Refurbished parts ...

[Puke-N-Snot]

For the other builders out there, I haven't really seen any one mention in their build post anything about refurbished parts.
So I'm wondering if anyone besides myself uses them when doing builds?
I really only suggest refurnished part to client whom are building low to medium low end PC ( you know the ones whom are really trying to get blood from a stone, I did do a build recently when I used 2 refreshed gtx 660 ti for clients SLI since he really wanted SLI but spent his wad on RAM & SSD ). And it's always their decision @ the end.

I know I've build over 25 builds with some sort refurbished equipment, maybe a Mombo, PSU, GPU, even HD's (I've never RAM). Some times just 1 piece sometimes 2 or 3, well you get the drift

So ..

 

[Puke-N-Snot]

Hmm, interesting would have thought this thread might have lead into some discussion on the subject.
Would have liked to have feed back from the 1 voter of "Are you nuts? No way in he....... " to have heard if he/she had a bad experience with refurb or just something he/she doesn't believe in

 

[Cloakedsphere]

Ive used refurbished parts for my computer. They are cheaper by a long shot. No real issues and the refurbished part has lasted me 3 years so far. So I say its worth it.

 

[reflex99]

I go through a lot of parts, so naturally I have had some refurb ones over the years.

some of them are just as good as new, others are terrible. It is hard to know.

 

[Cloakedsphere]

I go through a lot of parts, so naturally I have had some refurb ones over the years.

some of them are just as good as new, others are terrible. It is hard to know.

This. Its always a long shot going for refurbished parts though.

I wish I had the money to buy some great - brand spankin' new parts.

 

[Puke-N-Snot]

Just to be clear, I'm talking about "Certified Refurbished" parts & not "used" parts that I or others might have laying around.

I've only had 1 refurb part fail @ a faster then should be rate & that was a PSU which failed 15 days after the build & was still under the refurbish warranty.

 

[Snipeye]

This is my issue with certified refurbs (and tech parts in general, new or used):

You never really know how long they'll last. To be fair, usually, you'll have the majority work or last just fine (>3 years in my opinion). Other's not as along, but still good (1-3 years); and then you have the crap parts (<1 year). Those are the parts that get sent back to the manufacturer, repaired or fixed, and then resold at a discount. Problem is: the warranty covering them have been cut by 75% from 1 year to 3 months.

This is where a person makes a decision, a perceptive decision: Are you a half full or half empty kind of person? Half-full, you would reason: the issue with the part was fixed by the manufacturer, almost like a second inspection. So there's now no need for such a longer warranty because the problems with it has been fixed.

Half-empty: This product is just more liable now to fail or break on me, so they really should keep or extend the warranty. I can buy an extended warranty, but that defeats the purpose of the discount so I'm not getting as much of a value buy on this anymore.

It's always the owners decision and personal preference over whether or not to use refurbished, even certified refurbished, parts. Depending on the vendor, certified parts can be just as reliable as brand new parts (for better or worse). However, I have had some parts die or quit on me longer than what a a refurb's limited warranty will cover. And to be honest, if I'm building a kick ass, or even a valued kick ass, computer, my basis and budget will be based on brand new parts. Refurbished has never been an option for me, especially when buying online.

Now, I will consider refurbished products elsewhere, but for that, I require to be able to inspect the product myself before paying, which is something I don't get the chance to on newegg. So for anything but technology in general, I say it's up to you to go for a refurb (especially if you can inspect it before purchasing), but if buying online, I will warn you to stay away based on my personal experience, build calculations, and warranties.

 

[runo]

I agree with what's been said above. I think that refurbs are a gamble and I personally try to avoid them myself, purely because you're potentially paying more in the long run if a refurb craps out on you early and you have to replace it.

 

[pillar]

Exactly, for me its all bout the warranty life. If I can get something with at least a 1 year warranty (depending upon the item), then I def dont mind spending more $$ for the reassurance of the warranty that its backed with. Besides, the longer the warranty is, the more likely you will have a consumer to purchase it.

Theres only been 1 instance where I really had no choice. I had some work done on my car last year & had to get a loan to pay off the repair (still paying off the loan as we speak). Just wanted to bring this topic up to help give people some perspective.

I would say the only way imho that the item is worth it is the price. If the price makes the warranty seems like itll be worth it, then I will consider buying it, but I will definitely do quite a bit of research into it.

 

[Muffs]

I got my gtx 460 refurbished maybe a year and a half ago still works as good as the day I got it. It's the luck of the draw I guess.

 

[Puke-N-Snot]

Now there's the discussion I was looking forward to.
I'll address Snipeye's post since it contains the most info in it.

It's always the owners decision and personal preference over whether or not to use refurbished, even certified refurbished, parts. Depending on the vendor, certified parts can be just as reliable as brand new parts (for better or worse). However, I have had some parts die or quit on me longer than what a a refurb's limited warranty will cover. And to be honest, if I'm building a kick ass, or even a valued kick ass, computer, my basis and budget will be based on brand new parts. Refurbished has never been an option for me, especially when buying online.

Indeed it is as I stated in my original post, it's their machine therefore always their call.
I also agree I don't suggest "refurb" for people wanting a Kick as or "Valued" based kick ass rig (but if a client ask then I'm obliged to move a head).

I don't agree with anyone that suggest purchasing gear is some type of "wild west crap shoot" rather it be New or Refurb. If you do you homework, look into the Vendors & manufactures "luck" should be a little part of the equation.

Thanks for the conversation