Chinese companies are selling off their old gear and replacing it with newer models. In particular, the market for EPYC processors is seeing an influx of second-hand units, with 64-core AMD EPYC processors being sold at their lowest average price yet. The processors are being sold on marketplaces like Aliexpress and eBay, with prices starting at just over $1,000. This is due to the Chinese hyperscalers investing in high-end AI servers to train and optimize their AI models.
While the models being sold are second-generation EPYC processors, they are still incredibly capable parts for data-intensive tasks. The single-socket 7702P is the most affordable 64-core CPU available and can run at up to 3.35GHz, with a 256MB L3 cache and a reasonable 200W TDP.
Interestingly, none of the models were found to be vendor-locked, meaning buyers could start their own web hosting company on a budget, should they wish to assemble a fast server with an abundance of RAM and cores.
Notably, there has also been a decline in the selling price of second-hand third-generation EPYC processors, with the single-socket 7713P available for under $1,600 – about 15% cheaper than three months ago. In comparison, the AMD ThreadRipper 3995WX, which is the workstation equivalent of the EPYC 7713P, is currently selling for over $7,000 brand-new, despite having a suggested retail price of $5,500 when it was launched two years ago.
Those willing to use second-hand processors can pick up a no-brainer with the discounted EPYC CPU. The price of these units are up to 80% less than that of a brand new unit, making them ideal for workstations for AI training, rendering, video editing, and compute-heavy workloads.
It is predicted that the market for second-hand processors is being fueled by the race for domestic AI domination, as companies like Microsoft, Google, and AWS, as well as Chinese firms like Baidu and ByteDance, look to invest in high-end AI servers to optimize their AI models.
