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Refurbished Computers.

Discussion in 'BBS Hangout' started by jiggyfly, Dec 13, 2019.

  1. jiggyfly

    jiggyfly Member

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    My laptop is very old I use it pretty much as a desktop.

    Was looking to get a new one and stumbled upon some refurbed Desktop and it seems that they would work just as well for what I need and I would get a better chip and more storage for cheap.

    It seems that most are over 5 years old and have had the chip and storage replaced.

    What should I be looking out for and what type of set up should I get, will mainly use it for web surfing, streaming and storage.

    I am cheap so looking for good deals under 300.
     
  2. fallenphoenix

    fallenphoenix Contributing Member

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    something with at least at i7 processor and 8gb of ram should do you fine. i also recommend getting something that boots off an ssd
     
  3. jiggyfly

    jiggyfly Member

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    I have seen something with the 8gb of ram and a ssd but do I really need i7 processor?

    Don't really play games.
     
  4. jiggyfly

    jiggyfly Member

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    How about something like this?

     
  5. Invisible Fan

    Invisible Fan Contributing Member

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    A few months ago, I bought a 2015 macbook pro for around 650 total on ebay. I loved it when my company loaned it to me brand new and I didn't feel a need to baby it. I would choose this over the newer thinner models (2016-2017) that are just as fast and last just as long battery wise.

    Doesn't play games well, but it's built like a tank and is still good for whatever you throw at it (i7 / 16 mb ram). Other downside is that water can ruin it through the keyboard in an instant...

    If you go this route, check the battery cycle count. Something below 200 charges will last you another 5 years without breaking a sweat.

    P.S. the beefier the processor, the longer it'll be before you notice it's slow (unless it dies and breaks down).

    As for streaming and storage, an external harddrive is always the choice for valuable storage (something in RAID if you don't want to lose your data and want your privacy). W/ streaming, a lot of new products with mobile cores will fit your needs. There's apps that streams vids off of websites. It's less quality, but doesn't have the hassle of torrenting.

    If you're going pure geek, there's also something called seedboxes. You invest setting that up, then you can cheap out on the streaming option. Something like chromecast or plex would be able to work off of that.
     
    #5 Invisible Fan, Dec 14, 2019
    Last edited: Dec 14, 2019
    RudyTBag likes this.
  6. Carl Herrera

    Carl Herrera Contributing Member

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    This is rather old-- came out in 2011. You can get something much newer and better for under $300. Hell, you can get something better for $170. Check out eBay prices for reference.
     
  7. jiggyfly

    jiggyfly Member

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    Ok thanks will keep looking.
     
  8. jiggyfly

    jiggyfly Member

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    OK so the more I read and research about refurbished computers I get more confused.

    So I think I have settled on *g of ram and at least a i5 chip and a ssd hard drive but the question I have does it matter what computer it comes in and how do I find how old the computer is.

    I want a Hdmi port but will an adapter do?

    How about a chromebook and I just use portable memory will that allow for quality streaming?
     
  9. jiggyfly

    jiggyfly Member

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  10. HillBoy

    HillBoy Contributing Member

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  11. jiggyfly

    jiggyfly Member

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  12. Xerobull

    Xerobull You son of a b!tch! I'm in!

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    This whole conversation is like saying 'refurbished car' without talking about brands or parts.

    A refurbished Toyota is not the same animal as a refurbished Kia.

    Right now (holidays) I would get a NEW PC and if you want more RAM, just buy and add it in. At least this way you get a manufacturer's warranty. Many credit cards add on an extra two or three year's warranties (Citi, Amex are a couple that come to mind).
     
    Uprising likes this.
  13. jiggyfly

    jiggyfly Member

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    So i'm getting a handle on it I am going with at least a i5 chip and 8 gigs of ram going with a ssd probably about 250g

    I am still on the fence about a laptop or desktop I have seen them in the same price range and will probably go laptop if similar price.

    All the way out on Amazon because they seem to be very hit or miss and what they claim is in the computer is not always there.

    New egg seems to have the best selections but I will look at walmart and best buy.
     
  14. jiggyfly

    jiggyfly Member

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    Yeah I am looking at that as well but it seems I can get a better chip and hard drive going refurbished.

    My last laptop was an HP refurbished it is 7 years old and it still runs but is not great at streaming and is now slow to start up and freezes from time to time.

    I also do refurbished phones.

    How much cheaper will computers get after christmas because that is a possibility if I can wait.
     
  15. rockbox

    rockbox Around before clutchcity.com

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    Why get refurbished when great desktops can be had for 500 bucks. Got an hp i5 6 core, 12 gig ram and 1tb drive on Black Friday for 350 bucks. Added a 1tb sad for another 100 bucks.
     
    dmoneybangbang likes this.
  16. jchu14

    jchu14 Contributing Member

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    For your budget, I'd recommend getting a refurbished off-lease computer from dellrefurbished.com

    You can get an Optiplex 7040 for $255+tax after using coupon code 'HOLLY50DESKTOP'.

    It has
    - Core i7 Quad 6700
    - 16gb RAM
    - 256gb SSD (it's not explicitly said to be an SSD, but I doubt 256gb would be a hard drive)
    - Windows 10 Pro
    - 100 days warranty (can upgrade to 1 year warranty for $29)

    I don't think you can get much better for the money, especially one that comes with warranty.
     
  17. Invisible Fan

    Invisible Fan Contributing Member

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    Intel has been shady or lazy with their marketing. An i7 four years ago might be slower than an i5 this year. Laptop processors are a different animal but have become more standard because of competition from mobile devices.

    One trick when hunting for bargains is to Google the processor model with "benchmark" and check out the score. The number doesn't mean much in real life but it'll tell you to what extent you're getting a deal. For example, a bigger number ( more performance) with an older model might mean they're getting rid of that generations stock. Or maybe that generation sucks because it doesn't support a new shiny tech or uses more power (noticable on laptops).

    I don't have much interest in doing all this research anymore but it could be considered a hobby if you're bargain hunting.
     
    jiggyfly likes this.
  18. Buck Turgidson

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    Let me me know if you find a decent laptop, I'd buy and el cheapo just to have around and not worry about breaking.
     
  19. jiggyfly

    jiggyfly Member

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    That looks great but it is sold out but I am going to get a dell laptop since its 50% off.

    Thanks a lot.
     
    jchu14 and Rocket River like this.
  20. jiggyfly

    jiggyfly Member

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    Yeah I noticed that, you have to know what generation the chip is.
     

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