Your Theories on a CPU I Sold

[knownalien]

So I sold a working AMD XP 2800+ (1 year old Thouroughbread core) over at Ebay. Guy gets it and then emails me this:
-------------------------------------------
hello again.

finally got a chance to install this processor and have thus far concluded it
may be dead on arrival. that is not a final verdict, so dont take offense. i
would like the history of this processor if you wouldn't mind sharing.. if it
was professionally installed/removed, when it was to your knowledge last
used/working, etc. i will further attempt to verify it's integrity tomorrow.
----------------------------------------------

It's history is I bought it OEM a year ago and have used it since then and only took it out a month ago originally to put an XP 3200+ in, but I decided to go 64 bit. Now, I did not send a thermal pad and told him he would have to buy one. For now this is all I know. It was packed up very well and insured. What in the world could have possibly happened? Probably I will be forced to return his money and be stuck with a procesor that doesn't work (according to him anyway). This CPU doesn't OC well, do you think there is a chance he tried to OC and blew it? If it doesn't work and he sends it back, the only thing I can do is check for bent pins because I do not have a MOBO (socket 462) to test it on.
I want to do the right thing, but I don't want to be taken advantage of either.

your advice/theories?

XP 2800+ (thor B); Asus A7N8X Delux; Maxtor 40/120 gig ATA 133; AIW9700 RadeonPro; Corsair PC3200 (2X256); LiteOn CDRW; TDK 420N DVD+RW; Antec Case; Antec SL350; many many fans; WinXp

 

[phsstpok]

I'd ask the guy in what motherboard he is trying to install the CPU.

Could be he is not using a 166/333 Mhz capabable motherboard. Could be an old chipset. Could even be power issues.

Hopefully the guy is smart enough not to install the CPU without a heatsink.

<b>56K, slow and steady does not win the race on internet!</b><P ID="edit"><FONT SIZE=-1><EM>Edited by phsstpok on 03/05/04 11:41 AM.</EM></FONT></P>

 

[pIII_Man]

Before he sends the cpu, ask him to use a digital camera and take pics of it...both sides, high quality and good resolution...2800+ tbreds are hard to come by so he would have to take a pic of YOUR cpu, my guess is he is just some dumb [-peep-]...but i wouldnt tell him if i were you.

If it isn't a P6 then it isn't a processor
110% BX fanboy

 

[Coyote]

Why not answer, but also ask him why he thinks it was DOA and to provide you with details on how he installed etc. Plus, like said above, details on system he's trying to install in.


He sounds like he's not too experienced and I sense doubt on his part. It may be OK, or it may be he screwed it up.

Barton 2500+
Abit NF7-S v 2.0
Maxtor 60GB ATA 133 7200RPM
512MB Corsair Twinx 3200LL
9600 Pro
Enermax Noisetaker 420 watts
Win98SE

 

[jihiggs]

if its insured he should be able to get the money it was insured for. if its been too long its his own fault.

wpdclan.com cs game server - 64.246.52.144:27015
now featuring (optional) cheating death!

 

[knownalien]

I insured it for $100, but how in the world would I prove that (or even suggest) that it was damaged in shipping as opposed to his error in handling the CPU?

XP 2800+ (thor B); Asus A7N8X Delux; Maxtor 40/120 gig ATA 133; AIW9700 RadeonPro; Corsair PC3200 (2X256); LiteOn CDRW; TDK 420N DVD+RW; Antec Case; Antec SL350; many many fans; WinXp

 

[jihiggs]

beats me, ive never had to claim somthing like that.

wpdclan.com cs game server - 64.246.52.144:27015
now featuring (optional) cheating death!

 

[knownalien]

at the very least he will have to send it back to me BEFORE he gets any money back and I will inspect it. I fear that if he burned it my eyes will not be good enough to spot it as I have never seen one before.

Also, I called a computer store and they told me something I had never heard of before (and I don't know it I believe it) but putting in a bad CPU in a MOBO, if I wanted to test it on its return, can damage a MOBO. REALLY?!!!

XP 2800+ (thor B); Asus A7N8X Delux; Maxtor 40/120 gig ATA 133; AIW9700 RadeonPro; Corsair PC3200 (2X256); LiteOn CDRW; TDK 420N DVD+RW; Antec Case; Antec SL350; many many fans; WinXp

 

[pIII_Man]

im saying this so he doesnt try to cheat you in some way, so you are sure that the cpu he is sending you is in good phyiscal condition...

