How to buy a refurbished laptop or PC

1. Check Windows 11 support first

This is the single most important check. Windows 10 reached the end of support on 14 October 2025: Microsoft no longer provides software updates, security fixes or technical help for it, apart from paid or enrolled Extended Security Updates (for home users, until 12 October 2027). So a refurbished PC should run Windows 11, and Microsoft only fully supports Windows 11 on certain processors. Microsoft's minimum requirements include:

• a processor on Microsoft's supported list: in practice Intel 8th-generation Core or newer (model numbers such as i5-8xxx, i5-10xxx or i5-1135G7) or AMD Ryzen 2000-series desktop / 3000-series mobile chips or newer. Mainstream 7th-generation Intel chips are not on the list.
• TPM 2.0 and Secure Boot, which business PCs from that era generally have
• at least 4GB of RAM and 64GB of storage (you'll want far more: see below)

How to read an Intel model number: in Core i5-8500 or i5-8365U the first digit after the dash is the generation (8th). In i5-10210U or i5-1135G7 it's the first two digits (10th, 11th).

2. Specs that matter

	Minimum we'd accept	Better
Processor	Intel Core i5, 8th gen	10th gen or newer; 6 cores on desktops
Memory (RAM)	8GB	16GB
Storage	256GB SSD	512GB+ NVMe SSD
Screen (laptops)	Full HD (1920×1080)	Full HD IPS, 300+ nits

• Never buy a hard disk (HDD) as the main drive. An SSD is the biggest single factor in how fast a PC feels.
• Core i5 vs i7: for office work the difference is small. Spend extra on RAM and SSD first.
• Desktops are easy to upgrade. Adding RAM or a bigger SSD to a business desktop is cheap and simple. Many ultrabooks have soldered RAM that can't be upgraded.

3. Laptop extras: battery, screen, keyboard

• Battery: lithium batteries lose capacity with age and charge cycles. Look for a stated battery health or a replacement battery, and expect less runtime than a new laptop.
• Keyboard layout: ex-corporate stock comes from all over the world. Look for "UK layout" if you want the £ key and a tall Enter key. A US or Japanese layout with stickers is cheaper, but less pleasant to use.
• Charger: check one is included and whether it's original or compatible. USB-C charging makes replacements easy.
• Screen: avoid 1366×768 panels. Full HD is the norm on business laptops from 2018 onwards.

4. Grades, condition and guarantees

There's no single UK standard for refurbished grades. Which? notes that some sellers use A, B and C while others use words like "Pristine", "Very Good" and "Good", and that you need to check what each seller means. The description usually covers scratches, scuffs and screen marks. Warranties vary too, from as little as 30 days with some retailers.

• Amazon Renewed listings come from sellers that Amazon has approved for its Renewed programme. Amazon describes the products as professionally inspected, tested and refurbished, and backs them with a one-year repair, replacement or money-back guarantee, on top of your statutory rights. Browse Amazon Renewed
• Data: a professional refurbisher wipes every drive and installs a clean copy of Windows. The machine should start at the Windows setup screen, not someone else's desktop.
• Licence: the listing should say the copy of Windows is genuine and activated.
• Standards: professional refurbishers may work to standards such as BS EN 50614 (preparing waste electrical equipment for re-use), R2 or e-Stewards. The older PAS 141 specification was withdrawn in 2020.

5. Your first hour with it

1. Check it starts at a fresh Windows setup, and that Windows shows as activated (Settings → System → Activation).
2. Run Windows Update until there's nothing left to install, then check the manufacturer's site (Dell, HP, Lenovo) for BIOS and driver updates.
3. On a laptop, check battery health: run powercfg /batteryreport in a terminal and compare "full charge capacity" with "design capacity".
4. Test every port, the webcam, speakers, Wi-Fi and (on laptops) every key. Report faults within the return window.

Common questions

Sources: Microsoft: Windows 11 specifications; Microsoft: end of support for Windows 10; Windows 10 Extended Security Updates; Windows 11 supported Intel processors and AMD processors; Microsoft: installing Windows 11 on devices that don't meet minimum requirements; About Amazon UK: how to find refurbished products; Which?: how to buy second-hand or refurbished laptops.