Why Now Is the Right Time to Buy Refurbished

The math on new computer hardware has changed, and it changed fast.

Gartner is projecting that combined DRAM and SSD prices will surge by as much as 130 percent by the end of 2026, pushing average PC prices up around 17 percent and dragging global shipments down more than 10 percent, the steepest drop in over a decade. IDC has revised its own forecast to match, more than double its earlier estimate from just a few months ago. HP has already confirmed the impact in real numbers, telling investors that memory now makes up 35 percent of its PC bill of materials, up from 15 to 18 percent the quarter before.

This isn't a short term spike that corrects itself in a few months. The shortage is tied to the ongoing build out of AI infrastructure, and there's no clear end in sight. Gartner has gone as far as projecting that the entire sub $500 PC category will disappear entirely by 2028, priced out of existence.

At the same time, demand for hardware refreshes hasn't slowed down. Microsoft ending support for Windows 10 triggered one of the largest synchronized business hardware refresh cycles in a decade, right as the cost of meeting that demand with new equipment is climbing.

Put simply: if your budget or your customers' budgets were built around 2024 or 2025 pricing, that plan needs a rethink. Grade A refurbished equipment is quickly becoming less of an alternative and more of the standard, practical way to keep fleets current without absorbing a cost increase that shows no sign of reversing.

Why buy through Refurbished Computers Canada specifically

I've been in the PC industry since 1992, and I founded Refurbished Computers Canada in 2003. In that time I've built the business around a few principles that I think matter more now than ever.

I source to what you actually need, not what happens to be sitting on a shelf. I don't carry standing inventory. When you come to me with a spec, a quantity, and a timeline, I go source exactly that, then drop ship directly to you. That means you're never stuck compromising on spec just because it's what was available.

Everything I sell is Grade A. No exceptions, no mixed grading to pad out an order. If a unit doesn't meet that standard, it doesn't go out under my name.

Every order comes with a 30 day warranty, and extended options are available depending on what you're sourcing.

I run this business myself. Every account, every quote, every negotiation goes through me directly. There's no call center, no account handoff, no junior rep learning on your order. You're dealing with the same person from the first inquiry through delivery.

With new hardware pricing climbing and expected to stay elevated well past 2026, sourcing refurbished isn't a downgrade anymore, it's simply the more current way to buy. If you're a reseller or VAR looking to lock in pricing before the next wave of increases hits, I'm happy to put together a quote.