Often, purchasing previously used equipment raises many questions and concerns. This also applies to choosing a laptop. By purchasing previously used devices, you can save a significant amount of money, but you need to approach the purchasing process carefully and wisely. Next, we will look at several basic parameters that you should pay attention to when choosing a used laptop.

Not all sellers want to deceive buyers by carefully hiding all the defects of their device, but you should always test the product before giving money for it. In this article we will look at the main points that you should definitely pay attention to when choosing a device that has already been used.

Appearance

Before starting the device, you first need to study its appearance. Take a closer look to see if there are chips, cracks, scratches or other similar damage on the body. Most often, the presence of such violations indicates that the laptop was dropped or hit somewhere. When checking the device, you will not have time to disassemble it and carefully check all components for defects, so if you see clear external damage to the case, then it is better not to purchase this device.

An important step is to turn on the laptop. If the OS loading was successful and relatively quickly, then the chances of getting a truly serviceable device increase several times.

Never buy a used laptop without Windows or any other OS installed on it. In this case, you will not notice a hard drive malfunction, dead pixels or other defects. Do not believe any of the seller's arguments, but demand the installed OS.

Matrix

After successfully loading the operating system, the laptop should work for a while without heavy loads. This will take about ten minutes. During this time, you can check the matrix for dead pixels or other defects. It will be easier to notice such malfunctions if you turn to special programs for help. In our article at the link below you will find a list of the best representatives of such software. Use any convenient program to test your screen.

HDD

The correct operation of the hard drive is determined quite simply - by the sound when moving files. You can, for example, take a folder with many files and move it to another partition of your hard drive. If the HDD hums or clicks during this process, you will need to check it with special programs, such as Victoria, in order to determine its functionality.

Read more about this in our articles using the links below:
How to check your hard drive for functionality
Programs for checking your hard drive

Video card and processor

In the Windows operating system, any user, with a minimum amount of effort, can change the name of each component installed in the laptop. This kind of fraud allows you to mislead unknowing buyers and offer a device under the guise of a more powerful model. Changes are made both in the OS itself and in the BIOS, so to verify the authenticity of all components you will need to use third-party software. For reliable results, it is better to take several proven programs at once and put them on your flash drive.

You can find a complete list of software for determining laptop hardware in the article at the link below. All software provides almost the same tools and functions, and even an inexperienced user can understand it.

Cooling of components

It is more difficult to implement a good cooling system in a laptop than in a desktop computer, so even with fully working coolers and good new thermal paste, some models tend to overheat to the point of system slowdown or automatic shutdown. We recommend using one of several simple ways to check the temperatures of your video card and processor. You will find detailed instructions in our articles at the links below.

Performance test

When buying a laptop for entertainment, every user wants to quickly find out its performance in their favorite game. If you were able to agree with the seller that he would install several games on the device in advance or bring everything you need for testing yourself, then all you need to do is run any program for monitoring FPS and system resources in games. There are quite a lot of representatives of such software. Choose any suitable program and test it.

Dear friends, checking a laptop when purchasing is a must, otherwise you will simply buy a low-quality product. And quality in this context means that the device should suit you in every sense. That is, you can take the perfect laptop, but it turns out that it is very weak for you, and you only needed to add two or three thousand and take a better device. This means that you need to look not only at the condition of the device, but also its technical characteristics and operation in real conditions. So, how do you check a laptop when buying it in a store?

Appearance and kit

• Ask the seller to show you the device. It often happens that the store does not show the device until it is received after payment. Of course, you can buy it and look at it at the merchandise stand, but why take on additional adventures for yourself? If you can't inspect the laptop you're about to buy, then what are we even talking about?
• So, if you were given a product, then we check that there are no dents, scratches, or any other signs of a defect on it. This is only allowed if the store warns the buyer. How he does it? Surely you have seen discounted products that have some problems, due to which you receive a certain discount. That is, if a laptop is discounted due to external damage, then you cannot blame the seller for the fact that there are scratches or dents on the case. But you should understand that it is best not to take such devices.

