Processor from aliexpress. Chinese components - what they are and why you shouldn’t buy them. Refurbished phones: is it worth it?

Over the past couple of years, we have already become accustomed to such resources as AliExpress, AliBaba, Gearbest and other Chinese online auctions: on them you can often buy new phones and tablets for money that in Russia you can only buy a used brand from two years ago . And therefore, when cheap PC components began to appear, few people were surprised by this - after all, everything is made in China, stolen somewhere, assembled somewhere and now sold cheaper than the market. And everything would be fine, but in most of these proposals there is a rather serious deception - I’ll tell you about it in more detail.

• China Edition video cards.
  The scam is very old and simple - you take a video card that is weak by today's standards, for example a GTX 560, install a beautiful cooling system on it and reflash the video bios so that the system recognizes it as a GTX 960. And this is done cunningly - all programs: GPU-Z, Nvidia Experience and others define it as a GTX 960 (Experience even shows that Shadow Play works - however, when you try to record, only a launch folder with the name of the game is created, because it requires video cards of the 600 series and above), but the number of CUDA, ROP and TMU (these are all the computing units of the video card) are specified the same as in the GTX 560, that is, the drivers are installed as for the GTX 560 and the video card therefore works correctly. This is what one of these video cards looks like:

  The GTX 960 is offered for just 7,000 rubles. In fact, as I wrote above, it’s a regular GTX 560 with “swapped numbers”, so its capabilities are exactly the same as any 560 – that is, very weak in modern games. Considering that for 7000 you can buy a new GTX 750 Ti, which is almost twice as powerful as this Frankenstein, there is no point in buying such a 960. How to determine this type of video card? The easiest way is price: there’s no way a new video card that costs more than $200 can be sold for 100. For 190, well, 180 - maybe, but 100 is too much. The method is a little more complicated - the characteristics specified in the lot do not match the actual ones. For example, in the lot above the bus is 256 bits, but in the 960th it is 128 bits:
  
  
  Also, the frequencies, type of video memory, etc. may differ greatly - all this immediately indicates a fake.

• China Edition processors.
  Recently, YouTube has been flooded with videos in the style of " intel core i7 from China for the price of i3". Sounds delicious, but let's figure it out. A typical ad looks like this:
  
  
  
  What kind of processor is this? Have the Chinese really learned to counterfeit Intel processors?! No, not yet. These are just engineering samples leaked from Intel factories into the hands of sellers. The most common model is called i7-6400T: the name is clearly taken from the air because Intel does not have such a processor - or rather, it does, but it is not i7, but i5. Diagnostic programs identify such a processor as Intel Core i3/i5/i7 Skylake, and the processor is really an i7 - it has 4 cores and 8 threads. What's the catch then? The fact is that its frequencies are extremely low - only 2.2-2.6 GHz. Taking into account the fact that the i7-6700K has frequencies of 4-4.2 GHz, we get a lag of half in performance and about half in price, that is, there is no gain in purchasing such a processor. But wait, you say, any processors on Skylake can be overclocked! Yes, this is true, but here lies the second catch - this is an engineered sample, and no one guarantees that it will accelerate to 4 GHz and work stably at them. People on the forums even tried to identify the “labeling-overclocking” pattern, but nothing came of it: there were people with processors of the same marking, some of whom ran it at 4 GHz, and there were also those who ran it every other time on their native 2.2 . In addition, you should understand that even if the processor started at 4 GHz, this does not mean that it will be able to work stably and for a long time at them, and that you will not receive a non-working piece of silicon in a month or two - this is why this processor is called an engineered sample: it could did not pass all tests, could have been defective from the beginning, etc. Considering that you do not receive any guarantee, there is no point in risking your money.
• SSD China Edition.
  Chinese SSDs are often one and a half times cheaper than branded ones, and the read/write speeds in benchmarks are the same. A typical ad looks something like this:
  
