How to check a used laptop before you buy it

Buying a pre-owned laptop is one of the best ways to get more performance for your money, as long as you know what to check. This checklist takes about ten minutes and works for any brand.

1. Look at the outside first Check the hinges by opening and closing the lid a few times. It should move smoothly and hold its position. Look for cracks near the hinges and corners, and for a lid that is bent or does not sit flat.

2. Test the screen Open a plain white page and a plain dark page at full brightness. Look for dead pixels, bright spots, lines and yellow patches. Tilt the screen to check for flicker.

3. Try every key and the trackpad Type a full line in a notes app, including numbers and symbols. Check the backlight if there is one. Click every corner of the trackpad.

4. Check battery health On a Mac, open System Settings, then Battery, then the information next to Battery Health. On Windows, run the battery report from the command prompt. Above 80% is good for daily use. Every nexlap listing shows this number.

5. Ports, camera, speakers and Wi-Fi Plug a charger and a USB device into each port. Record a short video to test the camera and microphone, play some audio, and connect to Wi-Fi.

6. Make sure it is not locked A used laptop must be free of iCloud, BIOS passwords and company management (MDM). If the seller cannot show you a clean setup screen, walk away.

Buying from nexlap Every laptop we list has already been through these checks, and you can still test it yourself at pickup before you pay.