Should I buy a used laptop? 6 things to note when buying a used laptop

Whether or not you should buy a used laptop is a concern of many people. Some people think that this is a bargain to own high-configuration machines at cheap prices. But there are also people who say you shouldn't buy it because you're afraid of buying poor quality computers. To find the answer, let's refer to the following article with TipsMake.

Should I buy a used laptop?

To help you answer this question, let's take a look at TipsMake's reasons why you shouldn't miss out on old laptops:

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Why should you buy a used laptop?

When hearing about old laptops, many people often think of computers with slow, laggy configurations and a much worse appearance. But that is completely incorrect. 

In fact, if you know how to choose, you can own quality machines that are not inferior to new laptops at a much cheaper price. Because even if you buy a new laptop, when you take it out of the store, that laptop is still called a used laptop. 

Here are 3 main reasons to help you answer the question of whether you should buy a used laptop:

1. In terms of price, when buying a reputable used laptop, you will save a lot of money compared to buying a new one. There are used laptops that are only half the price of a new laptop from the same brand.
2. With the same price, when buying a used laptop you will have more choices to buy a beautiful, stylish and powerful laptop. Because there are many people who have only used a laptop for 1 or a few months, they stop using it and buy another computer.
3. Just like when buying a new device, buying a used device also comes with a warranty . Even the warranty policy of used laptop selling establishments is flexible, long-term and has many other incentives. This depends on whether you choose a reputable unit or not.

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Risks that may occur when buying a used laptop

Although there are many advantages and are often chosen by users, if you do not choose carefully, you will easily encounter the following risks when buying a used laptop:

1. Buying machines that have had their components changed from unreliable stores. Genuine components will be replaced with other components and this will affect the quality of use of the machine.
2. If you are not tech-savvy, it is very difficult to detect whether the device has a system error from the previous user or not. If you only focus on checking external things like keyboards, screens, etc., it's easy to buy defective machines.
3. When buying new laptops, you can easily compare the prices of selling points to choose to buy at the cheaper unit. But old laptops are not easy and you can easily buy a device with a price higher than its real value.

For example, the same Dell core i3 but the price can be millions of dong different. This difference depends on the time of use, the integrity of the components, the errors the laptop encounters, etc.

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So the market divides used laptops into 3 types:

1. A laptop that has just been purchased from the store and even if it has never been used, is still called a used laptop. So the price is not too different from the new purchase price.
2. Type 2 are laptops that have been used for a few months so the price is 3,000,000 - 5,000,000 cheaper than buying new.
3. Type 3 are used machines for research purposes and technician testing. These laptops cost only ⅓ of the original new purchase price. 

Criteria when choosing an old laptop

Just like buying a new computer, choosing to buy a used laptop is also very important so you don't have to lose money.

There are 2 important criteria you should not ignore:

1. Usage needs

Which brand of laptop should I buy ? Depending on your needs, you can choose a laptop brand that meets the criteria for work and study:

1. If you just want a laptop for studying and office work, basic laptops from ASUS, Dell, Lenovo,. are the right choice.
2. If you love hot games and want to have great experiences when entertaining, choose models like Macbook, MSI, ASUS Gaming,. 
3. If you are a programmer, you should choose higher-end laptops such as Dell XPS 15, Macbook Pro MF839LL or workstation lines from HP, Dell, Lenovo. These are all models with large, Full HD screens with extremely powerful configurations.
4. If you are a graphic designer, the criteria when choosing an old laptop must be kept in mind such as: Large screen, Full HD; Video card, CPU and RAM (minimum DDR3 capacity 8G),.

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2. Operating system

On the market today there are many operating systems used for personal computers. These include Windows, Linux, Steam OS, Chrome OS, SkyOS, Ubuntu, Fedora, Solaris, Syllable,. Among them, the 3 most commonly used operating systems are Windows, MacOS and Linux. 

