Stop Buying These Used Computers
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 3 ก.ค. 2023
- Stop Buying These Used Computers
So many people buy old office computers on the recommendation of TH-camrs. Stop and do your research before you waste your money. There are some great deals out there where you can buy better alternatives with better upgrade path, windows 11 support, better performance and much more.
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Correction: My mistake, Windows 11 is compatible on the i5 8500, I was talking about the i5 5600 and made a mistake. My apologies, added a caption correction in video at the point of mistake. But this mistake does not change the results and point of the video.
That was a nice looking white case for only £34.99. Can you tell us where you found that one please? I've been trying to source affordable cases for old rebuilds (free parts used, wherever possible) and this looks good value.
Your a right I would get alot of value building my own Desktop or buying a New High End Laptop and saving up all of my money.
Also I'm not a gamer I like to use Virtual Machines and play some roms I don't download steam though.
Minimum CPU to run Win 11 is Intel i3 8100 and AMD R5 2600😊
yep it is compatible
For most people these machines for under £100 are a good option if they dont want to play the latest games.
The cost of a windows licence should also be considered for a self build as should the the process of building the system and installing windows.
Got probably 30 or more second hand PC empty cases with the license sticker on them for about 5 euro a piece.
Anyway those old and cheap machines already have a Windows 7,8,10 license embedded in the motherboard.
I'm still running three identical Optiplex 790 towers. 16gb ram, i7-2600 and a GTX-1660 Super. They're ancient but still do everything I ask of them.
As far as comparable systems for Windows 11, for the most part Microsoft is artificially limiting the ability to install it on older systems. They would rather you buy a new system vs upgrading.
There are installation workarounds, but the performance of the integrated graphics is the main killer, when it comes to as little as the demands of the internet.
@@charlessmyth I don't know about that but I know that 1080p TH-cam works fine with the integrated video of a i5 2400. If it struggles, it means the motherboard is not really compatible with the CPU even if it is saying it is or it has some hidden damage either in the motherboard or in the CPU itself.
Google "tiny11 windows". I installed it on my children's haswell/ivy bridge i7's months ago, and its worked a charm.
Linux is better
I bought a HP Elite Desk 800 G2 off amazon. Out of the box it looked brand new apart from a very slight mark on the side. The inner workings were very clean, too. I upgraded the RAM, SDD x 2 and added Lan wireless, reinstalled Win10 and it works perfectly. Spent less than £250.
£250 for a HP Elite Desk 800 G2 is way to much. Get them for around £90
@@Britec09 I didnt pay 250 for the Mini PC. I spent the extra on upgrading to 32gb RAM, 1TB PCIe, SSD and gen6 wireless.
Thanks for sharing, sometimes you get a good deal and most of the time, people don't. Glad it worked out for you, as long as your happy, thats all that matters..
@@Britec09 Ya
@@Britec09 instead of optiplexes, what about the precision workstations? the refurbished ones. aren't they more reliable than optiplexes? which means there is a good chance you'll get a good system.
If you're not into gaming you don't need to add a graphics card which also means you don't need to upgrade the power supply.
I think you're overlooking us hobbyists who upgrade older computers simply because we like doing it. I went crazy with an OptiPlex 7010 SFF (the GPU is worth more than the rest of the PC combined) and had a blast doing it. It runs modern software handily (ignore the benchmarks, they don't tell the whole story) and I can play my AAA games from my Steam library when I'm in the mood.
I think there's still a lot of value (for the right user) in an old Dell 9030 with a i7-4790 for under $100. Also, I've been looking to buy an old Dell tower recently and the most important thing I've learned is the difference in CPU's with different letters at the end of the model number. For instance, there is a significant difference between an i7-6700T, i7-6700, and i7-6700K.
I agree, USA have cheaper prices. But I am talking about UK, but i7-4790 is obsolete in 2025, where as the Ryzen is not.
T is low power, no letter is standard, K is unlocked. To add one F is no IGPU. Good luck on your journey :D.
These pcs will still make a good office box.
it doesn't matter if it's older or not, but it's not obsolete. you are still able to play a lot of modern games paring an i7-4790 with a nvidia gtx1080. you can sitll play call of duty warzone above 1080p with 60fps. even so, even the most play games/most popular games in the world an i7-4790 + gtx1650 (without psu modding) can handle easily: minecraft, grand theft auto V, pubg battlegrounds, CSGO, league of legends. roblox, fortnite.
a $150 (optiplex with i7-4790, gtx1650 4gb, 16gb ddr3, 500gb SSD) setup can most of these games out there
I'm still running a i7-2600 and it works fine for my needs. Admittedly, most of my Steam library is older games or games that don't need a lot of resources but I have a few FPS games in there and they run fine. I've never done any testing but the 2600 and GTX1660 seem to play nice with each other.
