mapesdhs
Distinguished
- Jan 22, 2007
- 2,507
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You completely missed my key point, ie. I bought top-end used X79 parts, saved a lot doing that,
ended up with a system that's quicker than numerous X99 review units I've seen. Go back and
read reviews of the ASUS Rampage IV Extreme, see what it cost new; mine was only 115 UKP total.
Likewise, there are plenty of normal auctions of new items, or barely used items. I saved 30 UKP
on the case (), about 50 on the 850 Pro, over 100 on the PSU, 250 on the mbd, etc.
I would not recommend X79 if buying all-new from normal company sources.
Naturally though, doing what I did does depend entirely on supply, in my case eBay. Maybe it's
specific to the UK, but there seem to be a lot of manufacturer-refurbished mbds available here.
I actually bought two of the R4Es, the other for benchmarking with a 4820K; the seller company
in question had quite a few of them, plus many other models. Likewise, I've bought lots of ASUS
P9X79 WS boards from a similar source here for very little vs. normal new pricing. Even for normal
auctions from private sellers there's plenty around, eg. I won an excellent condition ASUS P9X79
Deluxe for 75 total, which I'm using to build a 6-core system for my brother's bday.
And for those building pro systems, eBay can be a boon. A Quadro K5000 was only 650, a 6000
even less. Bagged a couple of 2000s for diddly, and a K600.
Here's a typical recent example of a normal auction bundle:
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=191545909303
That's a nice setup, plenty of oomph for gaming or pro work, good price.
Of course not everyone can do this, has the patience to search, or wants to sacrifice
full warranty status (though not a problem with the RAM of course), but it's an option
well worth considering for those who find their budget can't really stretch to an X99
build without having to sacrifice so many things.
Ian.
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