I got an AMAZING deal on this used PC! Was it worth it?
Summary
TLDRIn this video, the creator explores the process of upgrading a used PC to enhance its performance. Starting with a $500 deal on Facebook Marketplace for a system featuring an 11th gen Intel 11700F CPU, 16 GB DDR4 RAM, and an AMD RX 6600 XT graphics card, the video documents the initial setup, cleaning, and testing of the PC. The creator benchmarks the system, noting its gaming capabilities in titles like Cyberpunk 2077 and Counter-Strike 2, and discusses potential upgrades to improve thermal performance and overall efficiency. The video concludes with the creator considering the value of the purchase and contemplating future enhancements.
Takeaways
- ๐ ๏ธ The video discusses upgrading a used PC to make it more useful, starting with a deal found on Facebook Marketplace for $500.
- ๐ฐ For $500, the deal included an 11th gen Intel 11700F CPU, 16 GB of DDR4 3200 MHz RAM, an AMD Radeon RX 6600 XT graphics card, and a 500 GB NVMe SSD.
- ๐ The PC came in a case with a 3-piece panoramic glass window, allowing a clear view of the components, and had room for potential upgrades.
- ๐ง The PC had a basic CPU cooler and multiple case fans, indicating the need for a good cleaning and potential cooling upgrades.
- ๐ฆ Upon inspection, the PC was found to be clean inside but with some dust on the fans, and it had a non-modular power supply with a proprietary fan cable.
- ๐ค The video suggests that the power supply might be a limiting factor for future upgrades, but it's sufficient for immediate needs.
- ๐ฎ The PC was tested with games like Cyberpunk 2077, Hell Divers 2, and Counter-Strike 2, showing good performance for the price paid.
- ๐จ The video demonstrates the importance of checking the BIOS settings, enabling XMP for RAM, and adjusting power settings to improve CPU performance.
- โจ๏ธ Temperatures during gaming were reasonable, with the CPU staying relatively cool, suggesting that the cooling solution was adequate for the time being.
- ๐ก The video highlights the value of buying a used PC with potential for upgrades, as opposed to sourcing and building parts individually.
- ๐ The host considers future upgrades for the PC, including a better CPU cooler and possibly more powerful graphics card, to enhance performance further.
Q & A
What is the main purpose of the video?
-The main purpose of the video is to demonstrate the process of purchasing a used PC, evaluating its performance, and exploring potential upgrades to enhance its capabilities for gaming.
What type of PC case is discussed in the video?
-The video discusses the Height Y70 dual chamber ATX PC case, which offers increased component compatibility and thermal performance compared to the Y60 model.
What does the Height Y70 case feature in terms of GPU support and cooling?
-The Height Y70 case features expanded four-slot vertical GPU support with a 4.0 PCI Riser cable, ample room for large graphics cards, and space for up to 3x 120mm fans below the GPU for direct cooling.
What components were included in the used PC purchased for $500?
-The used PC purchased for $500 included an 11th gen Intel 11700F CPU, 16 GB of DDR4 RAM, an AMD Radeon RX 6600 XT graphics card, a 500 GB NVMe SSD, and a Micro ATX motherboard.
What is the condition of the used PC's cooling system?
-The used PC has a basic box cooler type CPU cooler, three intake fans on the front, and dust on the fans indicating it needs a deep cleaning. There is also room for a 360 AIO cooler if desired.
What was the boot time of the used PC after setting it up?
-The boot time of the used PC was approximately 16 seconds, indicating a fast boot, likely due to the NVMe SSD.
What gaming performance can be expected from the used PC?
-The used PC is capable of running games like Cyberpunk 2077 at around 90 FPS on balanced settings with FSR 2.1 and Counter-Strike 2 at over 150 FPS on Ultra settings.
What potential upgrades are hinted at for the used PC?
-Potential upgrades hinted at for the used PC include a better CPU cooler, a more powerful graphics card like the AMD RX 6800 or Nvidia RTX 3070, and possibly a fresh installation of Windows.
What was the Cinebench R23 score improvement after adjusting the BIOS settings?
-After adjusting the BIOS settings, specifically enabling XMP for the RAM and increasing the base power draw for the CPU, the Cinebench R23 score improved from 10,116 to 13,835.
What is the speaker's opinion on the value of the used PC for $500?