Windows 11 proccesor requirement is 8th gen and above
What about an operating system for Win 11? This is essentially a new computer so you presumably have to buy a new key.
For someone who needs a pc for everyday use. This is the best cheapest way to buy used. But I get your point.
But you can buy new for the price of these used ones in the UK
@@Britec09 uh, i don't see the point either, you will never get a I7 with decent specs for the price you can get one, but that's your biased windows user's logic, imagine spending hundreds on a PC that you just need for the web, youtube and emails, and playing solitaire.
>but muh viruses
you use windows.
if you just need a computer to do the basics, why use windows? its expensive, privacy violating, and bloated. almost any Linux distro will run quick and snappy, even on old hardware. its free, respects your privacy, and no random non-consentual updates.
As someone who supports disabled people with IT I have a somewhat different take on this. The first thing to do is to work out what you want the damned thing for. Next you find the cheapest software to do those tasks (subject to usability, personal taste etc.). That gives you the minimum spec for the system. Then you just need to find a machine with those (or better) specifications. We use Linux (a lot), it has equivalent software for all the tasks we are asked for and it is all free. Some clients wish to use specific commercial software, others wish to use software they already know, we have a couple of people using Lotus Smart Suite (circa 1997), mostly for the word processor and the organiser and I am still using Paint Shop Pro 7, also over twenty years old and still doing a very good job handling the tasks I have. The box itself is just a tool to allow you to do something, the spec is only relevant if it affects what you are trying to get done. Modern machines are often sub-optimal, for example the fashionable reduced height screens (AKA 'widescreen' but they aren't, look at the IBM Thinkpad range, all the same physical width but the newer models have a third of the screen lopped off). Those reduced height screens are a total pain when working on documents or spreadsheets so you end up adding a whacking great desk monitor or give up and buy a box. Finding a decent keyboard these days is not easy, we have some that are 20+ years old and still going strong but finding one with a built-in pointing device is difficult (the old KeyCat was a personal favourite, although I did duplicate the buttons on the side of the keyboard to avoid having to stretch my hand). The scratch pad is okay for the average consumer user but I wouldn't like to try using one for actual productive work. The best (IMHO) option was the old IBM trackpoint, difficult to use for the first month but after that you wouldn't go back to a mouse. Sadly Levono have taken the 'shoddy' route so I cannot recommend their keyboards (as with most modern keyboards lettering wears off, micro-usb connectors fail and require fiddling etc.). We needed an A4 tablety type device for a writer to work on whilst traveling and the cheapest was a refurb Microsoft item, we had to partition the drive to dual-install Linux but it works and for £300 it wasn't a bad buy. For gamers it is of course a different matter, at the moment we rely on cloud computing to provide enough power for a lot of it but eventually they'll make boxes that can handle the load and eventually those will appear second hand. I might even buy one as by then I'll be retired and have some spare time to try gaming myself.
Thanks Brian. Post more of these build-your-own computer videos on the cheap from used parts. With you choosing the components, it takes the guesswork out.
My daughter's computer has i7 2600 overclocked at 4GHz (motherboard can do that even if it is not a "K" CPU), GTX 1070, 16GB DDR3. It is gaming great. I can build her a 10th gen or 13th gen at any given time but there's really no need since she's using it for school, Fortnite, Genshin Impact and alike. Last time I used W11 (on my computer) I got some glitches in games so for now we still use W10.
You have to watch out for the Dell systems as the power supply connector to the motherboard are often propriety so you can't just buy any old PSU for them.
All propriety parts
I won't say never buy a Dell, but pay accordingly given that you can't easily swap out the PSU as you'd like.
Some models do use standard power supplies, some have adapters available, and some just do not.
24 pin to 8 pin adapter is about $3 with free shipping 😂
@@JustinGeekNerd Or you can take the connector from the old PSU and put it on the new PSU for free after looking up the diagram or figuring it out with a multimeter.
I'm a big believer in these system - with some caveats. The notebooks and Lenovo Tiny are the best deals. For the most part, if you stick with 8th Gen processors and above, you should be OK. These are commercial products and more likely than not, will have the TPM. Forget about anything other than casual gaming. These systems are designed for office tasks and internet.
There is still a lot on the plus side for the right person. User and service manuals are readily available. Driver support usually lasts for close to the lifetime of the device and the hardware is better. At 8th Gen or above, I would recommend an off-lease device over a cheap Acer any day.
If you DO want to game on a refurbished off-lease machine, you will want a workstation. These are desktops with Xeon (server) processors. It will take some research but there is a community out there.
you're 100% right. However in your list, you forgot to add the cost of the CPU cooler. Any decent air-based cooler is going to cost around $50 USD. I should also mention that most people want to build a PC but do not have the expertise to put it together. I typically charge $200-$300 USD depending on the complexity of the build. I would have mentioned this is all contingent on the basis that they have the expertise to put it all together because if they don't, its going to cost a minimum of at least $100 USD to get professional assistance with a build.
cheap stock coolers are adequate for majority of peopIe 99% of the time. a ryzen 3600 doesnt need a 50 dollar cooler
@@scamdem1c Is there a 'stock' cooler for a custom build? Either way, any cooler will have a value that should be included in the total cost.
