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Buying components on ebay - pros and cons?

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  • Components
  • Ebay
Last response: in Components
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August 20, 2014 11:45:03 AM

Hey
I would like to get a gaming rig, but with a medium/low budget it looks like i can get more if i get a few components from EBay.
Is this a good or a bad idea? I know its a bad idea with powersupplies, as i then need to spend more to get a cable that fits into my wall socket(or an international converter thing).
But graphics card, cpu and ram - is it a bad idea to buy one of those things off ebay? Also what is the pros and cons?

More about : buying components ebay pros cons

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August 20, 2014 11:52:01 AM

It'll be hit and miss. I have been selling and buying on ebay for years. Try to look for a seller with a track record and near 100% feedback that offers a refund. If interested, I have a newly built PC on ebay right now I'm selling.

But generally, anything that can be overclocked, probably has been in spite of any claims otherwise.
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August 20, 2014 11:54:16 AM

i used to sell a lot of my old PC parts on ebay and the people who purchased them got great deals ( i never received a complaint or negative feedback)

pros - great prices
cons - parts have no warranty
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August 20, 2014 11:54:51 AM

clutchc said:

But generally, anything that can be overclocked, probably has been in spite of any claims otherwise.

Do you mean as in they maybe got a bad chip, and therefore tried selling it?

Also - yes i am looking for the near 100% and money back guarantee.
A big problem though, is the shipping fees and other fees. I live in europe, and its a pain in the butt to get things from USA or basically anywhere out of europe.
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August 20, 2014 11:55:22 AM

The pros is that you will save a nice bit of money, and the cons would be that there could be something wrong with what you buy. Like the guy above me said, look for reputable sellers only with high ratings and positive feedback from their customers.
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August 20, 2014 11:58:32 AM

FunkyFeatures said:
clutchc said:

But generally, anything that can be overclocked, probably has been in spite of any claims otherwise.

Do you mean as in they maybe got a bad chip, and therefore tried selling it?

Also - yes i am looking for the near 100% and money back guarantee.
A big problem though, is the shipping fees and other fees. I live in europe, and its a pain in the butt to get things from USA or basically anywhere out of europe.


Actually, I meant that the device may have been OC'd to near death by the previous owner(s). And you may not know how many hands it went thru before the seller ended up with it.

Yeah, you would almost have to buy from a local seller. Most folks don't even offer international shipping unless they are a business. By the time you add in the shipping charges, you'll be just as well off buying new.
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August 20, 2014 12:00:03 PM

What could be a problem - are 95-100% people selling defective items? Also - noticed i could save almost 2500dkk on a 780ti - lol if i had the money.. usually is 5000dkk but i can get it for less on ebay ^^

I feel like there is a big saving on graphics cards on ebay, so anything to look out for there? Possibly warranty voided or something like that? Will i be able to say send a gpu back to asus because i bought it off ebay, and stopped working 1 year later?

edit:
What does: "For parts or not working" mean? Is it like a dead thing that doesnt work?
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August 20, 2014 12:05:36 PM

clutchc said:
FunkyFeatures said:
clutchc said:

But generally, anything that can be overclocked, probably has been in spite of any claims otherwise.

Do you mean as in they maybe got a bad chip, and therefore tried selling it?

Also - yes i am looking for the near 100% and money back guarantee.
A big problem though, is the shipping fees and other fees. I live in europe, and its a pain in the butt to get things from USA or basically anywhere out of europe.


Actually, I meant that the device may have been OC'd to near death by the previous owner(s). And you may not know how many hands it went thru before the seller ended up with it.

Yeah, you would almost have to buy from a local seller. Most folks don't even offer international shipping unless they are a business. By the time you add in the shipping charges, you'll be just as well off buying new.


I feel like there is such a small saving on cpus and motherboards that i might as well get it from a proper shop - but that leaves ram, storage, gpu and other expansion cards. - which is a big part of the price.
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August 20, 2014 12:06:44 PM

FunkyFeatures said:
1) What could be a problem - are 95-100% people selling defective items? Also - noticed i could save almost 2500dkk on a 780ti - lol if i had the money.. usually is 5000dkk but i can get it for less on ebay ^^

2) I feel like there is a big saving on graphics cards on ebay, so anything to look out for there? Possibly warranty voided or something like that? Will i be able to say send a gpu back to asus because i bought it off ebay, and stopped working 1 year later?

edit:
3) What does: "For parts or not working" mean? Is it like a dead thing that doesnt work?


1) No, just that there is always the possibility that a CPU or gfx card may have been run beyond its safe range and overhheated, or over volted.

2) It varies week by week.

3) Exactly. DOA. Use the parts if any work.
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August 20, 2014 12:09:29 PM

You could search out specific European ebay sites like, for example...
www.ebay.de for Gerrmany
www.ebay.fr for France
www.ebay.it for Italy
etc.
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August 20, 2014 12:10:37 PM

for the 2) - How about warranty - i didnt quite get the answer about warranty voiding and such - would i be able to still send it to the manufacturer if it dies, or how will it be?
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August 20, 2014 12:21:11 PM

That will depend on how long the owner has already had the card and if the warranty is still in effect... and if he is willing to pass on the password for his account if he already activated the warranty in his name. Personally, if the warranty is that important to you, I would suggest saving up and buying new.
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August 20, 2014 12:25:08 PM

like the kitty cat said, if you want a warranty then don't buy used. ebay/paypal will cover the item to arrive in working condition but if it fails 30 days down the line then you are SOL
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August 20, 2014 12:27:11 PM

Thanks for clearing that up :)  I think i got pretty much all my questions answered.
I might buy a graphics card from Ebay, might not, but i think i'm aware of what i should look out for.
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