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In the fast-paced world of technology, staying up to date with the latest gadgets can be a daunting task. However, you don't always need to invest in brand-new laptops to enjoy cutting-edge performance. Refurbished laptops offer an excellent way to acquire top-tier devices at a fraction of the cost. In this article, we'll guide you through the world of refurbished laptop deals, helping you make an informed decision and find the best deals available. A refurbished laptop also makes for a great cheaper Christmas present!
In This Post:
- Top Picks for Refurbished Laptop Deals
- Best Stores to Buy Refurbished Laptops, Gaming Consoles, Desktops & Phones
- Woot
- Newegg
- The Appeal of Refurbished Laptops
- Where to Find the Best Refurbished Laptop Deals
- Key Considerations When Buying Refurbished Laptops
- Decide Whether It’s Worth Buying New
- Know The Market
- Consider Upgrades Instead of Replacement
- Set A Budget
- Watch For Sales & Rebates
- Buy Refurbished
Top Picks for Refurbished Laptop Deals
Now that you're well-equipped with knowledge about refurbished laptops and where to find them, here are some top picks that offer excellent value for your money:
- Dell Refurbished Laptops: Dell is known for its high-quality laptops, and their refurbished options are no exception. You can find a range of Dell laptops at competitive prices.
- HP Business Outlet: HP Business Outlet offers a selection of refurbished HP laptops, which come with HP's quality assurance and support.
- Lenovo Outlet: Lenovo Outlet provides certified refurbished Lenovo laptops, including ThinkPads, which are renowned for their durability.
- Apple Certified Refurbished: If you're a fan of Apple products, consider Apple's certified refurbished MacBook lineup. These devices are thoroughly inspected and often come with a one-year warranty.
- Acer Recertified: Acer Recertified is an official source for refurbished Acer laptops, offering affordability and quality.
- Best Buy Open Box: Available in-store only and you need to ask about it.
Best Stores to Buy Refurbished Laptops, Gaming Consoles, Desktops & Phones
Woot
Woot is the ultimate bargain site, with deals so good I’d almost hesitate to recommend it to bargain hunters for fear that they’d buy something every day.
The site posts a single heavily discounted product every day with many options for laptops, tablets, phones and other tech. , keeping it up until they sell out of it. Then, at midnight the next day, the site uploads a new (and often entirely different) item to be sold.
Woot essentially acts as the arbiter between an item’s producer and the consumer, so you’d have to go to elsewhere if you want to thoroughly research an item featured on Woot before you buy it.
You only have one chance to get the featured item from Woot, so if you happen across a potential gift idea, buy it while you can or ignore it at your own peril.
Newegg
If you or someone close to you is on the hunt for the latest smartphone, tablet, laptop, nintendo switch, gaming console or tech equipment, do yourself a favor and check out Newegg before you venture into a big retail store. Don’t let the site’s somewhat dated display dissuade you; Newegg is home to some of the best tech deals on the web.
Anything from computer parts to Apple iPads to new hardware are available on Newegg, with enviable prices and helpful customer reviews on all customer products. Unlike on some retail websites, the reviews on Newegg are typically written by people familiar with the products and offer a thorough rundown of the product’s pros and cons.
The site also boasts comprehensive shopping guides meant to aid users overwhelmed by their massive selections. So if you’re shopping for tech products this holiday season opt out of the megastores and give Newegg a try. You won’t be disappointed.
The Appeal of Refurbished Laptops
Refurbished laptops, also known as reconditioned or certified laptops, are previously owned devices that have been meticulously inspected, repaired, and restored to their original working condition. These laptops have often undergone rigorous testing to ensure they meet high standards of performance and reliability. Here are some reasons why refurbished laptops are worth considering:
- Cost-Efficiency: Refurbished laptops are significantly more affordable than their brand-new counterparts. This cost savings can be substantial, making it an attractive option for individuals and businesses.
- Environmental Friendliness: Opting for a refurbished laptop promotes sustainability by extending the lifespan of electronic devices and reducing electronic waste.
- Warranty and Support: Many reputable sellers of refurbished laptops offer warranties and customer support, giving you peace of mind in case any issues arise.
- Performance: Refurbished laptops often perform just as well as new ones, especially if they have been refurbished by the manufacturer.
Where to Find the Best Refurbished Laptop Deals
When on the hunt for the best refurbished laptop deals, it's essential to know where to look. Here are some excellent sources to consider:
- Manufacturer Websites: Many laptop manufacturers offer certified refurbished laptops directly on their websites. These laptops are typically subjected to rigorous testing and often come with manufacturer warranties.
- Certified Resellers: Authorized resellers who specialize in refurbished electronics can be a reliable source for high-quality laptops. They often provide warranties and thorough testing.
- Online Marketplaces: Websites like Amazon, eBay, and Newegg have extensive selections of refurbished laptops. Be sure to check the seller's ratings and reviews for added confidence.
- Local Electronics Stores: Some brick-and-mortar electronics stores also carry refurbished laptops. This option allows you to inspect the laptop in person.
- Corporate Refresh Programs: Many businesses and organizations regularly upgrade their technology. They often sell their used laptops, which can be an excellent opportunity to get a high-quality device at a discount.
Key Considerations When Buying Refurbished Laptops
To ensure you make a wise investment, there are several key considerations to keep in mind when shopping for refurbished laptops:
- Warranty: Look for laptops that come with a warranty. A warranty ensures that you're protected in case of unexpected issues.
