"Refurbished" computers?

mjbphotos

mjbphotos

Moderator
Anyone with any experience with them? When I compare the cost of getting another hard drive duplicated from my existing one (and no guarantee that's going to help anything if the files themselves are corrupt), I can get a refurbished HP with better specs (3.0 or 3.1 G speed, 8G RAM, 2T hard drive, Win 10 installed of course) for less money.
I can pick up locally, avoid sales tax and shipping, and if there's a problem with it when I open it up, right back for a refund. They come with 90 day warranty, but 2 and 3 year extended warranties are available for less than $28.
I would continue to use existing machine for recording, but move everything else (internet, video and photo processing) over to the other. This current computer, despite the recent freezing issue is dead quiet - perfect for recording.
If my current machine finally kicks the bucket, I have all my music files backed up, then its just a matter of installing Reaper, AI drivers, VSTs, and files onto the newer machine.
I'd get a KVM switch (I think that's what they are called) at Best Buy for $20 for keyboard, monitor and mouse, so just need one basic 'control/watch' set-up. so desk space won't be severely compromised.

I'm kind of loss at all the processor choices, will do some research to see differences:
IntelCore 2 Duo
IntelCore i5-2400
Intel Core 2 Duo-E8400
 
I've bought refurbished computers for Internet use, and it usually works out fine. Out of 7-8 computers in the last 12 years, only 1 has been kind of a pain. It still works, it just has problems booting up.sometimes. if I were motivated, I would figure out why and just fix it.
 
I bought a refurbished computer several years ago that was an incredible deal-- very fast, with a ridiculously large amount of hard drive space, and originally configured to be a server. If I'd bought it new it would have cost at least twice as much. As I recall, the ad in the Dell Outlet said it had been used in a trade show to demo software. I guess that means the company had a contract with Dell to "rent"(?) computers for the trade show and return them afterward. In any case, the computer was in excellent shape, and I never came close to filling up even half of the available hard drive space. I still have it, but never upgraded it from Windows XP, and am now mainly using a newer Windows 10 computer.

"Refurbished" could also mean that the computer had been returned due to a defect that had to be corrected. Still, one would hope that any defects were corrected and that the computer is now in excellent condition, but can't be sold for "top dollar" since it isn't a new computer. In my opinion, it's worth taking a chance on, especially if you have the option to return it if it has any problems.
 
My first DAW computer was a refurb...and I used it for a long time, never an issue, and it still runs fine.
I only move on from it because it was old technology and it was time for something faster, and more capability.

if you are talking a manufacturer refrub...I wouldn't worry about. I think they still give you some kind of warranty period.

That said...believe it or not, my current DAW computer was an eBay purchase. I think I paid something around $100 for it. :)
I ended up buying 3 of them....took what I needed to spruce up one as my primary, another one as my secondary/backup...and the third one is still functional, just stripped down, and I will resell that back on eBay along with my old DAW computer and a bunch of other older computer stuff.
I'm only going to get a few bucks out of the stuff compared to it's new price...but why take it to the dump.
:cool:

It's funny how many people still look for older computer stuff.
 
Back in the UK I bought a refurbished computer for use in theatre sound playback (where the need for the utmost speed and RAM isn't nearly so important) and I was very pleased.

One big advantage is that it came with a clean install of Windows but without all the extra rubbish name brand manufacturers tend to add on--this made it ideal for sound work where you want you computer as "clean" as possible
 
I buy referbs most of the time. Just when you get it, run it for several hours (read days), go through several boot ups. If it passes the first 24/7 burn in, you should be good to go. If is doesn't, don't jack around, return it.

Most are fine and when the do fix them, they replace the defective part, they don't really repair them.

As far as chips, The i5 is pretty good, most are dual core, unless they say otherwise. I haven't looked, but the upside is on the threading. If I were going new, I would probably go for the upper side of AMD or an i7, just so I know it would really last about 10+ years. I have a AMD 6 core (I think 6) I bought about 6 years ago and it hums just fine. I am pretty sure an i7 would make my system suck balls. Decent i7 (wouldn't have to be top of the line), 8 gigs of RAM (more if you are going to do video) and an 480GB SSD with partition for OS and application, other for project (makes backups easier) and your system should take most anything you will probably throw at it.

