ServerMonkey Blog

Servers 101: Refurbished vs. Remanufactured vs. Used

Written by The Monkey | Mar 16, 2012 9:37:00 PM
If you’ve been shopping online for IT equipment, there’s a good chance you have come across terms such as “refurbished”, “remanufactured” and “used”. Though these terms all essentially mean “not new”, their true definitions are quite different. Let’s take a look at the differences between these definitions to help as you navigate your way around the IT equipment jungle.

Refurbished

“Refurbished” refers to equipment that has been in service previously, but has since been cleaned, tested, audited, and has had its firmware updated. Refurbishments are performed by third parties (like ServerMonkey*) and not the manufacturer.

*Unless we list the equipment we sell as new, all servers and IT equipment ServerMonkey offers are refurbished. We don’t sell purely “used” equipment, which we’ll touch on in a moment.

Remanufactured

“Remanufactured” equipment, like refurbished, has been used previously but has been cleaned, tested, audited and updated by the manufacturer of the product.

Used

The term “used” when referencing electronic equipment should be treated as a warning sign by you, the purchaser. If a product is listed as used, chances are it is offered “as is” – which means it has not been cleaned, tested, audited or updated since its last use. Buying a strictly “used” item may save you a bit on the front end, though chances are it will not outperform or outlast a refurbished or remanufactured item. Additionally, used items typically come with a shorter warranty, if they even come with one at all.

There are many things to watch for when purchasing IT equipment, and as a seller of IT equipment, we feel it’s our job to help you make an informed decision that benefits you and your organization. If you have any questions about ServerMonkey, the products we offer or refurbished equipment in general, feel free to send us an email at sales@servermonkey.com, or check us out on Twitter at @MyServerMonkey.