Buy Used Desktop Computer BEST

Plus, buying a used PC cuts down on electronic waste. You rescue an old but functional computer from getting thrown in the trash, and you avoid buying a cheap PC that will wear out and be disposed of in a few years.

buy used desktop computer

The three most important things to look for in a used PC are its physical condition (especially for laptops, which move around more and take more punishment), its make and model number, and its specifications.

Andrew Cunningham is a former senior staff writer on Wirecutter's tech team. He has been writing about laptops, phones, routers, and other tech since 2011. Before that he spent five years in IT fixing computers and helping people buy the best tech for their needs. He also co-hosts the book podcast Overdue and the TV podcast Appointment Television.

Get more for less with our refurbished computers. PC Liquidations offers a massive selection of computers with Intel Core series as well as AMD processors. Choose from over 3,000 models from various brands, including Apple, Dell, Lenovo, HP, Asus, Acer, and more. Customize your desktop PC by adding features, such as extra memory and hard drive storage. We can also install a genuine Windows 10 operating system (with a new license).

Moore's Law is a rule of thumb in the computer industry that predicts computers double in performance about every two years. That's still roughly true, but the overall pace of personal computer innovation has slowed in the last decade. A computer from 2017 looks and performs roughly the same as a computer from 2020.

If you buy a used machine, test the battery right away: Make sure you can charge it to full, and then run the laptop until the battery dies. If you have time, repeat the test a second time. If you find that the battery can't hold a reasonable charge, you should probably return it for a refund, unless you can replace the battery inexpensively. Keep in mind that it might be hard to get a replacement battery for an older laptop.

There are two main types of home and office computers, PC desktops and All-in-One computers. eBay not only has a large selection, exceptional prices, buy it now and auction style listings, but offers top brands such as Acer, Alienware, ASUS, Dell, and HP.

An All-in-One computer is precisely what it sounds like: it's a system that offers everything you need in one unit. There is no need for a tower and separate monitor. It takes up less space, which is especially important in small offices or where space is limited. As a bonus, set up is super fast and easy: remove it from the box and set it on the desk!

There are two parts to a desktop, the tower, which contains all the hardware, and the monitor. Typically, this is the first type of system that comes to mind when a home computer gets mentioned. A plus to this sort of system is that users can upgrade to a bigger monitor or replace a non-working one without having to purchase a complete system, thus saving time and money.

A computer's operating system is the single most important part of a computer; some refer to it as the brain of the unit. For this reason, the OS on your machine needs to meet your needs plus be upgradable to meet your demands in the future. Additionally, the OS should be easy to use, especially if you just want to fire up the machine and get to work.

A computer uses the processor unit to interpret data and write the data for storage or display on the monitor. How you determine the right CPU depends on how you plan to use your computer. For example, if you want to surf the web and check email, a multi-core processor or a fast clock speed is not required. But on the flip side, if you do a lot of video or audio editing, general multitasking, or playing games, you will want a fast multi-core processor.

eBay Refurbished items are sold by eBay-approved sellers. Each of these computers comes with a like-new guarantee (including accessories, instruction manuals, and packaging), a free return/replacement policy (within 30 days of receiving the item), and a 2-year hassle-free warranty. We also regularly monitor our sellers to ensure they're meeting our stringent quality control metrics, so buyers know they're only getting the best.

Marlo has always been obsessed with computers his whole life. After working for 25 years in the computer and electronics field, he now enjoys writing about computers to help others. Most of his time is spent in front of his computer or other technology to continue to learn more. Read more about Marlo

Buying a used computer often seems the only option when you have a limited budget. And if you know where to look and you know what you're buying, it is possible to get a powerful piece of hardware for a fraction of the original price.

Even so, it would be unwise to buy a used PC or laptop at a low price without thoroughly testing the hardware. A blind purchase is likely to result in the seller ripping you off. If you're considering buying a used Windows PC, we'll outline the various tests you should run and considerations you should take into account to make a well-informed purchase.

If you buy a computer with faulty RAM, you will likely encounter crashes, distorted graphics, sluggish performance, and an endless stream of errors. Hence, it is imperative to test RAM before buying a used PC.