-The speaker believes that the used PC is a great deal for $500, as it offers solid gaming performance out of the box and has room for upgrades, making it a good entry point for someone new to PC gaming.
Outlines
๐ ๏ธ Upgrading Used Hardware for a Bargain Deal
The video begins with the host discussing a change of plans to focus on upgrading a used PC, which was purchased for $500. The PC includes an 11th gen Intel 11700F CPU, 16 GB of DDR4 RAM, an AMD Radeon RX 6600 XT graphics card, and a 500 GB SSD. The host highlights the potential for upgrading the system, especially noting the spacious case with room for additional cooling solutions and larger components. The purchase was made via Facebook Marketplace, and the host shares thoughts on leveraging situations to negotiate better deals.
๐งผ Cleaning and Assessing the Acquired PC
The host proceeds to inspect and clean the used PC, commenting on the dust and potential residue from vaping by the previous owner. The PC is found to have a basic Micro ATX motherboard with a Team Group 16 GB DDR4 3200 MHz memory kit and a basic CPU cooler. The host considers the possibility of upgrading the cooling system and notes the presence of a 600W Raid Max power supply. The video emphasizes the importance of cleaning and assessing components before further use.
๐ Checking System Components and Initial Testing
The host checks the system's components, confirming the presence of an ASRock B560M-C motherboard and a non-modular power supply. The system is powered on to ensure it boots correctly, and the host discusses the need for a fresh install of Windows due to potential security concerns with used systems. The host also mentions the importance of testing the system for full functionality before investing time in cleaning.
๐ฎ Evaluating Gaming Performance and BIOS Tweaks
After cleaning, the host benchmarks the system using Cinebench R23 and tests gaming performance with titles like Cyberpunk 2077 and Counter-Strike 2. The host notes the system's ability to handle games at playable frame rates and mentions the need to adjust BIOS settings to improve CPU performance. The video shows a significant improvement in Cinebench scores after adjusting the CPU power limits and enabling XMP for the RAM.
๐ Considering the Value and Future Upgrades
The host reflects on the value of the $500 PC, considering its performance and the potential for future upgrades. The discussion includes the possibility of upgrading the CPU cooler, the GPU, and the power supply for better performance. The host also calculates the remaining storage space on the SSD after installing several games, emphasizing the ample room left for additional software and games.
๐ Summarizing the PC's Performance and Value Proposition
In conclusion, the host summarizes the PC's performance, noting its ability to run modern games at reasonable settings and the overall good condition of the hardware. The host invites viewers to share their thoughts on whether the PC was worth the purchase price and expresses interest in creating a series about upgrading low-cost entry-level gaming PCs.
Mindmap
Keywords
๐กUsed Hardware
๐กUpgrade Path
๐กATX PC Case
๐กGraphics Card
๐กSSD (Solid State Drive)
๐กCooling System
๐กPower Supply
๐กBenchmark
๐กThermal Throttling
๐กBIOS
๐กGaming Performance
Highlights
The video focuses on upgrading a used PC to create a more useful system.
The Y70 dual chamber ATX PC case is introduced, featuring increased component compatibility and thermal performance.
A deal was found on Facebook Marketplace for a used PC, including an 11th gen Intel 11700F CPU, 16GB DDR4 RAM, and an AMD 6600 XT graphics card.
The PC was purchased for $500, which is considered a good deal for the components included.
The PC has a 500 GB SSD, which is an NVMe drive, and a simple box cooler type CPU cooler.
The case has room for upgrades, including larger graphics cards and coolers.
The PC requires a deep cleaning due to dust and potential residue from vaping.
The system has a non-modular power supply which is basic but sufficient for current needs.
The PC boots quickly, indicating the presence of an NVMe drive.
Windows 11 is pre-installed, but there are concerns about it possibly being a cracked version.
Cinebench R23 benchmark shows the CPU performance is as expected for the 11700F.
Gaming benchmarks in Cyberpunk 2077 show playable frame rates at 1080p with settings adjusted.
CS2 (Counter-Strike 2) benchmarks demonstrate high and stable frame rates.
The PC's cooling system is adequate for the components, but there is room for improvement.
BIOS adjustments were made to improve CPU performance, resulting in a significant boost in Cinebench score.
