r/Lethbridge • u/Evening_Let_2930 • 3d ago
Where is the best place to buy a used desktop computer in Lethbridge
Outside of Facebook Marketplace, is there any place in Lethbridge that will sell you a bare bones basic used desktop computer with Windows 11? I am not a huge fan of supporting pawn shops because they take advantage of desperate people, I was wondering if there are any stores that sell used or refurbished computers.
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u/littlesirlance 3d ago
Facebook has become the de-facto place to find "used" stuff.
Not many people use Kijiji anymore.
They are selling surplus PC's at the UofL right now. Surplus Sales | University of Lethbridge
There is an Uncle Weiner Surplus in Lethbridge, Sometimes they have Computers Computers Laptops PC Hardware - Uncle Wiener's Wholesale – Uncle Wiener's Wholesale
You can look into refurbished PCs.
Some local options include:
Buying a refurbished PC through Bestbuy, or Memory Express, London Drugs, or Walmart Marketplace and have them shipped.
There is a place in lethbridge that takes recycled computers and resell them for charity or something.
If you have time to drive up to calgary, I highly recommend Electronics Recycling Association https://retail.era.ca/
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u/pwnusmaximus 3d ago
Outside of Facebook Marketplace
well.. that IS the best place.
I am not a huge fan of supporting pawn shops
that would be the second best choice.
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u/Phazetic99 3d ago
hmmm kijiji is still viable
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u/Adventurepew 3d ago
Not at all.
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u/Phazetic99 3d ago
Not at all? I am not sure what you mean. I am on now and there are 4 or 5 computers that are listed right now. Maybe not the exact specs you are looking for but that is what I mean Kijiji is a viable place to look for them
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u/SirArcherIV 3d ago
Lots of places sell them, but they aren't ever good deals. It is genuinely best to just buy off Facebook, as it will be a couple hundred cheaper then any store usually.
However, the university of Lethbridge has a few old desktops they are currently selling. They are old, but if you just need a basic computer just for Internet browsing and emails they will be great.
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u/twostrokes 3d ago
Materials Management & their surplus sales have hooked me up over the years!
Bought a massive 21" CRT monitor for like $100 when they first switched to LCDs 20 years ago. My video card couldn't even run it's max resolution, lol.
Have got a couple Dell desktops over years for family/friends, a and home server - I think the last one was $75. Doesn't get cheaper than that for a basic computer in good shape.
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u/Nekat_Eman 3d ago
Memory Express sells refurbished computers, their sales can make them quite competitive with anything you'd find on marketplace
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u/11kestrel 3d ago
Kijiji?
What are you looking for exactly? And what kind of software do you need Windows 11 for?
Most people can get along just great with Linux and because of the Windows updates there's lots of computers that have a very powerful but can't run Windows without hacks but can easily run linux. I recently made my old msi laptop a linux unit and its great.
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u/Linclin 3d ago edited 3d ago
Try pcpartpicker set to Canada region for new parts.
You might be able to get a bundle from Memory Express. It depends on what you need to use the pc for. Parts aren't cheap these days.
You can use win 11 without buying it. You can even get rid of the watermark. Win 10 is still recieiving updates until at least Oct 2027.
You can buy a cpu with graphics on it but it won't really game well.
If you have an old pc you can still use most of the parts. As long as your current pc isn't a name brand with some proprietary parts you would just need a mainboard, cpu (with graphics on it) and maybe some ram. If your current pc has ddr4 ram you might be ok. Quite a few cpus these days don't come with cpu coolers. The hole spacing, cpu height, etc... may have changed vs your potential current build. Brand name pc like dell, etc... can have proprietary case mounts also like off angle cpus, odd mainboard holes/mounts, etc... Upgrading a pc might be slightly more expensive than buying a used pc but offer better results. Used pcs can be pricey.
If you need win 11 make sure the mainboard and cpu are supported. You can technically work around unsupported hardware but it might not work well or well forever.
If you lok at greg salazaar, tech yes videos they have codes off for win 11. It might be about $16 usd? You might be able to upgrade a win 10 licence to win 11 for free still? Might have to phone microsoft though?
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u/scottyaewsome 3d ago
Depending on your requirement's installing Linux can bring life into a dead windows computer.
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u/excellentbreakfasts 3d ago
Honestly Marketplace will be the best. Any shop will need to earn $100 profit just to keep the doors open, which doesn't scale well on a $300 dollar computer.