Refurbished Desktops Advice

Lkmp on 11/01/2023 - 23:36

Was after some advice/suggestions on buying a refurbished desktop.

My aging PC that I built over 10 years ago has served me well but is getting old and my monitor is on its way out.

Would like to upgrade to a 27 inch 4K monitor and am a bit unsure of the specs required to run a 4K monitor.

PC will be used mainly for steaming movies and surfing the web.

Win 11 or the ability to upgrade in the future when the time comes.

Funds are a bit limited and after pricing a new build thought it may be better going second hand.

Thanks in advance

Computing

Comments

  • Hybroid on 11/01/2023 - 23:39
    +5

    27 inch 4K monitor

    You're not going to benefit from 4K resolution on a monitor that small. Particularly for movie watching.

    • Italkdigital on 12/01/2023 - 02:21
      +1

      My previous LG 27 inch 4k has been downgraded to being my bedroom 4k TV attached to my 4k Fetch Mighty 4 tuner PVR, certainly perfect for watching movies and free to air TV šŸ‘šŸ˜

  • kmp on 11/01/2023 - 23:43
    +1

    Would you suggest 2K….from what I have read 1080p is no good for 27 inch especially for text ….

    2K monitors are cheaper so that would be a bonus.

    • Hybroid on 11/01/2023 - 23:56
      +4

      2K isnā€™t a display resolution. Itā€™s misleadingly marketed as such by some manufacturers whereas itā€™s an unrelated cinema standard thatā€™s almost equivalent to 1080p.

      You probably mean 1440p. In which case most definitely for general PC use and sharpness but still not optimal for your movie watching.

      Youā€™ll want a bigger 32ā€+ monitor or ideally TV for 4K playback. Depends how important that is to you.

      • Sinnerator on 12/01/2023 - 07:58
        +1

        2K, brought to you by the same Delta Hotels who coined the term ROM as storage on phones and tablets.

  • kmp on 12/01/2023 - 00:36

    Thanks for the input Hybroid

    I will have to re evaluate things in that case,I haven't priced the 32" monitors.

    I did consider using a TV as a monitor but after watching some youtube reviews someone said something about flickering or eye strain being a problem with TV's used as monitors.

    I do spend a lot of time in front of the computer reading text so thought it best to concentrate on a good monitor to avoid any problems.

    All said and considered I think I would put general PC use above watching movies.

  • Italkdigital on 12/01/2023 - 02:23

    Whats your budget may i ask, for both pc and monitor?

    • kmp on 12/01/2023 - 06:59
      +1

      Was hoping to keep it under $1000 if possible

      • Italkdigital on 12/01/2023 - 16:50
        +1

        My current pc setup has an older gtx 960 gpu in it and plays 4k videos with ease, no issues at all on my 4k 27inch monitor through hdmi or DP cable which I mentioned above also using as my bedroom 4k TV hooked upto my 4k Mighty 4x tuner PVR, obviously both are used and theyd be had for under $1k easily on eBay, fb marketplace and Gumtree, well I wouldnt be chasing more what $900 if i was selling both, I think i remember a gt 730 gpu (the new version, still can buy at shops) i had also played 4k videos

        Edit: both gpus also play Fortnite as they are both directx 12 graphics cards, so capable graphics cards

        my point is you don't need to spend anywhere near $1k

        Whoops Edit again: yupz my pc running Windows 11 pro naitively

        And I noticed your asking about a Dell Optiplex system, just those are usually in a proprietary case and usually the desktop form factor not tower ATX case, so you'll be limited to what low form factor graphics card one can install, I'd stick with tower ATX cases, wish I could PM you photos of my PC Tower system but you have PM off in your account

  • mskeggs on 12/01/2023 - 07:44
    +7

    A lot of users on here are enthusiasts for computers. They play demanding games, compare the fine grained resolution of their displays, the extra percent performance from faster RAM, the cooling performance of some after market fan.

    For most families who use the pc to surf the web, watch a YouTube, buy some plane tickets and do the banking, this is all pointless.