Just a few examples, HP ProDesk 400 G3 Microtower PC - Intel® Core™ i7-6700 3.4GHz, 1TB 7200RPM HDD, 8GB RAM, Intel® HD Graphics, 8x USB Ports, 1x VGA, Win 7 Pro 64bit -T4L76UT#ABA at TigerDirect.com

Just add the SDD and move the OS over to it, leave the original HD as your main archive. Just an example of where your price range would be for the hardware.
 
I've been doing video on my current 6G slow system, so I'm sure 8G RAM 3G speed will improve.
$184 including 4 year complete warranty (anything, includes shipping back, repair/replacement). $189 would have got me someone local to dupe my hard drive to a new one and install it - and that would have just copied the corrupt files.
 
mjbphotos said:
I can pick up locally, avoid sales tax and shipping
...
They come with 90 day warranty
Click to expand...

The former suggests you're buying from a "guy you know", which depends entirely on how much you trust him and his computer skills.

The latter suggests a store tho.

As long as everything's been cleaned (both digital and hardware) and there are no DOA components, there's no reason a refurbished computer shouldn't work.
 
mjbphotos said:
I've been doing video on my current 6G slow system, so I'm sure 8G RAM 3G speed will improve.
$184 including 4 year complete warranty (anything, includes shipping back, repair/replacement). $189 would have got me someone local to dupe my hard drive to a new one and install it - and that would have just copied the corrupt files.
Click to expand...

It is not at all difficult to swap a hard drive. Cloning one is just a matter of getting the appropriate software (ghost). However, for $184, just buying the hard drive and the Cloning software would get you close enough to not make it worth the hassle. But it is something you should learn.

If you are buying a tower, you can probably take the hard drive out of your current computer and install it as a second drive in the new one, so you can retrieve any files off of it. Another way to do that is to get an empty external hard drive enclosure and hook it up via usb.
 
I'm not a fan of refurbished, but for the right price and knowing a local shop is standing behind it definitely mitigates some of the risk.

mjbphotos said:
I'm kind of loss at all the processor choices, will do some research to see differences:
IntelCore 2 Duo
IntelCore i5-2400
Intel Core 2 Duo-E8400
Click to expand...

According to the passmark charts, the i5-2400 is significantly faster than either of the Core2 Duos you listed:

https://www.cpubenchmark.net/common_cpus.html
 
I bought a grandson a refurbished Lenovo "thinkpad" off the web a couple of years ago. Pretty good the only thing, it did not have an optical drive even though it was advertised as a laptop.

Re optical drives. I have just read of someone who has replaced theirs very successfully with a 750G SSD and he runs all his samples from it and now does not need to lug his USB backup drives with him.

Dave.
 
More and more laptops are being made without optical drives. It's the wave of the future. Hell, my car (and a lot of post-2015 vehicles) no longer come with a cd player.
 
Our entire crop of laptops at my day gig this past year came without CD drives....they instead provided separate CD/USB drives.
Much of it had to do with the fact that these are annoyingly thin/small laptops...so no place to stick a CD drive in them...not to mention, al ot of other connections are available only via the docking station.
I guess some people are just too burdened having to carry a larger laptops, and these small/thin ones are very light....but now they have to carry the laptop, the docking station and the external CD drive if they need all that capability with them. :D

I have not abandoned my larger size, larger screen laptop. I made sure that I held on to two of the previous models which will last me for awhile. :)
 
VomitHatSteve said:
The former suggests you're buying from a "guy you know", which depends entirely on how much you trust him and his computer skills.

The latter suggests a store tho.

As long as everything's been cleaned (both digital and hardware) and there are no DOA components, there's no reason a refurbished computer shouldn't work.
Click to expand...

A store - Walmart - pick up in New Hampshire, no sales tax! I buy everything that I can pickup myself in NH. According to the description, it has a fresh install of Win10 Home, and if anything is DOA, it goes right back to the store for a refund.


Pinky said:
I'm not a fan of refurbished, but for the right price and knowing a local shop is standing behind it definitely mitigates some of the risk.



According to the passmark charts, the i5-2400 is significantly faster than either of the Core2 Duos you listed:

https://www.cpubenchmark.net/common_cpus.html
Click to expand...

The descriptions said 3.0G for the one I ordered, 3.1 (as the link says) for the i5. I think my current comp is 2.4, so that's a big step up either way!