@@JamesCampbellPPG low tdp cpus come with stock coolers by default most of the time. you pay for it the moment you buy the cpu. stock coolers are often very cheap people end up thinking theyre free
The problem with building am4 these days is the motherboards keep going up in price. I bought an asrock b550 pro m-arc mobo in 2021 for $69.99. Today that same motherboard used goes for $90+. That’s why people turn to these prebuilts they think that they’re actually getting a deal
in my country ASROCK B550M PRO4 costs 125$
Thanks for sharing your thoughts. I agree with you about future proofing for Windows 11. This also has to be considered for gaming as well as newer games require more modern graphics and processors. Currently I've upgraded my systems to Intel 8 gen series CPUs as I didn't find any reason to buy 9th gen. Recently I picked up 2 I7-8700 cpus as 4 cores just doesn't fit well anymore. Keep up the good work.
No, don't fall for it at all. What sellers do is remove insulation that is between the motherboard and the case to sabotage the computer. When you go and upgrade it, there is an electrostatic discharge that fries the motherboard and since there is no warranty on used computers, you will be left with electronic waste. It's best to get used computers locally from a trusted IT technician, never online.
I can confirm this! Recently I bought an Optiplex 3020 and a Optiplex 7070 both computers died after I tried to upgrade the Ram and the video card. $800 flushed down the Effing toilet!
genuine question. what incentive would they have to do this?
I agree that old Optiplex systems aren't great for gaming, but for SOHO systems, they're fantastic. I've got customers still using 7010 mid towers and slim towers that I deployed 11-12 years ago. I also had a customer that bought a mid tower Optiplex (I believe it was a 7020) as a "gaming system" that had an old lower end graphics card in it. The power supply hadn't been upgraded and the original had given out. I did get it going on an upgraded power supply, but it wasn't much of a gamer. That said, refurbished Optiplex and Latitude systems with (Windows 11 supported) 8th gen core CPUs are getting very reasonable on eBay here in the USA. They're great systems for normal users and I'll happily deploy them for my customers. Thanks for the video.
the real problem is GPU's prices
I picked up Dell Prevision T3610 with a Xeon E5-1650 V2. It has 48GB of Quad channel memory, had a 256GB SSD. I've since added a GTX 1070. It cost me the same as you paid for your CPU, Motherboard and RAM. I also had a Quadro GPU I could sell from it and made back £30.
The machine comes with extensive cooling, is extremely well build and I can upgrade to an event faster CPU and Windows 10 goes EOL in two years.
The power supply us 750w gold. More than I'll even need. It's hard for me to justify paying double for just 20% more single performance and a much slower graphics card.
Gee, it seems like the big problem is Windows 11.🥵
Who'd have thought it, hey?
Good tips and alternatives. Thank you Brian.
You're welcome!
I bought the Dell Optiplex 5060 SFF with 8th gen Intel i7 8700, 16GB RAM, 512GB SSD, Windows 10 Pro for just over $300 and it was in perfect shape with no dings or scratches. I upgraded RAM to 64 GB, AMD RX 6400 graphics card with 4 GIGs of ram, 1 gig of Samsung 980 Pro SSD NVME, USB 3.0 expansion card, SD card reader and that is my new fast computer which you can upgrade to Windows 11 because 8th gen CPU, TPM 2.0 module, UEFI bios which qualifies this computer. Optiplexes are fine if you buy the one that at least has the i7 8700 cpu. I'm pretty happy with it and is what I bought before this video came out. Now my new DELL sff fits right underneath my monitor for a compact thrill.
i remember years ago when I started working on a graphics company, it was populated with macs G4s, that were just not adapted to the task of editing relatively high res photos and handling them in OSX. also the handling of this was just awful.
I had enough, I spoke to my boss «But that would mean something bigger, we just don't have the budget.»
I went down the street to a shop that was selling refurb'd office PCs and found myself a Dell Optiplex for about 150€. about 2 gig of RAM, some ATI Radeon, and a rather beefy P4. haven't been even looking at the specs much but that was neat.
installed adobe CS2 on it, copy the files from the G4, I finished the editing of my camera's memory card, multitasking between photoshop and xpress again. I still have that machine somewhere, gotta see how i can upgrade it.
so yes, it is generally a good deal.
That is a bit silly being made to pay for a windows license, when 11 was basically hacked to run on that hardware. They aught to give buyers a "no OS" option to save a little money.
