is it worth my money?

Sanny_boy · Apr 4, 2016

hello toms hardware! so someone is offering me a pc..he is a pc builder that builts pc for competitions..he is offering this system for 1k$..is it worth it?

i7 3770k
msi z77a gd65
gskill trident x 2400mhz 16gb
two msi r9 290x
intel 60gb ssd
1tb wd blue caviar
seasonic x 1000watts gold psu
razer deathstalker ultimate
nzxt phantom 820
system is fully watercooled with ekwb for gpu and bitspower for cpu and is hardpiped

pls help should i go with this? ill be just gaming tho on 1080p dont judge me hahahah thanks!!!!

Barty1884 · Apr 4, 2016

Are these components brand new? With a warranty? Does it include an OS?

It's difficult to determine, as where components like the 3770K and 290x's are available new, the prices are inflated because newer tech is out (so this is "new, old stock" and can command a premium).

All viable components, and pricing up a newer build, newer components, I'm at $800 with only a CPU/Mobo/RAM/GPU

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i7-4790K 4.0GHz Quad-Core Processor ($319.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Motherboard: MSI Z97-GAMING 5 ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($139.88 @ OutletPC)
Memory: Corsair Vengeance Pro 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR3-2400 Memory ($59.99 @ Newegg)
Video Card: Gigabyte Radeon R9 390 8GB Video Card ($299.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Total: $819.85
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2016-04-04 12:17 EDT-0400

The included SSD is tiny, but that's an easy upgrade. Overall, I think it's a really good price if it's new with warranty. It's an ok price if it's used (and includes an OS).

geofelt · Apr 4, 2016

The parts are old, but good.
With the liquid cooling, I might imagine that it has been well overclocked.

Find your parts in used condition on ebay.
Then filter on completed auctions,
In green you will see what the part actually sold for.

zeke15 · Apr 4, 2016

To give you an idea of what this build would cost brand new, I put this together:

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i7-3770K 3.5GHz Quad-Core Processor ($558.00 @ Amazon)
Memory: G.Skill Trident X Series 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR3-2400 Memory ($99.89 @ OutletPC)
Storage: Corsair Force LS 60GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($34.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($48.73 @ OutletPC)
Video Card: MSI Radeon R9 290X 4GB TWIN FROZR Video Card (2-Way CrossFire) ($480.58 @ Amazon)
Video Card: MSI Radeon R9 290X 4GB TWIN FROZR Video Card (2-Way CrossFire) ($480.58 @ Amazon)
Case: NZXT Phantom 820 (Black) ATX Full Tower Case ($196.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Power Supply: SeaSonic Platinum 1000W 80+ Platinum Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply ($199.99 @ Newegg)
Keyboard: Razer DeathStalker Ultimate Wired Gaming Keyboard w/Touchpad ($246.38 @ Amazon)
Other: MSI Z77a GD65 ($159.44)
Total: $2505.57
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2016-04-04 12:55 EDT-0400

This is the cost of each of those parts, brand new from retailers. Any parts that I couldn't find, I replaced with something of comparable price and performance. As you can see, getting this used for $1000 is many times better than buying brand new for $2500. Also, keep in mind that most open loop water cooling systems such as the one in this build are close to another $200 on top of that.

To give you some more thoughts, here is a build of comparable performance and quality, but using more recent and newer parts:

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i5-6600K 3.5GHz Quad-Core Processor ($239.95 @ SuperBiiz)
CPU Cooler: Corsair H100i 77.0 CFM Liquid CPU Cooler ($168.99 @ Amazon)
Motherboard: Asus Z170-A ATX LGA1151 Motherboard ($153.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws V Series 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR4-2400 Memory ($67.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Corsair Force LS 60GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($34.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($48.73 @ OutletPC)
Video Card: EVGA GeForce GTX 980 Ti 6GB HYBRID Video Card ($719.99 @ Micro Center)
Case: NZXT Phantom 820 (Black) ATX Full Tower Case ($196.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Power Supply: EVGA 850W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply ($119.99 @ Newegg)
Keyboard: Razer DeathStalker Ultimate Wired Gaming Keyboard w/Touchpad ($246.38 @ Amazon)
Total: $1997.99
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2016-04-04 13:07 EDT-0400

Once again, getting modern parts of equal performance is nearly double the cost of getting older used parts from your friend.