    If your old computer doesnā€™t have an SSD, a new one which has one will be much, much faster. If you want a 27in monitor, go for it. We have some here at 1080 and one at 4k. The are all fine for day to day use. I doubt you would be disappointed with a 1080 monitor, and at 4k you will want to enlarge fonts to be readable.
    In both cases, movies will look fine.

    Since you obviously want a long lasting system, I would recommend 16gb of RAM, and an i5 processor. You wonā€™t need a separate graphics card for your purposes. You need the type of machine described as suitable for office tasks, avoid the extra costs for ones suitable for gaming.

    To be honest, in your shoes I would buy one of the small form factor secondhand machines that come up here regularly, and a 1080 27in monitor. Combined you will likely spend about $500-$600 and I think you would find it very suitable.

    • mskeggs on 12/01/2023 - 07:54
      +5

      I didnā€™t really address you Win 11 comment.
      The list of the oldest cpu supported is here:
      https://www.pcworld.com/article/394793/what-cpus-can-run-winā€¦

      Older gen will work, but if you expect to have the computer for years, these are probably a good guide.
      The flip side is the refurb systems I have seen that are on this list or newer are a price jump up from the gen before, presumably because of the assurance win 11 will have ongoing support.

      An example deal recently is here: https://www.ozbargain.com.au/node/743516 though it isnā€™t especially startling value, it allows you to budget.

      • raisinberry777 on 12/01/2023 - 08:47
        +1

        Totally agree - for this use case one of the refurbished 8th gen small PCs + a 27" monitor is a great choice and you'd come in a fair way under budget.

    • kmp on 12/01/2023 - 08:51

      Thanks for the reply

      So many things to consider

      Do you know if one of those cheap small form factor ones like the Dell Optiplex for instance are able to run a 4K monitor.

      Do you have to consider other things apart from the graphics,CPU and RAM like the display ports / cables.

      • Chandler on 12/01/2023 - 10:36
        +3

        Main factor on a PC to drive a 4K monitor will be the processing unit - whether that be the CPU or the GPU. Not sure if/what CPUs can do 4K, or if you have to use a GPU. RAM plays no factor in being able to output 4K, although it will affect the experience, especially if via the CPU.

        As long as the cable specifies 4K playback, you're good. Don't worry about gold, silver, cobalt, nickel, uranium plated contacts or any of that bull. If it meets the specification, and you're using a reputable brand, you shouldn't have any issues.

        The only things you should need to worrry about cable manufacture is general quality, mainly at the plug ends (especially if it's a cable you're going to be plugging/un-plugging a lot); and cable length vs thickness: longer cables require thicker conductors, and so for a longer cable you should see a decent bump in thickness. As mentioned, the best thing to do is just use a reputable retailer and brand and read the specifications on the product page/datasheet: they're usually more than happy to tell you what resolutions and frequencies the cable supports.

        From the specifications, HDMI 1.4b supports 4K, as does DisplayPort 1.3. One big point of difference is that DisplayPort is actually just a data transmission cable (much like say an Ethernet cable), and so it's specification is around bandwidth and bit-rates more than specific resolutions. HDMI is a digital audio/visual cable. From memory, DisplayPort was a technology driven by the computer industry (developed by VESA) whereas HDMI was driven by the entertainment industry (specifically display manufacturers, with involvement from entertainment businesses). HDMI also includes licensing fees for using the technology, DisplayPort does not.

        Tom's Hardware has a good comparison of the technolgoies here if you're interested. And I found this non-primary source about HDMI licensing (supposedly $10k per manufacturer + $0.04 per device).

        • kmp on 12/01/2023 - 10:56

          Thanks for the info and links,will have to have a read of that and bring myself up to speed.

          Looks like I will be need at least ( DisplayPort 1.3 ) in order to have a refresh of 60 Hz on a 4K monitor or a minimum of ( HDMI 2.0 ) for HDMI to achieve the same.