These are quite still useful as second pcs or suit for home server purpose. They run proxmox fine and you can do few vms for example you can run a truenas with some hard drives or cheap ssds, or you can run pfsense and upgrade your crap modem. Even if "not supported and compatible on windows 11" (even works on a core 2 duo, slow but works) these pcs have still something to say, of course not buy them as gaming pcs or workstations
very informative thanks🎉
Glad it was helpful!
I get a laugh out of people on Craigslist here in the states, putting computers like those for sale as "vintage" and thinking they're worth real money.
Thanks, I needed that.
Glad I could help
I haven't build a new computer in a long time, but I bought new motherboard +CPU + RAM combos and reused my case. The new mini PCs look like they might also be an option.
I’m an outlier as I prefer the restrained minimalist styling. I like to build Holo ISO systems in these cases, or use them for Hackintoshes in their stock format. They can also be used as a NAS or NVR, and when you’re ready the Sandy Bridge to Haswell platforms make decent sleepers.
I prefer windowless, RGBless cases which are a lot harder to find these days. I find these new designs childish and distracting.
@leonidas14775 plenty cases without rgb. Personally I live the corsair 4/5/7000d airflow cases. There's plenty mesh front and non mesh front cases without rgb these days. My 7000D airflow is black and I've built a blacked out build. Looks amazing IMO
I've always preferred the non-flashy utilitarian cases. I absolutely loathe bright colors, RGB, logos, and all that crap. It's a PC not a fucking sports car!
I got one recently. It has an intel i5-6500, 16gb of ram, and a 256gb ssd. It works really well and looks good too. I can get a low profile gpu to put in it and it'll become a decent gaming rig. I just have to be careful with not overloading the 180W power supply.
you may try i5-7500, why not i7 even.... if bios support it. 8500 will not work on 1xx shitsets - 8xxx and 9xxx series need 3xx shitsets
Some of the refurbers are now installing 11 as standard on non-11 capable machines. Basically the previous generation or two that missed out but still have TPM2 etc. I just got a 16GB 250GB SSD Latitude 7480 with 11 Pro installed for £150. I rebuilt it with 10 for now.
I had a 3rd gen intel system i built in 2013, it lasted a good 7 years but was getting long in the tooth for gaming and that was even overclocked with the top CPU. I would avoid those older ones these days. But the 8th gen are starting to pop up used. one thing is some of the OEMs have started using propriety PSUs again so you need to check that.
how about the perks of older tech? that's my thing at the moment. if it's for some old offline games, photo editing software, music creation and the likes - and if upgrading is optional depending on the age of the gear - would be very welcome. got a feeling my asus all-in-one is a little older than 2018 - but it doesn't matter, there's an OS for older gear out there and while some of it is a bit of a learning curve, it can be fun aswell as educational.
turning a £20 laptop into a dvd player has been fun though - seriously recommend it for the tech-curious 👍
These older office pc's and servers are great for running virtual machines. Many of them come with decent graphics cards.
You just have to add storage drives and more memory. They are not so obselete as he claims.
yeah but the guy is a PC salesperson who feels threatened by cheap, widely available machines, and cry «oh but you will need windows 11 now»
people are tech illiterate as a majority.
As an experience custom builder (20+yrs) I agree IF alluding to gamers and builders...
Considering the time and effort of shopping and building one I would do not agree if a person is looking for a small business computer...
I would respectfully disagree - it depends what you're doing. My mum is happily (for 5-6 years) using a Lenovo PC with 3d gen chip I bought on EBay for probably around $150. The operating system alone would have cost me more. Just swapped a HDD into SSD for about $50-70 and added some RAM (another $25).
Amen brother, you are absolutely right don't buy office PCs instead build your own for better price to performance.
A good thing about these very common ex business computers is that Windows 10 Pro run incredibly well on them. With thousands of these being used by big corporations any W10 problems are going to be fixed pretty darned quickly. I used to have a HP Elite 8300 desktop PC and apart from being a little noisy ran like a dream.
They do run well, but they are over priced.
@@Britec09 in my opinion the reason its overprice is because of econimic problems same as in 3rd world
when they lie once its no sale , when they lie a dozen times its a leave that site and tell your friends its a scam
Its a big scam that people get sucked into from TH-cams who tell people its a great gaming pc which actually cost more than a new system
You seem to think everyone is playing games on computers. I'll suggest the possibility that many of us are not. Ergo, those "surplus" computers as you like to call them are quite adequate for our needs.
I never said anything about office use, but ask yourself this, why would buy used when you can buy new for nearly the same price?
Older PCs are ok if they're in good condition, but age alone affects them, so even if they haven't had much use, the age still affects it.
Linux certainly gives old hardware new life again, even though it's not actually making the PC faster.
was about to post that. not everyone wants a PC for playoing frotnight or some newest game that requires a new GPU, a decently priced dell/HP will do the job just fine for web/work/creative stuff.
that's why i generally grab even an old but very cheap PC and upgrade it to Linuxmint, and my customers love them.
