Tbh this is a blessing in disguise as it lets you select one that actually fits the CPU you intend to use as opposed to the all too frequent SECC1/2 struggles.

'Fully working' is not the same as 'with all accessories'. If the board boots/runs and is the same one - and in the same condition as pictured - in the EU at least it passes the test of conformity so a private seller would be under no legal obligation to take the board back.

You can always ask, of course.

dionb wrote on 2025-02-08, 09:18:

'Fully working' is not the same as 'with all accessories'. If the board boots/runs and is the same one - and in the same condition as pictured - in the EU at least it passes the test of conformity so a private seller would be under no legal obligation to take the board back.

You can always ask, of course.

Ebay definition of used is:

Is including a picture, but not highlighting an easily missed issue showed within it, considered adequate? One 1 of the 11 photos clearly showed this issue (if you knew to look for it).

Seller agreed ro refund me £5 towards to the cost of getting a replacement bracket. I realise this is partly my fault for not looking at the photo properly. But, equally, I think it should have been highlighted that the support bracket was gone.

Anyhow, the only bracket I see on ebay right now is about £21.50 including postage. That's ridiculous price. I guess I will have to wait for a cheaper one to turn up, or get a dead donor slot 1 board.

I wasn't aware there were two SECC types until now. So I guess I will have to research that too....

RetroPCCupboard wrote on 2025-02-08, 09:42:

Ebay definition of used is:

The attachment SmartSelect_20250208_093840_eBay.jpg is no longer available

Is including a picture, but not highlighting an easily missed issue showed within it, considered adequate? One 1 of the 11 photos clearly showed this issue (if you knew to look for it).

Yeah, you have to make this seller to refund you even more money for the missing ATA cables, I/O back plate, CD with drivers, user manual, original card-box, etc... 😁

The motherboard is fully functional and working even without that plastic CPU bracket. Next time just look at the actual pictures in what visual condition is the thing you are about to buy. If there are not such things as actual pictures, ask the seller to send you some. This will certainly save you such a "surprises".

You can have one 3D printed.
You can make one that will use zip ties for the time being. It doesn't have to be perfect, just keep it place.
I've done it before.

Yes, it's the principle of the "ictu oculi". What can be seen immediately without any due diligence, just by watching. 5 pounds in refunds was a kind move on seller's side.

analog_programmer wrote on 2025-02-08, 11:00:

Yeah, you have to make this seller to refund you even more money for the missing ATA cables, I/O back plate, CD with drivers, user manual, original card-box, etc... 😁

All of those things you mention are not part of the board. The slot brackets must have been purposely physically removed. Most likely breaking the plastic retention pins in the process.

analog_programmer wrote on 2025-02-08, 11:00:

The motherboard is fully functional and working even without that plastic CPU bracket. Next time just look at the actual pictures in what visual condition is the thing you are about to buy. If there are not such things as actual pictures, ask the seller to send you some. This will certainly save you such a "surprises".

Thank you for your sympathy. Clearly I was being unreasonable in your eyes.

To me it isn't fully functional because the CPU is just resting in place. Cannot be secured. Is not suitable for mounting in a tower case.

I accept that the defect was there to be seen in one photo. But, still, I think it should have been better highlighted. I do not belive any deception was intended on the part of the seller. They just didn't think to mention it, just like I didn't think to look for that particular issue.

Nexxen wrote on 2025-02-08, 11:20:

You can have one 3D printed. You can make one that will use zip ties for the time being. It doesn't have to be perfect, just ke […]
Show full quote

You can have one 3D printed.
You can make one that will use zip ties for the time being. It doesn't have to be perfect, just keep it place.
I've done it before.

Yes, it's the principle of the "ictu oculi". What can be seen immediately without any due diligence, just by watching. 5 pounds in refunds was a kind move on seller's side.

I don't have a 3D Printer unfortunately. I have no complaints about the seller. They were very reasonable.

Anyway, if nothing else, this is a lesson that I have learnt from. I am sure the seller did too (especially if people consider me raising this as an issue is unreasonable). Maybe others can learn from this too. Both sellers and buyers.

RetroPCCupboard wrote on 2025-02-08, 11:20:

To me it isn't fully functional because the CPU is just resting in place. Cannot be secured. Is not suitable for mounting in a tower case.

I accept that the defect was there to be seen in one photo. But, still, I think it should have been better highlighted. I do not belive any deception was intended on the part of the seller. They just didn't think to mention it, just like I didn't think to look for that particular issue.

I can guarantee you, that the missing plastic CPU bracket can't hold any SEPP CPUs and those Celeron CPU still work fine (if they're supported by the mobo). SECC and SECC2 CPUs will work just fine without the bracket too. Also, the missing CPU bracket sometimes come dismantled (the non-folding type slot 1 CPU brackets) alongside with other accessories in the box, so it may never have been mounted on the motherboard. And as I wrote - next time just look more carefully at the pictures and send a message to the seller if you have any doubts and comments for clarification before you make your order. It really saves such unnecessary dramas. Good luck with fleabay-ing!

