$50 junk second-hand motherboard turns into a SSD treasure trove worth $1,500 — 12 terabytes of blazing-fast storage finds a new owner amid crushing shortages
Source: Tom’s Hardware
Image credit: Reddit/R550MAGIC2
When something is truly meant for you, it will find its way to you regardless of the obstacles or the time it takes. The best SSDs are usually pricey these days, but not when you find them for the cost of a tank of gas. One Redditor took a gamble on a $50 damaged motherboard and walked away with over $1,500 worth of SSDs—12 TB of cheap but fast storage that the original owner left installed in the board.
SSD Haul
The Redditor drove half an hour to meet the seller and came home with four used M.2 SSDs that were fully operational:
| Drive | Capacity | Retail price (approx.) | Link |
|---|---|---|---|
| WD Black SN850X | 4 TB (×2) | $449.99 each | WD Black SN850X 4TB |
| Intel 670p | 2 TB | $299.99 | Intel 670p 2TB |
| Corsair Force MP600 (EOL) | 2 TB | $374.99 (peak) | Corsair Force MP600 2TB |
Overall, these high‑performance SSDs returned $1,574.96 in value on a $50 investment.
There goes my luck for the entire year – r/pcmasterrace
Drive Details
Although launched four years ago, the WD Black SN850X (also marketed as the Optimus GX Pro 850X) remains a venerable SSD and continues to be recommended as a top M.2 option. The Intel 670p and Corsair Force MP600 have been retired but still serve well as secondary backup drives.
Market Context
Finding great deals on new or used computer hardware in unexpected places isn’t uncommon. Shoppers have snagged the latest graphics cards from Walmart clearance aisles and picked up older GPUs for as little as $5–$9 at thrift stores. Marketplaces like eBay or Facebook can also yield hidden gems, though provenance isn’t always clear. This particular motherboard may have been sold by someone with limited hardware knowledge—or possibly stolen—adding a layer of ethical ambiguity to the transaction.