had before. I abandoned using it quite some time ago for my own second hand sales and based on the content today I can see almost everyone else did as well. Doesn't mean a sale on there is still a problem, its just ebay is now about obscure things and small firms rather than second hand sales like it once was.
 

exar333

Diamond Member
Feb 7, 2004
8,518
8
91
I still sell CPUs on eBay. I provide voltage and OC numbers so the buyers understand what they are getting. As discussed above, I have a strict 'no returns' on anything I sell there. I have 100% feedback for 15 years, but don't want to deal with scammers. Buyers have been happy, and I always deliver good items. I have offered 'refunds' in a few occasions where extraordinary conditions appeared, beyond the buyer's control (but I have the ultimate call).
 

4ghz

Member
Sep 11, 2010
165
1
81
Cpus are just about the safest electronics you can buy on ebay. K or otherwise. I laugh at the "don't know what the kid has done" comments. Since most of them are sold by casual users who usually run mild overclocks and system builders selling old items for customer upgrades. The sellers on computer forums in general give you worse clocking chips then ebay. Since they have "dogged" them out trying to get the highest clock possible or dump their worst clocking chips in favor of keeping the better ones. Casual users don't normally care about getting that extra 200 or 300mhz out of a chip.
 
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hawtdawg

Golden Member
Jun 4, 2005
1,223
7
81
totally depends. I once bought an engineering sample C2Q extreme edition mobile CPU off of ebay for like 200 bucks. This was about 4 and a half years ago, that thing is still going strong overclocked and overvolted in my M17x. One of the better purchases i've ever made considering the retail QX9300 was going for 500-600 bucks at the time. I wouldn't buy a used CPU off of ebay just to save a couple of bucks though.
 
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Aikouka

Lifer
Nov 27, 2001
30,383
912
126
I've sold CPUs on eBay before, and it's not so bad. In fact, I should be selling an i7-860 (+ motherboard + RAM + cooler) soon.

Whenever I sell PC components on eBay, I usually state their usage. For example, I don't really ever OC my CPUs, but for some reason, I always buy the K-series processors. So, I'll state exactly that. I may even try to denote that the CPU was kept at a good temperature at all times given things like an aftermarket cooler, good case airflow, good ambient temperatures, etc. For water cooling stuff, I normally mention the lack of dyes in my water, what biocide I used, etc.

Ultimately, the descriptions along with your feedback should try and instill confidence that the buyer isn't getting a piece of junk. Arguably, the more description you give, the safer the buyer can feel, because providing a false description is grounds for a refund.
 

UaVaj

Golden Member
Nov 16, 2012
1,546
0
76
I have certainly done it in the past, but ebay isn't the same site I was using 10 years ago. Its mostly full of small companies now selling new parts and it doesn't have the same second hand culture it had before. I abandoned using it quite some time ago for my own second hand sales and based on the content today I can see almost everyone else did as well. Doesn't mean a sale on there is still a problem, its just ebay is now about obscure things and small firms rather than second hand sales like it once was.

:thumbsup::thumbsup:
 

Matt1970

Lifer
Mar 19, 2007
12,320
3
0
I bought some E3300 CPUs for $10 ea months ago on ebay. I stick to USA sellers. I thought that was a good deal, they are basically an E5200 with less cache memory.

I got my girlfriend an E3300 quite a few years ago new retail. It was the right processor for the right price. Why they labeled it a Celeron is beyond me. It has been rockin at 3GHz (2.5 stock) for years.
 

chubbyfatazn

Golden Member
Oct 14, 2006
1,617
35
91
Yes, but I just turn them into keychains

I'd trust the FS/FT here waaay more than I would ebay, though. That goes for most other tech forums I frequent as well
 

VirtualLarry

No Lifer
Aug 25, 2001
56,447
10,117
126
I got my girlfriend an E3300 quite a few years ago new retail. It was the right processor for the right price. Why they labeled it a Celeron is beyond me. It has been rockin at 3GHz (2.5 stock) for years.

I thought it was quite a deal for $10. Those were pretty good CPUs.

Granted, these days, if I was buying new, I would get a cheap H61 with HDMI, and a Celeron G1610/20 from Ewiz or MC.
 

MiddleOfTheRoad

Golden Member
Aug 6, 2014
1,123
5
0
I've bought quite a few processors on eBay over the years. I've never had a problem. The buyer protection is extensive if you do run into an issue. Buying used is usually good for at least a 30% discount, I think it's worth it.
 

Replay

Golden Member
Aug 5, 2001
1,362
65
91
Busted surface mount capacitors on two S771 Xeons, out of four purchased on Ebay this year. And the wrong stepping sent for one of the four cpus (and the stepping matters in Win7/Server2008 x64 Windows installs, BSOD 0x3E). Got an easy refund on the most damaged cpu.

No delicate pins to get bent on the Intel chips, so guys get careless. And some of these old damaged Xeons are from recyclers. And all the chips were $30 or less.
 

Batmeat

Senior member
Feb 1, 2011
803
45
91
I buy cpu's off ebay, but I make sure they were never overclocked, and if the cpu's have pins then I make sure they aren't bent or broke.
 

vMax65

Junior Member
Aug 31, 2014
21
0
0
Agree with pretty much all but make sure that there reputation is 99 to 100 on ebay as a seller.
 

Burpo

Diamond Member
Sep 10, 2013
4,223
473
126
I have offered 'refunds' in a few occasions where extraordinary conditions appeared, beyond the buyer's control (but I have the ultimate call).

Wrong answer! Ebay does.. BELIEVE THAT!
 
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