Its possible but not probable...

If it isn't a P6 then it isn't a processor
110% BX fanboy

 

[knownalien]

i am saying that when I sent it to him (the winning bidder) it was perfect. What he now holds in his hand I have no idea what condition it's in. It could be that it's fine and he's just a moron because his, for example, PSU is too weak. I don't know yet. more to come. His emialing has been rather slow.

XP 2800+ (thor B); Asus A7N8X Delux; Maxtor 40/120 gig ATA 133; AIW9700 RadeonPro; Corsair PC3200 (2X256); LiteOn CDRW; TDK 420N DVD+RW; Antec Case; Antec SL350; many many fans; WinXp

 

[endyen]

Yes, if the chip is shorted internally, it will take out the vregs on the board. Somewhere on there site, Amd has a simple resistance test that will say if it's safe to plug the chip in.

 

[Crashman]

There are several reasons he might be saying this, most involve dishonesty:
1.) He might have cracked it installing a sink
2.) He might have burned it
3.) He might have put it in the wrong board, realized his mistake, and now wants you to accept that and swallow the cost of the transaction (listing fees, etc).
4.) He might have burned out his own 2800+ by overclocking, and bought a replacement with intent to swap them and send the burned one to the original seller.

<font color=blue>Only a place as big as the internet could be home to a hero as big as Crashman!</font color=blue>
<font color=red>Only a place as big as the internet could be home to an ego as large as Crashman's!</font color=red>

 

[knownalien]

conspiracy ridden . . . I like it!

XP 2800+ (thor B); Asus A7N8X Delux; Maxtor 40/120 gig ATA 133; AIW9700 RadeonPro; Corsair PC3200 (2X256); LiteOn CDRW; TDK 420N DVD+RW; Antec Case; Antec SL350; many many fans; WinXp

 

[4Ryan6]

Did you write down the SN to make sure you get back what you sent?
If you did, is he aware that you have the SN recorded?

<A HREF="http://www.biblegateway.com/cgi-bin/bible?language=english&version=NIV&passage=John+14:6&x=13&y=8" target="_new"><b><><</b></A>

<A HREF="http://forums.btvillarin.com/index.php?act=ST&f=41&t=2541" target="_new">My Rig</A>

 

[endyen]

But we are not talking xp2800+ barton. This is a very rare chip. I doubt that he had one before. On the other hand, if he killed it, a lynching party may be needed.

 

[knownalien]

i have it.

XP 2800+ (thor B); Asus A7N8X Delux; Maxtor 40/120 gig ATA 133; AIW9700 RadeonPro; Corsair PC3200 (2X256); LiteOn CDRW; TDK 420N DVD+RW; Antec Case; Antec SL350; many many fans; WinXp

 

[knownalien]

yes, i am kicking myself for selling it!

XP 2800+ (thor B); Asus A7N8X Delux; Maxtor 40/120 gig ATA 133; AIW9700 RadeonPro; Corsair PC3200 (2X256); LiteOn CDRW; TDK 420N DVD+RW; Antec Case; Antec SL350; many many fans; WinXp

 

[4Ryan6]

Well make sure he's aware that you have the SN, and if you get into a position that it gets sent back to you, make sure the SN matches the CPU you sent him, sometimes a switcheroo is possible, but hopefully he's a standup guy and wouldn't do anything like that.

<A HREF="http://www.biblegateway.com/cgi-bin/bible?language=english&version=NIV&passage=John+14:6&x=13&y=8" target="_new"><b><><</b></A>

<A HREF="http://forums.btvillarin.com/index.php?act=ST&f=41&t=2541" target="_new">My Rig</A>

 

[Crashman]

Yes, well, I "knew this guy" who used to buy broken electronics from yard sales for next to nothing, then buy the same thing from the store, put the old (identicle) item in the new box, take it to the store and say "it quit working" thereby getting the new item at the price of the broken junk.

<font color=blue>Only a place as big as the internet could be home to a hero as big as Crashman!</font color=blue>
<font color=red>Only a place as big as the internet could be home to an ego as large as Crashman's!</font color=red>

 

[Snorkius]

I wanted to that as a kid...

My mom would not let me...