Helldivers 2 gaming performance is tested, showing the system can handle popular titles well.
The PC has ample storage with a 500 GB NVMe SSD, leaving plenty of room for games and applications.
The video concludes that the $500 used PC is a great entry point for gaming, with potential for future upgrades.
Transcripts
okay so here's the deal I was going to
do something else today and then I got a
deal that kind of came across so you
guys really like the video I did about
buying used hardware and then trying to
see how we can upgrade path that that
into something useful that's what we're
going to do
today the height y70 dual chamber ATX PC
case provides users The Familiar look
and feel of the y60 but with an
increased component compatibility and
thermal performance with four unique
colorways and a beautifully crafted
three-piece panoramic glass the y70
provides a clear window into the heart
of your PC it's expanded four- slot
vertical GPU support with an included
4.0 PCI Riser cable provides ample room
for the largest graphics cards while
additional space between the edge of the
card and the glass provides improved air
flow up to 3 120 mm fans can be mounted
below the GPU to provide a direct path
of cooling while up to 360 mm aiio can
be mounted to both the top and side y70
also provides up to 180 mm of clearance
for air coolers to learn more about the
height y70 visit the sponsored Link in
the description below okay so this
morning on the way to the gym at like
4:00 in the morning I was just kind of
perusing through the marketplace on
Facebook found some pretty decent deals
locally sent out fer emails low balled a
bunch of people um got one guy that
responded to me though accepted my offer
of 500 bucks and here's what we're
getting for the 500 bucks U it looks
like it might have been an old iby Power
build I'm not sure but anyway it's a
11th gen Intel 11700 F so it's not a kcq
and it's not it doesn't have does not
have an igpu but it's still plenty of
CPU it's an i7 for gaming 16 GB of ddr4
I think it's 3200 MHz nothing crazy fast
but not too slow either um it's got a
6600 XT uh graphics card so not the
highest in graphics card not the lowest
in it's really comparable to doing
something like a 30 60 type of Graphics
U obviously it's AMD and uh it looks
like it has a very simple like box
cooler type of CPU Cooler on it nothing
crazy there um does have plenty of case
fans that has a larger case that we
could definitely upgrade in whereas like
our HP Omen build um not build but
project that I sort of did the previous
series on we're really limited now to
our case being what's keeping us from
being able to put in bigger graphics
cards or even bigger coolers and stuff
it does have a 500 GB SSD I don't know
if it's an nvme or a SATA at that point
I don't really care the idea behind
these videos is to see whether or not we
can find ourselves an amazing deal and
then use that as like an entry level
getting into PC for the first time so
I'm going to go grab cash and then we're
going to go meet up with the guy so the
actual listing was at 500 bucks or
excuse me 550 I think I could have
leveraged him a little bit lower if I
wanted I think I could have offered 450
I just messaged him and said hey I
noticed he was close and all lot the
other stuff I was looking at was like
deep inside La I didn't want have to
send Nick to go and get it I wanted to
be a part of it and so the fact that he
was literally only like 5 minutes away
maybe think that this was a good deal so
I said what's the cheapest you'll take
right now he said
500 before I responded he said I had a
guy that was going to buy it last night
said he drove all the way to Irvine
which is about an hour away from where
we are and then the guy ended up not
buying it so I feel like I could have
leveraged that and been like okay maybe
I'll just take I'll offer 450 because uh
he's already made like 20 bucks worth of
gas round trip probably on something
that didn't work out so I feel like I
could have leverage that but I'm like
okay I'm not going to be a dick 500's
Fair let's just hope I'm not getting
completely ripped off here so all right
here we go we're going to go meet him
right now I got Nick with me I got my
spider Co that way if anyone tries to
rob me which I hope isn't the case which
there always a risk you take when you
deal with uh you know Craigslist and
Facebook Facebook Marketplace and stuff
so let's hope it doesn't turn into that
that'll be a whole different
video all right so here's the PC um I
didn't even ask him to be on camera I
don't want to do that I did it's fun
fact you never know if they're going to
recognize us or not he did not but he's
a young kid uh I say young kid he's
probably in his early 20s he and a few
other friends like Buy trade sell PCS
and then just try and like make money
that way so I told him I said hey you
got any like good deals in the future in
terms of like couple hundred bucks like
old PCS that maybe might be still worth
something uh hit me up cuz this would be
a fun series to like start out super
cheap like old ninth gen and stuff
anyway it was initially an iby power
build so you can see here it's got one
