Looking to purchase a used I7-4790K?
Looking to purchase a used I7-4790K?
Hello. I noticed an advertisement on a Romanian online marketplace for an I7-4790K priced at just $25. The seller claims the unit is faulty because the monitor displays a "No Signal" indicator. He shared two images of the CPU, and from what I observed, the bottom capacitors appear undamaged with no signs of burns, physical harm, or misuse. I can access the photos via this link: The only visible damage seems to be on the front image of the CPU, near the right side of the IHS, where there’s a tiny silvery spot—possibly indicating a faulty delid? I’ll need to contact the seller for more details about the CPU’s condition during operation. I’ll follow up with any relevant information I can gather. The main question is whether I should purchase it. Based on what I understand, the likelihood of a genuine production CPU failing is extremely low, and a "no signal" message could point to many other issues in the system. It’s also worth noting that the seller mentioned the machine starts but no output is visible.
I currently rock an I5 4460 and an Asrock Z97 Extreme Pro 3 working flawlessly, if that cpu is working that's a very nice bargain, though I will wait a bit until I get some responses about the cpu behaviour from the owner. Thanks!
The scratch comes from the part that secures the CPU in the socket. Every CPU you use shows this kind of mark. About 99% of dead CPUs have internal damage—you won’t notice anything on the surface. There are no burn marks, no broken capacitors, nothing visible. If someone is selling it because it’s dead, they likely already checked with another CPU and are now using that one. No one would discard a $300 CPU without first confirming the problem.
I understand your point, I believe he isn't foolish enough to do that. The 4790K was released in Q2 2014, and he posted the ad just two days ago, which makes it highly improbable. From what I've noticed in his promotions, he mainly sells mobo+cpus kits featuring Ryzen and 9th generation processors. It seems even less likely he would use a 4th generation CPU on a socket 1150. He also runs a small repair shop at home, helping beginners with hardware and software problems. It’s possible he just installed it in a socket 1150 and when he noticed the fans weren’t spinning and there was no display, he posted it as broken. That’s what I’m hoping happened. I bought it today and expect to receive it within the next few days. I’ll follow up with details about the CPU—maybe I can revive it or turn it into a cool keychain, just like Streetguru suggested. Thanks a lot for your quick replies! You all do great!