Announcement

Collapse
No announcement yet.

Getting a new-used computer

Collapse
This topic is closed.
X
X
 
  • Filter
  • Time
  • Show
Clear All
new posts

  • Getting a new-used computer

    You'll probably remember the huge hassle I had with the used computer I bought last year, that finally stopped working. It had just been sitting on my desk for some time, and I finally took it to a repair place.

    It turns out, the motherboard was fried. The guy told me there was nothing to be done with it. (So I guess it's not something I did, after all.)

    The repair place offers refurbished computers, and they told me they have one that might fit my needs. It has an SSD as well as an HDD. The guy said it's about five years old. Here are the specifications:

    Lenovo Thinkcentre MTower, Intel Core i5 3.4 GHz, 6MB Cache, 8GB RAM, 120GB SSD, 250 GB HDD, DVD-RW, Intel HD Graphics

    So - what's your opinion? I asked if they can install the hard drive from my current computer, given that it's four times the size of the one their computer has. And the RAM can be increased, which is good, because I still have those RAM sticks I bought last year for the used computer which soon fried.

    And, five years old. How much longer do you think it would last?

  • #2
    Im not good at keeping up with hardware but adding your hard drive for space sounds good and check what it costs for them to install your RAM sticks while they have it open. If ok price then go for it since you aren’t used to having hands inside a computer.

    As for age I can say that a computer lasts longer then most people think if taken care of.

    My gaming computer was bought almost eight years ago but I had to replace the motherboard(+RAM & CPU) with a identical one after a bug did a kamikaze on a circuit four years ago and gotten a handmeown tiny upgraded graphics card last year, I might not be able to play the latest demanding games at optimized graphics but it keeps up with my games still.

    Unless you plan on doing heavy graphics, calculations or rendering on it then a old computer can last a few more years with some TLC and updates for drivers.
    Last edited by Edwina; 01-17-2020, 10:08 AM. Reason: Wall of text should have space to breathe .

    Comment


    • #3
      Thanks! They're actually offering me a discount on this one if I bring in my old computer so they can install my hard drive (I guess because then I won't need theirs). As far as I know, they aren't charging for the installation of any of the hardware.

      And they offer a warranty of 6 months.

      Comment


      • #4
        I've had one of that series for several years now, running Linux. It's showing its age some now, but its been pretty reliable and flexible about multiple disk drives, boot options, and such.

        One thing I discovered is that Lenovo warranty reps will raise a stink if you've put third-party memory or suchlike in. (I bought mine new.)

        Comment


        • #5
          This isn't offered by Lenovo; it's a computer repair place that also sells refurbished computers. The guy thinks it's about five years old. I'd like to have a newer one, I must admit.

          The deal seems pretty good. I'm going to think about it over the weekend.

          Comment


          • #6
            A fried motherboard... can be replaced. It really isn't that hard, but it will take a while. (about an hour, in my experience) It's easier and more profit/time for a shop to just sell you a new (used) machine. Motherboards can be had for $40 USD and up. The hard part is usually the thermal paste for the CPU heatsink.

            Just how much are they wanting for this little darling?

            Comment


            • #7
              The price isn't in dollars, since that isn't the currency here. I looked up motherboards in the country's biggest electronics store, and they aren't exactly cheap.

              The computer has a 4-core processor and an SSD drive, which are both lacking in the broken computer. They'll knock a certain amount off the price for using my HDD instead of the one they have. The broken computer had Windows 10 Pro installed, and I'm glad I had the foresight to write down the product key, so I can install it on the new device.

              The broken computer is also older than the new-used one.

              Comment


              • #8
                I'm twitchy about reusing old hard drives. You can move them to a newer computer, sure, but it's still an old hard drive. I would consider having a NEW hard drive installed in that machine, putting your old hard drive in an external enclosure, then cloning it to the new drive, the set the now-external drive up on a shelf as a backup. Yes, it adds cost. But given what data recovery costs if a drive fails...

                This way you have a fresh hard drive with all your data in the new(er) machine, and a copy of that data on the old drive as a bit of insurance.

                Comment


                • #9
                  Well, I've got it.

                  I took the old computer in on Friday, and the guy installed the old hard drive in the newer machine. Then, after I came to get it, he told me that he'd turned the computer on, and it went into repair mode. Seems there was a problem with the old hard drive.

                  After spending a computerless weekend, I learned that the old hard drive went kaput. I think this is very odd, given that it was working on Friday morning. The guy said that the old hard drive wasn't very firmly inserted in the old machine - no screws - and that it could have been due to mechanical damage. I do remember accidentally setting the old machine down too hard as I was taking it to the repair place, so maybe that was it.

                  So since I brought in that used machine I bought last year, and they still had it, he took the hard drive from that machine and installed it in the newer one. He also installed Windows 10 Pro, Word 2007, Avast!, and VLC. And gave me a nice wallpaper.

                  The new machine runs so quickly and quietly, it's hard to believe!

                  I still feel sentimental for the old one, I must admit. I had it for one hell of a long time, and we went through many moves together.

                  Comment

                  Working...
                  X