I don't understand how we get around the cost of the OS license. It really makes the older pre-builts more attractive.
Thank you for the video.
I don't always agree with you, probably because I am in the U.S., but I enjoy your videos and appreciate your thoughts on many matters.
You don't have to agree with me, but be respectful in how you disagree and its fine. Most people don't know how to respond in comments and come across rude or arrogant. Debating is great when done in a civil manner, also I do get things wrong, I am only human.
@@Britec09 I would not be disrespectful. I'm too old for that (60+).
Like I said, I enjoy your topics and opinions.
Did you add in the price of an operating system? I know the Dells tend to come with an OEM (or even a Volume version if you are unlucky), however, it is activated. Some people don't like the grey market, but that's another £17-£25. Over £100 if you want genuine Home retail. More for Pro.
I do agree that the old Dells are not the answer most people are looking for, but I think that there are more important reasons not to buy them over cost. If your kid needs to get online to do their home work and watch TH-cam, then they aren't that bad and you're saving them from landfill. 🤷♂
Why is it unlucky to get a Volume Licensed version of Windows? They're literally all the same once installed.
Hi i get so confused with all the different CPU's and graphic cards and also motherboards specially with all the numbers and letters they have. i have been looking to see what is the best budget PC to run oculus rift the old version, but i look and i still have no idea what i am looking at. i have on my PC at the moment a 1051 Ti graphic card AMD Ryzen 3 1200 Quad-Core Processor 3.10 GHz also runs on windows 10 4-bit operating system, x64-based processor and 16gb of Ram, 120GB SSD and a 1TB hard drive external. it play some VR games on it but some just struggled and now some of the USB 3 ports keep disconnecting. the pc is is about 8 years old now and it is still working well for other things like playing games on steam and general use. the pc as always been on most days for 15 hours at a time as i like browsing. if you have any advice as to what to look for i would appreciate you help. i have often thought about having ago at building one but is it easy to build a pc as it looks complicated mainly because of making sure everything works together and you don't but something in that is going to conflict with the other items. well thank you for this video as i was looking myself and i am pleased that i did see this.
Thank you for this explanation
You are welcome!
Worst thing about these computers is they are sold with an i5 or i3, if it was at the very least a 4th gen i7 I would say there is something to consider as long as the price is very cheap (no more than 50$ usd) and it is expected to hold up for no more than 2 years, 3 years tops, and on win10.
Btw, any parts for the upgrade should be viable for a future more current build (mainly nvme, psu, gpu) so you are not actually losing as much as you think.
I purchased HP office PC with Intel 8700 8gigs of ram and simple 128 gigs of nvme. That was about 20k yen or 110 pounds. In addition I actually purchased a wifi+by card combo and antenna, a pair of ram 16 gigs to replace the 8 gigs, rtx a2000 6 gigs, and 1tb nvme which in total came to about 70k yen or 380 pounds, no power supply or adapter or anything else required, and I have a nice small form factor, very well working PC for the summer because my main with 12600k and rtx 3080 outputs a ton of heat...
It really depends on what you're going to use them for. As you said, if you're going to use it as a modern gaming machine, then there might be better options out there (like used gaming machines which already have a GPU in it). And it depends on what types of games you want to play. Price is always an issue and as you said, no use spending $200 when you have to add another $150 for upgraded parts when you can buy most of it new.
I like some of the old dell office machines in an USFF as they're great for small projects - like HTPCs, MAME gaming machines, guitar effects units, jukeboxes etc. A lot of these don't require the latest greatest CPU and will work perfectly fine.
One thing you mentioned that will be a ready concern is that it may be hit and miss whether Windows 11 will run on it at all. You could run Linux, but that's only if whatever your intentions for it are, that there's a Linux app that can be run on it for your project. Fortunately, for HTPCs and MAME machines there's Linux versions for that type of software.
They run minecraft 😂
0:28 it is compatable with windows 11, intel 8 gen and above are compatable with windows 11
I totally agree with your argument against buying a 3rd-7th Gen Intel anything with the thought of upgrading it to a game computer. On the other hand I do purchase 6th and 7th Gen HP mini desktops for $100 USD or less on eBay to run Linux much like a Raspberry Pi but much more powerful. There is no worry about the Windows 10 death spiral. Conversely, I never intended to game on the cheapo Linux machines either. Headless or desktop these machines have a brilliant integrated graphics display for viewing web based applications. I like your solution for the Ryzen 5 3600 gaming build which will indeed handle many more games than the older Dell business machines, even when upgraded. Good job!
Even brand new Dell's are used. Had to open up my son's computer to change out RAM. Everything in the case had a sticker on it that said refurbished. Dell XPS 8300 bought brand new. My mother bought a Dell Alienware a couple years ago. I cleaned it out and the same thing, all of the stuff in it had a refurbished sticker on the RAM, HardDrive, and GPU. These were suppose to be brand new.