of their old cases that's like fully
glass almost like look at the front I
think the front's really cool looking
too yeah that's PL I think that's
plastic but anyway um let's go and open
it up real quick like I said he did send
me videos of it running which is
something I highly recommend if you're
ever going to be doing um and I love
that it still has the caution tempered
glass anyway I do recommend getting
videos of the PCS running as best you
can you can see it's pretty dang clean
clean inside a little bit of dust on
there um you can see we have no top fans
we have one external fan there's dust on
the fan so it wasn't clean prior to but
it looks like we could even fit a 360
AIO up there if you wanted look at that
there's a ton of room up in there
hopefully you can see it hey look the
500 gig Drive is an nvme so that's nice
we don't really have to change that out
that would make a decent like OS drive
we can get another drive if we don't
want to use the spinning drive for our
uh games and such we do have three
intake fans on the front again this
thing is going to need a good deep
cleaning because of the fact that
there's just dust all over it so I'm now
breathing whatever this person was who
was using the PC was emitting whatever
let's look at the backside so yep looks
exactly like it would come from iby
power still cable managed and stuff
cannot see any information about the
power supply here's our one yeah here's
our 1 tab spinny drive right here um
room for ssds back here and stuff even
has a little fan controller built in so
that's nice
although these fans are proprietary
which is interesting look at this cable
right here that's a proprietary fan
cable for whatever iby power was using
at that time so we have to continue to
use this cable uh splitter whatever this
is as well as the fan fans that came
with it if we're going to like continue
to use these fans otherwise they won't
plug into this so yeah I wish you could
see which power supply that is it's
non-m modular very basic that's fine um
check this out the top comes
off simply pulling that off so getting
top fans of stuff installed on there oo
so much dust and getting top fans of
stuff installed on there won't be hard I
would think that if you're going to
upgrade this in the future having at
least one exhaust fan on there would be
nice like I feel like I would probably
honestly even pick off one of the B the
front
fans and I would maybe move it to an
exhaust but this is going to be full
positive pressure which shouldn't be a
bad deal all right let's confirm the
components we can see so here's our Ram
with 16 GB I think he said a
3200 yep 8 GB stick ddr4 3200 cl16 from
Team group very basic memory so that's
what we were expecting that's what we
paid for it's what we got it's a very
basic Micro ATX motherboard though I
don't see any numbers or branding on it
it's very unlikely that it's going to be
a um a zew it's more than likely going
to be a b skew for Intel which is fine
this cooler though probably perfectly
fine for the i7 but that is a very basic
cooler fortunately we have room to
upgrade our Cooling in this which we
didn't have with
our Omen PC that we recently did a video
on so anyway let's put this back
together let's get back to the shop
let's clean it up let's Benchmark it
let's see if we're getting full
performance that we're expecting I want
to test it right now make sure it boots
and everything works before I go through
the trouble of trying to clean it to see
if his video was in fact
accurate that was a very long delay but
that happens with some boards when they
first receive power they want to have
the power plugged in long enough to
charge the caps and then they turn on
hey we got immediately cuz we know we
have an ASRock board like I said I
couldn't see any branding anywhere on
this board so I still think best
practices is to do a fresh install of
Windows only because you honestly have
no idea what version of Windows this is
is it cracked is it nefarious in some
way is there some hidden key loggers or
something you just don't know that's
also why I'm not connected to the
internet right now for this system so I
still think it's a good idea to um at
the very least do another default reset
or go on like CD Keys online or whatever
pay 20 bucks for a key for Windows
wherever you want to get it I think you
should install a version of the OS do
trust I don't know where this came from
I cannot guarantee anything about it um
I I just think that's a best practice
there all right so what I'm going to do
right now is I'm going to go ahead and
install
cleaning I was I was going to go ahead
and start benchmarking real quick but I
think we need to do some cleaning on
this
fortunately it's not that bad I'm just
going to use my brush now to clean off
the blades of the fans I don't know if
the person Vaped near it but the edges
of the fans seem to be
sticking like a lot of the Dust to it so
it could be some of the vapors and stuff
of vaping near this that would make it
sticky make that stuff stick on there
anyway I have feel way back there
because of the dust and his asthma this