      • JimB on 12/01/2023 - 11:42
        +2

        I second mskeggs's advice.

        If you're not playing games then a small/Micro form factor Dell/HP/Lenovo with a i5 8500T processor will run a 4K display perfectly. 8GB of ram will do.

        Note, if you're getting a 27" monitor, get a yourself a QHD (1440P) monitor rather than 4K.

        If 32", then get a 4K monitor.

        • kmp on 12/01/2023 - 12:00

          Thanks for the heads up Jim

          • JimB on 12/01/2023 - 12:15
            +1

            @kmp: note,

            I purchased a Dahua 28" Monitor 4K UHD LED Technology LM28-F401 back in 2021.

            I think it was too small for 4K and the text/colour wasn't great/sharp.

            I returned it due to a fault and got a refund.

            Replaced it with a Dell 27" S2721D Monitor - AMD FreeSync QHD 2560 x 1440. It's not 4K but the text was much easier to read and colours much nicer.

            Pity the Dell 27" 2560 x 1440 is more expensive today than it was 2 years ago! I want to buy another.

            • kmp on 12/01/2023 - 12:30

              @JimB: Thanks again Jim

              I see quite a lot of people on here talking about the dell monitors.

              Will keep that in mind

  • GordonD on 12/01/2023 - 10:02
    +1

    Do you know if one of those cheap small form factor ones like the Dell Optiplex for instance are able to run a 4K monitor.

    Sorry, OP, this is one of the things YOU have to do for yourself. Refurbished Dell Optiplexs come in a range of models. What you have to do is find one that you're happy with the price of is then use google to look up the specs of that particular model and check two things.

    The first is the video output on it. If it only says "display port" you know you have to buy a display that supports display port. Pretty much all decent displays support HDMI, but some don't support display port (DP). Then you have to check the resolution it supports. If you want 4K you have to ensure the video output on that model Optiplex supports 4K. If it doesn't, you have look at the next newer, and more expensive, model.

    The second is to look to see whether it supports an M.2 NVMe hard drive. Its important that its NVMe and not just M.2 SATA. Forget about anything that doesn't, its obsolete, and move your focus to the next newer model.

    In terms of monitors, Dahua sells 28" 4K monitors with both 4K HDMI and DP input that may be crap to the serious gamers but are perfectly good for people like you and me.
    https://www.ebay.com.au/itm/266049076965?chn=ps&_ul=AU&norovā€¦

    • kiitos on 12/01/2023 - 15:17
      +1

      Its important that its NVMe and not just M.2 SATA. Forget about anything that doesn't, its obsolete, and move your focus to the next newer model.

      I have updated my PC at infrequently as OP and have tended to move the HDDs over to the new case to have access to all the data. Are newer PCs not supporting older standards now?

      • GordonD on 12/01/2023 - 21:16
        +2

        Are newer PCs not supporting older standards now?

        Newer PCs almost all have SATA ports. That allows you to plug in an old 2.5" SATA SSD or HDU, or a 3.5" HDU, from a previous system. What is of very little use these days is support for M.2 SATA SSDs. There weren't very many people outside the enterprise world that used them. They're getting harder to find, and even harder to get at good prices, because M.2 NVMe SSDs do the job a lot faster and cheaper. There's no problem with systems that support M.2 SATA SSDs, just as long as that's not the ONLY sort of M.2 SSDs you can plug into them.

  • kmp on 12/01/2023 - 10:39

    Thanks for that

    That Dahua looks interesting,I did try looking for reviews for those on youtube and couldn't find anything much due to them only being launched in Australia or something so brushed them aside but if they aren't half bad might be worth considering the 32" for $350

    Its hard trying to find reviews/guides on youtube for the average user since everyone seems concentrated on gaming or video editing or the latest and greatest.

    One reason I was focusing on 4K was the image quality

    A family member recently purchased a new TV ( LG 43-Inch UQ90 4K UHD Smart TV) and i was blown away by the image quality when streaming 4K content.

