Quick Refurb Question

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@fenderman or anyone else that might know.

The HP and Dell Refurb systems, whats the best way to get something that can hold more hard drives via the refurb method?
  1. just buy a workstation mid-tower or full-tower directly from the refurb channel
  2. buy a SFF or desktop and transfer into a bigger, cheapest available case
and are there any potential concerns that certain brands/models that you guys have come across, like:
  • lack of additional SATA headers
  • incompatible form factors (i.e. wont fit off-the-shelf cases)
  • lack of onboard graphics support after you remove the Quadro
  • hardware whitelisting issues connecting drives or add-on SATA/Network cards (i.e. wont let you connect "non-approved" hardware upgrades)
From pictures it looks like some of the Workstations may have 4-6 SATA headers, and capacity for more drives, but a lot of them also have Quadro cards or other things we wouldn't need and they seem to be more expensive than their smaller brethren.
 

Dasstrum

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How many drives are you needing? The HP Compaq SFF computers that I use can hold (2) 3.5 inch drives. I believe @fenderman uses Dell Optiplex and I think someone said they can hold (3) 3.5 inch drives.

I have had very good luck buying off-lease and refurbished HP compaq's on ebay.
 

Dasstrum

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If you go through Dell or HP business outlet you are usually guaranteed some type of 1 year + warranty. The computers bought from the outlets usually are still under some manufacturer warranty too which means they have been used and in service for less than 3 years.

When buying on Ebay, you will get a MUCH better price but typically 30 day warranty or nothing at all. I've bought PC's on ebay that have looked like they were in storage and never even powered on. Just the luck of the draw there.
 

SouthernYankee

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The refurbished concept on EBAY is pure crap. It is just a marketing word, I have gotten ebay refurbished computers where the filters were full of dirt and had a coffee stain on the case.

The actual suppliers DELL and HP ... computers may have had something done to them.
 

Dasstrum

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The refurbished concept on EBAY is pure crap. It is just a marketing word, I have gotten ebay refurbished computers where the filters were full of dirt and had a coffee stain on the case.
I have to disagree on your generalization that buying a "Refurbished" PC on ebay is crap. I have bought at least 10 this year and I have been happy with all of the purchases except 1 which had a little more scratches than I wanted. If a seller is selling only 1 computer... you look at the pictures! If someone is selling multiple PC's then I look for if they give a "grade". I only buy B grade or better if they list it. Lastly, if no "grade" is listed or the pictures are not of the actual product I simply send the seller a message on the condition or if they can send me the "best of the lot". If they don't respond then you don't buy from them simple.


The actual suppliers DELL and HP ... computers may have had something done to them.
What is this even referring to?
 
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How many drives are you needing?
@Dasstrum I don't currently "need" more than the 3 drives I have.

But always thinking about "whats next", and since last time I failed and didn't get a refurb (used an old i7-2600k) I thought I'd do a little more research and planning before my next upgrade. I haven't outgrown this setup yet, but typical forum problem, next round of cameras might double what I currently have (which halves my retention or requires more/larger drives). So just wondering if anyone has had to cross that bridge yet, and if so do I have to go with a 3-bay solution and get bigger drives, or can the guts of those HP/Dell be easily transferred into an old case I might already have (for example).
 

Q™

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What is this even referring to?
What @SouthernYankee saying is absolutely correct IMO, but he wrote it lazy. hit.gif

Translation: Refurbished connotes that the equipment being resold has been tested, cleaned, and any defective components replaced. On eBay most of the equipment sold as "Refurbished" arrives filthy and, more often than not, blowing it out with compressed air results in a Sahara Desert dust storm toxic disaster. Keeping this fact in mind, most of the equipment I purchase on eBay is several generations old; I clean it and a rarely have any issues with it. Therefore, on eBay, "refurbished" is Qomplete bullshit...and that's "Qomplete" with a "Q" which connotes profound utter bullshit.
 

Dasstrum

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For me personally - size matters. I need the smallest computers possible to fit in cabinets, desks, under dressers or however I can hide them (while still getting good air circulation of course). You can get up to 10TB on a Western Digital Purple 3.5 inch drive. So on a HP Compaq thats 20TB potential.
 

Dasstrum

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What @SouthernYankee saying is absolutely correct IMO, but he wrote it lazy. View attachment 36708

Translation: Refurbished connotes that the equipment being resold has been tested, cleaned, and any defective components replaced. On eBay most of the equipment sold as "Refurbished" arrives filthy and, more often than not, blowing it out with compressed air results in a Sahara Desert dust storm toxic disaster. Keeping this fact in mind, most of the equipment I purchase on eBay is several generations old; I clean it and a rarely have any issues with it. Therefore, on eBay, "refurbished" is Qomplete bullshit...and that's "Qomplete" with a "Q" which connotes profound utter bullshit.
I am not even arguing that point that anyone can slap the "refurbished" label on ebay and call it a day. But from my experience buying at least 10 computers from Ebay all of them came in cleaned out looking fresh.
 

TonyR

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For the record, not everyone abuses the word "refurbished".

