Should You Buy Refurbished Computer Parts To Save Money?

In addition to heavy work machines, high-end gaming PCs always require good configuration. Each component needs to be carefully selected to provide the best performance and required features while working effectively with other hardware. And some parts, like the graphics card, can’t be found in a normal office computer. They are very expensive.

With only a few hundred dollars, you can see the 60FPS configuration, 4K resolution or you will have to complain because the game is always jerky or frozen. There are many things that affect the budget in the buying process; and buying Refurbished goods (technically or physically defective goods sent to the manufacturer for inspection, repair and resale at a lower price) is also one of the options. However, there are a few things you should keep in mind.

Buying refurbished parts can be a great way to save money on bundles with other accessories, or simply to make sure your new computer stays within budget: you can sometimes find high-end components at cheaper price, because they are Refurbished. And sometimes secondhand has a better deal, refurbished products benefit from being repaired and re-tested by the manufacturer before being resold on the market. This ensures that the accessory you purchase will last as long as the new product, but not always.

Manufacturers usually test refurbished goods very well, but some defects are not detected until several months, sometimes years later. They can be difficult to detect – or simply refurbished memory cannot be overclocked stably, but mistakenly think it is due to a faulty motherboard and cost us a lot of time to find out. Warranty is usually shorter or no longer available for refurbished products. If a warranty happens in the future, you will certainly have to spend a lot of time and fill out a lot of paperwork. Therefore, it is best to buy new on certain pieces of hardware and only buy refurbished parts on certain items that can last longer.

CPU and Motherboard

CPUs are usually very durable and have a very long lifespan. There’s nothing wrong with modern CPUs: if it’s working when you first plug it in, it’ll be fine for years. While temperature can have a long-term negative effect, both Intel and AMD have added heatsink throttling to protect the CPU in the event of overheating. If you are considering buying an AMD CPU, you need to pay attention to check the batteries for any bends, otherwise the refurbished product should be fine.

On the other hand, the motherboard should only be purchased new. All other accessories connect and communicate through the motherboard. The PSU communicates to other components through the motherboard. A faulty microchip can cause terrible damage to other components. Along with the CPU, the motherboard is an accessory you rarely need to upgrade in a short time. It’s been used for many years and genuine warranty is the most important thing.

Hard Drive

This is 2018, so we’re assuming nearly everyone has at least one SSD; There are no mobile components in it and the low failure rate makes SSDs one of those accessories that will save you money if you buy refurbished. They have the same lifespan as new.

Although SSDs are now abundant on the market, HDD hard drives are still more cost-effective when storing a lot of capacity. In addition, HDDs have removable components that are easily damaged if dropped. In the vast majority of cases, HDDs are fine, but given the low cost, HDDs aren’t worth buying refurbished.

Power (PSU)

Like motherboards, refurbished PSUs should be avoided. There are plenty of refurbished PSUs that sell for pretty good prices, but if you consider that a defective item can damage other expensive items, you’ll want to save money in the long run by buying a newer one. The power requirements for the GPU haven’t changed too much over the years, so upgrading the PSU is unlikely, as long as you buy yourself a quality PSU. Manufacturer warranties for refurbished PSUs are also often voided if the PSU has problems.

GPU and RAM

The graphics card is the thing that is most often upgraded when installing a gaming computer, it also has a pretty good resale value. Many manufacturers now allow warranties to be transferred; purchasing a refurbished card therefore voids the original warranty and can greatly affect the resale price when it’s time to upgrade. Buying new now will save money when the next generation of cards come out, and the graphics card upgrade is very hard to resist.

RAM is better than bad luck. On the one hand, RAM is getting more and more expensive, and RAM failure rarely causes damage to other components. On the other hand, RAM problems are hard to spot. Technical errors affecting the stability of the device can cost you many hours to learn and blame other accessories and software. If you can save a lot on refurbished RAM, and allow yourself to upgrade to other high-end hardware, then invest in it. Otherwise, buy new to avoid headaches when errors occur.

Determining which refurbished part to buy depends on the risk you want to trade as well as your budget. With care and research, you can save a ton of money with refurbished options.

According to PCGamer