• Often in stores there is a sample of the product on display. That is, this model is intended for the user to see how the device works. And then at the checkout they will give you a completely new device that has never even been opened. Now we are back to the issue of you not being able to look at the laptop that they actually give you at the end. But it’s worth remembering that most products come with a warranty, which we’ll talk about separately at the end. That is, I would like to say that you should be wary only if there is no display sample.
• A display sample allows you to demonstrate the operation of the device. And since you receive a brand new laptop at delivery, you don’t have to worry about its safety. But it is highly recommended to check its appearance and kit on site together with the seller. If you come home and find that there is no charger included (after unpacking, of course), then no one will believe you and you will be left with nothing.
• What should be included? Undoubtedly, the laptop itself, the user manual, the charger. It is worth noting that there may be additional attributes there, but if the main ones are not there, then you can safely return the product right on the spot. There are no legal grounds for the store not to take your device back.

Laptop working

• Testing a laptop before purchasing means seeing it in action. Again, the display sample we talked about earlier will come to your aid. If this is not the case, then they will not bring it to you from the warehouse for testing. You will get a “pig in a poke”. It is also worth noting a very important point: all these checks should definitely be done with the final product that will be handed out to you when you pick up the goods.
• It is advisable to watch the process of turning the device on and off. Salespeople at good stores will be happy to help you complete the check.
• To test the operation of the keyboard, go to any text editor (preferably Microsoft Office Word) and press absolutely all the keys one by one. It often happens that there is a certain defect in a particular model, so you should not detract from any of the verification stages. For example, X-series laptops from XYZ manufacturer have the X key not working because the factory forgot to do something. We hope the meaning is clear.

• Next, without any doubt, it's worth checking the touchpad. This is the touchpad located below the keyboard. It should simulate pressing the left and right mouse buttons and move the cursor around the work area. Some laptops may also have a number of features, such as multi-touch. That is, you can change the scale of images, quickly switch between tabs, and so on.
• Look carefully at the laptop screen: there should be normal color reproduction, there should be no dead pixels. But even if there are broken pixels on the display sample, this does not mean that the same product will be waiting for you at the delivery counter.
• If possible, check the ports and inputs on the laptop to ensure they are all working. You can take flash drives or other devices with you for testing.

Laptops without OS

So, how to check a laptop without an OS when purchasing? This is much more difficult to do than with the OS (operating system) installed, since you won't be able to test the keyboard, camera, and other services. But what to do then? It is recommended to simply run it and look at the following:

• At startup, at least some image should appear.
• Let's look at the operation of the light bulbs on the laptop case.
• If, when you start, instead of a picture or command line, you see a set of cubes, stripes, symbols of different colors, then most likely the end of the video card has come.

This, of course, does not guarantee you a full-fledged high-quality check of a laptop without an OS, but for the first stage it will be enough for you. You can only buy a laptop without an OS and check everything carefully at home after installing the OS. If there is something wrong with it, then you can turn to the consumer protection law. Next, we will look at the main points that a user can claim after purchasing a laptop with a manufacturing defect.

What to do after purchase?

So, if for some reason you still bought a laptop with a defect or you just want to return the product, then let’s find out what the Russian Federation Law of 02/07/1992 N 2300-1 “On the Protection of Consumer Rights” can offer us in this case. But, first of all, it is worth noting that the kit should include: a receipt, a box, a laptop, a warranty card (not always) and a complete set.

• You can return the product if you do not like the color, size or other attributes within 14 days from the date of purchase in accordance with Article 25, paragraph 1. The device must not have traces of use, that is, it cannot be activated, installed programs, or used for ten days , and then say: “Oh, I want white.” Factory seals and packaging must be preserved.
• According to the same point, you do not necessarily have to have a cash receipt: any document confirming the fact that you purchased the laptop from this particular seller will do.
• When returning an item, you can exchange it for a new one or get your money back. You can also purchase a similar laptop with or without additional payment.
• It is worth remembering that laptops belong to the category of technically complex products, so some defects are forgivable. For example, the same dead pixels are allowed in a certain ratio. Therefore, we recommended that you watch this directly in the store before activating the product, so that you can return it immediately. At the same time, don’t talk about pixels, but say that you still want a different model or a different color. In any case, you have every right to a replacement.

