Guide · · 2 min read
Repair or replace your computer? A technician’s honest guide.
We fix computers for a living, and we still tell people when not to. Here’s the rule of thumb we use at the bench.
The 50% rule
If a repair costs more than about half the price of a comparable new computer, and your current machine is more than four or five years old, replacement usually makes more sense. Below that line, repair almost always wins.
Usually worth repairing
- Cracked screens and worn batteries on laptops under ~5 years old
- Broken keyboards, charging ports and hinges
- Software problems, viruses and slow performance
- Desktops with a failed power supply, drive or fan
- Gaming PCs, where parts can be swapped individually
Upgrades that make old computers feel new
- SSD upgrade: the single biggest speed boost for any computer still running a spinning hard drive.
- More RAM: helps if you keep dozens of browser tabs and apps open.
- Clean OS reinstall: years of clutter gone in an afternoon.
- Fresh thermal paste & cleaning: quieter fans, no more thermal throttling.
Usually time to replace
- Major logic-board failure on an older laptop
- Computers that can’t run a supported, secure operating system
- Multiple failing components at once
Not sure? Our $89 in-store diagnosis tells you exactly what’s wrong, and we’ll give you our honest recommendation, even if that’s “don’t fix it.” If it’s time for something new, we can build you a custom PC and move all your files over.
Need a hand?
Talk to a technician at American Tech.