They're not really needed. Intel went way overboard with the engineering of the retention back then.
99%of the time everything will work perfectly fine without anything supporting it.
A couple of zip ties if you're worried.

Edit: side note: that board looks brand new!

RetroPCCupboard wrote on 2025-02-08, 11:27:

I don't have a 3D Printer unfortunately. I have no complaints about the seller. They were very reasonable.

Anyway, if nothing else, this is a lesson that I have learnt from. I am sure the seller did too (especially if people consider me raising this as an issue is unreasonable). Maybe others can learn from this too. Both sellers and buyers.

I made mistakes before, worse than yours 😀
I also used wood to make a retention something. 3D printing is available online, send the file and they'll do it.
Now, who has the file I don't know but it was done before.

Good luck!

RetroPCCupboard wrote on 2025-02-08, 10:38:

Seller agreed ro refund me £5 towards to the cost of getting a replacement bracket. I realise this is partly my fault for not looking at the photo properly. But, equally, I think it should have been highlighted that the support bracket was gone.

Anyhow, the only bracket I see on ebay right now is about £21.50 including postage. That's ridiculous price. I guess I will have to wait for a cheaper one to turn up, or get a dead donor slot 1 board.

I wasn't aware there were two SECC types until now. So I guess I will have to research that too....

You're in the UK, right...if they suit I have a set of these Foxconn ones you can have foc

analog_programmer wrote on 2025-02-08, 11:35:

next time just look more carefully at the pictures and send a message to the seller if you have any doubts and comments for clarification before you make your order. It really saves such unnecessary dramas. Good luck with fleabay-ing!

Of course. But it is a case of "you don't know what you don't know". I didn't know to look for that issue, as I have never encountered it being missing before. That comes with experience. I won't make that mistake again. I did look for bad caps (saw none), checked for I/O plate (noticed it was missing), checked it had AGP slot (some boards with onboard graphics don't).

Likewise the seller didn't know that an idiot like me would fail to notice that issue in the photo. It is in a seller's best interest to accurately describe an item. Assume the buyer doesn't know what things may be missing. If I had realised it could potentially cost another £20+ to get a bracket (£70 total) I would not have paid what I did for it. I've paid less than that for bundles that had CPU, RAM & IO shield with the motherboard. If the price was lower I wouldn't have complained.

PC Hoarder Patrol wrote on 2025-02-08, 11:40:

You're in the UK, right...if they suit I have a set of these Foxconn ones you can have foc

Thanks very much. That's very kind of you. I will happily send you the £5 that the seller refunded plus the postage. I will PM you.

myne wrote on 2025-02-08, 11:37:

They're not really needed. Intel went way overboard with the engineering of the retention back then. 99%of the time everything w […]
Show full quote

They're not really needed. Intel went way overboard with the engineering of the retention back then.
99%of the time everything will work perfectly fine without anything supporting it.
A couple of zip ties if you're worried.

Edit: side note: that board looks brand new!

Thanks for the reassurance. I would still feel more comfortable with it being secured. I tend to move my PC Cases and test benches around a fair bit.

As for being new, I have no idea. The seller said he got a bunch of boards from somewhere. Different models. Some missing the support brackets. The board itself looks good condition though. All caps look perfect.

I can't think why anyone would remove the brackets other than being easier to store them.

Yeah most of the time the cpu fits so tight in the slot they are not likely to come out unless you are throwing your case around the room.

Of the five of my slot 1 systems only one has the bracket on the motherboard, the rest of the brackets are sitting on a shelf in my room. Except that one system I tend to swap cpus for testing.

Unless it's a Secc package the Secc2 packages you normally have to pry a bunch on the bracket to remove them you almost risk breakage... depending on the bracket of course.

Thanks all. Do people think I should send the £5 back to the seller then? Happy to do so if the general consensus is that the bracket isn't needed.

I will clarify having the bracket is a good thing. If you don't switch cpus often then I would still try to get one. Better to be safe then sorry, it is a bit of a minor thing but nice to have.

Kinda like I/O brackets, I have seen many people that don't bother with them and they are a minor thing but it drives me crazy if my system doesn't have one.

Quite a bit depends on your CPU and cooling solution. A little, light SEPP Celeron or low-clocked Coppermine with small aluminium 'box' heatsink will have no trouble staying in place without a bracket. However I would not want to risk my Slot 1 Golden Orb coolers like that, let alone my Tualatin which has a huge Zalman CNPS3000 attached to the Slot-T adapter.

Was the reason I got some stock of these a few years back...buying dual slot 1 boards with no brackets and the cpus I planned to use were passively cooled with tall / front-heavy heatsinks which tilted without proper support

Old retention brackets are almost all about to disintegrate, IMO. The sizing on a lot of them was off back in the day and they only survived because the plastic could flex. The one on my P3B literally exploded when I pulled my Slot-T out of it (because it was too tight to begin with). The one on my Abit BX6r2 had to be superglued together after the hinge cracked.

I haven't tried one yet, but the 3d-printed ones I've seen look pretty nice. If I had access to a 3d printer, I'd make one to test out.