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Refurbished PCs: Cheap, Capable

Another way to save money on your next PC is to consider a refurbished system with higher-grade features. It's a computer with a little history.

"Refurbished" means the PC came back to the factory for any of a number of reasons, from faulty components to buyer's remorse. "If [customers] don't like something, they'll just take it back," says Elaine Gasser, a director of consumer PC remarketing at HP.

Because of quick turnaround, you can sometimes find refurbs that are identical to new models but far cheaper. For instance, at press time Dell offered a refurbished Dimension 4700 carrying a 3-GHz Pentium 4 530 processor, 512MB of RAM, an 80GB SATA hard drive, and Microsoft Office 2003--all for $624. Purchased new it would have cost $1013. But can you rely on a refurb?

According to several of the major PC makers, all returned PCs go through inspection, repair, and testing. This involves wiping the hard drive and reinstalling the OS and apps, and it may include rebuilding the PC. Vendors say that any blemishes will be slight, such as minor scuffs or discoloration.

Warranty coverage varies. Dell presents the same warranty options for new and refurbished models. HP, however, sells refurb systems with a meager 90-day policy. HP does offer extension options for about $150.

Vendors also allow unconditional returns shortly after purchase of a refurbished computer. Dell will take a system back in the first 14 days, Gateway in the first 15, and HP in the first 30. So the risks are fairly small, but the rewards can be big.

S.C.