    Not sure of the differences between TV's and PC monitors but assumed a 4K computer monitor would look as good as the TV when streaming 4K

  • kmp on 12/01/2023 - 16:45

    Thanks everyone for your replies

    Managed to pick up a philips 32" 4K monitor for $180 earlier.

    Am about to purchase a Dell OptiPlex 7060 Micro Intel i5 8500T

    The seller has 2 that are the same but one has a 500GB HDD and one has a 256GB SSD

    Little confused as to which one to get.

    • Italkdigital on 12/01/2023 - 17:05
      +1

      What are the prices for both and specs?

      Definitely SSD for speed if the other PC system drive is a standard mechanical drive (SSD keeps Windows as smooth as possible with no lag, even a SATA version over NVME is still a lot faster then a mechanical drive), and your using this a movie player just invest in a large external USB harddrive that way you have option to move external harddrive to other devices like a USB TV, cheap way for external drive is buy a 3.5 inch caddy under $20 (Aliexpress cheapest) and a second hand 1 TB mechanical harddrive under $30 (eBay plenty)

      Edit: nice find on the Phillips 4k monitor at that pricešŸ‘Œ

  • kmp on 12/01/2023 - 17:12

    The specs are the same except for the hard drives

    The 500GB HDD is $305 and the 256GB SSD is $287

    • Italkdigital on 12/01/2023 - 17:18
      +1

      Here you go still on special for $89 with free ahipping a 1 TB drive quality Gigabyte 2.5inch SATA SSD

      https://www.pcbyte.com.au/p/gigabyte-2-5-960gb-sata-internalā€¦

      Either if you could be bothered with installing Windows 11 etc place in your PC system (still suggest taking PC with 256gb SSD if you want Windows butter smooth)

      Or like i said above buy from Aliexpress a 2.5inch USB SATA caddy and install this SSD in it, have a good look you wont find an external drive under $100

  • kmp on 12/01/2023 - 17:14

    I was worried about what Gorden above said earlier

    "The second is to look to see whether it supports an M.2 NVMe hard drive. Its important that its NVMe and not just M.2 SATA. Forget about anything that doesn't, its obsolete, and move your focus to the next newer model."

    • Italkdigital on 12/01/2023 - 17:23
      +2

      In real life using Windows 11 and Windows applications your not going to notice any differences between M.2 SATA SSD or M.2 NVME, other applications like loading large type games you will but wete talking seconds not minutes, anyway most likely the Dell pc would be a 2.5inch SATA SSD, well especially depending on price why i asked how much they are, so beat ask seller if its a m.2, sata, nvme etc

      Edit: to answer the "obsolete" question if it's running Windows 11 you've got 10 years or more before Microsoft brings out Windiws 12, NVME, SATA and m.2 is going to be around for yonks too

      So very important make sure it supports or has Windows 11 installed, Windows 10 is actually ending in 2 years time

      https://endoflife.date/windows

      Be careful Google it some older pcs won't upgrade too Windows 11 unless there is a hack, google "pc hardware requirements for Windows 11"

      • tekisei on 12/01/2023 - 17:30

        Agreed. Between a standard SATA SSD (generally considered to be Crucial MX500 here at OZB) and a PCIE3 M.2 NVME you are looking at a difference of 1 second in Windows 10 OS start up. There is no difference during operation of applications (after the loading). Having said that, it is true that M.2 SATA is obsolete compared with M.2 NVME (and you shouldn't buy a new SATA M.2 drive), but if it comes with the machine then just use it.

