Cheap Z87-K LGA1150 Motherboards on Ebay??

[pstefa1707]

Hey, I've been looking for a motherboard as I am upgrading from my athlon 860k to an i5 4690k. I would like to overclock the i5 and so I will need a z87 or z97 chipset. I can only find motherboards with these specs for around $150 aud. However, all over ebay there are these cheap motherboards that claim to have z87 or z97 chipsets and only cost like $90 aud.

They are from China and are advertised as used... anyone purchased one before or knows if they are safe and work as intended? Here are some examples:

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[volkgren]

I know GPUs from China on eBay are often knock-offs, fake GPUs. Older ones modified to read as newer ones. Those say brand new, but I don't think they are real.

 

[velocityg4]

They say brand new in the heading. If you dig into the listing description it says used. So, it is used.

I know China is reputed for knockoffs. But both of those sellers have excellent sales records and it doesn't make much sense to knock off an old motherboard, a low end model at that, with low demand. You've still got buyer protection from eBay. The ASUS Z87-K was a budget model.

Just be aware that there is no guarantee that motherboard has the correct BIOS revision for a 4690k. Z87 only works with an i5-4690K with a BIOS update.

Do you already own the CPU? Given used prices. It would make more sense to build a new Ryzen build. Then you can screw around with overclocking and have modern tech on new parts.

 

[pstefa1707]

They say brand new in the heading. If you dig into the listing description it says used. So, it is used.

I know China is reputed for knockoffs. But both of those sellers have excellent sales records and it doesn't make much sense to knock off an old motherboard, a low end model at that, with low demand. You've still got buyer protection from eBay. The ASUS Z87-K was a budget model.

Just be aware that there is no guarantee that motherboard has the correct BIOS revision for a 4690k. Z87 only works with an i5-4690K with a BIOS update.

Do you already own the CPU? Given used prices. It would make more sense to build a new Ryzen build. Then you can screw around with overclocking and have modern tech on new parts.

Thanks for your reply, my only issue with that is ram prices... taking ram prices into consideration it would cost me almost double what it would for a z87 mobo and a i5 4690k that I can get for $90 aud

 

[erliner11]

In my experience cheap solutions are often bad solutions, and you often end up being disappointed. That being said, this could be the bargain of a lifetime, but i would not recomend it. I would rather wait a bit and save money to get the real thing, new. Good luck with your choice! =)

 

[velocityg4]

By the way. Asking price and prices people actually get are two different matters. If I look at SOLD Z87 motherboards. Models which shipped from Australia. The average lower end Z87 ends up going for about AU $90.

So, if you want to wait for an Australian seller. Then wait. Four of the five Z87 sold by local sellers in the last two weeks went for under AU $100. Typically the ones which actually sell for over AU $150 were high end models. So, be patient.

You could also try making offers on some local listings. If they have a make offer option.

 

[pstefa1707]

By the way. Asking price and prices people actually get are two different matters. If I look at SOLD Z87 motherboards. Models which shipped from Australia. The average lower end Z87 ends up going for about AU $90.

So, if you want to wait for an Australian seller. Then wait. Four of the five Z87 sold by local sellers in the last two weeks went for under AU $100. Typically the ones which actually sell for over AU $150 were high end models. So, be patient.

You could also try making offers on some local listings. If they have a make offer option.

Yeah I might just wait it out, ive read that you could oc 4th gen intel with non Z series motherboards but windows 10 blocked it?? Is it worth trying to bypass this microcode block and buy a cheap $40 lga 1150 mobo?

 

[DSzymborski]

There was microcode for blocking that overclocking soon after those motherboards were released, it's not a Windows 10-only thing.

And being able to overclock or not isn't the only determinant of whether you should overclock. Those cheap $40 motherboards are typically poorly configured to handle an overclock.

I'd recommend you save your money and only buy when you can get something that achieves your needs without workarounds. Stuff like building a PC based on DDR3/DDR4 pricing or on overclocking a low-end h87 motherboard from years ago may save you a few dollars now but cost you a lot more in the long run.

 

[pstefa1707]

There was microcode for blocking that overclocking soon after those motherboards were released, it's not a Windows 10-only thing.

And being able to overclock or not isn't the only determinant of whether you should overclock. Those cheap $40 motherboards are typically poorly configured to handle an overclock.

I'd recommend you save your money and only buy when you can get something that achieves your needs without workarounds. Stuff like building a PC based on DDR3/DDR4 pricing or on overclocking a low-end h87 motherboard from years ago may save you a few dollars now but cost you a lot more in the long run.

Thanks for your info, I have also been offered an i7 4770 for $75 more... no overclocking so i can get a cheaper motherboard, is it worth to get an i7 4770 for $175 aud and a mobo for like $50 aud over my previous overclocking plan? I feel like the i7 4770 @ 3.9 Ghz and my rx 480 will be a good pair for mid range gaming? I play competitive fortnite and just need like 200 fps.