[mythtv-users] Opterons, and gotten way too OT, sorry.

[Brian Wood]

On Wednesday 01 July 2009 19:12:25 Jarod Wilson wrote:
> On Wednesday 01 July 2009 12:59:05 John Drescher wrote:
> > > You can pick up Opteron 275s for around $60, if you want to upgrade
> > > that dual 252 machine relatively cheaply. I'm trying to find a pair of
> > > 285s or 290s, but they are just too pricey, when you can find them.
> >
> > What is too much? Would you consider used processors? I have a pair of
> > 285s. Although I am still undecided if I want to part with them.
>
> Well, geeks.com has the 275 for $52 (refurb) right now. If you want to
> get the 285 anywhere online, I think the best I've seen is $175, so
> more than a 200% premium for less than a 20% performance increase.

I agree the 275s at $52 are the sweet spot, but that price may be an anomaly, 
I certainly can't find it anywhere else. The Geeks sometimes get what I can 
only call "deals".

You always pay a premium for the fastest of a given type (the 290 in this 
case), but usually one step down in speed makes the price more reasonable, 
which is why I'm looking for 285s, though I'll take 290s if the price is 
right, obviously.

I have always wondered precisely how one would go about "refurbishing" a CPU 
chip. Maybe straighten any bent pins and clean it up a bit? Seems to me that 
testing and/or warranting it would be more useful to the buyer.

I guess "refurbished" sounds better than "used", or "pulls". I've never got a 
bad CPU, new, used, pulled or "refurbished", so I tend to be optimistic, 
though some would say I am "due".

-- 
Brian Wood
beww at beww.org