While various third-party tools are available to test RAM, we recommend using the Windows Memory Diagnostic tool. Before the test run, save any unsaved progress as the tool asks to restart your computer.

A faulty hard drive can cause various issues, including the inability to read from or write to the drive, frequent computer crashes, file loading that takes forever, and other issues. Hence, you should also check the hard drive before buying a used computer.

First, download the CrystalDiskInfo tool and install it on your computer. As soon as you launch the tool, you'll see the statistics of all the drives on your computer. If you have more than one hard drive, you can switch between them by clicking on the arrow button in the top-right corner of the tool interface.

Analyze the battery usage and life estimates by thoroughly inspecting the battery report. You should ensure that the estimated battery life the battery gives after full charge is adequate, and if you have to replace it with a new one, factor in that cost when purchasing a used laptop.

If you intend to use your computer for resource-hogging work or play graphics-intensive games, make sure the CPU and GPU are sufficiently robust to withstand the stress you're planning to put on them. Stress-testing both components is the best way to find out.

A stress test pushes the computer hardware (CPUs, GPUs) to their maximum performance and monitors how well they handle this extreme load. If the PC stays stable during the stress test, you made a good choice since it won't crash or malfunction under heavy loads.

When your computer shuts down during a stress test, it's because it's overheating at a critical temperature rather than being overburdened. If this happens, you can then decide whether you need an extra case fan, cooling kit, or anything else to keep the component's temperature at safe levels.

Whether you're going to buy a decade-old PC or get a hand-me-down from someone else, running these tests will help you determine your computer's hardware's condition. Then you can decide whether you need to swap any components to get your PC properly running.

Shan Abdul is a Staff Writer at MUO. Having used Windows for over a decade, he's accumulated plenty of experience with the OS. He's been writing on a variety of Windows topics for over three years, incorporating his expertise to teach readers how to get the most out of their Windows devices and resolve issues with the operating system.

There are plenty of companies where you can sell electronics -- places that'll happily buy old fitness trackers, smartwatches, gaming consoles, laptops, digital cameras and other electronic equipment. In exchange, they'll send you cold hard cash, often in the form of a gift card or PayPal transfer. (Not too shabby for that MacBook gathering dust in your closet.) You can even sell your old electronics without having to visit a physical location such as a pawn shop, now that used electronics website options are becoming more popular. And you won't have to worry about paying for shipping or shouldering the cost of a fee, which is somewhat commonplace with services that sell electronics and old equipment.

If you've never used Decluttr before, you're in for a treat. This is one of the fastest bidding services you can use for selling a ton of different kinds of tech. Plug in your details to the form, and you'll see a bid for your gadget in seconds. As long as it's a bid you like, you'll be presented with an option to complete the sale and start the shipping process. Payments are made quickly, which is why this company has one of the highest TrustPilot ratings you can find.

The process for selling electronic goods entails answering some questions about the old cell phone, tablet, Apple Watch (or other Apple device) or computer you're selling. ItsWorthMore will then give you an offer and, if you accept it, provide you with a prepaid shipping label. During the checkout process, you can select how you want to receive your payment. You also have the option to pay $15 for two-day shipping and 24-hour processing time. Otherwise, standard shipping and a turn around target time of 72 hours. However, processing can take up to five business days.

BuyBackWorld will buy a wide range of products including phones, tablets, iPods, cameras, game consoles, computers, headphones, drones and, well, you get the point. You can even get a custom quote for products that aren't listed on the site.

This means that offices are on sale relative to their pre-Covid prices. Office REITs are down 37% over the past year even after the Covid-induced drop of the previous two years. So it makes sense that all sorts of office equipment is on sale too. Offices tend to be full of employer-owned desktop computers, but when employees work from home they typically use their own machine or a company laptop. That means less demand for office desktops going forward, and a big overhang of existing office desktops that are being under-used. Employers realizing this may just sell them off cheap. Several things about the refurbished desktop I bought, such as its Windows Pro software, indicate that it used to be in an office. 041b061a72