User scores a Ryzen 7 5700X3D for $130 on AliExpress — lucky buyer gets legit CPU for 38% lower than the street price

Many PC buyers are wary of buying cheap parts on AliExpress, but one Reddit user found a legitimate deal on the eCommerce platform. u/chiaman117 shared on r/pcmasterrace that they found a Ryzen 7 5700X3D for just $130 on AliExpress—a 38% savings from the chip’s retail price of $209.99.

u/chiaman117 received the tray CPU about a day after making the post and was relieved to see that it was working great despite its low price. He even updated the original post by sharing images of the new processor’s Cinebench 2024 benchmark results, adding that it was worth the risk.

One reason the AliExpress listing could be this low is that it’s a tray CPU. Unlike a boxed processor, which comes in its retail box and is sold per piece, tray processors often arrive in their plastic container without original packaging. A system integrator frequently buys these in bulk from AMD; thus, they can net big discounts. While many of these tray processors eventually go inside pre-built systems, few get sold as individual chips.

These are no different from the boxed processors you buy from AMD. However, since these are meant to be sold to system integrators, AMD does not offer any warranty on tray CPUs. If you run into a problem with your chip, you’ll have to coordinate with the seller to fix the issue—whether through troubleshooting or if it needs replacement. Sometimes, the seller doesn’t even offer a warranty on this kind of CPUs.

Some users also say that buying electronics and computer products from AliExpress is a hit-or-miss proposition, with one user even claiming that it was more of a miss than a hit. However, others defended the platform, saying that AliExpress is no different from Amazon and that both platforms have their share of scams. There were also anecdotes of AliExpress refunding customers who sellers scammed on their platform and that it offers some level of aftersales support.

Other Redditors in the thread gave advice to those looking to purchase cheap CPUs from AliExpress like the one that OP shared. They said that AliExpress has a ton of legitimate stores and sellers, so it’s no different from Amazon. First, check the item rating, number of reviews, and the number of items sold. Furthermore, you should also read customer reviews and see what they have to say. Lastly, if an item’s price is too good to be true, it probably is.