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Buying an open box processor

H

hiodie

Gawd
Joined
Aug 24, 2008
Messages
900
I am looking to buy a processor that the seller says is open box/as is. They also state they cannot test the processor due to not having the right socket mobo. How likely is it that the processor is not going to work? From my experience, processors are basically the only part of the computer that doesn't fail, assuming the previous owner didn't overvolt the hell out of it.

Additionally, the seller told me that they tested the processor with an ohms meter to verify current passes through it. This worries me, as I'm not really sure what kind of currents a processor is supposed to handle, nor if the seller has any idea how many they passed through it. To save ~50%, is it worth the risk in your opinion?
 
I'd do it, but say that you want to have an option to return it if it doesn't work for you.
 
like all online transactions with private sellers, its up to how much you trust the person. if he is selling it "as is", you have no recourse thru paypal to recover money if it is DOA. there is no way of telling if the guy knows this processor is dead and is selling it "as is" to make some money over throwing it out, or if the guy is telling the truth and thinks that it works but just doesnt have a way of testing it.

the "testing with an ohmmeter" is bullshit. if he actually did this, it could have killed the processor because i would bet the guy isnt an electrical engineer and sending current thru two random pins is a great way to do that. at the very least, "testing with an ohmmeter" is absoloutely useless. or he is making that part up, which casts doubt on him telling the truth about not being able to test it. i would be incredibly skeptical if a seller told me this.
 
ghost6303 said:
the "testing with an ohmmeter" is bullshit. if he actually did this, it could have killed the processor because i would bet the guy isnt an electrical engineer and sending current thru two random pins is a great way to do that. at the very least, "testing with an ohmmeter" is absoloutely useless. or he is making that part up, which casts doubt on him telling the truth about not being able to test it. i would be incredibly skeptical if a seller told me this.
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This was kind of my thought, that if it was possibly working before, it is most likely not working anymore. I think I will just be patient at wait for another deal.
 
What processor is this and how big is the discount?
 
Well intel certainly has a pretty confusing naming scheme going on right now with their i7's that go in 1156 vs 1366. A lot of people will surely order the wrong one. With that said there are also a lot of scammers out there looking to take advantage of people. I would err on the side of caution and probably not go for it unless he will let you test it before you purchase it, which is gonna take some time. Is it new? Can you get the receipt for it so if it doesnt work you can RMA it yourself assuming its under warranty still? If so that would definitely change my outlook.
 
The ohm meter "testing" alone would make me not bother even if it did have some sort of warranty.
 
Personally I would pass it up.

Applying voltage could have killed the cpu if it was to much voltage in the wrong spot etc.
 
Although I am not sure that the ohm meter testing would hurt it, this is and was insanity and could not prove anything at all.
 
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Yep, I am planning on passing. The seller is on eBay and they have pretty good feedback, but the processor isn't really their normal item to sell. It was a i7 920 (not too hard to find if you look). Someone else can try it if they want, but I don't have $100+ to throw away on it.
 
hiodie said:
Additionally, the seller told me that they tested the processor with an ohms meter to verify current passes through it.
Click to expand...

You should ask him if he tested all 1366 pins..the answer should provide some good entertainment value..:)
 
Heck I would just want to know if he tested all of the VCC, and VDDQ versus VSS. There are > 100 of these...
 
Wow, bust out the ten-foot pole! :p

Good move on passing on that... who ever thought you could test a cpu by running current through it? I can run current through a dog turd but that doesn't mean it will function as a CPU, lol.
 
No way I wouldn't waste my money on something that may be DOA but "as is".
 
I wouldnt even buy open box from newegg. buying open box anything is asking for trouble. Just buy new that way you know its new & its never been beat or overclocked.
 
I find it all to convenient that he can't test it and wants to sell it "as is". Should offer him half what he is asking and if he turns you down, then buy it for his asking price. If he agrees to take the price down to ~25% then either his time is worth so much that 150dollars isn't worth getting a processor tested OR this is a scam.
 
the "testing with an ohmmeter" is bullshit. if he actually did this, it could have killed the processor because i would bet the guy isnt an electrical engineer and sending current thru two random pins is a great way to do that. at the very least, "testing with an ohmmeter" is absoloutely useless. or he is making that part up, which casts doubt on him telling the truth about not being able to test it. i would be incredibly skeptical if a seller told me this.
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It's highly unlikely that he could have done any damage with the ohm meter. But, there's no way he could ascertain the veracity of the chip with one, for sure.
 
what I don't get is why would he get a chip that he doesn't have a motherboard for. I would stay away from this deal, are there any pictures for the cpu, box and batch number.
 
Stay away from this.
Saving 50% now could mean paying Retail+50% in the near future.
 
I believe the i7-920 has a 3 year warranty and it hasn't been out for 3 years so if something is wrong with it you could always just send it for replacement. I wonder if they would send you an i7-930 or 950 as a replacement since they no longer make the 920.
 
I love buying open box deals, I work for a retailer and with that this is one of the best ways to get a great deal assuming that you have the ability to return the product if it is DOA. With this person I would avoid anyone who doesn't have the board to test the processor but "has tested it with an OHM meter" That is Total BS.
 
If this was me I would find a mobo or person to test it, if he has an ohm meter laying around I am sure he is resourceful enough to find a mobo also If it was me I would be confident it would work and offer a money back if it does not.

Definitely a pass. If the guy is to cheapt to risk shipping to sell a item like this he is not someone to be trusted.
 
I did pass and it sold to some other unlucky person for the asking price ($148 shipped :eek:). From what I could tell with the warranty, you need to return it to the store you purchased it from (Intel doesn't actually handle RMAs). Never tried it though, so I'm not positive.
 
I've bought a few open box mobos and never had problems with them. Just keep in mind if it dies after 90 days you are out of a lot of money! but if cash is tight I"d say do it
 
The Warranty is through Intel, You have to email and request the RMA setup, but it is super easy.
 
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