A PC hardware buyer received an unexpected bargain after purchasing an MSI PRO Z790 P WIFI motherboard on eBay for just $20.
The board had been listed as "For Parts/Not Working," so the buyer expected either a repair project or a source of spare components. Instead, the motherboard turned out to be functional and also arrived with a 2TB WD SN580 PCIe 4.0 NVMe SSD already installed.
The surprise became even better when the system successfully booted into Windows using the drive.
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Motherboard | MSI PRO Z790 P WIFI |
| Purchase price | $20 |
| eBay condition | For Parts/Not Working |
| Included SSD | WD SN580 |
| SSD capacity | 2TB |
| Interface | PCIe 4.0 NVMe |
| Motherboard condition | Working |
| Windows boot | Successful |
| Shipping box | ASUS Z790 Dark Hero retail box |
The buyer expected a repair project
The purchaser, known online as TheQxx, originally bought the motherboard with fairly low expectations.
Because the listing clearly marked the hardware as not working, the plan was to attempt a repair. If the board could not be fixed, the buyer intended to recover some money by selling usable components and included accessories.
The shipment itself was already unusual. The MSI motherboard reportedly arrived inside an ASUS Z790 Dark Hero retail box, complete with accessories.
A $20 purchase for a high end Z790 class board would already be interesting if it could be repaired. Discovering that it worked without needing major repairs made the purchase far better than expected.
A 2TB WD SN580 was hiding in an M.2 slot
The biggest surprise was found in one of the motherboard's populated M.2 slots.
A 2TB WD SN580 PCIe 4.0 NVMe SSD had been left installed on the board.
The drive was not simply present as an unusable spare. Once the motherboard was powered on, the system was able to boot into Windows from the SSD.
That means the buyer effectively received both a functional motherboard and a 2TB storage drive for the original $20 purchase price.
With storage prices remaining high, the SSD alone represents far more value than the motherboard cost.
Comparable 2TB PCIe 4.0 drives are currently selling for close to $300 in some listings, especially as memory and storage component prices remain under pressure.
The deal came at an unusual time for SSD prices
A free 2TB drive would be valuable in almost any market, but current storage pricing makes the find more notable.
Some mainstream 2TB PCIe 4.0 SSDs are listed near $300, while higher end models with DRAM cache can cost slightly more.
That has made 2TB drives harder to justify for budget PC builders, with some buyers choosing 1TB models instead to reduce total system cost.
Against that background, finding a working 2TB NVMe drive inside a $20 motherboard is an unusually good result.
Used hardware listings can occasionally hide unexpected value
Buying hardware marked for parts always carries significant risk.
The product may be completely dead, damaged beyond economical repair or missing essential components. There is usually no guarantee that a repair attempt will succeed.
In this case, almost everything went in the buyer's favor.
The MSI PRO Z790 P WIFI worked, the accessories were included, the 2TB SSD was still installed, and the system could boot into Windows.
It is the kind of used hardware purchase that is difficult to reproduce intentionally. Most "For Parts/Not Working" listings should still be treated exactly as described.
For this buyer, though, a $20 repair gamble turned into a working Z790 motherboard and a valuable 2TB PCIe 4.0 SSD.
Discussion (0)
Be the first to comment.