REFURBISHED products are set to the same standards as if it was new. But the only reson i see not to get it is no warrenty for somthing 190 somthing bucks. But with the XMS i have in my intel syste, "that i got from ebay" has worked fine for over a year. Heck the warrenty may still be valid even if its a referb since the memory dose have a lifetime warrenty.