2017 iMac 4k iMac purchased on eBay

The reason for offering a 5400 rpm HDD is simply to lower cost. If you want faster it costs more.

That's the problem ordering from eBay. You never know what you're getting till you open it up and turn it on. Many times they weren't prepared according to this Apple document: What to do before you sell, give away, or trade in your Mac - Apple Support. That gives the new owner many fits and may keep him/her from using it at all.

A better bet, in my opinion, is to get a refurbished Mac from Apple. They are essentially new units and come with a new Mac warranty. Much safer for an investment of that size.

Apple is obviously your best bet on refurbished Macs, but there are

other reputable dealers that sell used Macs that have been thoroughly

tested, have at least a 90 day warranty, and most important have a

limited time no questions asked return policy.

OWC is one such company and is well regarded here as a "go to"

vendor for Mac upgrades:

Refurbished Apple Laptops, Desktops, Tablets, and More

Be aware however, that any used computer equipped with an

HDD is living on borrowed time, especially older ones. HDDs,

being mechanical devices wear out so failure is not a matter

of if but when.

scottfromelmwood park wrote:

Best but appears to have some good open box deals

Be sure that those open box deals have been prepared for resale according to the article I linked to earlier in this topic.

Just to confirm the quality of an Apple refurb purchase, my mid-2011 Mac mini continues to be a daily driver with no issues. All I have done is upgrade the RAM to 16GB, and install a third-party SSD, which is still working 7 years later. Knock on wood.

That $500 Late-2013 iMac that I picked up from the local University property dispersal lasted from July 2018 through mid-October. Then all USB3 ports, and Bluetooth radio failed, even after several SMC, and NVRAM resets. A new logic board sans labor is around $500 and I am not going there.

scottfromelmwood park wrote:

If you compare the specs on that apple HDD I mentioned relative to other modern hdds, it's performance is pitiful. Bring SSD into the mix and it's night and day difference.

Yes, and your point? It doesn't change what I said.