The one thing no one is talking about is cooling,the office computers are not made for gaming.The motherboards and powersupplies are not made to handle the wattage and are only updatable with manufactures parts.
Hi, what do you think about the GEEKOM mini PC.
Great VID. I think if you're looking for just a basic Office PC then these old Office Dells are fine if you're on a budget. If you are into gaming, then the AMD route is the better option with the graphics card. I'm really into the mini PCs for gaming (iGPU) and they are getting better (cooler) and more powerful but still a little costly.
I go for an Amazon renewed desktop for about 70 usd. I install Linux and put in my hdd drives and use it as a server in my home.
That will work
i bought one and im happy with it. im gonna upgrade it when gpu price drops off 80% in 5 years or so.
1. 850W power supply. Reputable OEM over label.
2. Modern AF cases. Do not cheap out.
3. a. Intel cpu mobo ram combo (without Graphics card)
b. either amd or intel cpu mobo ram combo( with Graphics card)
That would be my order of operations in tight financial conditions.
Some good advice that are there any website or companies where you would recommend buying pre-built systems from
Thanks
These Dell units have their place and should be aimed at non-gaming users, NOT gamers or even streamers. Anything older than 8th Gen Intel or a 1st Gen AMD isn't worth it these days, purely from a security and power efficiency perspective. Unfortunately, as a lot of offices and business clear out old PC equipment, this is flooding the market and thus creates an issue in itself. I personally would use these Dell units, BUT purely for Office based work or just as a Media Server. Otherwise, these old units are e-waste and materials from the unit should be recycled where possible. Also, not everyone wants to build a PC and you would have to add labour costs for a reputable computer shop to build it for you. Good video as always though.
About 2 weeks after I built a Ryzen based PC for gaming with W10 M$ released its plans for W11. Since that day I started my journey to using Linux on these older PCs and have absolutely no reason to use any M$ products again. Horsepower-wise my 4th generation I7 on an Optiplex 9020 and 7th generation I5 on an Optiplex 7050 is so much greater than many PCs sold as "W11 compatable" by online and big box retailers. I suppose what I am saying is that if you don't have to install W11 (why would you unless you don't know that there are many really good alternatives) and older PC will continue to be quite serviceable.
The PC shown above is better than the one I'm using and I'm perfectly happy with mine. It does videos, music, my email, runs my 5000 member group, simple games, and runs my household business needs. What more do you need. You're like the guy with a 1000 horsepower race car that is stuck in a traffic jam. You've got all this capacity, yet you can only use it at a minimal level.
Exactly! At last someone who shares my sentiments.
Been using an HP 4th Gen Intel EliteDesk Small Form Factor system for over 8 years as my daily driver PC. This is the most stable and reliable PC I've ever owned. I paid $123 US for it in 2015, upgraded it to an i7-4790K, 256GB SATA SSD, 1TB Storage Drive, 24GB DDR4 2400 RAM, and a GTX-1660 low profile GPU w 4GB DDR5 VRAM. I upgraded the entire system for less than $400 US. I've played Rise of the Tomb Raider, Diablo 3, GTA5 and other games on this system at anywhere from 60 to 120 FPS consistently at medium graphics settings in 1080p. How can saving a lot of money as opposed to shelling out a lot more for newer components to only get slightly more performance be wrong? I also have an 8th Gen Core i7-8700 HP tower with a 512 NVMe M.2 SSD, 6TB storage drive, 32GB DDR4 3200 RAM, WIFI/Bluetooth adaptor, a GTX-1080 GPU with 8GB GDDR5 VRAM and Windows 11 and it doesn't perform all that much better than my Gen 4. Yes, it gets better frame rates at 1080p but that's about it. I agree that people need to stay away from older off lease system and even some of the newer systems are junk as well because they all have proprietary power supplies with no extra power connectors but if you do some homework and watch the specs on some of these systems you can find some that you can build into decent usable system for really cheap. No, they probably won't play the latest AAA game titles and it may not be compatible with Windows 11 but I hate Windows 11 so I really don't care.
they go for way less in Australia, I did the conversion and thats not cheap for UK prices. I have a B system that a 9020, its still relevant, the i7 4700 is a milestone and only saw minor updates for about 3 generations afterwards.
how much is the windows 11 on top of the build
First of all, you don't always have to upgrade/put in a new power supply unit in your older pcs-it all depends on
what you intend to (mainly) use the pc for. I bought an HP I7 3770 sff pc quad-core, 8 thread for around 150 bucks (US) on Amazon, and the only upgrade that I did was the RAM (swapped out the 4g, and put in a total of 32G which is the max for this model). My pc is super fast, and I have had no problems (so far) with it.
