As with everything, there's a risk. But - exercise caution and buy sensibly, and remember that not everyone is a crook or is out to get you. In threads like this you often tend to pontificate your views fairly strongly, which could 'scare people off' - yes, in this case, there are definitely risks involved, but buying second hand PC gear (or any other tech for that matter) carries an element of risk. Hell, there's a potential risk buying and selling in our own small, but very brilliant, marketplace. I guess all I (and the mods in general) are asking is for 'balanced' posting, without sensationalisation of things. We're rich in clever, interesting people, and also rich in people who perhaps lack a bit of confidence or general understanding. We're all here for the same purpose - to have fun, to share knowledge, and to geek out. Please be encouraging, not adversarial. Ta!
I am encouraging OP, to look before they leap. Nobody else is pointing out the pitfalls of Ebay, so it's wise to check the risks before buying into a deal that is too good to be true.
You're 'encouraging' the OP not to buy on eBay. That's not really pointing out the pitfalls, it's saying 'don't bother'!
To be fair, there's a much greater degree of protection for buyers than sellers on ebay - ebay will side with the buyer almost every time, so I'd not be too discouraged (although I do agree that caution is a good watchword when buying from the 'bay).
About the scariest thing I ever did was buy a 3970x on Ebay for £300. The seller was as good as his word and it worked beautifully. I seldom have many problems with buying on Ebay I just seem to be SOL when it comes to selling.
Honestly you're probably better off nabbing a GTX 970 and then upgrading that i3 to an i5 3570k or 2500k. If you're getting into 1440p a R9 390x might be within consideration, but it's all a bit weird with regards to timing. A GTX970 and a 3570k would probably do a lot to make the PC faster though.
Well...change of plan. I will buy a used ASRock Z77 Extreme4 and a 3770K off my girlfriend's boss for 300-350 €. Apparently my girlfriend's will chip I'm so I can still somehow stay within my budget... or just slightly above it.
That is way more than that board is worth - you should be paying between 170-200 Euros for that. Also, buying on ebay is absolutely fine. Its being a seller you have to worry about.
Stick wanted post on the marketplace - "3770K wanted, willing to pay 200 euros" I bet you'll get a bite.
Thanks for the idea, I will definitely speak with him about the price... unless my girlfriend went ahead and bought it already. Got some messages from her today that hint in that direction. If she did, she's crazy... but then again she's dating me, so that question is pretty much answered already.