A long long time ago, but I can still remember, how that music used to make me smile... <A HREF="http://www.nexus.hu/zonix/DIGGER.MID" target="_new"><b><font color=blue>Digger rulz</font color=blue></b></A>

 

[knownalien]

Here is his email to me:

Hey there again.

I personally and professionally installed this processor into my barely
4 month old abit at7-max. Upon insertion of the said 2800+, I discovered
that my rock solid motherboard is no longer a functioning motherboard.
After swapping every component in my custom system with spares,
including my original 2600+ that has functioned 24/7 for about 4 months
and NEVER had a problem also does not make my system post. Being a
repair technician, I can say this item is the cause of the problem,
considering every possible solution had been attempted only to get the
same results. An abit at7-max with the most current bios flash such as
mine fully supports a 2800+ but there is the possibility that this board
had a fluke that wasn't compatible with the processor and as a result
failed. I currently need to send my motherboard to abit for a
replacement at my expense which I am not pleased with at all but is
unavoidable since I am not willing to throw a $150 item in the trash.
But before I get to that I will be purchasing components for my new
system which includes an abit at7-max2. If I find this 2800+ to be
non-functioning again (ie: if it kills another board of mine) it will
need to be sent back to amd I expect at your expense. However, if it
works fine in the new motherboard, then I will proceed to test it with a
week long burn-in and once completed, I will inform you that it
functions excellent and our business will be concluded. I understand
problems can arise and have no intention of getting a refund, only if
required the 2800+ replaced.


Thank you.

------------------------------------------
my response:

I appreciate your efforts to resolve this on your own, 1) I wish to address what you have written and 2) I wish to appraise you of my position on this:

you may want to start off with by visiting this web page:

http://www2.abit.com.tw/abitweb/webjsp/test_report/AT7/AT701.php

As you can see, the XP 2800+ was never tested with this board. That may not be an issue, since I once purchased a Barton XP 2800+ that did not run with an Asus A7N8X Deluxe rev. 1.4. It would only run at 333 Mhz FSB instead of 400 FSB.

--------------------------------
"Upon insertion of the said 2800+, I discovered
that my rock solid motherboard is no longer a functioning motherboard."
---------------------------------

I asked for details of this installation of which you have yet to give me. You have not, for example, told me if you used the thermal pad my ebay add tells you to use (AMD's recommended thermal pad). Should it come to this, I shall require proof that you did this.

------------------------------------------------------
"Being a repair technician, I can say this item is the cause of the problem,
considering every possible solution had been attempted only to get the
same results."
------------------------------------------------------

I am a computer builder, and I am aware of many potential problems. But you never gave me the specs like your PSU. But that aside, if this processor is now dead and damaged your MOBO, you can expect that it WON'T work in another MOBO.

-------------------------------------------------------
"An abit at7-max with the most current bios flash such as
mine fully supports a 2800+ but there is the possibility that this board
had a fluke that wasn't compatible with the processor and as a result
failed."
--------------------------------------------------------

again, visit the site I recommended. I could not find a "max," but only a regular AT7. As you can see, Abit says this board has not been tested with this CPU. See here:

http://www.abit-usa.com/products/mb/bios_revision.php?categories=1&model=23

None of those BIOS revisions speak to the XP2800+. Even I would have assumed that it might work as it states working with "0.13micron" but it only gets to the 2600+.

------------------------------------------------
"I currently need to send my motherboard to abit for a
replacement at my expense which I am not pleased with at all but is
unavoidable since I am not willing to throw a $150 item in the trash."
------------------------------------------------

I am truly sorry about this. Here http://www.newegg.com/app/viewProductDesc.asp?description=13-127-120R&depa=0 you can get it for $40.

------------------------------------------------
"If I find this 2800+ to be
non-functioning again (ie: if it kills another board of mine) it will
need to be sent back to amd I expect at your expense."
------------------------------------------------

I am sorry, but this is not acceptable. I will not conver any expense on this CPU. Anyway, the T-bred CPU doesn't exist anymore and the Barton version is the only 2800+ out there.

------------------------------------------------
"However, if it works fine in the new motherboard, then I will proceed to test it with a
week long burn-in and once completed, I will inform you that it
functions excellent and our business will be concluded."
----------------------------------------------------

Week long? Yo have till the 11th of this month per my Ebay add to figure this out. After the 11th, sadly our business is concluded.