  
  What's the catch? It’s all the same - saving money “Chinese style”: the controller in such solutions is very simple, the buffer is tiny, and everything is calculated exactly so that with volumes of 1-2 GB, which the benchmarks operate with, everything works smoothly, but it costs start recording a file weighing 4-5 GB and the picture becomes like this:
  
  
  As you can see, the 2 GB file on the left was written normally, but the writing speed of a 4 GB file after some time dropped to a very modest 50 MB/s - even the simplest hard disks they give out one and a half times more. What does it mean? This means that, in principle, you can install a system on such an SSD - large files it doesn't, and everything will work quite quickly. But it’s clearly not worth installing programs on it (especially heavy ones for video processing or games) - they contain a lot of large files, and their operating speed may be even lower than on a hard drive. In addition, there is no guarantee that such an SSD will live for a long time and without failures, so if you don’t want to one day see that Windows installed on it stops running, it’s better to pay extra and get a branded SSD.

SHARES

Every PC user sooner or later asks the question of upgrading their computer hardware. Now my time has come. I decided to skimp in the Aliexpress online store, since prices there are often much lower, and besides, you can get a refund Money– the so-called CASHBACK in the amount of 7.5 to 15% ( ).

On this moment I have a dual core Intel Pentium Dual-Core E5300 LGA775, 2.6GHz, which at one time was very popular and was used for low-budget computers with overclocking capabilities. Back then they cost about $200, which wasn’t that much at that exchange rate. But for more top-end models, such as the four-core Intel Core 2 Quad Q9500, Intel Core 2 Quad Q9550, Intel Core 2 Quad Q9650, there was no longer enough, and besides, they consumed 120 watts, which also implied the purchase of a powerful cooler

Buying a quad-core Xeon E5450 processor on Aliexpress

But as time passed and processors became cheaper, more economical models appeared, such as the E5450. This is where I will focus. I’ll just say a few words why I chose this particular percentage.

First, this is a more economical model and consumes only 85 watts, which is 20 watts more than mine. You can also buy the X5460, which is slightly more powerful than the E5450, but consumes about 125 Watts - which will entail the purchase of a more expensive cooler, and such consumption does not justify the slight increase in performance.

Second, I will get almost a fourfold increase in speed (according to many tests that can be found on the Internet), for a small additional payment.

True, there is one drawback, this percent is suitable for the LGA771 socket and requires a little modification, but when buying on Aliexpress, you don’t need to worry about this, since the Chinese have already done their best for us, the only thing that may be required is a BIOS update. You can also read about installing this process on the website

When buying electronics or household appliances on Aliexpress, you need to pay attention to the “condition” item in the product description. Similar products can be found marked refurbished or renovated (restored). What this means and how to approach it is in our article.

Recently, the item “Condition: Used” is displayed directly below the block with the price of the product, in the buyer’s view.

What does “Used” status mean?

Often such a mark (or refurbished) can be seen on Apple smartphones. Let's look at the example of one of these devices. The company that sells iPhone provides a guarantee for this smartphone. But some devices from buyers break down in the first days of use. Such faulty phones are returned under warranty and must be replaced. It is not profitable to dispose of a broken device. The manufacturer repairs such a phone, performs thorough diagnostics, and eliminates cosmetic defects. As a result, this phone goes on sale again, but as a restored (refurbished, refurbished) device. As a result, such a product is sold at a 15-30% discount, with new components and without the original box. A new box is not included by the manufacturer so that these phones are not re-sold as new.

That is, used is the so-called second-hand, in particular, restored after any defects.

How do products get included in “Used”?

The previous buyer can return the goods in the following cases:

• manufacturing defect detected
• The buyer did not like the product
• the product was a display sample in a store
• the product batch was recalled by the manufacturer to eliminate defects

It is these goods that can be sold as restored or refurbished.