• The manufacturer is obliged to repair the laptop within a certain time and offer another product for use during the repair period. Why should you lose your job because of a manufacturer or store error, for example, if you are working on a laptop? This applies to the warranty period that follows after the 14 days. It is worth noting that the repair period cannot exceed 45 working days, which is a violation of the consumer protection law.
• All claims must be submitted in writing and take a second copy for yourself, which contains both your signature and the seller’s signature. This is necessary so that if something happens you can press charges.
• It is highly recommended that you study your rights yourself at the purchase stage, so that there are no problems later.

Conclusion

Friends, we hope that you were able to test a new laptop in a store without an OS or with it. Now you know what to do, and the chances of buying a low-quality product have decreased. Don't forget to share your opinion, impressions and personal experience in the comments!

You have finally chosen the laptop model that satisfies you with its parameters and are ready to buy it. If you choose a used device, first look at the FAQ and then continue reading here, making allowances for usedness. If you are buying a new device, also read the topic above. The reason is simple - it’s not a sin to check everything listed there on a new device (even the seller himself may not know the background of the box with the laptop). The only difference between new and used in this case is that, theoretically, there should be no hidden defects on a new device (on a used laptop their presence is implicitly implied). Therefore, testing of individual nodes on a new laptop can be greatly reduced, perhaps even neglected completely, with the possible exception of checking the matrix. Some points and “little things” that deserve your attention at the time of purchase and immediately before it:

