Nowadays, many people are no longer interested in buying new computers and prefer to purchase high-specification “second-hand” machines. They refuse to settle for Celeron and insist on getting Pentium IV instead!
Improved Specifications
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Store employee at Bui Thi Xuan Street’s second-hand computer market selecting a monitor for a customer – Photo THIEN VU |
In recent years, the second-hand computer market has undergone significant changes. Previously, many importers focused on collecting second-hand computers from electronic waste dumps. Although these old batches still exist, no one is interested in them due to their extremely low specifications: Pentium MMX, 233MHz, and hard drives of 3.2GB or, at best, 6.4GB!
In reality, there are many working units, but if they have issues, they are often thrown away due to the lack of replacement parts! Now, on Bui Thi Xuan, Ton That Tung, and CMTT streets in Ho Chi Minh City, second-hand computers have upgraded specifications: the lowest is Pentium III at 866 or 933MHz. These specifications are adequate for office tasks and entertainment needs like listening to music and watching movies…
The price for a unit (including monitor and CPU) with these specifications ranges from 150 to 180 USD. Many stores report that lower-spec machines, from PIII and below, are primarily selling well in provincial areas because they are affordable and the usage requirements are not too complex!
Market surveys show that the components of these machines are still quite new and not rusty. These machines are primarily from brands like Dell, IBM, and Compaq. Since CPUs are still in demand, CRT monitors (both curved and flat, mainly in 15-inch and 17-inch sizes) are also selling well at prices ranging from 30 to 45 USD, depending on the quality and brand.
Choose Pentium IV and LCD!
Tr., an employee at Le Nguyen Company, which specializes in selling second-hand machines, reports that the popular second-hand computers are those with P IV 1.5 – 1.8GHz specifications, ranging in price from 215 to 260 USD depending on the brand and quality.
For example, an IBM CPU at 1.8GHz is priced at 260 USD at Viet Cuong store (41B Ton That Tung, District 1), while at CP Group (48 Ton That Tung, District 1), it is only 230 USD. When we expressed curiosity about the price differences, an employee explained: “It depends on the warranty period; the most important thing is the quality of the internal components!” He added, “Even we can’t tell the difference, let alone regular users. Just trust where you buy it from.”
The downside of this model is that the hard drive is only 20GB, and it uses a CD-ROM drive. If you wish to upgrade to a 40GB Seagate hard drive (7200rpm), it costs an additional 10 USD. This configuration is sufficient for graphic design or running other high-end applications, and listening to music, watching movies, or playing 3D games is also manageable. Therefore, many internet cafes, instead of buying locally assembled machines, choose to purchase high-spec second-hand computers to save on investment costs while ensuring stable performance.
A customer from Binh Phuoc, after checking prices at several computer supermarkets, decided to buy a batch of 40 computers with P IV 1.8GHz specifications to open an internet cafe. He calculated that with the current prices of second-hand machines, he could save 30-35% compared to buying locally assembled ones (even though the specifications differ since the CPUs currently sold at supermarkets are mainly Celeron 310 2.13GHz or P IV 2.4GHz), while enjoying greater stability due to standardized components!
Currently, there are quite a few models available on the market that many second-hand computer stores are surprised to find are actually second-hand, due to their high specifications:
P IV 2.66 GHz (Dell), and even P IV 3.0 GHz (HP models such as HP 530 SFF, DX 2000MT, and DC 7100SFF). These models come with good specifications: 256MB RAM, 40GB hard drive, 533 bus speed, and DVD drives… with models running on socket 478 priced at 360 USD, and those on socket 775 at 390 USD. The warranty period for these machines is one year.
Instead of buying expensive new machines, many people have opted for second-hand computers (but with high specifications) to have the opportunity to use LCD screens. The prices for LCD monitors are now quite acceptable, with 15.1-inch models from Dell, IBM, and Compaq priced at 150-160 USD, while 15-inch models from Mitsubishi, Fujitsu, and Adtec are priced at 135 USD. At Le Nguyen Company, to assure customers of quality, they offer a “one-for-one” exchange policy during the warranty period if the monitor malfunctions!
While it’s not encouraged to use overly worn-out computers, if a second-hand computer is still functioning well, why not use it? Given the quality and pricing at this level, it seems a reasonable choice for low-income individuals or students.
THIEN VU
