Second-hand laptop what to consider when buying one?

If you're trying to squeeze the most out of every euro in your next laptop PC purchase, it's a good idea to consider buying a second-hand unit. While you usually won't find the latest and greatest products, you can often save a significant amount of money, and you'll get a little more functionality if you consider a second-hand product. In this article we discuss what to consider when buying a second-hand laptop.

As expected, there are some caveats and risks associated with purchasing a second-hand laptop. To help you decide if it's a good idea or not, we've compiled some tips to keep in mind.

Index of contents

Second-hand laptop, cheaper, but worse battery life and performance

Buying a second hand laptop can save you several hundred euros depending on the brand and model and where you buy. However, you are unlikely to find the latest generation models available, unless the model in question has been on the market for quite some time. In the case of Apple laptops, perhaps, because it doesn't update its laptops as often, the brand sells refurbished units of its current or previous-generation models. However, if you are looking for a second-hand Windows laptop, you may need to settle for an older model. This is because these equipment are renewed very frequently, as there is fierce competition among all manufacturers to offer the best.

Year of production

The year of manufacture of a laptop is important because both performance, battery life, and Wi-Fi connectivity improve significantly over generations. Also, be aware that notebook batteries lose the ability to maintain a full charge over time. So if the model you buy was in active use for a year or two, it could have a much shorter battery life than a new unit.

However, if your budget is tight and you want a higher-quality notebook PC, like a Dell XPS 13, your best bet is to get a second-hand model. There is no doubt that you can find a good new laptop at any price, even less than 200 euros, but you can probably buy a better one, a powerful ultraportable or a powerful workstation if you consider used models.

The origin of the second-hand laptop is important

Refurbished laptops and those sold directly to second-hand markets come from different sources, including companies exchanging their older models, and consumers returning the systems because they decided they didn't want them or because there was a serious defect. At Amazon we can find refurbished laptops at lower prices than the new models, and with the same first-level guarantee that the seller offers on all its products, including the right to a one-month return. Therefore, in this case the risk is minimal, if you do not like what you buy you return it without problems.

Large original equipment manufacturers are also quite good in this area. Since Apple, Dell and HP put their names behind their refurbished computers, they generally make sure that the IT asset management companies that do the refurbishment and refurbishment do a good job. Manufacturers or third-party authorized reconditioners generally disinfect, classify, and grade units based on their physical appearance and functionality . They disassemble each one, checking for damaged components, battery function, display quality, power supply, loose connections, hard drive and optical drive. If a seller does not follow a process like this, the product is not really restored, it is used.

Amazon is a very good option

Missing or faulty components like RAM, graphics cards, capacitors, integrated circuits, hard drives, are replaced, and the machine undergoes a complete data wipe. It is then tested, cosmetic defects are repaired, and a new operating system is installed before being packaged for your new home. After a restorer inspects, cleans, repairs, and restores a used or returned laptop to factory settings, the unit is certified to function properly and returned to the vendor or manufacturer for sale at a discount. Therefore, laptop manufacturers, Amazon, or authorized refurbishers are the best sources to get your purchase.

Buying and selling forums

At the other extreme we have the second hand markets in the Internet forums. In these cases you will not have the support of any manufacturer or any legit store, so your only option will be to trust the seller's word. This does not have to be bad, in fact there are many honest sellers who have the best of intentions, but there are also users who try to take advantage of the least experienced in this type of business.

A good way to proceed in these cases is to go to forums with a certain reputation, and users who are known and who have several deals valued in a satisfactory way before, although you will never have the confidence that a store like Amazon or a manufacturer of first level. Better still if you can see the product personally before paying what they ask for it.

Keyboard and dead pixels are keys

The keyboard should look good instead of specific keys that appear shiny or worn. The screen should be clear and bright. Anything different could be a disappointment. Buyers should be sure to check for telltale signs that the new unit isn't up to standards - details like dead pixels on the screen, noisy hard drives, loose or squeaky hinges, or obvious signs of wear. It is also a good idea to test it for a few minutes, to see that it does not overheat in a short time of use.

We recommend reading our article on Best external hard drives: cheap, recommended and USB

This ends our article on a second-hand laptop, what to take into account when buying one, share it with your friends so that it can help more users who need it.