Penny Arcade Forums› Help / Advice Forum
The new forums will be named Coin Return (based on the most recent vote)! You can check on the status and timeline of the transition to the new forums here.
Please vote in the Forum Structure Poll. Polling will close at 2PM EST on January 21, 2025.

Refurbished Computers

KatholicKatholic Registered User regular
edited July 2009 in Help / Advice Forum
Does anyone have any experiences buying one? I am looking for a very speedy machine on the cheap. Are they reliable? What site is the best to get one? Can I get one with a warranty?

Thanks for the recommendations.

Katholic on

Posts

  • FiggyFiggy Fighter of the night man Champion of the sunRegistered User regular
    edited July 2009
    Katholic wrote: »
    Does anyone have any experiences buying one? I am looking for a very speedy machine on the cheap. Are they reliable? What site is the best to get one? Can I get one with a warranty?

    Thanks for the recommendations.

    The answers to your questions differ depending on from where you purchase. Usually, there is a very limited warranty. Sometimes, companies give full warranties on their refurbished computers.

    Dell adds refurbished computers to this site all the time.

    From what I've seen though, you never really save a whole lot buying refurbs. I would just buy new, because that piece of mind is worth the extra cost to me.

    If you're thinking that buying refurb will get you a powerful laptop at 50-75% of the cost of a new one, you're going to be disappointed.

    Figgy on
    XBL : Figment3 · SteamID : Figment
  • KatholicKatholic Registered User regular
    edited July 2009
    Figgy wrote: »
    Katholic wrote: »
    Does anyone have any experiences buying one? I am looking for a very speedy machine on the cheap. Are they reliable? What site is the best to get one? Can I get one with a warranty?

    Thanks for the recommendations.

    The answers to your questions differ depending on from where you purchase. Usually, there is a very limited warranty. Sometimes, companies give full warranties on their refurbished computers.

    Dell adds refurbished computers to this site all the time.

    From what I've seen though, you never really save a whole lot buying refurbs. I would just buy new, because that piece of mind is worth the extra cost to me.

    If you're thinking that buying refurb will get you a powerful laptop at 50-75% of the cost of a new one, you're going to be disappointed.
    I am looking for a desktop and I am in the continental United States.

    Katholic on
  • matt has a problemmatt has a problem Points to 'off' Points to 'on'Registered User regular
    edited July 2009
    You're really not going to find high-end PCs on the cheap as refurbs. Most people who drop that much money into their machine initially configure it to be upgradeable for a while, and then cannibalize it for parts once they actually buy another computer. Your best bet would be like Figgy said, the official Dell refurb/return site, since you'll see the occasional higher-end XPS system show up on there with a few hundred $$$ knocked off the price.

    matt has a problem on
    nibXTE7.png
  • theclamtheclam Registered User regular
    edited July 2009
    Fast desktop on the cheap = self-build.

    theclam on
    rez_guy.png
  • SentrySentry Registered User regular
    edited July 2009
    I bought an open-box computer from Newegg. It worked out pretty well.

    Sentry on
    [SIGPIC][/SIGPIC]
    wrote:
    When I was a little kid, I always pretended I was the hero,' Skip said.
    'Fuck yeah, me too. What little kid ever pretended to be part of the lynch-mob?'
  • illigillig Registered User regular
    edited July 2009
    Geeks.com sells refurbs (and de-branded models, or white box models)

    You typically get 90-day manufacturer warranty, and then you're on your own.

    Refurbs tend to be a good deal if you like your OS to be of the Windows, and of the Legal variety, since they're almost always pre-installed, so you don't have to shell out money for the OS as you would in a hand-built.

    illig on
  • PeregrineFalconPeregrineFalcon Registered User regular
    edited July 2009
    theclam wrote: »
    Fast desktop on the cheap = self-build.

    This. Unlike sifting through refurbs, you can get a nice powerful machine for 50-75% of the "retail box" cost - and then you'll also have the advantage of knowing how to mix most common maladies if/when the thing breaks.

    PeregrineFalcon on
    Looking for a DX:HR OnLive code for my kid brother.
    Can trade TF2 items or whatever else you're interested in. PM me.
  • japanjapan Registered User regular
    edited July 2009
    I got a refurb Thinkpad a few years ago for dirt cheap with a two year manufacturer warranty.

    It recently died with a failed motherboard (a year and a bit out of warranty).

    Take that as you will.

    japan on
  • LoveIsUnityLoveIsUnity Registered User regular
    edited July 2009
    All of the people suggesting you build your own have the right idea. Have you ever built a computer, Katholic? If not, do you have any friends who have? Not only will you get the satisfaction of building something awesome, you'll know how to replace hardware if it starts to become a problem in the future, which, at some point in time, it will.

    LoveIsUnity on
    steam_sig.png
  • ChanusChanus Harbinger of the Spicy Rooster Apocalypse The Flames of a Thousand Collapsed StarsRegistered User, Moderator mod
    edited July 2009
    Agree.

    Refurbs aren't worth the savings if you know how to build one yourself. Most of the money you pay for a pre-packaged computer is for the software junk they install on them -- most of which you don't need (and the OS, but you'll probably need to buy that if you're not keeping your old hard drive).

    Chanus on
    Allegedly a voice of reason.
Sign In or Register to comment.
Penny Arcade Forums› Help / Advice Forum