How do we refurbish our computers?

It’s easy to say that your product is great, amazing, top quality, high-performing - but harder to show that it is.

We want everyone to know how good refurbished computers can be, so we want to show you behind the scenes of what it takes to refurbish a computer/laptop.

Our 7 Stage, 55 Point Check is one of the most comprehensive refurbishment processes in the UK. Before we offer units for sale, each one undergoes a full seven-step refurbishment process, with a total of up to 55 different checkpoints, to ensure it meets our highest quality standard. If any unit doesn’t meet our minimum requirements, it doesn’t pass.

Step One - Goods-in & Cleaning

We purchase a stock of laptops from a manufacturer. These are machines that have been leased for two years by a business but now returned under their agreement. There are many reasons for this. The business might have taken on a number of new staff and need to ensure hardware compliance across all staff, meaning a large-scale exchange of existing hardware to match the new units. Or they may be upgrading to a new operating system or program which is incompatible with the new units. Or they may simply be downsizing.

Some of them may have worn keyboard keys or shiny trackpads. Others may have slight scratches to the lids. But apart from that, these computers still have plenty of life in them.

When we receive them, we give them a visual inspection and reject any computers that are badly damaged. We clean all fans and grills, keyboards, remove all stickers and residue, clean the screens and under the battery. We then do a complete respray if needed before doing a secondary inspection.

Step Two - Cosmetic Inspection and Grading

At this stage we are doing a deeper cosmetic inspection. Now, we check the bios password. Then the screen quality is scrutinized for any dead pixels or shadows. The screws, lid, body plastic, keyboard, battery catch, external ports, webcam, asset tag marks and confirm the make and model are correct.

Once our machines pass all the above steps they are ready to be GRADED! At this stage we categorise the units into three areas. Grade A, B & C. We also evaluate the possibility of upgrading the original grade based on renewing covers, keyboards and components.

Grade A & B will have pure cosmetic wear through previous use, Grade C may also only have cosmetic wear but in certain cases Grade C may have minor faults which will be disclosed.

Below is our grading description for Grade A, B and C:

Grade A products will have overall excellent to very good cosmetic condition. Some Grade A units will be cosmetically pristine, while others may have light scratches or other minor blemishes. Cosmetic blemishes will have no impact on the system’s overall functionality or performance.

Grade B products will have some cosmetic blemishes that include scratches and/or other surface imperfections. Grade B products are functionally equivalent to Grade A, and will include the same warranty and customer support as Grade A products.

Grade C products will have more wear and tear than Grade B and there may be some case/cover damage which will be disclosed. These issues will have no impact on the system’s overall functionality or performance.

Step Three - Technical Tests

Next, we conduct deep internal checks into the computer’s performance. The CPU (Central Processing Unit), HDD (Hard Disk) and RAM (Memory) are all checked. The screen size, optical drive, ports, keyboard, speakers, mouse pad, buttons, Wi-Fi, drivers and battery are all thoroughly tested.

Step Four - Re-configuration

We now strip the computer back to factory settings. We either replace or BLANCCO erase the hard disks. BLANCCO is a standard of data erasing used by the government and armed forces. This ensures any trace of data or passwords are shredded to government-level standards.

At his point we identify if the laptops need to go through our CTO (Configure to Order) Process. Laptops are configured and upgraded as per our customer requirements; for example with HDD/SSD upgrades and memory upgrades.

Any faulty components are upgraded or replaced. The LCD cover, keyboard and palm rests are restored or re-sprayed to an as-new condition.

The final stage involves a fresh install of the Operating system - Windows 10 Professional in most cases. We also issue new licenses (something only a Microsoft registered refurbisher can do).

Step Five - Stress Test

Now the computer is put under a stress test for several hours to see how it performs above and beyond normal operating capacity. It will be pushed to the point of failure to see how the processor, memory, hard disks, optical drive, graphics card and cooling cope. This is carried out for both replaced or upgraded parts.

Step Six - Final Check, Clean and Grading

Everything is re-tested again before a final clean both inside and out with compressed air.

Step Seven - Pack and Dispatch

New power cables are added and new certification labels. The computers are then packed in purpose-built boxes and dispatched with our trusted courier.

We believe that under the lid, our computers and laptops are as good as new - they just don’t come from a sealed box from the manufacturer, they come from us.

If you are interested in reselling refurbished or want to talk to me about how we can help your school or business, then please get in contact.