In 2016 I purchased 6 refurbished HP SFF PC's from 2 vendors on newegg.com . Five of them looked like they had never even been plugged in and 1 had a few cosmetic blemishes on the bottom like it had been pulled across a shelf...absolutely pristine and worth every penny.

I don't buy a lot of refurbished but right now I have trust in at least 2 vendors and that's not to say there aren't more but I fully expect to run across one that thinks refurbished means he unplugged it and put in a box.

Adjectives tend to be so subjective, even more so I think these days. I recall hiring a woman to clean our house when my business was going full-tilt and my wife was still working. As it turns out, she did not even move chairs or tables when she vacuumed. In other words, her idea of "clean" meant if it looked "clean" then it's clean. I know there's dust and dog hair under things so if they are not moved and vacuumed where they were then it is NOT clean. See what I mean? That particular house cleaner and I had a different idea about the word "clean". Until someone officially defines the word "refurbished" and everyone that uses it takes some kind of oath then there will be misuse. And that's not going to happen anytime soon so....until then it's "caveat emptor".

Even the dictionary definition of "refurbished" uses words ("brighten", "freshen up") that are subjective and left up to individual interpretation.
 
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Q™

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I am not even arguing that point that anyone can slap the "refurbished" label on ebay and call it a day. But from my experience buying at least 10 computers from Ebay all of them came in cleaned out looking fresh.
Apparently, my dick's bigger than yours @Dasstrum. smiley17.gif

I have purchased close to 100 "refurbished" workstations and servers, in addition to multiple SAS driver, SATA drives, half a dozen scanners, half a dozen scanners routers, 2 or 3 printers, and half a dozen scanners switches. Everything which arrived with a fan in side has been filthy. Everything which was cooled by a fan (when it was seated) arrived filthy. Although I'm certain there has been an exception, I can't remember what it was. All of this equipment worked as advertised with the exception of a single switch which arrived DOA, and which resulted in a refund. @SouthernYankee is right; "The refurbished concept on EBAY is pure crap. It is just a marketing word."
 

looney2ns

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Ok, I'll wade in.
I have a huge data-set to add to this. I have purchased TWO, count them, TWO refurbished Dell Optiplex's from Ebay in the past 18 months.
Both had two years of remaining factory warranty.
They both arrived looking "as new". No scratches, no dirt.
Should I demand my money back because my lungs didn't get to partake of a toxic dust cloud? :wave:

Not sure why the measuring stick came out. :nervous:
 

Dasstrum

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Ok, I'll wade in.
I have a huge data-set to add to this. I have purchased TWO, count them, TWO refurbished Dell Optiplex's from Ebay in the past 18 months.
Both had two years of remaining factory warranty.
They both arrived looking "as new". No scratches, no dirt.
Should I demand my money back because my lungs didn't get to partake of a toxic dust cloud? :wave:

Not sure why the measuring stick came out. :nervous:
Tread lightly here haha... that's why I stopped
 

SouthernYankee

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It was to do with the word refurbished. Not how clean the computer is. My point is that if a computer comes to you dirty it has not been refurbished.
 
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Honestly, my question was more about any incompatibilities anyone has experienced (like when manufacturers use custom form factors that only fit their chassis or block aftermarket upgrades).
No measuring stick required, and I don't even really care about "dirty refurbished" vs "spotless refurbished", or who has the cleanest refurbished desktops (or anything else hehe).

Simple questions:
  • whats the odds a Dell/HP refurb motherboard & PSU could be transplanted into an aftermarket case
  • whats the odds their firmware might prevent me from adding PCI cards or other upgrades due to firmware lockout
  • do the factory motherboards already typically have "extra" SATA connectors, or are they configured with just enough (2-3) for Dell's standard configs.
I was hoping someone here had bought enough to shed some light so I don't buy something that's harder to expand, or buy a workstation only to find out I wouldn't be able to pull the Quadro out of it.
 
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Dasstrum

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Simple questions:
  • whats the odds a Dell/HP refurb motherboard & PSU could be transplanted into an aftermarket case
  • whats the odds their firmware might prevent me from adding PCI cards or other upgrades due to firmware lockout
  • do the factory motherboards already typically have "extra" SATA connectors, or are they configured with just enough (2-3) for Dell's standard configs.
1. Not 100% sure but I dont see why not. Most cases can support multiple sizes of the motherboard

2. I've never heard of a manufacturer not letting you upgrade hardware or add a card to a blank PCI slot.

3. I believe my HP Compaq SSF PCs have 6 SATA connectors. I will confirm later when I get home. Definitely have spares though
 
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NoloC

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Dell MB are proprietary and will not fit in another case. Also the power switch is meant to live in a Dell case only. I bet HP is similar.
 

Dasstrum

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Dell MB are proprietary and will not fit in another case. Also the power switch is meant to live in a Dell case only. I bet HP is similar.
Thanks for sharing... learned something new :D

After a quick fact check I came up with this repeating statement "All Dell motherboards are Dell Proprietary and the pinouts are not documented."
 
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that was my main concern, so seems like I might have to look at a larger format case directly form the refurb channel (like workstation 420 or something). Thanks @NoloC probably saved me getting a $400 desktop just to find that out.
 
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