        • Italkdigital on 12/01/2023 - 17:38

          Prices also isnt much difference so obviously go for the M.2 NVME over M.2 SATA SSD

          But my guess the Dell pc systems his chasing are most likely 2.5inch sata ssd boot drive, if these Dells are very cheap no problem having a Sata version drive as long as there ssd's so Windows11 is smooth, important for your boot Windows 11 boot drive, secondary drive a mechanical drive will load (really streaming) 4k videos no issues and an external mechanical sata drive also

      • kmp on 12/01/2023 - 17:43

        Thanks Italkdigital

        I did look up the OptiPlex 7060 Micro Intel i5 8500T on the dell website and they mentioned

        "Advanced PCIe NVMe drives provide a blazing-fast boost to data access times"

        I assume all is ok or the others wouldn't have suggested the i5 8500T

        PS The monitor was a refurbished one,the deal was listed here earlier today and sold out in minutes

        Thanks again for everyone's input

        Can't believe I managed to get a new set up that will be light years ahead of what I have now for $465

        Thanks heaps

  • kmp on 12/01/2023 - 18:04

    Yes….that's the same looking one

    The guys suggested the i5 8500T because it supports Win 11 I think

    This is the one I went with

    Dell OptiPlex 7060 Micro Intel i5 8500T 2.10GHz 8GB RAM 256GB SSD Wifi Win 11

    • Italkdigital on 12/01/2023 - 18:05

      Got a weblink? Maybe im a buyer too and how much may I ask?

        • Italkdigital on 12/01/2023 - 18:55
          +1

          I suggest going for the non dell micro version for reasons below (its actually not a true desktop pc system), as you wont be able to upgrade the graphics card in future on the micro dell range, a graphics card upgrade can make a big difference in performance if you decide to upgrade further later on, hopefully you can cancel your eBay purchase, well being a micro setup, performance could be, more likely lower performance then a standard type pc setup also, even the cpu is a cut down what youd find in a laptop, well if you posted the link earlier I would of suggested too you to keep away from the micro range

          Edit: Actually cpu is embedded type also so you wont be able to upgrade cpu in future also, (the T in processor model is a dead give away) but saying all above it is a 8th Gen Intel cpu and might be faster then a 6th Gen desktop cpu in below pc systems
          https://ark.intel.com/content/www/us/en/ark/products/129941/ā€¦

  • Italkdigital on 12/01/2023 - 18:37
    +1

    Similar if anyone is chasing one, this is with Windows 10 installed but if similar model as OP's Dell pc on eBay which has Windows 11 installed then this should then update to Window 11 from Windows 10 also and using same win serial key, $179 but states grade A, from catch.com.au

    https://www.catch.com.au/product/dell-optiplex-7040-micro-inā€¦?

    Think this one is better value as this can be upgraded with a low profile PCIe graphics card dare I say easily turn it into a gaming pc, the micro Dells do not support low profile graphics cards so another thing to consider to it's future upgradability, only $159

    https://www.catch.com.au/product/dell-optiplex-7040-sff-inteā€¦?

    always look at back of pc,.. the Dell micro as you can see uses a seperate plugin powersupply, so certainly not a standard motherboard within pc system and certainly no room for even a low profile PCIe graphics card so using Intel onboard graphics of cpu for the Dell micro range

  • kmp on 12/01/2023 - 20:13

    Hmmm…..thanks for all the info Italkdigital

    Maybe I jumped the gun…I was was following the advice given earlier today

    mskeggs 12 hours 5 min ago
    +4

    I didnā€™t really address you Win 11 comment.
    The list of the oldest cpu supported is here:
    https://www.pcworld.com/article/394793/what-cpus-can-run-winā€¦

    Older gen will work, but if you expect to have the computer for years, these are probably a good guide.
    The flip side is the refurb systems I have seen that are on this list or newer are a price jump up from the gen before, presumably because of the assurance win 11 will have ongoing support.

    An example deal recently is here: https://www.ozbargain.com.au/node/743516 though it isnā€™t especially startling value, it allows you to budget.

    raisinberry777 11 hours 12 min ago

Totally agree - for this use case one of the refurbished 8th gen small PCs + a 27" monitor is a great choice and you'd come in a fair way under budget.
    • Italkdigital on 12/01/2023 - 20:50
      +1

      Well if using as a 4k movie player all pcs systems mentioned above will certainly do, anyway they still game just older games like from my younger days, Counterstrike 1.6, Quake 3 and good old Unreal Tournament 2004 šŸ‘šŸ˜ im sure will also play some more newer games too šŸ‘well your best start was you didnt outlay to much for it šŸ˜‰

      • kmp on 12/01/2023 - 21:10

        Oh that's a relief ….you had me a little worried.

