Would it be absolutely unwise to go with a 'refurbished' mobo?

[floepie]

Has anyone had any good/bad experiences with refurbished motherboards? If anything, they would more than likely be fully tested by the manufacturer, and in that sense, they may be even better than the new ones, which may not be tested as rigorously. Or, is that pretty flawed thinking on my part?

 

[kad]

Motherboard is the most important part of PC
Which car you prefer to purchase to serve you without headache??
Abrand new one or reoaired ??
I advise you to stay away from refurbished things

 

[sailer]

I have more problems with a refurbished product than an open box. Refurbished means that some part has been replaced and the product now performs to standard. But another part may be just barely standard, and ready to break down. So its a bit of a gamble. If the refurbished hardware is substantialy cheaper, then it may be worth it. As be sure what series the hardware is. A refurbished mobo that is revision #1 will not be as good as one that is revision #2, and so on. If you know what you're doing, can check everything out so you know exactly what you're getting, then it can be ok.

That said, I buy new. Its worth the extra peace of mind to me.

 

[floepie]

Ah, OK, thanks. I was under the impression that refurbed units were shipped as returns back to the manufacturer for "refreshment" - battery replaced, factory BIOS reflash, and rigorous testing before reshipment. You think they actually replace components on the board?

 

[sailer]

Refurbishing can mean replacing a capacitator, resistor, or any number of things. It means that the board has been rebuilt. That also means there is a mix of parts, some new and some old. That will put extra stress on the older parts. If the company gives a full gaurentee or prices it part very cheap, then it can be an ok gamble. But it remains a gamble.

 

[rockbyter]

if they have to, yes. otherwise it probably goes in the recycle bin for reprocessing. If its refurbished you know they hooked it up to make sure it works before sending it out. New products dont get that sort of quality control

 

[floepie]

Well, there is a full warranty for 30 days or DOA. I think I'll just take the plunge at a saving of about 33%.

 

[hesskia]

I have bought many "open box" motherboards from newegg--they have a 10 day return policy, so if you're quick to get it installed and checked for issues, you'll be fine.

I liked the price point of the boards (i got an Asus 650i board for $49 a year ago), but i didn't get all the acessories (like the motherboard plate).

I once got an open box that was flaky, if I remember correctly, the second IDE channel wouldn't work if the PC was reset. I called the Egg and they promptly took my board back (Although, i had to pay shipping), and refunded 100% of [the rest of] my money.

 

[blacksci]

Stay away from refurbished, unless you have money prepared to buy a new mobo prolly within the next year...