I'm on a budget and would rather avoid building a PC myself. I mainly want to play lighter games at around 1080p and 60 FPS, and I'm not concerned about 4K gaming. Would buying a used, already-built PC be a sensible option?
5 Answers
Just make sure you can inspect it or test it before paying. Check that every component is healthy, the temperatures are normal, the storage works properly, and the PC doesn’t crash under load.
1080p at 60 FPS isn’t especially demanding. Look for a system with a reasonably modern CPU, enough RAM, and an SSD. A graphics card around the RTX 2070 or RX 5700 XT level, or better, should handle many games comfortably, although the exact result depends on the titles and settings.
Compare the used price with new prebuilts that include a full warranty. Some sellers ask nearly as much as a new system because they overestimate the value of their parts, so a used PC is only worthwhile if the discount is significant and the condition is good.
There’s nothing inherently wrong with buying used. Give it a thorough cleaning, reinstall the operating system, and update the drivers so you’re starting fresh.
Used PCs can be a great deal. One person picked up an older HP Omen for about $250 with an i7-9700, GTX 1660 Ti 6GB, and 32GB of DDR4, which was more than enough for that kind of gaming.
The games you want to play, your preferred graphics settings, and your maximum budget matter a lot here. A cheaper used system can be the better choice for lighter games, but a warranty may be worth paying extra for if the prices are close.