Farview said:
It is not at all difficult to swap a hard drive. Cloning one is just a matter of getting the appropriate software (ghost). However, for $184, just buying the hard drive and the Cloning software would get you close enough to not make it worth the hassle. But it is something you should learn.

If you are buying a tower, you can probably take the hard drive out of your current computer and install it as a second drive in the new one, so you can retrieve any files off of it. Another way to do that is to get an empty external hard drive enclosure and hook it up via usb.
Click to expand...

For the time being, I'm just going to use a KVM switch so I can have just one monitor, keyboard and mouse on the desk, and the old computer will continue as my recording computer, the new one will be internet, photo and video processing. If the old one eventually completely fails, I can just load up Reaper on the new one, and transfer all my backed up music and VST files over to it.
Optical drives - the DVD burner in my old computer started acting up(burning more coasters), so I bought a USB burner, thing is fast and not a coaster yet (although I certainly don't burn as many discs as I once did).
 
Last edited:
Since my last two cars had usb and SD card ports, I haven't burned a cd to listen to a mix since 2012.

I still.have a couple hundred blank cds and dvds from the studio. They are pretty pointless now.
 
mjbphotos said:
The descriptions said 3.0G for the one I ordered, 3.1 (as the link says) for the i5. I think my current comp is 2.4, so that's a big step up either way!
Click to expand...

But it's not purely about mhz. The i5 does more in one processing cycle than the older Duos. The benchmark score for the i5 was over twice that of the Duos. That's significant. In comparison, my 4770 i7 is nearly double the i5 you're looking at. It's only .3 ghz "faster". It's all about more cores and onboard instructions (aka "cache"). Hands down, the i5 wins out of those three processors. We have a pile of spare PCs here at the office, all Duo-era processors. No one wants them.
 
mjbphotos said:
For the time being, I'm just going to use a KVM switch so I can have just one monitor, keyboard and mouse on the desk, and the old computer will continue as my recording computer, the new one will be internet, photo and video processing. If the old one eventually completely fails, I can just load up Reaper on the new one, and transfer all my backed up music and VST files over to it.
Click to expand...

I had a horrible experience with a KVM switch early on when I joined this forum. From memory, I went through a couple of PC's and a bunch of wasted money on service shops only to find the KVM driver was what caused all my issues... Just sayin. Keep an eye on that man. :)
 
I worked at a place that refurbished electronics and I gotta say the attention to detail in a small lab is far greater than what I imagine assembly line QC to be like.
 
Farview said:
More and more laptops are being made without optical drives. It's the wave of the future. Hell, my car (and a lot of post-2015 vehicles) no longer come with a cd player.
Click to expand...

Yes, I was aware Jay that many modern laptops do not have optical drives but in general these are usually described as "notebooks" a nod to their dinky dimensions.

This Lenovo was an older machine and advertised specifically as a "laptop" and so I was a bit miffed! I was certain grandson would have stuff to play and in any case I had programs on discs I wanted to load for him. It therefore cost me another £40 to get a USB burner from Maplin!

Re ASService? The Levono's PSU began to smoke! I contacted the vendor and he sent out a spare (NOT of Lenovo brand) A few days later THAT one went the same way. Another, rather terse email resulted in a Lenovo PSU dropping on the doormat and this one has remained vice free ever since!

So! Caveat Bloody Whatsit! Mind you, consumer laws here are such that I had plenty of protection not least because I paid with B'card and I have found them ***t hot when you have a problem as I did some years before regarding Man U tickets.

Dave.
 
Pinky said:
But it's not purely about mhz. The i5 does more in one processing cycle than the older Duos. The benchmark score for the i5 was over twice that of the Duos. That's significant. In comparison, my 4770 i7 is nearly double the i5 you're looking at. It's only .3 ghz "faster". It's all about more cores and onboard instructions (aka "cache"). Hands down, the i5 wins out of those three processors. We have a pile of spare PCs here at the office, all Duo-era processors. No one wants them.
Click to expand...

Ok, a little over my head. ;) As long as I don't have any 'wait while I process' issues, not sure how a better processor really helps me. Does that mean when I render a, say, 20 track project it takes 15 seconds instead of 30 seconds? Or processing/converting a video happens faster? That's nothing I really need (need vs want, something I'm always trying to explain to my wife!)
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top