I Bought a Used $300 HP Omen PC - Was It Worth It?

Unboxing and Initial Assessment

• 📦 The PC, an HP Omen, was purchased for $300 from Facebook Marketplace, despite initial hopes for a better deal.
• ⚠️ Upon inspection, the PC was found to be filthy, with a sticky button, a disconnected USB 3.0 port, and a missing IO shield.
• 🧐 The listing used a stock photo, which was misleading as it showed a 120mm AIO cooler that the actual PC did not have.
• 💡 The seller included a spare motherboard for unknown reasons, and the original RAM was a mismatched set.

Hardware and Performance

• ⚙️ The PC features an Intel i5-10400 CPU, a GeForce GTX 1660 Super GPU, 32GB of mixed RAM, and a 500GB SSD paired with another 500GB drive (later revealed to be a 240GB SSD).
• 🔌 A significant issue was a mashed pin on the USB 3.0 header, which was partially repairable, restoring one USB port.
• 📊 In Cinebench R23, the CPU scored 8219, performing as expected for its generation, with the stock cooler adequately handling boost clocks.
• 🎮 Gaming tests showed the PC could handle PUBG at 1440p with high settings (achieving over 100 FPS), Grand Theft Auto V at 1440p with high settings, and the indie title Repo at 4K with very high settings.

Security and Data Wiping Lessons

• 🔒 The seller had wiped Windows but forgot to remove their Microsoft account, leaving the PC logged in and potentially exposing personal data.
• ⚠️ This highlights the importance of a full Windows reset (removing everything, including accounts) when selling a used PC to protect user privacy.
• 💻 The video demonstrates the Windows OOB bypass method using Shift + F10 and /OOBEypassNRO to create a local account, ensuring the PC isn't tied to the user's Microsoft account.

Potential Upgrades and Value Proposition

• 🚀 Future upgrades could include a better GPU (like a 3060 or 3070) or a CPU upgrade (to an 11th gen Intel CPU), but these are limited by the 500W HP-branded power supply.
• 💰 Selling the included spare Z590 motherboard and mismatched RAM could reduce the net cost of the PC to around $220, making it a more compelling budget option.
• 🤔 While not as good a deal as a previous HP Omen purchase, the $300 price point is considered reasonable given the current used hardware market, especially if the buyer can leverage the included spare parts.