Where is the new and refurbished in the Artefact?
In the Artefact, the choice of new parts was made to give the gamer PC maximum durability, without penalizing its budget.
50% new
What's new in the Artefact
PC case
It is quite rare to find refurbished ATX PC cases in good condition and with the correct connectors, so in order to give us the greatest freedom of design, we choose to use new PC cases, often purchased from companies in restructuring.
Main hard drive
The hard drive is a very sensitive component of your refurbished gaming PC. It is the room that stores all your data, the system and the games. So I decided not to tempt fate: the Artefact comes with a new system hard disk , so as not to take any risk relating to data loss.
Graphics card
Many graphics cards are available second-hand on the market, as new models are released every 6 months or so. So why not take advantage of it? Because a graphics card that has been overused won’t last more than a year. Unfortunately, this kind of wear cannot be seen on the product itself unless you test it for a long time. The artifact will therefore be delivered with a new graphics card by default .
Power supply
When necessary, we install in the Artefacts a new power supply unit with the power adapted to the electrical consumption of the components. This power supply complies with the 80+ certification (from Bronze to Gold), like all those we install.
Wi-Fi
In a second-hand desktop PC of the professional range, it is rare to have Wi-Fi. Few professionals bother with this feature, because those who need it use a laptop PC. So I decided to add a new Wi-Fi card or a new USB Wi-Fi key to the Artefact , so that it is up to date with the latest Wi-Fi standards, to make the most of your internet connection. of his performance.
50% refurbished
What's refurbished in the Artefact
Motherboard
The motherboard is an important component of every refurbished gaming PC. By selecting the best models of refurbished motherboards, we ensure the greatest scalability of the PC over time!
Processor
The processor is the most important component when choosing a computer. It is he who does all the calculations, so it is important that he is powerful. On the majority of professional-grade used PCs, the processors are very powerful . So I usually choose to design Artifacts around the CPU first.
Graphics card
When shortages run high and prices rise unreasonably, or simply if you’re opting for a fully refurbished gaming PC, we offer graphics cards that we refurbish ourselves . After complete disassembly, we clean them, change the thermal interfaces, and carry out complete tests on the 3DMark software.
Random access memory (RAM)
Random access memory, or RAM, is a component that can be easily found on the second-hand market. Insensitive, it is easy to add to upgrade a computer. It is therefore an easy component to buy used without penalizing the final used gaming PC.
Everything else
The connectors are all from the reconditioned world (except damaged component, which is replaced by an equivalent). DVD player, additional network cards or SATA cables, we do our best to source reused equipment.
From design to implementation
To design and build the Artefact, everything starts with a thorough study of the new and used market. I analyse prices and current trends, I contact my suppliers and read a lot of benchmark reports (reports from machine tests, allowing me to study real performance). I have been a fan of Canard PC Hardware magazine for many years, and I am always researching and learning about new models of hard drives, graphics cards and processors.
The best price/performance ratio
Once my choice of hardware is final, I order the parts from my suppliers of reconditioned used PCs and new PC parts. This is the time to assemble a prototype, which will undergo numerous tests in real-life conditions. Overheating tests, tests under prolonged use on a game, the used gamer PC is put to the test, because it must be as good as I imagined it to be. If it passes the tests, then it will become the new version of Artefact.
What does ``professional range`` mean?
You may not know it, but there is a range of desktop and laptop PCs for professionals that you will find hard to buy in your local shop. Have you ever wondered what computers are on the International Space Station? They're Lenovo Thinkpads, a very powerful and popular business model that can be bought for around €350 second-hand. Its design is very advanced, so it lasts an average of 15 years. The only way to get professional equipment is to buy it reconditioned. It generally has a life of 2 to 3 years, which means that it still has its whole life ahead of it!