1. Windows is an operating system oriented towards entertainment tasks or meeting office work needs with a massive application store and high adaptability to many computer lines on the market today.
2. MACOS is a component of Apple's closed ecosystem. Choosing MacOS, you can be completely assured about the security of personal information as well as the ability to optimize very well with devices from Apple. Thereby providing smooth and stable operation.
3. If you do work related to programming, the open source Linux operating system is the most suitable choice. You can easily change and repair but still ensure high security.

Things to note when buying a used laptop

What should you keep in mind when buying a used laptop ? When buying a used laptop, you should not only care about the appearance of the device. If you are not tech savvy, ask a relative to come with you to make sure you buy a quality device.

Basically you should pay attention to the following points:

1. Computer screen, speakers.
2. Hard drive, configuration.
3. USB jack, headphone and microphone jack, 3G, mouse,.
4. Check the device's battery and charger.
5. Keyboard,…

Here are some things to note when buying a used laptop that you should not ignore:

General check of laptop

Make sure that the device has a sturdy exterior and edges , without scratches, dents, or peeling. If the laptop is exposed or has cracks, you should not buy it. Because it may have been bumped, broken, or had the hardware inside replaced.

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Then proceed to check peripheral devices such as VGA, HDMI, USB ports, headphone and microphone jacks, etc. This helps you confirm that the device is still working or has received the device and screws. whether the screw is synchronized or not.

Try opening and closing the device a few times to feel the connection level of the hinge with the screen and body. If the connection is too loose or too firm, it will not be good and will affect the use of the machine. 

Finally, make sure the company's stamp is intact. 

Check information and laptop configuration

No matter what purpose you buy a laptop for, the most important thing is that the device's configuration must be suitable for the price. 

If the laptop uses non-genuine hardware devices, CPU chips, and peripheral connection ports, it may cause the laptop to not operate at its full capacity. Thereby affecting your work performance.

To fully check the device configuration information, you can follow these steps:

1. Step 1: Right-click My Computer > Properties to check information about the operating system, CPU speed, and RAM.
2. Step 2: Right-click My Computer > Manage > Disk Management to check the hard drive capacity. Typical laptops will have a hard drive capacity of 250GB and actual display ~ 233GB.
3. Step 3: Select the Start button > Run > Type: 'dxdiag' to see more information about RAM, graphics card, sound card, etc.

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Check laptop battery

When testing the device, to check the device's battery life accurately, do not plug it in and only use the device's battery. 

One tip that TipsMake wants to show you is to find the Battery Monitor software and save it to a separate USB, bring it with you when you go to check your device. This software helps you more easily test your computer by calculating and graphing the discharge level of the laptop battery. 

Check the screen and speakers

One thing that almost always happens with old laptops is dead pixels on the LCD screen. There are 2 types of dead spots:

1. Dead pixel: This means that the computer is always black in all cases, no matter what color the laptop screen is.
2. Stuck pixels : This means that even if you turn off the laptop, the screen will always be bright white.

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So, turn on your laptop and immediately check the screen of the laptop you plan to buy with these 2 steps:

1. First, adjust the brightness up and down and check the brightness, sharpness of the laptop and whether the 4 corners of the screen are blurry.
2. Switch the screen to a white screen to see if the screen has black spots or unclear black spots or bright spots.

Test keyboard & mouse

The only way to test your device's keyboard is to try typing a piece of text using all the keyboards on your device. This method helps you check whether the keyboard has any buttons disabled, whether the keys are sensitive or not, and whether the key bounce is still good.

Click on all files on the screen with both left and right. Use multiple tabs at the same time and move the mouse frequently to check if the mouse is frozen or lagging.

Warranty information

As mentioned in the first part, even if you buy a used laptop, you will still have the same warranty as when you buy a new laptop. Many people rely on the warranty to choose a suitable laptop for themselves. 

The greater the number of months of warranty will partly show the reputation of the seller and the quality of the used laptop. Because no matter how carefully you check, you cannot be sure that the laptop will not have errors.

Epilogue

Hopefully the information TipsMake shared above will help you answer the question of whether you should buy a used laptop or not. If you have any more ways when choosing to buy a used laptop, please share with TipsMake!

Jessica Tanner

Update 10 October 2023