Need a 2nd opinion - refurbished machine

USB 3.0 makes no difference to the average user.

I'll beg to differ with that one. I have quite a few "average users" that I've gotten to set up a routine backup using a local USB backup drive. The difference in speed between USB 2.0 and 3.X is very significant, and those who've accidentally plugged their drives into the wrong port notice the difference very quickly.
 
USB 3.0 is a line in the sand. Without it the machine feels old and limited to me. The end user may not miss it, and even if they’re using it for backup I guess if they’re not waiting around for it.

Plus, if I’m going to be involved with the machine that may involve transferring a lot of data and I’m not waiting around for slow USB.
 
USB 3.0 makes no difference to the average user. Almost all don't know, don't care so in turn I don't really care if 3.0 is on the used machine I am selling or not.

Oh.. you will care, because the user will attempt to use the ports and they will not work correctly with many devices, assume the port is broken and then call you.

I'm not talking about ports not working at USB 3.0 speeds, I'm talking about them NOT WORKING AT ALL! And randomly, and extremely visibly too. And all due to a driver you have no update or replacement option for. I have that specific Dell in service... many of them. And I simply cannot use the 3.0 ports at all, aside for say keyboards and mice. Anything more and they get all sorts of problematic.

The 4th gen slightly younger model has none of these issues, in fact they've been quite stable in all use cases. Got a bunch of them out too. Please get a 7020 instead of the 7010, the cost difference is minimal and you'll have a much better experience until you throw it out in 2025.

Or be ready to simply disable the USB 3.0 controller and toss in a card to placate a grumpy user.
 
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set up a routine backup using a local USB backup drive.
I used to think that but even those are done on a schedule at night or while the user is doing other things. No one sits there and intently watches their backups - pffft! Let them run in the background.....

...and yes. I have a box of USB 3.0 PCI cards and install them where needed but they are rarely needed.
 
because the user will attempt to use the ports and they will not work correctly with many devices, assume the port is broken and then call you.
Never seen this in all my years. USB is very forgiving and very backwards compatible.
 
Only if they are going against basic security and safety advice of NOT leaving an external plugged in 24/7/

Oh please! We're talking about the residential market here. I preach and preach but only about 10% do external backups and only 10% of those actually plug and pull their drives if the backups are scheduled and routine.
 
Never seen this in all my years. USB is very forgiving and very backwards compatible.
You're not understanding me...

The Dell Optiplex 7010 utilizes an Intel USB 3.0 controller that has GARBAGE DRIVERS. And there is no other option. It's a fault specific to that model of Optiplex, I've got 15 of them in the field right now, I'm WELL aware of it.

If you attempt to use the USB 3.0 ports on that unit with Windows 10, they will work... until they don't. I'm talking about devices simply going away on reboot, and coming back when you change ports.

If you're OK with all of that, knock yourself out. But I'm telling you right now, the USB 3.0 ports on the 7010 are unreliable at best.
 
Only if they are going against basic security and safety advice of NOT leaving an external plugged in 24/7

Or they're like me. My backups take about 6 hours to complete (with USB 3.0) and I always plug in my drive, kick off the backup, then go to bed. I unplug in the morning after looking at the status of the backup process.

I don't expect anyone to be sitting and watching a backup so they can disconnect the drive the very moment after it completes. But I do advise them not to leave any backup device plugged in 24/7. The probability of a ransomware attack with no human intervention to trigger it is exceedingly small, so I have no problem with leaving a drive plugged in overnight.
 
That is why I like the feature in Macrium to shut down when done.

I'm not using Macrium, but EaseUS To Do Backup Free, and it, too, has this option. I just don't use it, and for the reason I stated.

Everyone has to make their own risk assessment and be comfortable with whatever risks they choose to take. If a computer has a human behind the keyboard, it is in much greater peril than when left unattended (provided it's not accessible to random passers by). I just don't feel that there is any great risk from letting it continue to run. I leave my machine itself on 24/7 except for when I restart it by intent. But I don't leave my backup drives connected similarly.
 
Thanx for all the great feedback. Many things to consider. I've never had an understanding of Dell's model numbers (e.g.: is a 7050 a lot better than a 7020?), so I found a great article on Wikipedia that explains all the Optiplex model numbers, including which year the model was released. Looking at this, I found that the 7020 was released in 2014, only 1 year newer than the machine I was looking to replace. So, I looked for a newer model and found this:

https://www.amazon.com/Dell-Optiple...l/dp/B08FCTTF95/ref=psdc_565098_t1_B079CQRT4L

Other than I will have to buy a HDMI to VGA adapter (or Display Port to VGA adapter), this looks superior to any of the 7020 machines I was looking at. Or am I missing something?

Mahalo!
 
The 7050 is a solid box, and would be among the primary offerings to my clients if the thing could do Win11.

That unit has a TPM 1.2 module in it that can be upgraded to TPM 2.0 with a firmware flash, but even with said upgrade... no Win11.

Still, it's a solid Windows 10 box, runs well, driver support is easy, bios updates via Dell command are brainless, good solid unit all around. Just well... it's dead Oct of 2025.

P.S. if you want VGA on that thing, use a DISPLAY PORT to VGA adapter, do NOT GET an HDMI to VGA adapter. The Intel GPU in that thing is wired to deal with analog output via the display ports. So you won't have clarity issues using a cheap adapter, you will have display issues if you try that on the HDMI side.
 
Holy crap, what a ripoff. If you're going to buy refurbs to resell, you can pick up one of those for like $80. Very few clients need 1TB of storage. Throw in a cheap $40 250GB SSD and you're $120 into it.

If you want to spend $300 then you can do MUCH better:


8th gen i5 Optiplex. It'll run Windows 11 flawlessly and it's 5 years newer than the system you're considering.
 
The 7050 is a solid box, and would be among the primary offerings to my clients if the thing could do Win11.

That unit has a TPM 1.2 module in it that can be upgraded to TPM 2.0 with a firmware flash, but even with said upgrade... no Win11.
Just well... it's dead Oct of 2025.
This is exactly why I am currently not selling or recommending affordable refurbs currently.
 
This is exactly why I am currently not selling or recommending affordable refurbs currently.

And it's precisely why I'm not considering replacing my own machines with refurbs at this time, either. In the not too distant future the market will be flooded with Windows 11 compatible hardware. For anyone who can hold out right now, they should.
 
To close the loop here... Customer was not interested in refurb machine due to limited warranty period. I put together a configuration with the cheapest Dell Inspiron that had a 1TB drive available and replaced it with a 1TB SSD (she has 600 GB of data) and downgraded from Win11 to Win 10. Worked out to be more money than she wanted to spend, but at least now she has a reliable machine that should be good for several years.

Mahalo for all the info. I learned a lot in this thread.
 
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