In our technology-obsessed society we tend to gravitate toward all things new and shiny, but sometimes used and maybe a little worn around the edges can work just fine. Take a baseball bat, for instance. While new and shiny is nice, a used one will swing and connect with a baseball just as well, and is often priced significantly less than its brand-new-and-still-in-the-packaging counterpart.
The same goes for servers. Whether you’re looking to set up centralized storage for your home or office network, host multiplayer games, or simply host a website, a used server has plenty to offer, but with a much cheaper price tag attached to it.
Generally, servers have a lifespan of several years, often more if they are not overly strained for supplying resources to resource-hungry apps, games, or websites. But a brand new server can cost a lot of money, while the simple fact that a used server has in fact been used before can mean it costs a lot less. Many retail and wholesale suppliers of servers will even showcase new and used servers side by side, and while the specs may be identical, the price tags are clearly not.
If you are considering refurbished servers from PerfData.com, you’ll want to make sure that it meets your needs. Check on the server’s platform (Windows and Linux are the two most popular choices), and its hardware, as well as versions of installed software. Most server supplies will provide warranties on refurbished servers, though there are some sellers — particularly those on Amazon, eBay, Craigslist, and the like — who will sell refurb models "as is", with no warranty or even the opportunity to return or exchange.
With the economy being what is it today, it makes sense to save money wherever possible. While your company may not be able to decrease its spending by eliminating the purchase of servers altogether, you can easily free up funds for the purchase of additional servers or other products simply by opting for a refurbished model instead of a brand new one. Chances are you’ll get many years worth of use out of it, and some great savings, too!
