There are some great used computers out there for sale. A used computer can often cost one third the price of a new one. If you as a buyer do not have experience with computers; there are a few things to take into consideration. The hard drive is the very heart of any computer. If you have a bad hard drive you are going to have problems. Knowing how much life is left in a hard drive is not an exact science. Desktop hard drives tend to last longer than laptop hard drives because of size and higher temperatures. Any hard drive over 5 years old is living on borrowed time. Now I have seen a ten year old hard drive still working well; but that is an exception to the rule. Most used computers sold today are from 3 to eight years old. There is a simple test that can be done to check the health of a hard drive. Just do an Internet search for crystal Disk info. It takes about 5 minutes to download and test the hard drive. If you are using a computer with a hard drive over 5 years old I suggest you back up all of your information.
Heat can also cause a great amount of damage in a desktop or laptop. Because of the small size CPU fan and the amount of room in a laptop; it is more likely to have a cooling issue. You can also download a small program called “Core temp” that will not only give you temperature readings but also identify your processor and CPU socket. If after twenty minutes of operation your computer is running 85% or more of the max temp; you need to check the cooling system. Dirt, dust and other types of contamination can greatly affect how hot a computer runs.
The other factor to take into consideration is the former owner. Just like with cars some people change the oil every 3,000 miles and others wait until the car starts making noise! If the computer looks like it has had a rough life, I would suggest buying something that has been taken care of. By just checking the things I mentioned you will have a better chance of getting a good one.
Did I mention that I sell used computers?