It's the question we hear most at the counter. The honest answer is that it depends on three things: how old the laptop is, what's wrong with it, and what you need it to do.
Usually worth repairing
- It's slow, but otherwise fine. If it still has an old spinning hard drive, swapping to an SSD is often the single biggest speed boost an older laptop can get. Add more memory and a clean-up, and it can feel like a different machine.
- The battery doesn't last. Batteries wear out long before the rest of the laptop does. A replacement is usually far cheaper than a new machine.
- A cracked screen, sticky keys or a loose charging port. These are common, fixable faults on most models.
- It's overheating or the fan is loud. Usually dust, and a clean-out sorts it.
Often not worth it
- It can't run a supported operating system. If it can't be kept up to date, it will get less safe to use online over time.
- The main board has failed on an older machine. The repair can cost close to the value of the laptop.
- Several things are failing at once. A screen, a battery and a keyboard on the same old laptop add up quickly.
A rough rule of thumb
If the repair costs less than about half the price of a comparable replacement, and the laptop can still run current, supported software, a repair is usually the better value. It also keeps a working machine out of landfill.
Not sure? Bring it in
We'll look at it, explain what's wrong, and tell you honestly whether it's worth fixing, before any work starts. If it isn't, our refurbished laptops are checked, cleaned and wiped on our own bench, and we can move your files across from the old one.
Would you rather we sorted it?
Bring it in any weekday morning, or book a time online.