The story may seem about fortune at first glance, but it's more about technical expertise, as the Redditor's sharp eye for detail and knowledge of PC hardware played a significant role. Nonetheless, we can't discount the role of luck in their stumbling upon the motherboard listing on eBay. The listing was for an MSI Pro Z690-A WiFi motherboard with a bent pin for an asking price of $50. What really caught the Redditor's attention was that all four M.2 slots still had their heatsinks installed. It was a very subtle hint that there may be SSDs under the hood.
Lucky scavenger finds $1,300 worth of SSDs for just $210 in Walmart's clearance aisle
Customer orders two Samsung 9100 Pro SSDs, receives 20 SSDs worth over $5,000 instead
Modern NVMe SSD meets vintage PCI slot in quirky experiment — M.2 drive shows storage speeds worth dying for back in the '90s
Although launched four years ago, the WD Black SN850X, or should we say the Optimus GX Pro 850X , is still a very venerable SSD. There's a reason the drive remains our recommendation for the best M.2 SSD alternative. The Intel 670p and Corsair Force MP600 have long been retired, but they should suffice as secondary backup drives.
According to the author of the Reddit post, the eBay seller reportedly has limited knowledge of computer hardware and was selling the motherboard "for lower than prices on eBay." Some Redditors believe the motherboard was stolen, so the urgency to dispose of it as quickly as possible makes sense. Others think the seller may simply be unacquainted with computer hardware and its value, which could call into question the buyer's morality in the matter.
It's not uncommon to find very good deals on new and sometimes used computer hardware at unexpected places. People have bought the latest graphics cards at lower prices in Walmart's clearance aisles or spent $5 to $9 on older models at thrift stores. Marketplaces like eBay or Facebook could be the next destination for good deals, although sometimes you don't always know the provenance of what you're buying.
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Key considerations
- Investor positioning can change fast
- Volatility remains possible near catalysts
- Macro rates and liquidity can dominate flows
Reference reading
- https://www.tomshardware.com/pc-components/ssds/SPONSORED_LINK_URL
- https://www.tomshardware.com/pc-components/ssds/usd50-junk-second-hand-motherboard-turns-into-a-ssd-treasure-trove-worth-usd1-500-12-terabytes-of-blazing-fast-storage-finds-a-new-owner-amid-crushing-shortages#main
- https://www.tomshardware.com
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Informational only. No financial advice. Do your own research.