• When purchasing a new laptop, pay attention to its packaging. Ideally, the box will be factory sealed and will be opened right in front of you. It should be noted that this contradicts the Russian rules for the sale of technically complex household goods, which include laptops, so there is no need to insist on this if the seller is against it. But you can ask. DO NOT take the sealed box under your arm and take away the laptop without checking it. If you have very, very little time, then at least open the box, quickly check the package contents and serial numbers on the laptop case, in the warranty card and on the box (they must match) and make sure that the machine starts normally when you press the “ON” button. Still, it’s better to set aside some of your time to buy a laptop so that you can test it less quickly. A heavily dented, worn or damaged box indicates the difficult fate of the device during transportation; be sure to either bargain (it’s quite possible to lose up to 10 percent for this) or demand another copy. Numerous layers of adhesive tape on a box, despite its seemingly good condition, most often indicate repeated unpacking and packing of beech, which, as you yourself understand, usually does not bode well. The normal condition of the packaging, on the other hand, means absolutely nothing - a skillful seller knows how to repack carefully.
• If you choose a laptop that is not from a well-known manufacturer, take an interest in the list of equipment that is in the laptop and the availability of drivers for them on the websites of the manufacturers of this equipment. Sad scenarios are possible when the manufacturer has “sunk into oblivion”, and a change in the operating system took you by surprise in the absence of the necessary driver. Many equipment manufacturers provide drivers, incl. and more recent ones than the laptop manufacturer, on their websites, but there are unfortunate exceptions. If you plan to install it, you should be interested in the availability of drivers for Linux first of all.
• Does the laptop manufacturer release BIOS updates for their devices? If only one initial version is offered for download for all models, the manufacturer is not very meticulous about the quality of service support.
• Is there any noticeable flickering of the matrix? Many people note that some matrices seem to flicker to their eyes (relative to others). You cannot read about this in the specifications for the device, and you need to “look with your eyes” yourself. The reasons for this phenomenon are usually complex, and it is rarely a malfunction, but rather a feature.
• Matte or glossy matrix coating? Often this information is also not included in the specifications, and not everyone likes the glossy finish.
• What size is the power supply unit (PSU) of the laptop, what cables go to it? Some manufacturers (Dell, for example) use non-standard network cables, which will not be easy to find a replacement for, some (Dell for example in some models) use a special identification chip in the power supply unit, which will not allow you to replace the power supply unit itself with a non-native one if necessary. The thickness and weight of the network cable can also vary widely - with a lightweight mobile computer, it makes sense to carry a thin cable rather than a thick, heavy one.
• Does the laptop lid move tightly or easily when opening and closing it? A tight move may not allow you to open the lid with one hand; too loose may mean that the fastening hinges will quickly become loose.
• Are there bright blue lights around the screen? The light bulbs should be located far from the screen, be of a dim color and not have flickering or flashing modes. It may look good on display, but in practice it only irritates.
• How comfortable is the keyboard layout? Try typing a couple of paragraphs of text in a word processor and then heavily edit it. See how convenient it is for you to operate service keys such as Enter, Shift, Ctrl, Ins, Del, etc. Does the keyboard flex when typing? If , then this is not a problem in most cases.
• How well has the Russification of the keyboard been implemented? Is Russian font clearly visible, particularly in dim lighting? Is it easy to distinguish between Cyrillic and Latin layouts? Was Russification done at the factory or using stickers? The stickers will have to be changed regularly, not to mention the fact that the very presence of stickers most often means that the device is “dull”.
• The presence of on/off buttons and Bluetooth and Wi-Fi indicators does not mean their physical presence! In many models, their presence is optional, and buttons and indicators are common to the entire line. Check the physical presence of these devices; It's also a good idea to check if all devices are enabled in the BIOS.
• Is it possible to add RAM to a laptop without replacing the one already installed?
• How “stainable” is the outer coating of the matrix cover and wrist rest? The shiny silver coating looks great in a display case, but often collects all the dust and dirt along with fingerprints, and also emphasizes all the inevitable subsequent scratches. Not to mention the fact that it wears out easily during use.
• How durable is the material of these same laptop parts? Are there any streaks on the screen when the screen is turned on when you press slightly on the outer part of the matrix cover? Is the laptop body moving under your lying hands? Does this area overheat when used for a long time?
• How are the openings for air intake and exhaust arranged? The slots on the bottom of the laptop have a chance to be tightly blocked when working on your knees. Blowing to the right can make right-handed people uncomfortable when using the mouse.
• Listen to the fan tone in different modes. On some models the fan tone is not very pleasant. It’s bad if it howls to maximum, roars, cools down and turns off. It’s better if it can smoothly regulate the speed. Those. It’s more pleasant if it works, albeit constantly, but slowly in one mode, than like a siren howling back and forth.
• How long has the Li-ion battery been manufactured? Lithium batteries degrade over time, so the fresher it is by production date, the better.
• When booting, does the laptop OS prompt you to accept the license? If not (Windows is loading normally), the laptop has already been turned on before you or the seller has changed the OS. How critical this is is for you to judge.
• Can a laptop boot from a USB flash drive? This is especially true for single-spindle devices without a built-in optical disk.
• Are there, how many and in what places are there warranty stickers and stickers on the screws and compartment covers of the laptop? The ideal option is when they are not there, because they should not be. When used intensively, stickers tend to tear off and abrade, which can lead to misunderstandings during service. An abundance of stickers very often means that the seller is reinsuring himself when selling a “gray” device that does not have branded service.
• What and under what conditions does the warranty cover the device and its components? Make the seller explain ALL such conditions to you, if possible - against signature on a paper document.
• Regarding a model that has been on the market for quite a long time, it is a good idea to check the issue for standard failures - unsuccessful models happen even from the most famous manufacturers.
• Look at reviews of the service of a specific vendor, exactly in the place where you are most likely to use this service. It happens that the delivery of spare parts takes months, they find fault with every scratch, etc.
• What battery does the laptop weigh with? A good-capacity battery weighs ~400g, they can indicate the weight with half a battery or without it at all, or even without a CD drive. Most users estimate the conventional “heavy-light” boundary as a real working weight of ~2.5 kg.
• What is the quality and volume of the built-in speakers, in which direction are they directed? The sound quality in laptops is usually, to put it mildly, average, but there are also very extreme cases when at an acceptable volume everything wheezes and crackles, or when at maximum volume the sound (especially from DVD films) is barely audible. Volume control should be convenient and without any software quirks - a wheel or easily accessible hardware buttons.

When buying a used laptop, you must understand that you are risking your money. I’ve given you a few tips that you can follow to minimize the risks associated with purchasing a low-quality product.