Old computer can last a fair time though. My 2008 Lenovo m58p backup computer is running with Win 10 Pro, and it only takes 24 seconds to power up, and 8 seconds the shut down, and it can still handle TH-cam videos playing at 1440p @ 60 fps.
It's a much better value, it seems, but also count the cooler fans towards that total cost.
Thank you!!
I just bought some new batteries for the dell latitude e6540 (including a brand new slice battery). The battery increase is noticible!
Performance difference is a no brainer plus being able to upgrade in the future
I agree
Upgrading the power supply on these older Dell computers?
Are the old motherboards really capable of handing the extra wattage , long term?
Would have liked to see you assemble and test this
For the first one actually wasn't that bad of deal with the CPU it has as it is an 8th gen, went the same route in 2019 When all prices were crazy, optiplex 3020 MT came with an i5 won it for $30, eventually picked up a cheap i7 4790 and aftermarket case (This generation motherboard is compatible in aftermarket cases not sure about the newer ones Just need a few dollar adapter for better power supply) added 450 watt PSU,16GB Ram,256GB SSD,cheap 4TB HDD, and at the time a GTX 950, once GPU prices came down upgraded to a used 2060 for $100 & 8TB Toshiba performance drive was on sale. All in all around $390 Still use it to this day as my main PC zero issues can run cyberpunk and others on medium settings on 1080p with Ray tracing and still get 50 to 60 FPS. Would not recommend anything below an 8th gen due to the requirements of Windows 11 nowadays though but at the time these could be good deals. One thing I'll say is don't cheap out on hard drives if you want to run games! The 4TB was absolutely horrible! The Toshiba huge improvement feels like a different PC no more stuttering loading graphics in. The 2060 seems to pair good with the i7 4th gens, they're about equal in unusualization.
Another point to buying, is you do not have a buy all the items at the same time. Spread your buying over several pay checks and the costs will not be as big a hit on your budget.
fair point
I started out with a system like this l. Was an asus that i got for $50 cad. Not everyone has a few hundred dollars to spend on a pc in one shot.
Most people just want a PC to stream video and general surfing on the net. I have two refurbished desktop PC's, one is an i5 3450 and the other is an Athlon A10-8770 R7 it does me for day to day usage and the other I only watch tubi TV on, both PC's are by HP and run W10. In total they cost me less than the cheapest PC from any shop.
I would have to agree. I don't care if a person is a hobbyist, the components alone is not even worth for free. I took 2 hp Desktops from a UPS store that were giving it away and when I saw that the old PSU was at 250w, I knew I had a problem getting a decent GPU. But even buying an old computer is not worth it because right now there's mini PCs for cheap like the Beelink mini PC with an Intel 12gen processor, 16gb Ram, and 500mb SSD storage, all for $200. And it already comes with the latest windows. Yeah, these used computers are a rip-off.
Great advice for them who want to start out.
from a official business i bought a refurbished hp pro and a windows 11 fujitsu siemens
not from ebay but a offcial store
I picked up a dell t 3600 workstation with W10Pro,64Gb samsung server ram in immaculate condition a few months ago for £75.I found a better cpu for £20 and it came with an old quadro k4000 graphics card.I had a cheap gtx 1650 and ssd lying around so I threw them in,bypassed the tpm and now have a PC that boots up in just under 30 seconds and will run rings around any entry level laptop.I don't play games but Office,Adobe and Affinity programs work just fine.I admit I do enjoy updating older PCs and usually giving them away,but this one I'll keep'it has a 650W power supply as well.
I bought 2 basic used Dell desktops for a charity I support. It needed to replace a couple of old TPM-less AMD boxes. They were $80 US each delivered off Amazon. Basic i5, craptastic HDD (which ended up being a laptop HDD in a 3.5" adapter bracket). 8GB RAM. Junk to buy even at that price, if used as-is. I already had RAM and decent SSDs to throw in them though, which made them viable. They're just used for data entry. For a general consumer though, especially someone looking to add a GPU for some gaming? Hard pass!
It depends on what you are using these used computers for. If you need a computer in a pinch, and can't afford a $1,500 computer, then this may make sense. I bought a Dell computer just like this back in 2013 when my Compaq (before they were acquired by HP) died. I only needed it until I could afford a much better computer a few months later.
You forgot fans, but they can be included with case, sometimes, and thermal paste.
But one most important thing is well, and that's "know how" to put it all together 😜
And people can upgrade cpu and gpu in the future to a 5xxx series cpu and maybe even a rtx 50x0 card when they are released, could be a really good older hardware system build!!
Exactly, people just get lied to on these TH-cam videos to benefit themselves. Its the people that don't understand and buy these that get scammed.
There is only one reason you want an old Dell system.
You don't want it stolen.
Building a NEW PC is cheaper than ever. Even the parts are getting cheap with all the factory closures in China as some have MASSIVE amounts of stock sitting around for PC parts.
