Want to buy dell refurbished desktop, strong enough for OBS ???

I would like to buy a refurbished dell desktop computer , how do i know that it is strong enough for OBS ? I want to use LINUX MINT MATE , either preinstalled or i will install it by myself ,,, I want to use VLC , GIMP , and OBS ,,, I read the two requirements for linux ,, 1 , Open GL 3.3 compatible GPU ,,,, 2 , X window system or Wayland ,,,,, but when I go to dell refurbished dot com website they don't mention the GPU or # 2 ,,,, how do I know that an old dell desktop is strong enough for OBS ?

Unfortunately, the CPU requirements depend on a LOT more than what you stated.
Dell refurb listings DO indicate the GPU, if there is a dedicated GPU. If a GPU isn't listed, then most likely using (low-end) GPU features of CPU. Will an integrated (iGPU) suffice ? depends. If you get a GPU that can do encode offload, then you don't need as much CPU power. But there isn't a simple answer, as OS and driver updates can change hardware resource impact and fix or break a setup.

You don't mention resolution, frame rates, color space, plugins (chromakeying) etc. With an optimized OS and OBS setup, keeping resolution and frame rate reasonable, a 5 yr old system will be fine. But what I consider 'reasonable' is not shared. And plugins and other workloads can have a HUGE impact.
So where does that leave you? if get a LOT more specific on your requirements (which if you are new to OBS or similar, you may not be able to do), or get a more recent system so you have computational headroom
Oh, and how long do you expect this system to last? what about likely future streaming standard of using AV1 vs H.264? etc

I wrote the above, as there are those who can reliably stream at 1080p30 using a 5-10 old PC. Then again, a 5 yr old gaming laptop didn't work for me when I was starting out with OBS, and I knew enough to not use OBS' Studio Mode, and am an expert at the OS layer.

ironmountain said:

I would like to buy a refurbished dell desktop computer , how do i know that it is strong enough for OBS ? I want to use LINUX MINT MATE , either preinstalled or i will install it by myself ,,, I want to use VLC , GIMP , and OBS ,,, I read the two requirements for linux ,, 1 , Open GL 3.3 compatible GPU ,,,, 2 , X window system or Wayland ,,,,, but when I go to dell refurbished dot com website they don't mention the GPU or # 2 ,,,, how do I know that an old dell desktop is strong enough for OBS ?

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hello , thank you ,,, I would like to record only ,,,, not live stream for now ,,, I would like it to last for 3 to 5 years ,,, i am making english teaching videos

In part - Depends on recording quality you are targetting? Good enough? broadcast quality, in between? etc.
A refurb PC with intel CPU is likely to have QuickSync for encoding, and if PC workload is light (not heavy duty gaming or other demanding application) and some slides or similar and a webcam, a 5yr old PC should be fine for today.... HOWEVER, within 3-5 years, I expect (hope) AV1 will replace H.264 for encoding, and viewer expectations may well shift to 4K. Today, realistically only a latest generation dedicated GPU system can cost-effectively do 4K AV1. But adding a GPU to a desktop computer is easy (usually), but for laptops you are largely stuck with original build. So.. it depends..
real-time video rendering is computationally demanding. Such that, typically for a given cost, a desktop PC is more powerful (and not as thermally constrained) than a laptop. And a desktop is easy to add RAM, Storage, swap/add GPU, etc. But convenience and portability means my next video editing PC will be a laptop (and I'll pay a significant premium for that.. oh well).

If refurb PC doesn't list a GPU, then you are relying on the iGPU (integrated-GPU-in-CPU). So for features, you'd need to check the specific CPU model. Personally, I'd only consider an i5 under special circumstances, instead I'd target an i7. Though I'd actually prefer a Ryzen CPU, but I go for business vs consumer model lines, and Tier 1 business class PC with AMD CPUs are rare

PC sales have really sunk recently, so there are GREAT deals on recent model machines. Unless you can get a refurb for really cheap (ex Dell refurb sale recently with 40% discount off sale prices), I'd consider something new but prior generation CPU (like sales on 12th gen Intel CPU-based PCs though even a year or two older would probably be fine to get started [assuming GPU upgrade for 4K AV1 encoding before yr 5])...

It really depends on budget and your local market options.