How to check hardware when buying a used laptop?

Are there any tools to check config/specs of a used laptop? Might buy one soon - just don't want to be fleeced by vendors who usually repair such laptops with different hardware from original model and/or might deliver them in broken condition
 
Most values which you can see in these tools may be a fake.
If you planning to buy PC-compatible laptop (not a macbook) then just enter "BIOS SETUP" and check mainboard model, amount of RAM, model of HDD/SSD, etc.
If possible - open HDD/RAM covers, and check reality and expectation.

For Dell laptops:
Check equality of "Service TAG" on bottom of case and in BIOS SETUP.
Type device's "service tag" on support.dell.com website, and look for information about "initial configuration".
Check that powersupply type displayed in BIOS.

Also you should understand that no way to detect hidden issues, especially which appears rarely.
 
Bring a USB memorystick containing a FBSD boot image. After boot, check dmesg messages.
any specific recommendations for dmesg output ?

I think simply running top will show RAM/cores ... disk capacity is also easy .... wondering if it makes sense to do some quick memtest on RAM?

Anything else to keep in mind?
 
Are there any tools to check config/specs of a used laptop? Might buy one soon - just don't want to be fleeced by vendors who usually repair such laptops with different hardware from original model and/or might deliver them in broken condition
Download Ultimate Boot CD (Google that). It's free, you can burn an ISO to a USB stick... It's basically a special "Windows on a stick" that will show you the hardware specs when you boot the stick. Then you can use the usual Windows utilities to check the specs of the laptop.

Once you see what the hardware specs are, you can decide to figure out how to install FreeBSD on the laptop.

I personally don't trust resellers like Amazon or eBay. My advice would be to buy something brand-new. Amazon resellers tend to lie through their teeth about specs. Manufacturer web sites, like HP/Dell/Lenovo/etc. tend to be better. Dell tends to be a little behind others when it comes to recent hardware specs. Lenovo is a brand that plays well with FreeBSD.

Some values you see in these tools are not necessarily fake - they're just calculated differently than the values you see on the box or the seller's product page. Computers use base2 for calculations, so 16 GB on the box is really 14.82 GB as reported by software.
 
Bring a USB memorystick containing a FBSD boot image. After boot, check dmesg messages.
This is exactly what I do. I clone my laptop's boot disk, take it into the store and give it a spin. I usually focus my testing on graphics, ACPI functions such as screen dim and speaker volume, and WiFi.

Of course looking at dmesg, /var/log/messages, running dd reading the disk/SSD/NVMe may expose gotchas as well.

Having said that, with brick & mortar computer shops closing the only option may be to buy online, at which point one might be better off asking the question on freebsd-questions or freebsd-mobile.

The FreeBSD Laptop wiki is also a good resource.
 
I was in the same situation, and finally decided to buy a new one. Got that Fujitsu Lifebook for cheap money, and full hdmi, 4k capable, no scratches, no worn battery, and I'm happy now. For me that was the right decision.
 
Having said that, with brick & mortar computer shops closing the only option may be to buy online, at which point one might be better off asking the question on freebsd-questions or freebsd-mobile.
Dunno how come... in US, brick-and-mortar stores are making a comeback, like Costco, Office Depot, and the like. I prefer to buy online anyway, straight from the manufacturer. Well, if you know what you're looking at, Amazon is an option... 🤔
 
It's basically a special "Windows on a stick" that will show you the hardware specs when you boot the stick. Then you can use the usual Windows utilities to check the specs of the laptop.
Most likely you'll find some question/exclamation marks in the Device Manager (-;

I personally don't trust resellers like Amazon or eBay.
I agree with regard of Amazon, but eBay folks with ratings above 99.5% (and large number of sales) are reliable.
 
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