[Help] CPU: new or used?

[spoRv]

CPU is a very important part in a computer build; most powerful ones are quite expensive, so thinking about buying an used one could be understandable. Yet, it would be quite difficult (if not impossible) to understand if it's good or not.

Now, three questions:

1) would you buy an used CPU?
2) if so, at what price (in percent)?
3) if not, latest model at full price, or previous one at a reduced price?

[deleted user]

I've never bought a used CPU, but if you're buying it from someone with good ratings (e.g. eBay) and he affirms that it's in good shape, it should be ok in principle.

But I'm not sure how much money you would actually save. If the CPU still works fine, there's not much reason to significantly reduce the price I think, unlike with a hard drive where usage actually degrades it. Just a thought tho, maybe I'm wrong.

[Feallan]

A couple year old used Intel CPU should be significantly cheaper than newest model while having comparable performance (with the same number of cores). Of course, there is no reason to buy any CPU now, when AMD's Zen 2 is most likely just a couple months away.

[spoRv]

Zen 2 should be interesting, but I think will be not so wise to buy that when you already know that Zen 3 will be there just a year later... even if, I must observe, that in this way one will never buy a CPU (or other tech as well).

Another consideration: buy a brand new CPU model, new generation, on day one will cost 100, while previous gen that costed 110 will then cost 80; wait few months, and that previous gen will cost 60, for a, let's say, 5/10% less performance: that moment should probably be the best to buy the latter.