Navigating the Complexities of Selling Computer Hardware: A Case Study with a Delidded i7-7700K

Selling computer hardware online, especially delicate components like a delidded CPU, can often lead to unexpected challenges. Recently, I encountered such an experience when I sold my delidded Intel i7-7700K processor. The transaction seemed straightforward at first, but soon escalated into a more complicated situation.

The Sale and Initial Instructions

I took great care in preparing the sale by crafting a comprehensive five-page guide filled with detailed instructions (approximately 1,700 words) for the buyer. This guide included several links to relevant guides and video tutorials, aimed at ensuring he could handle the processor with confidence.

It’s important to note that I never resealed the processor due to practical considerations. I also sent the remaining Thermal Grizzly Conductonaut that I had used previously. I explicitly informed the buyer that he might need to purchase additional liquid metal if the amount provided was insufficient to adequately cover both the die and the included third-party copper IHS (Integrated Heat Spread).

The Buyer’s Concerns

Despite my warnings, the buyer managed to apply only a small amount of liquid metal directly onto the die. He proceeded to run multiple games without consulting core temperature data through HWiNFO64, as I had advised. Although a typical temperature variance of 3-5C between cores is acceptable, anything above 8-10C could indicate a problem.

To my surprise, he later contacted me stating that only 2 out of the 4 cores were being recognized by Task Manager and CPU-Z. Initial investigations revealed that the processor was correctly identified in his BIOS settings (on an Asus Prime B250M motherboard), and I guided him to check his msconfig settings to ensure he was set for a “Normal startup” with the “Number of processors” option unchecked.

Troubleshooting Together

After re-following my msconfig and BIOS guidelines, he successfully restored the visibility of all 4 cores and 8 threads. However, his idle temperatures raised my concerns. In a detailed screenshot he provided, temperatures seemed higher than I deemed safe.

I suggested he reconsider reapplying the liquid metal, this time on both the die and the IHS to ensure optimal thermal performance. However, I worried that he might unintentionally complicate the situation further in the process, especially given his primary focus was on gaming performance.

Reflecting on the