Is buying refurbished smart or asking for trouble?
For office work fine, if from a serious vendor with warranty and a clean OS install. The trap is shady marketplace listings.
Try this first
- 1Only buy from a vendor giving at least 12 months warranty. A legitimate Windows licence is enough, it doesn't have to be brand new. A valid refurb licence via a Microsoft-authorized refurbisher is fine.
- 2Ask about battery health. A decent refurbisher reports remaining cycle capacity; below 80% is no bargain.
- 3A refurbished business-class laptop (2-3 year old enterprise line) is often more reliable than a new consumer laptop in the same price range.
- 4First steps: clear BIOS password, clean Windows install, TPM check. No prior admin lingering anywhere.
When to bring us in
Unsure about a specific vendor or older series? Send us the model, we say whether we would take it under management ourselves.
See also
- Should we buy or lease laptops as a 5-person company?Both work. Lease is predictable but pricier over the term; buying needs cash and your own depreciation. The difference is mostly admin.
- How much RAM and SSD for office work in 2026?Rule of thumb for knowledge work: 16 GB RAM and 512 GB SSD as a comfortable minimum. 8 GB already feels tight; 32 GB is for heavy tools.
- What is a reasonable laptop budget per role?Prices shift yearly, but the ratios hold. Three tiers cover most SMBs. Hardware vendors gladly send a role-based advice sheet.
None of the above fits?
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Or skip the DIY entirely
Our Managed IT clients do not look these things up. One point of contact, a fixed monthly price, resolved within working hours.