oem Q9400 for $207 worth it to buy??

[drippyfausett]

I have recently came upon some money(~$350) and I was thinking of salvaging some parts from my old computer to make a new one. (so i can get away from using my parents) I would really appreciate the input from this forum so i don't make a mistake. I mainly encode videos/ started to do some video editing and the likes with some gaming on the side. Really waiting for diablo 3. So the dilemma: would it be smart to get an Oem Q9400 for $207, go with a q6600, or wait for a price cut ( if there is one). Note the q9400 will be coming from ebay (is this a mistake, its never been used? seller has good reviews) Just for reference I am coming from an amd am2 x2 3800 2.0ghz

so a break down

I already have from old comp

640gb hdd
geil ram
ocz vendetta (only 92mm fan so not a huge oc but im still a little hesitant on oc anyways)
hd 3870
TT Xaser III case (old and huge I know) want to upgrade in future when i get some more money
xp home 32 bit
19in monitor at 1280x 1024


What I am thinking about getting
GIGABYTE GA-EP45-UD3P
q9400, maybe q6600, or just holding my breath and waiting its not life or death about updating comp

thanks for looking

 

[swifty_morgan]

No 3 year warranty from ebay. Could be somebody's beat up piece of garbage. The 6600 should be fine for your needs. Don't buy used buy new, it's too important for your system.

 

[megamanx00]

Hah, well that's not a bad case, just a big one ^_^. If you have a good AM2 based board that accepts phenoms I would just upgrade the CPU, and the RAM if you only have 2GB. Anyway The Q9000 series processors just received a cut and will be steadily dropping as the i7s become more common. Anyway, the Q6600 is a good value CPU, especially if you overclock it. I buy spare parts on eBay sometimes since you can get a good value from people who are upgrading their system and trying to recover some of their investment from their used parts, but I really only do that for spare machines or machines I'm fixing for people who can't afford new parts and are willing to take a chance. I'd be a little cautious of buying CPUs from eBay, especially if it's going in the main gaming machine. Personally I buy new parts from new egg for my main computer myself. If the seller has good reviews and they are offering it cheaper than new egg, then you may as well go for it.

 

[drippyfausett]

Thanks. I also buy from the egg. That is why I came here because ebay has always scared me some. It seems like a really good deal buy like swifty said no warranty and who knows what you are buying.

@Megamanx I have thought about adding a phenom but they just don't keep up with intel and the best phenom i can get is a 95w one so it just doesn't seem like a good upgrade path. and I would have to stick it in my parents because I sold my old parts.

 

[ragsters]

Frys has the Q9550 for $229.99.

 

[drippyfausett]

@ragsters is that online or at a store cause the closest frys is like 7hrs away from where i live. would you supply a link if that is online

 

[ragsters]

I think it's a in store deal. It even comes with a free ECS MOBO. Here is a link to the ad anyway.

http://www.frys-electronics-ads.com/

 

[drippyfausett]

Thanks ragsters yeah it appears to be instore too bad for me. I would have bought that one if it was online.

 

[ragsters]

Do you have a microcenter next to where you live? They can pricematch the ad.

 

[drippyfausett]

No again like 7hrs away. Thanks for the info

 

[geofelt]

For what you want to do, a quad is appropriate.

A oem cpu will have a shorter warranty from intel vs. three years for retail. Retail will have a basic cooler, while OEM does not.

Buying on e-bay can be very good from a good individual seller. Check the feedback carefully. If it does not smell right, pass it up.
I like to buy from individuals and not from companies who sell on e-bay to make a profit. Online stores are usually cheaper. From time to time, I sell my old parts and my buyers get a good deal. Most similar sellers are honest too, but there can be bad ones, so there is no guarantee. You do get some protection from paypal for non-delivery and false advertising.
I expect to see lots of quads for sale by those who are upgrading to the new i7 processors.

There are supposed to be some more intel price cuts coming. If you can, be patient and monitor the market.

 

[drippyfausett]

Thanks Geofelt. If I do get a brand new retail cpu from ebay do you get the 3 yr warranty with it? I found a q9400 retail for $225 from a seller with 100% feedback with 578 transactions. Would it be a safe bet with this person?

 

[geofelt]

Thanks Geofelt. If I do get a brand new retail cpu from ebay do you get the 3 yr warranty with it? I found a q9400 retail for $225 from a seller with 100% feedback with 578 transactions. Would it be a safe bet with this person?

I would think the warranty would apply since the warranty is from intel, not the seller.
But, I would ask that question of the seller. You will learn two things:
1) Will the seller be interested enough to communicate?
2) You will get the answer to your warranty question.
And, print/save the answer in case you ever need to prove to paypal what was offered.

Look at what the seller has been selling. Does a Q9400 fit in? If so, it's probably ok.
Also check the shipping and handling charges. Sometimes sellers jack them up past reasonable .

 

[drippyfausett]

ok thanks for the advice right now it says free shipping. And also states on the ebay page "Manufacturer Warranty
Parts 3 years limited
Labor 3 years limited
so it looks like the warranty will come with it I guess

 

[huron]

What an incredible deal on that 9550. It's tempting to upgrade my CPU for that (from E8400), and move the processor down the line.

Very tempting, though I'd have to head to a Microcenter (about an hour) since there is no frys nearby.

 

[drippyfausett]

Yeah I wish I lived by one so I could get it.

 

[drippyfausett]

Well it doesn't matter someone else bought it so better luck next time hopefully the price cuts are soon