was definitely used by someone who Vapes
because now that I'm hitting it with air
I can smell the flavor of the Vape
H I want to take the GPU out kind of
have a look see over it and then I want
to show you guys the uh the fan blades
how they're all kind of sticky so you
can kind of see like how the Leading
Edge of all the fans have dust that's
just stuck to it and that's that's
because of the Vape so you have to use a
brush in
here try and get in there and clean all
this out uh also too you can see right
here the chipset shows as rock there
that's covered by the GPU when the GPU
is installed so it would have been very
difficult to actually see that without
taking the GPU out um we do have access
to another nvme slot right here we' have
to replace the screw though there's no
screw on there fortunately they're
fairly standard but we do have another
slot right there there it's a 600
W Raid Max so at least it's not like
complete no-name brand crap but it is
not the greatest power supply to be
honest so it get the job done though
this power supply would be perfectly
fine up to like a 3080 even if we wanted
you just you got to start asking
yourself like okay what's the weak Link
in a system when you're spending this
kind of money and by this kind of money
I mean cheap um the power supply I think
for the future proofing of the system is
going to be our limiting factor
fortunately as we upgrade this system in
the next few videos where we kind of
take an upgrade path that makes the most
sense for somebody that's taking on the
position I'm taking on the position of
somebody that's it's their first PC they
saved enough money to get into a system
like this and it's the best that they
can afford you know what's the most
logical Pathway to
follow I don't think power supply would
be something we even have to worry about
quite yet because I think I would still
do at the most like a
3070 um or like a 6800 or something like
that in this like it doesn't have to be
an Nvidia card in fact if we want to
find a great deal we probably have to
stick with um AMD at that point cuz
there's still lot of great deals to be
had for 6000 series AMD cards never mind
the model number is right here next to
the uh cooler it's a b560
m-c so whatever that equates to I knew
it was a B series board all right so
it's all back together got the sticker
off kind of gave it a little bit of a
new feel I guess if you have something
to peel anyway um couple things one I
took the filter out of the top there's
no fans up there they're not pulling air
in we want to get as much air out as
possible so having the fan filter out
will help uh let the positive pressure
push air out I opted to leave the front
fans in with all three on intake since
it's such a restrictive front of this
case oops I didn't plug anything in yet
why I'm pushing the power button so I
think cooling wise will be okay it's not
a very high watt part it is still an i7
it's a b650 board so it's not like it's
going to
be um pulling all kinds of power or
anything for the CPU so I think we're
going to be fine with just kind of
leaving it as is so so now that the PC
smells a little more fresh I'm not going
to even bother going to the BIOS to be
honest with you I'm just going to go
right into Windows now going of do some
benchmarks I want to see now what kind
of gaming performance can we actually
get with this actually it boots so quick
I want to go ahead and just start it
again right now so I can give you guys
the the boot um time also too sucks has
a scratch didn't even notice that should
have knocked 50 more bucks off whatever
um let's go start a stopwatch I want to
see what the boot time is 1 2
3 it's actually very very fast so what
makes me think that could be an nvme
drive I'm going to check in the device
manager in a second here to see if it's
nvme or not
but 16 seconds not bad especially for
what we paid for this system okay so
let's check this out real quick uh one
of the things I typically do when I'm
going to do benchmarks and stuff is I'll
come down here to like Windows Defender
click on that and disable it cuz it does
affect
performance however the normal
Windows uh Defender SL protection stuff
that we would see is not here now this
is much different than what we've seen
on other versions of Windows in fact we
can put up on the screen on what it
typically looks like where we can go in
and uncheck the stuff on live protection
regarding like internet browsing and you
know scanning of files and all that sort
of stuff that's not here so this is
what's making me feel like this might be
a cracked version of
Windows um so anyway what I want to see
right now is uh Windows version I want
to check the version about this
[Applause]
Windows okay so right here Windows 11 21
H2 so here's what's funny about this
being 21 H2 is I know there's a 22
version of Windows out like and what I
mean by 22 is um so basically if you
don't know the the first two numbers is
the year and then like H is like the
half of the year because they tend to do
it like every six months kind of a thing
so the last update that these sees this
sees available to it with an
accumulative update is is the second