Refurbished PCs

[Tim Reed]

Hey, folks. Does anyone have any experience buying refurbished desktop computers? I'm on a fixed income and can no longer afford to get new, so I've been looking at refurbished PCs from Discount Electronics dot com. Like Dell Optiplexes. Bad choice? Any suggestions? I'd appreciate hearing your experiences and opinions. I can't afford to spend more than a couple hundred USD. My existing desktop PC is dying of old age. Thanks for your help.

[Frank Cox]

The value you get from it depends entirely on what you're planning to use it for.

The latest versions of Microsoft Windows, for example, require an on-board security capability that many older computers lack (which is why they'll end up at a second hand market like you're looking at).

And, depending on what you're using it for, you may not even need a desktop computer. Checking your email and reading facebook (and film tech) can easily be done with a tablet.

[Mark Gulbrandsen]

There are a number of easy ways around all the MS security garbage if you have to have Win 11.

I switched over to mini Desktops about 5 years ago. My main desktop is an HP Z2 G5 running a 3.8 gig Xeon processor, and 32 GB of ram. It's been a great general purpose computer. I have two internal drives and one external. I still have a large multi CPU HP workstation for my photography stuff. And a second less powerful HP Mini that's is strictly for streaming music.

[Tim Reed]

Thanks, Frank. I use it for graphics and video. My main software is Adobe After Effects and Photoshop. I need a multi-core CPU and at least 16GB of RAM. I don't plan on using the latest Windows offering. Early versions are fine.

[Tim Reed]

There are a number of easy ways around all the MS security garbage if you have to have Win 11.

I switched over to mini Desktops about 5 years ago.

Thanks, Mark. I like what I see in the minis.

[Mark Gulbrandsen]

Oh, and they support dual monitors...

[Leo Enticknap]

There are a number of easy ways around all the MS security garbage if you have to have Win 11.

M$ are cracking down on them, and making the workarounds increasingly difficult. It's still possible to install W11 22H2 and 23H2 using the usual tricks (e.g. using Rufus to create a doctored install USB), but these versions are no longer supported for anything beyond essential security updates. If you want 24H2 (the current version), I know of no way to circumvent the requirement for a TPM, UEFI, and secure boot now.

Because Tim uses Adobe software, abandoning Windows and using a Linux-based desktop OS is not an option (if it had been, perfectly decent computers of the hardware spec he mentions can be had for $100-200). The last I looked, PCs with the hardware spec needed for W11 24H2 and 16 GB of RAM started at around the $400 mark on Amazon (without a monitor).

[Mark Gulbrandsen]

Windows 11 installed directly on my HP Z Work Station without Rufus or any other work around. I don't have it on any other computers. Both other computers still run 10, and that'll be till hell freezes over. Not running anything here that wouldn't run on Linux. As far as Adobe, I tend to stay away from subscription based software. There are plenty of really good photo apps that will run under Ubuntu. And believe me, people will devise work arounds for Windows 12 as well.

[Allan Young]

Hey, folks. Does anyone have any experience buying refurbished desktop computers? I'm on a fixed income and can no longer afford to get new, so I've been looking at refurbished PCs from Discount Electronics dot com. Like Dell Optiplexes. Bad choice? Any suggestions? I'd appreciate hearing your experiences and opinions. I can't afford to spend more than a couple hundred USD. My existing desktop PC is dying of old age. Thanks for your help.

I've been using refurbished Dell Optiplex desktops for quite some time without any problems. I'm currently on my third one; the others lasted 3-4 years of daily use until the hard drives died. None of them cost over $100.

[Bobby Henderson]

Thanks, Frank. I use it for graphics and video. My main software is Adobe After Effects and Photoshop. I need a multi-core CPU and at least 16GB of RAM. I don't plan on using the latest Windows offering. Early versions are fine.

Are you using old Creative Suite versions of those apps? If so, which versions? Adobe shut down the activation servers for Creative Suites 1-5. Only CS5.5 and CS6 activation servers are active now (and probably for only so much longer). They did provide different activation-free serial numbers and app installers to registered customers who bought Creative Suite 2 packages. IIRC with CS3 they just provided some activation-free serial numbers. I'm not aware of them providing such material to customers for CS4 or later.

Either way, most of those old applications won't install and run successfully on Windows 10 or 11. Windows 7 Pro or Ultimate would work well. I wouldn't recommend connecting the PC to the Internet though.

[Leo Enticknap]

I have a copy of CS3 bought in the late noughties and now with one of those activation-free serials. The only component of it I've used in recent years is Soundbooth, but that works fine under W11.

[Jim Cassedy]

Over the years, I've bought several refurbished desktop and laptops for various
purposes. My I recently bought two 'burner' laptop PC's. My favorite source for
PC's is "Blair Technology" - prices are good, and they ship fast. I have bought
a DELL desktop and several laptops from them over the years, and never had
any issues with any of them. In fact, a couple of them came with newer versions
of Windows, or more USB ports, etc, than was in their description. Their warranty
and return policy is also very liberal.
I also have a source for MAC stuff, but I can't recall their name at the moment.
i got an "open box" i-mac from them last year that was, basically new, but at
quite a discount due to the open box thing. Never had any problems. I have
a buddy who bought a Mac-Air for his daughter a while back, because "she's
always loosing things" - - so he wanted to minimize his potential loss investment.
- - again, she never had any problems with it, and as far as I know, has managed
to not leave it anywhere.

[Ryan Gallagher]

With patience on the used market, you can definitely get a capable Adobe machine for deep discounts. But keep in mind the minimum system requirements (recommended ones if you can afford/find them) for Premiere, being subscription based you are likely to want to stay on the relatively recent Adobe versions. Laptops can get you there too but usually at a slight price premium for "workstation replacement" level hardware.

https://helpx.adobe.com/premiere-pro...uirements.html

[Tim Reed]

Thanks for all the good tips. Everything I use from Adobe can be replaced with good free alternates... except After Effects. I've not found a sufficient replacement for it or I would switch. On my new (to me) machine, I would prefer to get Win 7 Pro if I can, Bobby. I also have all kinds of paid AE plugins that I hope I don't have to buy again, but it is what it is I suppose. I'm sure the Mobo is dead on my old machine. Replacing it would likely be too much for the computer's ID tolerances and I'd have to buy new licenses for everything anyway. Might as well upgrade the whole thing.

And I'll try Blair Technology... thanks again!

[Ryan Gallagher]

Thanks for all the good tips. Everything I use from Adobe can be replaced with good free alternates... except After Effects. I've not found a sufficient replacement for it or I would switch. On my new (to me) machine, I would prefer to get Win 7 Pro if I can, Bobby. I also have all kinds of paid AE plugins that I hope I don't have to buy again, but it is what it is I suppose. I'm sure the Mobo is dead on my old machine. Replacing it would likely be too much for the computer's ID tolerances and I'd have to buy new licenses for everything anyway. Might as well upgrade the whole thing.

And I'll try Blair Technology... thanks again!

Considering the age of your hardware, you might be dealing with stand-alone (non Adobe Creative Cloud) versions. Note you can no longer buy retail versions of their stand-alone software programs. If Creative Cloud has a minimum OS requirement of Windows 10 for example, you are probably best off not looking for anything older than that. And windows 10 support itself from microsoft will discontinue free support of 10 Pro on Oct 25 (THIS YEAR). So windows 11 is really the only logical choice if you don't want to replace the OS again for a while.