A refurbished laptop often costs a third of a new one, but it isnโt the same computer: most offers are former business laptops โ sturdy, with plenty of memory, but with a processor several generations old. Picksly rates each configuration from public measurements and matches it with verified refurbished offers. Here is what the catalogue shows, what to check before buying, and the right pick for your profile.
The figures below are from 7 October 2026, for France; every price quoted carries the date it was recorded. Prices change: always check the price shown by the shop before buying.
What the catalogue shows
Picksly tracks 186 laptop configurations (range, processor, memory). 28 have a verified refurbished price in France, with a median of โฌ341; 35 have a new price, with a median of โฌ1,249. The price gap is real, but it does not compare the same machines:
- Processor: the median score of refurbished configurations is 21 out of 100, against 73 for new ones (PassMark CPU Mark score scaled to 100).
- Memory: the same score on both sides, 100 out of 100: most refurbished laptops have 16 GB.
- Under โฌ400: 20 configurations, all Intel Core i5 or i7 from the 8th or 10th generation (ThinkPad, EliteBook, Latitude), 16 of them with 16 GB.
In other words, under โฌ400 you buy a well-built office laptop with enough memory to work comfortably โ not a recent processor.
Every configuration with its dated price is on our ratings page: refurbished laptops at โฌ400 or less.
The real weak spot: the processor
An 8th-generation Core i5 is enough for office work, browsing, video calls and online classes. It gets tight for video editing, recent games or very large spreadsheets. If you mostly write, browse and make video calls, the low processor score wonโt bother you; if you edit videos or play games, a refurbished laptop under โฌ400 is not the right purchase.
Windows 11: Microsoft supports Intel processors from the 8th generation onwards (official list, checked on 7 October 2026). Avoid a 7th-generation Core i5 (model numbers in 7xxx, such as i5-7300U): it is not on the list. All refurbished configurations quoted here are 8th or 10th generation.
What to check before buying
- The exact configuration: processor (i5-8365U, i5-10310Uโฆ), memory (16 GB preferably) and SSD storage. Two โThinkPad T490โ listings can have different processors and memory; Picksly only compares identical configurations.
- The battery: it wears out. Look at what the shop says about its condition or replacement; Picksly does not measure the state of a used battery.
- Cosmetic condition: grades (โvery goodโ, โgoodโโฆ) differ from one shop to another; read their definition.
- The warranty: it depends on your country. In France, the legal guarantee of conformity lasts 2 years, whether the item is new, used or refurbished (service-public.fr, checked on 7 October 2026). The shopโs own warranty comes on top, and its length varies.
The right pick for your profile
Picksly computes one score per profile: the same machine does not get the same score for everyone.
๐ข Budget: the best result for the price
The Budget profile accepts refurbished devices and takes the price into account. Among the best-rated refurbished laptops:
- Dell Latitude 5400 (i5-8365U, 16 GB): Budget score 60.6, โฌ269 (Amazon, recorded on 21 September).
- Dell Latitude 7400 (i5-8365U, 16 GB): Budget score 59.7, โฌ325.12 (Refurbed.fr, recorded on 7 October). Lighter: 1.35 kg according to Dell, in its base configuration.
- HP EliteBook 840 (i5-8265U, 16 GB): Budget score 57.4, โฌ304 (Refurbed.fr, recorded on 7 October).
- Lenovo ThinkPad T490 (i5-8365U, 16 GB): Budget score 54.5, โฌ315 (Refurbed.fr, recorded on 7 October).
These are laptops for office work, studies and working on the go, not for gaming.
๐ฃ Smart: the best balance
The Smart profile gives more weight to performance. The MacBook Pro M1 with 16 GB gets the best Smart score among refurbished laptops: 71.9, at โฌ699 (Amazon, recorded on 21 September). Its M1 chip has a processor score of 59 out of 100, nearly three times that of 8th-generation Core i5 chips, and a good battery capacity. Watch the memory: the MacBook Air M1 with 8 GB only scores 41.6 in Smart, at โฌ665 (Amazon, recorded on 21 September), because 8 GB limits heavier use.
๐ต Premium: new is the better route
The Premium profile aims for the best quality and longevity: Picksly does not suggest refurbished devices there. If you want a recent laptop that will last, compare the new models on the same laptop ratings page.
Going further
To see at a glance whether the price shown on Amazon is good, install the Picksly extension: it compares the page you are looking at with the offers we track. And for the best-rated products in each category, see our Top 10 laptops.
FAQ
Is a refurbished laptop under โฌ400 enough?
For office work, browsing, online classes and video calls, yes: configurations at this price often have 16 GB of memory and an SSD. For video editing or recent games, no: their processor is several generations old.
Which processor should I avoid on a refurbished laptop?
Avoid Intel processors from the 7th generation or older (model numbers in 7xxx or lower): they are not on the list of processors supported by Windows 11.
What warranty comes with a refurbished laptop?
It depends on your country. In France, the legal guarantee of conformity lasts 2 years, as for a new item; the shop may add its own warranty, whose length varies.
How does Picksly rate a refurbished laptop?
With the same scores as a new one (processor, graphics, memory, weight, battery), taken from public, dated sources. The refurbished price counts in the Budget and Smart scores; the Premium profile does not suggest refurbished devices.