- Grade: Refurbished laptops are often categorized by grade, such as Grade A, B, or C. Grade A laptops are in excellent condition, while Grade B and C may show signs of wear. Choose the grade that aligns with your preferences and budget.
- Specifications: Consider the technical specifications of the laptop, such as the processor, RAM, storage, and screen size. Ensure that the laptop meets your specific needs and performance requirements.
- Return Policy: Be aware of the seller's return policy. This is crucial in case you're not satisfied with the laptop's performance or condition.
- Brand Reputation: Stick to well-known and reputable brands when shopping for refurbished laptops. This minimizes the risk of getting a subpar device.
Decide Whether It’s Worth Buying New
If all you want is basic functionality—web browsing, writing up documents and spreadsheets, streaming video—then there is really no reason to buy new. If your computer was manufactured in the last four or five years and is having trouble performing these basic tasks, it should probably be repaired rather than replaced.
If your computer is older than that, consider buying a one- or two-year-old desktop from a repair shop or Craigslist. Even if you buy a “lemon”, it’s still cheaper to replace malfunctioning hardware or clean out malware than it is to buy new.
Reasons you might want to buy new:
- If you use your computer for more hardware-intensive processes like 3D graphics, video editing, or gaming, it’s worth your time to look into a new computer.
- If you’re interested in buying a laptop, upgrades and repairs are often expensive or impossible—so it pays to buy new.
Know The Market
Laptops come with a wide variety of options. You will need to consider how much power, memory space and what kind of battery power you will need to meet your specific needs. There are hundreds of review sites online that can help you narrow down what you are looking for. Compare not only the prices but the available hardware, support and warranties that come with each laptop. These things may seem secondary, but in reality, can save you some money down the line. Find out what products are launching soon so that you don’t miss out on any products that you may be interested in.
Consider Upgrades Instead of Replacement
If your desktop is a few years old and starting to show its age, there are plenty of relatively inexpensive upgrades that can bring your computer back from the dead.
- Install additional RAM, which will allow your computer to do more at once, avoiding the slowing or freezing that afflicts older computers.
- Purchase an internal or external hard drive, which will make room for the growing quantity of video, music, and games that can quickly fill up your computer.
- Install a new video card. This is a more expensive upgrade, but it can make a world of difference for computers that have trouble keeping up with recent gaming releases, or any other programs that render 3D environments.
Knowing whether to upgrade or replace is a judgment call; not all upgrades will provide the change in performance you’re hoping for, and if it doesn’t work, you might dump hundreds of dollars into a computer that you’ll have to replace anyway. If the price of your upgrades is more than half the price of buying new, avoid the uncertainty and just take your old machine to an e-waste processing center or electronics trade-in website.
Don’t Need Portability? Go for a Desktop
While the big advertising war is taking place over notebooks, ultrabooks, and tablets, desktop computers provide the biggest bang for your buck in terms of performance, longevity, and price. While components are becoming smaller every year, bigger is still better—desktops pack faster processors, better graphics cards, and larger displays than laptops, and they cost hundreds of dollars less.
They’re also much easier to upgrade than laptops, so you can keep them kicking for a year or two longer by replacing components. If your computer is just going to sit in your home office tethered to the wall, save some money and get a desktop.
If you’re a college student, or you take the bus to work, a laptop can be worth the extra cost; but for the reasons we mentioned, it doesn’t pay to get a cheap laptop—they’re finicky, hard to repair, and harder to upgrade. Lenovo notebooks are a good compromise between price and performance; also check out Ultrabooks for a super-lightweight, low-cost option.
Set A Budget
Everyone has a different idea of how much you should spend on a good laptop. Again, each person has different needs and income streams that will greatly affect their own budget. Set your price while keeping in mind what your “must have” laptop features are, along with how often you will be using the computer.
If you are only looking for something to surf online or play games, your budget should reflect that in the same way your budget would reflect something different if you were using your laptop daily for work or school.
Watch For Sales & Rebates
You can potentially save a bundle if you take advantage of promotional sales or product rebate offers. Black Friday and Cyber Monday sales are notorious for outrageously low prices on laptops.
Visit retailers websites to get in on any online savings that may be offered. Product rebates may seem like a waste of time, but if collected properly, they can save you hundreds of dollars off your original purchase price, if you are patient.
Buy Refurbished
There are plenty of retailers like Best Buy that have partnered with secondary distributors of refurbished computers. Two popular ones are DeCluttr for Macs and Tech for Less for PCs.
People update their units so often that you can end up with a great deal on a laptop that is maybe just a year old. Most refurbished products come with some sort of warranty that can get, so that you can last at least a year of service without a huge amount of risk. You may want to avoid buying your laptop from sites like Craigslist or Ebay as you will likely have no guarantee of the quality of the product.
Remember that the availability of specific laptop models may vary over time, so it's a good practice to regularly check these sources for the latest deals.
In conclusion, refurbished laptops present an excellent opportunity to own high-quality devices without breaking the bank. By considering reputable sources, warranty options, and your specific needs, you can find the best refurbished laptop deals that cater to your technology requirements.
Can't afford a new computer? Buy a laptop now, pay later.
Abigail Gibson
Sunday 16th of September 2018
I really like this tip savers article as I am looking for a laptop for my nephew. Thanks a bunch!
wen budro
Sunday 16th of September 2018
Those are some great ideas for buying a laptop on a budget. I've been curious about buying a refurbished laptop.