Never make a purchasing decision on your own; consult with a knowledgeable person. For some reason, it is generally accepted that you can buy a computer on your own and quickly, but to buy a car you need to take a specialist with you and spend a lot of time inspecting the car. It's strange for me to hear

Visual inspection

Diagnostics

• Check memory and hard drive surface using software
• Perform a stress test. The laptop should not freeze

Internal inspection

This is the biggest problem for the buyer. The seller most likely will not want to open the laptop, citing the fact that it has already undergone “pre-sale preparation”. But again, you can only work on trust with people you know, and it’s not a fact that there won’t be surprises

For example, I myself witnessed the opening of a used Dell XPS 12 Ultrabook laptop, which, as it turned out, instead of thermal paste on the processor, there was something similar in consistency to toothpaste. Surprise! The seller who completed the “pre-sale preparation” was naturally “shocked.” Another surprise with the same laptop - a non-licensed Windows7 was installed. The seller did not bother to find the required distribution kit, although the laptop was originally equipped with windows8, as indicated by the sticker on the back side

Why is an internal inspection necessary?

Naked calculation

How to use a laptop

I won’t write about temperature conditions, room humidity, “the science of contacts” - these are standard things for the normal operation of any equipment. I will only mention some everyday moments

• Do not fill. A flooded laptop that is turned on often becomes a dead laptop, or if it manages to “survive” it will require serious repairs. If it suddenly floods, then IMMEDIATELY unplug the charger and remove the battery. Contact the SC. There will be a charge for repairs because this is not a warranty case.
• Keep the room where you use your laptop clean. Remember, a laptop is a small vacuum cleaner. All the dust in your room may be in it.
• Use on flat surfaces so that there is free access of air. Do not use on blankets or blankets. Wool perfectly clogs the cooler and radiator of a laptop. The result is overheating and failure of the chips. Repair
• If the laptop is equipped with a Ni-Mh battery, then it would be completely useful "train" the battery(full charge-discharge cycle) once a week (for Li-Ion batteries this procedure should be performed once every two to three months). It will also be useful to calibrate the battery by completely discharging and charging it. Before doing this, you need to disable (in the energy saving settings of the operating system) the option to force the laptop to turn off at a certain battery level. You can also use special utilities for this purpose, which are sometimes posted on manufacturers’ websites. When using a laptop with the power adapter turned on, the battery charges automatically. There is no need to disconnect the battery when connecting the laptop to the network via a power adapter. This does not affect the laptop battery life
• Closing the lid correctly keeping your fingers centered in the webcam area. All other options will lead to damage to the matrix stand. Repair

And finally, a few curious cases

How to check a used laptop before buying - with the help of this instruction, the risk of buying a used laptop will be minimized. If you decide to buy a used laptop, you should definitely check and test it completely, especially for laptops with a discrete graphics card. I will also tell you from my experience what questions it is recommended to ask in order to exclude an unscrupulous seller.

Before meeting with the seller, download all the necessary programs for tests and write them to a flash drive. Also take with you an SD card to check the card reader, headphones to check the mini jack connector, and a DVD-RW disk (if the laptop has an optical drive).

It is advisable to schedule a meeting with the seller in some shopping center or cafe where it will be possible to connect the laptop to the Internet via Wi-Fi and to a 220V power supply to check the functionality of the laptop’s power supply. Ask the seller to install all the necessary drivers for the laptop.

How to check a used laptop - a superficial inspection

When meeting, you should not immediately turn on the laptop, pick it up, turn it over and check the bolt heads for their integrity.

From the factory, the screw heads are completely black and, if the laptop has been disassembled, most likely the screw heads will be licked off in the places where the screwdriver is recessed. It happens that there may not be enough bolts at all on the bottom cover, this is a clear sign of disassembling the laptop by an inexperienced technician. At the ends of the laptop, at the junction of the two halves of the case, pay attention to signs of damage to the plastic. If you notice signs of disassembling the laptop, ask the seller why the laptop was disassembled. We’ll discuss what questions to ask the seller later.

Let's move on to inspecting the laptop's hinges; this is a very important point, especially if the laptop has been in use for more than a year. When opening the laptop lid, pay attention to the corner of the case where the hinges are located - the hinge should not break out the laptop case from the inside.

If, when opening the matrix cover, the case makes some kind of even insignificant crackling noise, it means that the hinge fastenings begin to break. The matrix cover must be clearly fixed in any position. At the same time, inspect the case for cracks or dents on the case, which may indicate that the laptop has been dropped.

