Is it worth buying a PC on Ebay?

The_Bloodster

There seems to be quite a few on there are they do seem good value but what are your thoughts. I want to upgrade my PC and all I want is a new base unit as I currently want to upgrade my AMD 1.3ghz Processor and increase my 40gb hard drive. It seems easier to buy a new base unit then I can pass this one on to my 6year old son!!

I found this one on there for just over £200 what are your views

AMD Athlon64 Bit 3200+ 800Mhz FSB 754 Pin RETAIL BOXED!!!!
ASRock K8-UPGRADE VM800 754 Pin & 939 Pin Support
754 Pin Socket, Expansion Port For 939 Pin, 800Mhz FSB, DDR400, 8XAGP, ATA133 & SATA
1GB DDR400 Major Branded RAM Major Brand For Ultra Stabilty
80GB Hard Drive ATA133, 7200 RPM Major Brand For Performance
16XDVD+/-RW DUAL LAYER Drive Dual Layer & Dual Format *FAST*
8 x USB2 Ports, LAN Port & 5.1 Sound Plenty Of Ports
256MB Graphics UniChrome Pro 3D Using Only 64MB Of Shared RAM
3.5'' Floppy Disk Drive Still Used & Still Included
NEW Latest Zorro Case With 450W Silent PSU Door To keep PC silent

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Thanks

T4i

Just one point......Guarantee Is there any? Is it any good to you?

For items like HDD's the guarantee is usualy worth more than the actual unit.

Apart from that it seems cheap.

dccarm

I was thinking of going the same route, and there do seem to be a few bargains out there. These are often from proper traders, so you do get a warranty period etc. However, I quickly noticed that the reason many of them seem like bargains is because they don't include an Operating System in the price, so you'd need to fork out an extra £60 or £70 for XP. Just something to watch out for.

NellyLock

and they dont define the actual 'major brand'...my mate bought one off ebay with 'major brands' and i think the add even said like 'major brands = maxtor,seagate, western dig' and it turned up with a less than major brand in our eyes for EVERY component i suppose they hope you arent gonna open the case when you get it...but we did!

nalibz

Word of advice - Make sure before bidding that the item is not second hand or refurbished, especially if you want a brand new unit. I know most people would check this automatically, many wont.

n:)

ka7e

Also check that VAT is included! Look for a seller that accepts Paypal and has their £500 protection.

dccarm

An Athlon 64 bit (Newcastle) 3200+ CPU is £105 + VAT from Ebuyer. Given that I think I'd be a bit sceptical about the price offered for this PC. I'd say it's more likely to be a Sempron.

ukbill69

My advise would be to go dell every time. Go take a look over dell outlet. Very cheap offers and top of the range support services.

titewad_2

I think I looked at a similar one on ebay.They seem to be 'socket 754' which I'm told is being phased out.Apparently socket '939' is the thing to have.
I'm afraid you will have to ask someone a lot more techie than me what this 'socket' thing means....