Reminder to not try to re-purpose HP refurbished workstations
[Desktop] Refurbished HP 600 G2-SFF Desktop PC with Intel Core i5-6500 3.2GHz Processor, 16GB Memory, 480GB SSD, and Win 10 Pro (64-bit) (Monitor Not Included) - Walmart.com - $50
it's now in $299.00
More on reddit.comRefurbished Walmart HP gaming PC: $500, Ryzen 5 3500, 1650 Super
[Recommendation] Is a refurbished HP Compaq 6300 Pro Desktop PC with Intel Core i5-3470 3.2GHz worth it?
Ivy-bridge is generally considered still a very solid platform, and should not be more than a few percent behind a Haswell or Skylake i5 with the same amount of memory in most tasks.
Your upgrades are going to be limited. The motherboard will only accept socket 1155 processors, so you'd be limited to the 2xxx and 3xxx series. It appears to be small form factor, so you would need a half-height graphics card. The power supply is likely proprietary. RAM and storage should be easy though.
1yr isn't bad, and business-class desktops are generally pretty solid.
It is capable of that over DisplayPort, although not suitable for more than basic tasks. Office use yes, gaming or similar no. I don't know enough about active adapters to know if they could be an issue with the 60Hz part.
Under $500 or so it becomes very hard to compete with the volume discounts that system builders get, unless you have a very particular set of specs that must be met exact that can't be pulled off a shelf.
What are the best brands for refurbished desktop computers?
Are refurbished desktop computers good for business or school?
Do refurbished desktops come with monitors?
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This is kind of a vent post so feel free to ignore.
I thought it'd be a good idea to buy a refurbished desktop with decent specs for a home server build and found the HP Elite Tower 600 G9. The plan was to just swap in parts for peace of mind: new PSU, heatsink/fan with fresh compound, and SSD.
Come to find out HP's workstation line has proprietary parts to the point that the Motherboard, PSU, Case, and CPU Heatsink are a set. Non-standard hole spacing, proprietary connectors, custom sizes. You cannot even so much as replace the heatsink if said heatsink needs a backplate because the mount holes below the motherboard are fabricated with zero tolerance while still allowing the mothboard to slide in place.
Oddly, it also has an LGA 1700 processor but the hole spacing was LGA 115x. And none of the screw/standoff combinations that come with an aftermarket heatsink can be used to mount it to the motherboard even without the backplate, which probably isn't smart to do anyway.
Fortunately, I thought the PSU might be an issue and held off on buying one until I could measure the one that came with it to determine if an aftermarket one could be used. Now I need to decide if I double down and buy all new case, motherboard, powersupply or just suck it up and use it as is.