Even the budget Mac Mini @ $599 is a better value then these old machines hands down for just computing power.
Thanx for the video. While yes buying new is better but what happens to all these PCs that are fine for mon and pop user ?? It's stops them going to the landfill which is what Microsloth wants , people to buy new PC licenses.
In 2025 Windows 10 ends, so not much choice apart from using it for Linux and they don't have the user base for all those machines. Its Microsoft's fault
Hey bro how do I fix usb flash drive not showing in boot option
I was shocked when finding things out like the overlapping of the range of possible operating speeds of DDR2, DDR3, and DDR4 rams. In other words, you could be getting a DDR3 ram that is running at the old DDR2 speeds. The same applies the DDR4's that can be running at DDR3 speeds.
A lot of people who buy those dell systems don’t know much about computers and just see the modern tags like i5 and ssd and think it’s a good modern computer. Unfortunately those same people won’t have a clue how to build a pc themselves.
You are wrong, 8th Gen is compatible with Windows 11, I even installed Windows 11 on 6th gen Core i5 without bypassing SecureBoot and TPM
8th and UP.
Yes i5 8500 does support windows 11, but splitting hairs does not make it worth buying, I meant i5 6500, not the i5 8500.
@@Britec09 It's not splitting hairs because it sounds like you overly harsh on the i5 8500. I do agree that that Dell optiplex is quirky for gaming(and as a result overpriced).
I would add that the Ryzen 3600 has PCIE gen4 versus PCIE gen3 on the i5 8500. The CPU can also be upgraded on the ryzen platform.
The benchmarks comparison that you used are not representative of everyday performance. Using geekbench 5(which also takes into account delays from other system components like RAM) the multithreaded scores are 7140 versus 4830; which puts the ryzen 3600 48% ahead but not the unrealistic 86% faster.
You can buy a ryzen 5500 for £88 amzn.to/44brpDZ why would you buy a i5 8500 when you can buy a faster more power CPU for the same money? makes no sense. Dell, = No upgrade path, proprietary parts, lower performance, old used office pc compared to new, list goes on. www.cpubenchmark.net/compare/4807vs3481vs3223/AMD-Ryzen-5-5500-vs-AMD-Ryzen-5-3600-vs-Intel-i5-8500. Besides, you don't know what condition these dell machines are in, dented, scratched and used. You are saying what I am saying, Ryzen is way better option for the same money. Ryzen is still BETTER no matter what way you say it. Period.
In our money a pound is about 2 to 2 1/2 our currency in US dollars about the same or less. Shipping from the states 10 times getting it from the UK as we are a 'colony' the royal mail is a lot cheaper than whatever the states can provide. Then you get those people that take advantage, now going from recent experience, the price from China about $10 plus around $5 shipping, here on the local style service (think trademe, ebay etc) they wanted get this $135 for the same part and had the Gaul to add shipping to that. All I can say is be careful and very much shop around don't take the first thing you see.
I think these are good, IF you can get them cheap, for retro gaming machines. Although the SFF are better because of the smaller size, who wants one of these sitting next to their t.v. to play some retro games. But in a home office or game/play room or in a retro gaming cabinet, it would be good. Cheaper than buying a newer console, and you can put dozens of consoles and 10K's of games on it.
Like I said in video, if your given one for free or get it real cheap, then maybe worth it if you are tight for cash
My dad bought me an optiplex 380 and trust me, buying systems from that generation nowadays (yes people still sell them and mark them as gaming PCs smh) it’s not worth it, I’d rather build a 2018 gaming rig than buy a what’s pretty much unusable nowadays.
P.s he bought it back in 2018, id still build a pc
I think it depends greatly on what you are using it for. I would not buy an old office pc for gaming. But i got an old i7 6700 with 16GB ram for $100. Works great for running Proxmox, linux or pfsence.
But why buy an old office PC if you can buy new more powerful for the same money? that is madness.
@@Britec09 one of these optiplex systems for about £300 when you slap a gpu and maybe a ram upgrade in it will have weaker cpu but loads better gpu performance compared to most £300 pcs using more modern components brand new or even used a lot of the time + theyre very easy to put together as a gaming system, thats why.
@@Britec09 What new computer am I getting for $100? In your example the CPU alone is $100 or £80. For $100 I got a complete system that while older is more than enough to run proxmox which allows me to create many virtual machines.
@Kzxhy that is all extra money and you can do the same on new PC? makes no sense
You are talking about US, I am talking about UK and the price for CPU was £60. I showed all prices for the cheapest Dell and you can build new PC for that. I am sure you can go to India and get them office computers for cheap, but I live in UK
Wife and I are a Microsoft-free house. We use Linux PCs and do not have a problem with "will my PC run Windows 11" 🙂 Highly recommend switching operating systems from Windows to Ubuntu Linux so you can effectively use all these inexpensive computers that corporation are throwing away.