-----------------------------------------------------
"I understand problems can arise and have no intention of getting a refund, only if
required the 2800+ replaced."
----------------------------------------------------

I don't understand this part of the email. This T-bred CANNOT be replaced as it doesn't exist anymore. I would say that if you get anything that doesn't work you should expect a refund, but on the other hand I know that what I sent you was working. What do I have to gain by sending you a broken item? Have you seen my feedback? It's perfect. But selling this item is a risk to me. It's a risk because I failed to take into account that their might be a problem with the installation by a winning bidder of a working CPU which may cause it to fail. That was my mistake. I would not offer a 10-day garuntee on a broken item. That's absurd! Here's my best advice: send me back the CPU. If I can confirm that it works and find no evidence that it was fried, then I will give you your money back. If you should send it to me and it is broken, then sadly I cannot give you your money back and the CPU will be sent back to you. But luckily physical evidence of incorrect installation normally exists and since I have photos of it prior to sending it to you (and my memory) then I will have a good idea of what has changed on the CPU. I am not a retail company, but even a retail company of computer components is not going to accept an item if it has been busted. FYI, for me to figure out if this CPU works, should you send it back, will cost me money too.

I hope that this isn't too bad of a response for you, but you are free to leave me negative feedback. I am saddened that I let this CPU get away from me, but even sadder that for some reason it no longer works.

Sincerely,

XP 2800+ (thor B); Asus A7N8X Delux; Maxtor 40/120 gig ATA 133; AIW9700 RadeonPro; Corsair PC3200 (2X256); LiteOn CDRW; TDK 420N DVD+RW; Antec Case; Antec SL350; many many fans; WinXp

 

[endyen]

Hear is a link to the amd pages that show how to test if the cpu will damage the mobo. If you send it to him, he will see things differently.<A HREF="http:// http://www.amd.com/us-en/assets/content_type/DownloadableAssets/RMA_Collateral_Rev7.pdf?PC=SYSB-SBE-E-E25A-E-MA4.1-SUNI-RMAP " target="_new">http:// http://www.amd.com/us-en/assets/content_type/DownloadableAssets/RMA_Collateral_Rev7.pdf?PC=SYSB-SBE-E-E25A-E-MA4.1-SUNI-RMAP </A>

 

[pIII_Man]

you nailed him bud...

the at7 only supports a max of 266mhz fsb, he used the cpu in the wrong mobo, although this will not kill the cpu or mobo, i suspect he is trying to use you here.

If it isn't a P6 then it isn't a processor
110% BX fanboy

 

[Ned_Flanders]

oh yeah! you raped him buddy!

I am a small fat ginger kid and I lob cow pats at old people, please be my friend

 

[knownalien]

these are two BIOS revisions for that board:

http://www.abit-usa.com/products/mb/bios_revision.php?categories=1&model=23

Support new 0.13micron process AthlonXP CPU-Throughbred.
HPT 374 BIOS Version 1.21.
BIOS Compile Date: 6/05/2002

and then later:

Support Athlon XP 2400+, 2600+ CPU. Please be noted that Athlon XP 2400+ and 2600+ CPU need AMD certified heatsink; otherwise, the system will be quite unstable or even fail to boot up. Please check AMD recommended CPU cooler in following URL.
http://www.amd.com/gb-uk/Processors/ComputingSolutions/
HPT 374 BIOS Version 1.21.
BIOS Compile Date: 8/22/2002

---------------------------------

the XP 2600 ran at 333 mhz like the T-bred XP2800. But like that whole Asus A7N8X board rev. 1.4 - 2.0 crap where a BIOS flash was supposed to "support" the news Barton 400 FSB, it never worked on my Asus rev. 1.4 using a Barton 3200+. Even so, his board was not tested with my CPU, and even so again there are no garuntees with BIOS updates. Some boards just were not meant for it. MOBO makers know this but also bank on the likelyhood that they will not upgrade the processor before they just buy a new MOBO altogether.

now my question becomes, can putting my CPU in his MOBO damage the CPU I sold him? As I noted that that board probably has no thermal diode ("AMD won't be requiring thermal protection for Athlon CPUs until June 10" [2002], and his board came out in April 2002).

XP 2800+ (thor B); Asus A7N8X Delux; Maxtor 40/120 gig ATA 133; AIW9700 RadeonPro; Corsair PC3200 (2X256); LiteOn CDRW; TDK 420N DVD+RW; Antec Case; Antec SL350; many many fans; WinXp