The Ultimate Guide to Refurbished Servers
Used Servers > The Ultimate Guide to Refurbished Servers
Starting in the early 1970s, IT users began trading previously used servers and parts from one institution or business to another.
What began as informal barter and trade of systems, has exploded into a billion dollar industry of resellers and marketplaces, with tens of thousands of IT environments taking advantage of the benefits of refurbished server equipment.Â
Do you want to learn more about what to look for in refurbished hardware, how the industry works and to know more about the great reliability and savings you can find when buying refurb? You’ve come to the right place!
Alta has been in this industry since the mid-1990s and pioneered much of the modern approach to enterprise IT reuse and resale. I'm the President at Alta and a reuse advocate. I collected the stories of this market's origins and know all the ins and outs of server refurbishment. I look forward to sharing these insights with you here.
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I have divided this guide into multiple sections. Dive into each sub-article below to learn about each are of the used server trade.
Table of Contents:
- Why Are Used and Refurbished Servers Important?
- What Is a Server and What Are Server Requirements? Â
- Understanding Server Location and Maintenance
- Calculating the Budget for Refurbished Servers
- What Is a Refurbished Server? Â
- Are Refurbished Servers Any Good?
- How Do You Refurbish a Server?Â
- Choose Between Refurbished Tower, Rack, and Blade servers, and Their Benefits
- The Difference Between Used and Refurbished Servers Â
- How to Choose the Best Refurbished Servers
- Pros and Cons of Refurbish Servers Â
- What Are the Best Refurbished Server Models?
- Top Refurbished Dell PowerEdge Server Models
Read the sub-articles linked above for my take on each of these topics, as a part of our 2024 Ultimate Guide to Refurbished Servers. Alternately, below is the basic TLDR:
Summary: Refurbished Servers are typically decommissioned from data centers just like yours, in great working condition and need little work, other than reconfiguring them to meet your exact needs.
The word "refurbished" can have many different meanings from used and working to upgraded, to fully repaired (rare). Work with long-standing trusted providers offering guarantees, documented standards, and years of expertise, to be guided towards the sustainability and savings benefits of refurbished servers and parts.
Last Updated: 04/03/2024
 - Bookmark this page to check back for updates in the months and years ahead.
Questions about Refurbished Servers?
Contact us anytime… we’ve been doing business in the secondary market for IT hardware since 1995.
info@altatechnologies.com
763-475-2900 | 800-546-2582
Additional Reading & Resources:
- Article:Â What are Used Servers?
- Article: Using & Maintaining Used Servers
- Article:Â Types of Servers
- Article:Â New vs. Used Servers
- Article:Â A More Sustainable IT Future
- Article:Â Separating ITAD Fact from Fiction
- Article:Â Maximizing Your IT Budget
- Alta: Used Servers for Sale
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Corey is a reuse advocate with 20 years experience in ITAD and serves as President of Alta Technologies, the gold standard for quality in testing and refurbishing servers, networking and data storage hardware, since 1995.
An active member of the Right-To-Repair movement, Corey also serves on the ASCDI Board, is a member of the Forbes Business Council, Vistage, SIA and UNEDA. He enjoys local adventures with his family and dog, Freya, near Minneapolis, MN.