Refurbished goods are sold in European stores, as well as in US stores. Basically, these are expensive electronics and Appliances famous world brands. But Aliexpress also sells used or refurbished goods.

Is it worth buying used goods on Aliexpress?

Purchasing refurbished goods has the following disadvantages:

• No original box.
• Availability of “refurbished” status. The very knowledge that someone has used the product and needs to repair it can cause discomfort.

Pros of buying refurbished goods on Aliexpress:

• significant discount up to 30%
• the product has been additionally checked and tested, which reduces the risk of encountering defects
• manufacturer's warranty

All of the above pros and cons of buying refurbished gadgets apply to products that were restored by the manufacturer. Such products are very popular in the USA and Europe. Since buyers save quite well by purchasing quality items at an affordable price. Products refurbished by the manufacturer are marked as “Manufacturer Refurbished” or “Authorized Refurbisher”.

In cases where the goods are restored by the seller independently, such goods are marked “Seller Refurbished” (repaired by the seller).

In this case, the equipment is repaired in questionable conditions and, probably, by unqualified specialists. When purchasing such a product, there is a high probability of stumbling upon a non-working device. Such products usually have huge discounts.

Therefore, when purchasing refurbished or repaired goods on Aliexpress, carefully find out who exactly repaired the device.

Unfortunately, in the specifications on Ali, the sellers do not indicate who exactly repaired this equipment. And how truthfully the seller will answer is not known. Buying refurbished and used electronics on Ali is quite a risky business and, first of all, you need to pay attention to the reviews of desperate buyers who took the risk of purchasing and testing the purchased product.

The current economic situation forces us to either make compromises or look for alternative ways to solve the problem. So, if you want to get high performance your computer, but don’t want to spend a lot of money, then there is a way out. Currently Chinese AliExpress store offers thousands of Xeon processors that were once in server parks but were retired due to obsolescence. In order not to let this goodness go to waste, the cunning Chinese began selling these copies “for mere pennies” on a well-known site.

The main merit of Xeons in this case is that many of them work on “civilian” motherboards without any problems and do not require the use of expensive server memory, and those that do require can be purchased as part of ready-made kits. In fact, Xeon processors are practically complete analogues Core processors Thus, the price of a Xeon whose performance is equal to its corresponding Core processor, turns out to be several times smaller.

And in fifth place we have:

5. Xeon E5450

Characteristics:

• Number of cores: 4
• Number of threads: 4
• Clock frequency: 3.0 GHz
• Compatible motherboards: motherboards equipped with G31, G33, G35, G41, G43, G45, P31, P35, P43, P45, GeForce 9400, 9300 series chipsets; boards manufactured by Intel are not supported.
• Cost: from ~1270 rub.

This copy is an analogue of the Core 2 Quad Q9650, which has a frequency of 3 GHz and as much as 12 megabytes of cache memory. When overclocked to 4 GHz, the “baby” demonstrates good results, allowing you to get a comfortable frame rate in modern games for ridiculous money. Naturally, it should only be considered a purchase if you have a motherboard equipped with an LGA 775 socket, since the next model offers even greater performance for almost the same price.

4. Xeon X3470

Characteristics:

• Number of cores: 4
• Number of threads: 8
• Clock frequency: 2.93 GHz
• Compatible Motherboards: All motherboards equipped with LGA 1156 socket are compatible with Xeon processors.
• Cost: from ~1837 rub.

An analogue of the Core i7-870 with a classic design for quite a long period of time - 4 cores and 8 threads - does not cost much more, but in overclocking and parallelized tasks it can compete with the Core i3-8100, which costs almost seven times more per second! It will already be quite enough for most scenarios, be it games or even home rendering of videos or 3D scenes.

3. Xeon E3-1270

Characteristics:

• Number of cores: 4
• Number of threads: 8
• Clock frequency: 3.4 GHz
• Compatible Motherboards: All motherboards equipped with LGA 1155 socket are compatible with Xeon processors. It is recommended to have at least four power phases and an 8-pin connector for the processor in order to avoid frequency reset.
• Cost: from ~5219 rub.

