Six Reasons Refurbished Hardware Is Better

Savvy car buyers know that buying a slightly used car is a smarter investment than buying brand new. Since new cars decrease in value by about 60 percent over the first five years, smart shoppers can often get the car they want at a much more affordable price if they’ll get it a year or two after it’s released.

To really make sure they’re getting the best car, they’ll seek out the kind of car they’re interested in from a certified pre-owned vehicle dealer. With a certified pre-owned vehicle, they know the car has had a complete inspection to locate and repair any damaged or worn parts. It is backed by the original manufacturer and comes with an extended warranty.

When someone buys a certified pre-owned vehicle, they’re getting many of the benefits of a new car without the high price tag. It has similar features to the latest model and it’s possible to get a top-of-the-line two-year-old model for less than the price of the entry-level new model.

It sounds like an easy decision, right?

Well, the same holds true for IT hardware and systems. When it’s time to upgrade your IT equipment, buying refurbished can save you money while at the same time allowing you to get more features for the price.

For example, let’s look at the difference between a refurbished 13th generation Dell PowerEdge server from Aventis Systems and a new 14th generation from the manufacturer.

Refurbished Vs. Used: Know The Difference

While some buyers may confuse “refurbished” with “used,” there’s a definite difference. While all refurbished equipment has been used, not all used equipment is refurbished. Used equipment typically doesn’t receive any maintenance before being resold, but refurbished equipment has been updated and tested to ensure its quality.

Furthermore, sometimes refurbished equipment is simply “open box,” meaning the equipment has been opened but not used. (Or if it was used, that use was minimal.) That means you’re able to save money without sacrificing quality.

For small- and medium-size businesses where every dollar matters, there are many advantages to buying refurbished. Let’s look at six ways it can benefit you.

Budgets are typically the determining factor in what you can buy, so it makes sense that you want to maximize every dollar spent. The cost of refurbished hardware can be as much as 50 percent below what you’ll pay new, which means you will have more available budget to spend on other business essentials.

Just as with the certified pre-owned vehicle, buying refurbished equipment means that certain bells and whistles are more affordable. Instead of buying an entry-level piece of equipment, you can put the same amount of money into a previous generation model and go for the top of the line.

Certain programs exist that will reward you for being economical — by giving you further savings! For example, the Microsoft Registered Refurbisher Program allows buyers who purchase refurbished equipment to buy genuine Microsoft software at a much lower price.

IT equipment can become obsolete in just a few years, but oftentimes replacing one piece of equipment with new hardware has a domino effect; now you need to replace additional equipment to make sure it’s compatible as well. When you buy refurbished, you don’t have to buy the “latest and greatest,” so you can still get equipment that works with your current configuration. This is particularly helpful when you’re looking to replace legacy equipment that may no longer be available new.

While new equipment can offer lots of great features, they might also be unproven — and that can lead to costly and time-consuming equipment failures. Refurbished hardware has been tested and must “check all the boxes” for performance before it is sold, which is something that’s not required of new computers. As for the technical failure of new equipment, here is a graphic that provides a good illustration:

Unlike used equipment, refurbished equipment will typically come with a warranty. Aventis Systems, for example, includes a three-year comprehensive warranty on all servers and storage and one-year comprehensive warranty on all networking, desktops, laptops and components.

Finally, there’s one more benefit to take note of: buying refurbished is good for the environment. According to Dr. Eric Williams and Ruediger Kuehr, authors of the book “ Computers and the Environment: Understanding and Managing Their Impacts,” giving IT equipment a longer lifespan saves up to 20 times more energy than recycling it.

When you are looking to upgrade your equipment or expand your configuration, purchasing refurbished equipment can be beneficial both in terms of cost and performance. Let Aventis Systems help you find the right refurbished equipment at the right price; contact us today on our website or call 1-855-AVENTIS.

Recommended reading
• Refurbished & Recertified Vs. Used IT Hardware
• Questions You Should Ask When Buying Refurbished
• 4 Reasons Refurbished IT Hardware Benefits the Education Market