        The most demanding thing I will be doing is streaming 4K and maybe sorting out my photo albums.

        Here are the specs of my current PC that I built 13 years ago

        Its running Win 10 , had all the fans replaced and a SSD upgrade since then

        MoBo GA-MA785GMT-UD2H
        CPU Athlon II x 4 620
        RAM 4G DDR3 Kingston
        HDD Seagate 500G
        DVD LG
        W/Card Asus WL-138G-v2 (detachable antenna)
        Win 7 (64bit)

        • Italkdigital on 13/01/2023 - 18:00
          +1

          You should be able to install Windows 11 but only way is by a clean instal (download the Win 11 ISO from Microsoft site and make a bootsble Windows 11 usb drive etc) as your pc doesn't meet the requirements for Windows 11, so you wont be able to update from Windows 10 directly thats is installed in your pc, well Windows 10 is ending shortly

          Here is k-lite codecs website needed for 4k players, as your default Windows player wont support certain 4k codecs needed, well it will ask you to purchase them, k-lite is free to download and codecs and their default 4k player is free also
          https://codecguide.com/download_kl.htm

          Note: as I've mentioned above few times 4k videos can easily load (their technically actually streaming) from a mechanical harddrive or mechanical external harddrive through USB, used 1 TB drives are cheap on eBay (under $30) and a 3.5inch caddies are cheap of AliExpress (under $10), well by your pc specs, looks like it has a mechanical 500gb drive installed, well here is a Gigabyte 960gb harddrive still on sale from pc-bute under $90 with free delivery you could install as your pcs boot drive
          https://www.pcbyte.com.au/p/gigabyte-2-5-960gb-sata-internalā€¦

          And consider, since you have a 32inch 4k monitor, like me I've turned my 4k 27inch monitor into a bedroom 4k TV with a 4k PVR, actually the retail 4k Mighty 4x tuner PVR, also there are lots of Android boxes out there that do 4k with built-in tuners

          And enjoy your new 4k streaming pc šŸ‘šŸ˜

          • kmp on 13/01/2023 - 19:45

            @Italkdigital: Thanks Italkdigital

            Good to know my old PC still might have some life left in it.

            Wouldn't you need to install a graphics card to plug the 4k monitor into.

            I will defiantly look into setting up an external drive and setting up a Personal Video Player on the new set up.

            I was actually considering setting up a NAS for backing up to but need to learn more about it.

            • Italkdigital on 14/01/2023 - 17:19

              @kmp: Doesnt need to be a graphics card installed, your pc system im sure is onboard gpu within the cpu, IGPU its called and they usually have HDMI out unless its very very old (HDMI supports 4k), 4k is playable technically by most graphics cards even older ones, its the performance, high or low performance of the onboard graphics card and dedicated graphics card that determines if when it plays 4k videos if its smooth enough to be watchable, 4k videos are bigger files and obviously much more pixels compared too 1080p videos, same with games the graphics card high or low performance determines how smooth the game is playable wise, also both for 4k video and games the cpu needs to be capable to a point to work with the gpu, but mostly comes down to the gpu

  • kmp on 14/01/2023 - 18:51

    Interesting,it does have a HDMI port but I didn't think it would be capable.

    When I looked up the specs for that board it said the onboard graphics were only capable of 1080p.

  • Harry P Ness on 21/04/2023 - 18:26

    Need a new PC for an older family member for basic tasks - word, web & photos. Her last exgov Optiplex just died, but she has concerns (old people šŸ™„) about me buying a $100 one. Is it worth paying a bit more or am I better off buying new? Budget is up to $500, reason I am leaning to eBay is the quick shipping. Any models to look out for?

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