Xeon E3-1270, also known as Core i7-2600, costs less than three thousand rubles and does not require expensive motherboard from the Hi-End segment. Since the processor family Sandy Bridge are still being dragged, then the Xeon E3-1270 is quite suitable for a non-extreme user. Many have heard that after Sande Bridge, the following Intel processors did not bring qualitative changes, making do with a 5-10% increase in performance per core. Even now, seven years later, the i7-2600, and therefore the E3-1270, can compete with the Core i3-8300, which certainly cannot be called weak. And, of course, the Xeon costs half as much as the i3.

2. Xeon E5-1650

Characteristics:

• Number of cores: 6
• Number of threads: 12
• Clock frequency: 3.2 GHz
• Compatible Motherboards: All motherboards equipped with LGA 2011 socket are compatible with Xeon processors. It is recommended to have at least six power phases and an 8-pin connector for the processor in order to avoid frequency reset.
• Cost: from ~7073 rub.

In second place we have an analogue of the once hit for high-performance assemblies - Core i7-3930K. The Sandy Bridge microarchitecture, six cores, twelve threads and a fairly high frequency are really capable of a lot. Of course, relative to its price. This is especially evident now, when the cost of Intel processors has increased significantly due to shortages. So for the price of a Core i5-8400, you can purchase a set of a Xeon E5-1650, a motherboard based on the X79 chipset and 16 GB random access memory.

1. Xeon E5-2680 v2

Characteristics:

• Number of cores: 10
• Number of threads: 20
• Clock frequency: 2.8 GHz
• Compatible Motherboards: All motherboards equipped with LGA 2011 socket are compatible with Xeon processors. It is recommended to have at least seven phases of power supply with additional cooling and an 8-pin connector for the processor in order to prevent frequency reset and overheating of motherboard elements.
• Cost: from ~13459 rub.

And finally, the first place is taken by the Xeon E5-2680 v2. It is obvious that ten-core models among Core generation Ivy Bridge was not, so this Xeon is true server processor. Which, however, does not prevent it from being included in high-performance PC builds. At the moment, a set of Xeon E5-2680 v2, motherboard and 16 GB of RAM will cost less than 26 thousand rubles. Due to low clock frequency This processor in some games may demonstrate lower frame rates than previous ones, but in professional tasks it will certainly show much better results, catching up with modern representatives of the high segment.

Once again, you can be convinced that if you manage your money wisely, you can save a lot. In addition, in terms of quality characteristics, a second-hand processor is not much different from a new one. And some may even get a noble feeling from the fact that they are giving devices a second life.

Hi all! I want to tell you how I replaced the i3-380m processor in my laptop with an i5-560m, and what came of it. If you are interested, please see cat.

So, there is Acer laptop Travelmate 5742zg, which is already 5 years old. It has been upgraded more than once: replacing the Pentium P6100 with an i3-380m, adding RAM, replacing the drive with a pocket with SSD drive, HDD replacement, in general, you understand everything about me) And now my hands are itching again.

Was ordered used intel processor core i5-560m from ali. I must say that if you want to change the processor in your laptop, then look on the Internet for the configuration of your model with the desired processor. If you find it, then you have a high probability that everything will go well. Actually that's what I did.

The ordered processor was sent by the seller the next day, visited Finland, judging by the track, and a month later ended up with me. Packaging for 5 points: blister, two layers of bubble wrap, cardboard box. In addition to the processor itself, the seller included a bag of Halnziye thermal paste (threw it away).

Package

CPU

Motherboard with new processor

AIDA CPUID and HwInfo

Results in table and chart form

The result of the replacement fully corresponds to my expectations (based on the processor frequency) and suits me, because with the exception of different frequencies and one processor instruction, these models are twins.

Beaver everyone!