When you turn on the laptop, go to the computer properties and check the accuracy of the data with those specified in the ad. Next, go to the device manager and check for the presence of a discrete video card (if the video card was declared in the laptop), and all drivers must be installed on all devices. Check your screen resolution. If the laptop you are purchasing supports a Full HD matrix, the resolution should be 1920x1080.

Connect the laptop to a power outlet and check the power indicator. At the base of the laptop power connector, move the inserted plug into the laptop; if the power indicator blinks when you move it, the power connector or power adapter connector is damaged.

This was a superficial inspection of the laptop, now let's move on to the tests.

How to test a used laptop before buying

Start tests with the laptop I/O ports: connect headphones and check the sound, insert an SD memory card into the card reader and connect a flash drive to each USB port.

Testing Wi-Fi

Connect to a Wi-Fi access point and test your Internet connection by going to the page with an online keyboard test. In case of poor Internet connection, distribute Wi-Fi using your smartphone. This feature has long been available on iPhone iOS and modern Android.

Testing the keyboard

After we have checked the connection to the wireless network, let's test the keyboard. An online keyboard test can be done on our website -. The keyboard test is the most ordinary one, you press the buttons and check the functionality of each one. When pressing the keyboard keys, pay attention to the sticking and movement of the keys; if the keyboard has been filled with some kind of sweet liquid, there will be a characteristic crunch when you press the button.

Checking the optical DVD drive

To understand the condition of the reading laser of a DVD drive, it is best to check using a DVD-RW disc, because even a drive laser that is almost dead can successfully read a regular disc. If you are buying a laptop with an optical drive for the purpose of writing data to DVD media, I recommend writing files from your flash drive to a DVD-rw disk.

Programs for testing a used laptop before purchasing

For tests you will need only three programs: Aida64 , FurMark, SSDlife

Checking the laptop battery for wear

Let's check the wear of the laptop battery using the Aida64 program. We launch the program, go to the computer section and click on power.

Here you will find the necessary data on the degree of wear of the laptop battery, capacity and remaining operating time at the current load on the processor and the brightness of the matrix backlight. To better understand the state of the laptop battery, you can simultaneously run a movie or video on YouTube and watch how quickly the battery discharges while playing the video.

Checking the SMART of the hard drive

Next, go to the data storage section and select SMART. In the data that appears, you can see the operating history and status of the hard drive or SSD drive. Of course, it would be more correct to test the hard drive for bad sectors, but this test is quite long and requires certain skills to launch boot images, so we will look at SMART indicators. If there is a tick in the “ID” column, the indicator is normal, but if the indicator is bad, there is an exclamation mark or a cross.

Decoding more important SMART values:

Start/Stop Count– an indicator of the number of recorded start/stop cycles of the hard drive spindle.

Power-On Time Count- shows the total number of hours the hard drive is in working condition.

Power On/Off Retract Cycle- shows the number of recorded cycles of completely turning on and off the hard drive.

Reallocated Sectors Count– the most important indicator when examining a hard drive, which shows the number of “remapped sectors”. If the magnetic head of the hard disk fails to read, write or verify a cell after several passes, it will be “redirected” to its reserve, therefore, this reassigned sector will no longer be physically used.

Reallocation Event Count- number of attempts to reassign the sector (Remap).

Raw Read Error Rate– an indicator of the error rate when reading data from the disk surface. Occurs when, during a single pass, the head fails to read the cell. An increase in the parameter is usually caused by hardware problems with the hard drive.

Write Error Rate– shows the frequency of recording errors. Mostly caused by mechanical problems with the hard drive.

Seek Error Rate– head positioning error data caused by problems with the moving mechanics of the reading head.

Current Pending Sector Count- during a one-time pass, the head may not be able to read data from a cell, in which case this cell will be marked as a candidate for replacement.

Checking the SSD drive for wear

If the laptop has an SSD drive installed, its condition can be assessed by the SSD Life program, which will provide information about the total operating time, the number of starts and the remaining resource of the SSD drive.

By the way, the indicator of the number of starts and the number of hours worked is very valuable information, so you can estimate the real age of the laptop and how often it was used. If the seller told you that the laptop is only a year old, but the smart hard drive indicates 10,428 hours, which is 434 full days of continuous operation, you can conclude that the laptop is definitely more than 3 years old, or it has been working for more than a year without turning off.

