Can you judge cpu by only looking at it?

[raid.zd]

Hi everyone,

I bought a cpu (i5-3570) and i have 2 days guarantee. Unfortunately i have no motherboard yet to test it. The seller said that the cpu was working last time (a year ago), after that he stored it in a drawer.

I've attached a picture of the cpu, i'm not sure if it is possible to know anything useful about its condtion only by looking at it.

 

[jaslion]

Hi everyone,

I bought a cpu (i5-3570) and i have 2 days guarantee. Unfortunately i have no motherboard yet to test it. The seller said that the cpu was working last time (a year ago), after that he stored it in a drawer.

I've attached a picture of the cpu, i'm not sure if it is possible to know anything useful about its condtion only by looking at it.

It has some thermalpaste on it and what is either a hair or a scratch. So first of all clean that off.
Also getting a used cpu that worked x amount of time ago but has just been laying around for a long time and not being able to test it yourself is just asking for trouble.

 

[dontlistentome]

Part of the gamble of buying used components is that you can't test each component as it comes in, unless you already have spare working parts for that purpose, most people don't. You deal with this by making your purchases from the best sources you can. Looking at the component isn't going to help much.

It would be the same if you got the motherboard first. You can't test it without a CPU, and just looking at it doesn't prove anything.

 

[USAFRet]

The only thing you can know right now is if anything is broken off it.

Like looking at a car in a parking lot.
Only the obvious (missing wheel, broken windshield) can be known.

 

[raid.zd]

@jaslion
Dumb question coming.. how to clean it?!
I'll try tomorrow to find a mb to test it

Thank you all for the advices & help