BlogICT equipment
Refurbished vs new equipment
By Kennedy Ougo, Senior ICT Consultant 1 min read
Refurbished business-grade equipment can be good value — if it has a warranty, a known condition and years of support left.
Refurbished computers and network equipment can stretch a limited budget. The key is knowing what you are buying.
Prefer business-grade models
Business laptops, desktops and switches are built for longer service and have better parts availability than consumer models.
Check the warranty
A reputable refurbisher offers a meaningful warranty. Avoid "as is" equipment for important roles.
Check remaining support life
Make sure the hardware will still receive operating system and security updates for the period you plan to use it.
Check condition
Battery health on laptops, storage health, screen condition and missing accessories all matter. Ask for test reports.
Where refurbished fits
Standard office roles, training rooms, test environments and spare units are good candidates. Critical servers and core network equipment usually justify new equipment with full support.
Wipe and set up properly
Treat refurbished devices exactly like new ones: fresh installation, encryption, protection and registration.
See our equipment supply.
About the author
Kennedy Ougo
Senior ICT Consultant
Kennedy Ougo writes about ICT project delivery, equipment deployment and intelligent transport systems.