Stress test of laptop processor and RAM

Now let's move on to stress testing the laptop. Please note that it is best to run the stress test when the laptop is connected to the mains. In the upper right corner of the window you can select the devices that will be tested. Below are two graphs: the top one shows the temperature, the bottom one shows the processor load level. The recommended stress test time for a laptop is 10 minutes.

Why do you need to stress test a laptop? It often happens that a laptop can work quite stably at low load, but as soon as the processor or RAM is fully loaded, the laptop reboots or freezes completely. As for the temperature level during the stress test, everything is not clear. The temperature can rise to 95°C, but this figure can be caused by a laptop cooling system clogged with dust and if you clean the laptop from dust and change the thermal paste, then the temperature will return to normal around 65-75 °C (depending on the processor and quality of the cooling system in the laptop). Using the temperature graph, you can determine the approximate state of the heat pipe on the cooling system; if, when the stress test is stopped, the temperature decreases sharply, the heat pipe is in order and is removing heat.

If, when stopping the stress test, the temperature gradually decreases by 1-2 °C, the thermopipe is most likely in poor condition. Another important indicator on the bottom graph is CPU Throttling. If during the test red marks appear on the bottom graph, then the processor goes into Thermal Throttling mode and this is very bad for the processor.

Laptop video card stress test

If you buy a laptop with a discrete video card, for example, GeForce GT1050, you definitely need to test it under load, because the video chip is one of the most vulnerable points when overheating on a laptop. To be sure that your video card is working properly, you can perform a stress test using the free FurMark program. The program is very easy to use, just run it and click on GPU stress test. To fully understand that the video chip in the laptop is working, a 3-minute test is enough. If the program does not start, most likely there is a problem with the drivers. If during the test the laptop freezes, reboots, or a blue screen appears, there is a problem with the video card. Using FurMark, you can view more detailed information about the video card by clicking on GPU-Z.

Some “experts” may argue that this program ruins video cards. But as practice shows, if the laptop’s video chip is working properly, a test for 2-3 minutes will not harm the video card. If the video chip on the laptop is overheated, then yes, this program is dangerous for such a laptop. So if a seller refuses to run FurMark on a laptop they're selling, it could be a sign that the laptop has hidden problems. As a last resort, you can use an analogue of OCCT or 3DMark.

Before meeting with the seller, at the stage of communication by phone, ask him the question - “was the laptop taken apart?”, If so, “What was the reason for disassembling the laptop?” If it is not acceptable for you to buy a used laptop that has been disassembled for some reason, at this stage you can weed out such sellers and save time on meetings, unless, of course, the seller told the truth that the laptop was disassembled. If the seller says that the laptop has not been disassembled and when you meet you you notice traces of disassembly on the case, then you will immediately understand that the seller is hiding something.

Let's assume the seller says that the laptop was disassembled to clean the cooling system, ask a counter question - “Who cleaned the laptop?” - if the seller answers that he did it himself, ask what thermal paste he used when cleaning the laptop. If the seller actually dusted the laptop himself, he should have replaced the thermal paste on the processor, and he should remember the name of the thermal paste he used. Pay attention to how the seller reacts to the question regarding what thermal paste he used. If this question throws him into a stupor or he begins to say that he no longer remembers, the laptop could most quickly be sorted out for other purposes, for example, in a service center to repair some more significant breakdown.

The seller can also say that the laptop was disassembled in order to upgrade components, for example, he increased the RAM and installed an SSD drive instead of a regular hard drive. Of course, the architecture of some laptop models is designed in such a way that access to the hard drive and RAM is under a separate cover, which is held in place by just one screw. But if, in addition to this one screw, other screws have been licked, what kind of upgrade can we talk about...

If you buy a laptop from a seller in another city, and he sends the laptop cash on delivery, ask the seller to install all the necessary drivers before sending it. You can warn him that he will conduct tests during the examination. And if the laptop is problematic, most likely the seller will not send you the laptop.

In conclusion, I want to say - if you notice signs of disassembly and the seller makes quite clear arguments, you are still taking a risk by buying such a laptop. It is quite possible that you have found yourself in the hands of an experienced huckster who, due to his experience, knows how and what to say correctly in order to mislead you.