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Components: new or second hand?

Components: new or second hand? - programming.dev

I recently bought 16GB (2x8GB) of 3000 MHz DDR4 RAM second hand for my server so that I could swap out the 32GB (2x16GB) of 3200 MHz DDR4 RAM and put them into my new gaming rig. Final hardware config: https://pastebin.com/3uFXuPht [https://pastebin.com/3uFXuPht] Now I just have to figure out whether I want to get another external soundcard for my gaming rig or if I can live with switching the USB cable back and forth between the two PCs or if I can get used to control the volume with software. I really like hardware knobs though… Anyway… What - if anything - do you insist on buying new and what do you buy second hand and why? Personally, I could buy any component second hand, provided I’m allowed to run my own test on it first.

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fuckwit_mcbumcrumble 6d ago

I’ll buy almost anything used really. Well besides hard drives.

Power supplies are largely fine as long as they’re not really old. GPUs I don’t like buying big ones used. More just out of PTSD from the mid 2000s solder issues. Smaller (adequately cooled) does seem to have less issues.

Ram almost never fails. CPUs rarely fail. Motherboards are generally solid. I’ll put a used SSD into a machine I don’t care about. Cases basically can’t fail unless you destroy it on purpose. Air coolers don’t go bad. Liquid coolers will eventually need maintenance, but as long as they’re not really old should be fine.

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durinn 6d ago

I agree! In addition to hard drives I’d also rather buy motherboards new, since a lot of electronics are directly exposed, and I trust only me and myself in adequate handling of such delicate stuff. XD

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fuckwit_mcbumcrumble 6d ago

A lot of high end boards have basically a shield around the entire top side which is nice for that. But I have had a few boards fail over the years, and all high end ones.

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durinn

I have only ever used midrange B550 AMD chipsets, so I don’t know what that looks like. But I do wish to someday have one of the X-something AMD boards :D still AM4, mind you.