In conclusion, I would say go with it, it is a great deal. The biggest selling point is the keyboard and the R9 290x Crossfire. The keyboard retails for over $200, and you are essentially getting a high quality gaming keyboard for much less when thrown in with everything else. Also, the R9 290x Crossfire generally costs over $700 to buy new, and based on benchmarks, those cards in crossfire can even give a Titan X a run for its money in certain games. With that amount of power for such a small price, It would be insane not to take it. Also, already having a full water cooling loop is great, meaning that your 3770k will be kept frosty, and probably overclocked quite far (3770k's are known for their overclocking prowess). My suggestion is to call up that person and buy the PC up quick before he offers it to someone else. Don't haggle at all, just go with the $1000 because it is an amazing deal. To give you an idea, that machine could handle 4k gaming at 40fps without much of an issue. Man, you are lucky. Best of luck!

Barty1884 · Apr 4, 2016

@zeke15, some of those components "new" are due to their "new, old stock" status, so not a 100% true reflection at $2,500. The 290X's for example, are not stocked by many places any longer, and yet are still desireable cards = an inflated price. Not disagreeing necessarily, but some of the prices are maybe a little on the high side. Comparable newer components probably makes the most sense - still only half the cost.

For the most part, I think it's a pretty good deal. Consider the liquid cooling though. While a huge pro from a cooling standpoint, depending on the exact setup, those can be an experience as far as maintaining them (if required of course).
Warranty would be great with a liquid cooled setup, but assuming this is used, it's a bit risky - it'll depend on whether you're prepared to take the risk or not. There's no doubting the components are quality.

Sanny_boy · Apr 4, 2016

guys thank you so much for the replies! thanks for the effort of providing me with info. yes the pc was used already for like 2 yrs but the owner was not a hardcore user/gamer but rather a hobby builder i dunno..the pc went like 3 versions having rubber tubbings and all and he just upgraded it to its final form with a hardpiped set up..i think im going for this..gonna post pics later tho..again thanks so much guys!!! really appreciate it

zeke15 · Apr 4, 2016

Barty1884 :

I completely understand the concept of "new old stock", so realistically, it does not represent the cost of the parts when they were originally bought, but they do reflect what they cost now. I realize that that comparison doesn't give the best depiction because the prices of those old components becomes inflated, no matter their true worth and performance. This is the reason I included the modern comparison. Even taking some of the original prices of those parts, that is still an amazing deal if everything is working in good order.

You also made a great point about maintenance. Maintenance on a custom water cooling loop is no easy task, so I would sugggest having the seller go over with you how to maintain and take care of the system.

Sanny_boy · Apr 4, 2016

guys here are the pics of the pc...im kissing my 1k$ away i guess yes?http://imgur.com/a/jAd79

Barty1884 · Apr 4, 2016

As I said zeke, wasn't disagreeing with you necessarily. You were comparing as close as possible, I was just pointing out to the OP they'd be getting a rig that was comparible in price to your second build when it was new (ie you're getting a used, originally $2,000 machine opposed to a used, originally $2,500 machine) for clarity. Take some depreciation into that, if the OP wishes to etc, and it's not necessarily paying half price or whatever (although the liquid cooling element adds some cost too). Just making sure they're well informed. Ultimately, it's still a pretty good deal overall.

Zeke's right there Sanny_boy, have the seller run you through maintenance etc of the system - it'll be easier to hear from the person who put it together than it would be the have to figure it all out on your own if you had an issue.

Barty1884 · Apr 4, 2016

Sanny_boy :

No doubt about it, it's a nice looking rig. Provided everythings in good working order & you're comfortable maintaining that cooling setup, go for it. Always try to negotiate a bit on price of course, the more you talk them down from $1k, the better deal you'd be getting. Even at $1k it's a pretty sweet deal for such a nice looking setup.

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