years ago i would not recommend it.... in 2025 its generally fine, most of the hardware in a pc is solid state devices with zero moving parts and no real "wear and tear". if youre buying "reconditioned" from a reputable source, you should also make sure you are getting some kind of warranty or support in case it dies 3 weeks later, most places will provide a specific warranty or returns service. (usually batteries arent under warranty unless they have fully replaced them) i would replace SSDs tho, without diving pretty deep its hard to tell just how "used up" an SSD is. microcenter should provide a decent enough refunds policy... most bigger places do. More on reddit.com

I always buy refurbished, as I don't have much money, and that's the best way to get the most bang for my buck. Keep in mind that I'm not an expert on what CPUs/GPUs/etc are powerful enough to do what I want. Here are the specifications of what I need: I'm looking for a desktop computer on its ... More on forums.tomshardware.com

When the line between a 10th-11th gen machine and 14th gen is very thin in terms of performance and the price difference is immense they are ok with Betty from Accounting to use an 10th gen Dell optiplex. More on reddit.com

Yes, assuming we're talking just about the components themselves. Buying used is a great way to save money if you're happy with slightly older gear. As for the the integrity of particular sellers, it's the same as buying other things. About the only thing you should be weary of is storage because these are the only components with a decreasing lifespan: HDDs because moving parts = wear and tear; and SSDs have a limited number of writes. That's not to say that you shouldn't buy them, but the price should reflect the risk you're talking, and you should have backups. Contrast with processors and RAM sticks, these should mostly not fail ever, unless there was a rare defect in manufacture. Great to buy second hand. The only things to botch here is shipping, like bending the pins if improper packaging is used. Motherboards are in-between (a mix of solid state components and moving ones - fans, plus thermal stresses (expansion and contraction) on the solder material. I'd put high end GPUs here as well because they run hot. If you're buying laptops, an issue is battery life degradation. Again, not a show stopper, but the price should reflect it. More on reddit.com