I built my first PC and had a rough start: the CPU arrived shorted out, and the motherboard I bought through a warehouse-deal program was described as being in mint condition but didn't work properly. I had to troubleshoot everything and wait about a week for replacements. The PC is finally finished now, but I'm wondering whether I was unusually unlucky or if problems like this are fairly common with used or open-box components.
2 Answers
Did you assemble the PC yourself?
Used and warehouse-deal parts can be a gamble, especially with motherboards. I once received one that was completely dead and even had someone’s leftover 256GB M.2 drive attached to it. I kept the drive and returned the board, then bought a new motherboard instead. That said, some people have had several used boards arrive in perfect working condition, so it really comes down to the seller, inspection process, and luck.
I’ve used around six secondhand motherboards from warehouse deals, and all of them have worked reliably in my builds.
Yeah, I built it myself.