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How to tell if a chip is new or used

Dangerous_Dave

Dangerous_Dave

Dangerous_Dave

Associate
Joined
21 Sep 2010
Posts
455
Hi all

I just bought an i7 3970X off ebay. It was sold as brand new sealed, and now it's turned up it does indeed seem to be sealed (including the big white sticker on one side of the box and the intel branded security tape on the other). But the chip itself, which I can see through the box window, appears to have an incomplete rectangular heatsink mark on it. Could I have been given a repackaged chip?

Cheers
 
It could be possible its a mark from when intel tested it ? Before packaging it.

On the other hand its not hard to remove the stickers and change the cpu.
 
It's probably from the factory during the binning process, if someone had gone through the trouble to open it up, test it and then pack it back up like new I doubt they would have left any marks on the chip.
 
mmj_uk said:
It's probably from the factory during the binning process, if someone had gone through the trouble to open it up, test it and then pack it back up like new I doubt they would have left any marks on the chip.
Click to expand...

Or someone had swapped it with a busted cpu ? And sold it as new then there's no comeback to them, as it's 'new' so would have to be rma back to Intel.


Not the first time I have seen this tbh
 
it's used!!!

should be no white sticker at all apart from the one intel sticker that seals the box

if it works and is a decent clocker keep it,but no way its sealed/new

intel don't test them like that so should be mark free ect
 
what wazza said basically, test the chip see how well it clocks if it's poor send it back and tell the guy it's a recpackaged chip.
 
But if you opened the packaging, then you have no proof that what you purchased wasn't opened. IMO, either accept it, or send it back, as is.

Once you open the box, then what you have is an opened product and you may have difficulties in disputing that it was not like that when it arrives.
 
snakefood said:
But if you opened the packaging, then you have no proof that what you purchased wasn't opened. IMO, either accept it, or send it back, as is.

Once you open the box, then what you have is an opened product and you may have difficulties in disputing that it was not like that when it arrives.
Click to expand...

That would be the danger right there , it's a catch 22 !
 
Not really catch 22. Just send it back. A processor that was sold as "new and sealed" but looks decidedly second hand is very likely to be broken.

edit: if it was suspiciously cheap, the odds are worse.
 
Here is a picture of the chip:

aZvsGOI.jpg
 
sure its not rub marks from the clear plastic shell onto the cpu heatsink?

they do have white sealing sticker I was wrong,that and a clear intel stamped sticker

if they were sealed like you said then id be happy with it being new

it's a costa chip too which potentially = better clocker
 
personally I would stay away from eBay with anything like cpu or gpu you better off paying that little extra with a reputable company like oc as you know you will have new stuff and not the worry you have now
 
I think it is new

when the op said a white sticker,i thought someone else had slapped one on to seal it

id say those marks are rub marks from the clear plastic

I would only buy sealed cpu's off ebay
 
I would send it back and wait for IB-E and grab a 4930k from OCUK.

That way you get a faster, newer, cheaper CPU.
 
I don't think it's from the plastic cover (there is nothing that shape in the covering). I'm pretty sure something rectangular has been pressed up against the chip, it's just a question of what and where. Is it possible to buy that security tape to repackage it?
 
don't thinkso

have you installed/used the chip yet? if not look on the underside of the cpu,look at the gold contacts/tabs for any pin indentations,you'll see a spot on each tiny pad if its been used
 
I also believe its from the window. Have you tried shaking the box about to see if the CPU moves and confirms where the marks are?
That white sticker is normal, I got one with my 3770K bought off here.
It may be possible to buy the tape but it would be extremely hard to source. Too much effort for an eBayer IMO. Also, that seems to be a pretty pristine "sticker" so its most likely sealed from Intel. Taking those tapes off without ruining the box is almost impossible :P
 
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