Gaming PC off of Craigslist

[Encendi]

Yes, I know I could be stabbed, but I'm a little more worried about being conned. This PC is pretty boss, and the asking price was lowered after I talked to the guy to $950. That seemed more than reasonable for the parts, so of course I'm a bit worried about buying it.

Here's the ad: http://pittsburgh.craigslist.org/sys/2698206146.html

- Corsair Graphite 600T Case; 160.00 http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811139007
- EVGA X58 FTW3 Mobo; 260.00 http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813188065
- Intel i7 950 CPU; 260.00 http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819115211
- Corsair 6GB DDR3; 100.00 http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820145295
- EVGA GTX580 Superclocked; 500.00 http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814130615
- OCZ Vertex2 SSD 120GB; 165.00 http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820227551
- WD VelociRaptor 150GB; 200.00 http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822136296
- Creative xFi Titanium sound; 85.00 http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16829102024
- Thermaltake Black Widow PSU; 130.00 http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817153106
- Corsair H50 CPU water cooler; 70.00 http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835181010
- ASUS 24X DVD burner; 23.00 http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16827135221
- Microsoft Windows 7 Pro; 140.00 http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16832116992

The ad also states that the GPU, Motherboard, and Memory have lifetime warranties. I'm not willing to bet that those warranties are particularly good, but they're better than nothing. The CPU is also OC'ed to a stable 3.8 ghz (not sure if that has any bearing on its lifetime).

When I talked to the guy, he invited me to come over and take a look at the PC and give it a test run. That's a pretty good sign in my opinion, and I'm going to take him up on the offer this weekend. However, I'm not 100% sure on what I should do to check it for any issues.

Obviously I'm going to open up device manager, run some programs/games, and open up the PC and inspect it, but I'm not quite sure what I should be looking for. If anyone could give me any tips on what programs I should run, what I should be looking for when I inspect the inside of the PC, etc., that would be great.

(Yes, I know building my own system is better. In fact, I had a similar computer to this selected that costed $1500 (without the sound card, ssds, and other "luxury items") that was going to run me into the ground financially. Having the option to buy a computer I could never afford for such a good price is more tempting, in my opinion.)

 

[Ubrales]

If you can inspect the PC and run some programs, it seems to be a good deal. Download and run "SPECCY" - http://www.piriform.com/speccy

If everything works out ok, do the transaction at your bank. Load the PC in your car and drive to your bank, pay the seller in cash, and get a receipt. Take precautions to ensure that you are not buying 'hot' merchandise. It will help if you have a witness with you. Payment by form of a Cashier's check will be even better. The buyer can witness you obtaining the cashier's check, and cash it on the spot if necessary.

BTW, the i7-950 CPU will not have any problems OCed to 3.82 GHz (that is what my i7-920 is running at now; 3.82 GHz).

 

[Encendi]

Speccy seems like a great program! But is there any way to test the functionality of all the parts? Also, what should I keep my eye out for when I look inside?

 

[inzone]

The warrenties are great to have if you are the original purchaser , but theu are usually not transferable unless stated in the product manual.
Too good to be true , yes sometimes there are cases where there are some strings somewhere or booby traps so you do have to be very careful with your transaction. Like the other post says it would be great for an opportunity to see and try the pc out to make sure it even turns on. A transaction like this is hard to do with trying to find a place to examine it and try it out. Above all else do not invite this to take place in your home or apartment. If this is to take place at his apt. then by all means go ahead but bring someone with you and it would be helpful if that someone had pc knowledge and don't bring the money with you that can take place later if you choose to go with the deal. Sounds like a really good computer , good luck.

 

[theitaliansico]

that sounds a little too good to be true be careful!

 

[Encendi]

The warrenties are great to have if you are the original purchaser , but theu are usually not transferable unless stated in the product manual.
Too good to be true , yes sometimes there are cases where there are some strings somewhere or booby traps so you do have to be very careful with your transaction. Like the other post says it would be great for an opportunity to see and try the pc out to make sure it even turns on. A transaction like this is hard to do with trying to find a place to examine it and try it out. Above all else do not invite this to take place in your home or apartment. If this is to take place at his apt. then by all means go ahead but bring someone with you and it would be helpful if that someone had pc knowledge and don't bring the money with you that can take place later if you choose to go with the deal. Sounds like a really good computer , good luck.

Indeed, but what kind of booby traps should I be aware of? Obviously there's the chance of me getting stabbed, but aside from that, I don't see what I should be looking for (even though there's probably something). And I am examining it in his home.

that sounds a little too good to be true be careful!

Yep, which is why I'm asking about what kind of cons I should be guarding myself against.

 

[Ubrales]

Yep, which is why I'm asking about what kind of cons I should be guarding myself against.

Like I mentioned earlier. Check the PC under power. Verify components using Speccy, and do the transaction at your bank! You do it like this and there will be nothing to worry about.

One important hing. When you draw the Cashier's check, have it made out to YOU, not to anyone else. Then if the transaction is cleared, endorse the cashier's check to the other person. I have bought two homes, and 3 new cars by this method. In all cases, the Cashier's check was made out to me, and at the closing (settlement) I endorsed the check to the other party. Most tellers at banks don't understand this important principle because they do not have the necessary qualifications to understand Finance.

 

[phyco126]

Deal locally, cash only, and do so in a crowded area (like the parking lot of a wal-mart). Bring a friend or two with you.

The system is nice and its a good deal. However, the warranties will NOT transfer. If they break, you'll have to contact the original owner and see if he is willing to send in the hardware on your behalf (that is if the guy was smart enough to register the parts within the 30 day or 90 day window, because if he didn't then there is no warranties on the items).

 

[Encendi]

Best answer selected by Encendi.

 

[Encendi]

Well, the purchase went down perfectly. I'm now sitting here running Skyrim on Ultra with extremely smooth fps and no stuttering GTX 580 ain't bad.

 

[Ubrales]

Thank you! Glad that everything is fine!

Always remember to draw the Cashier's check in your name, and endorse it over IF the deal goes through!