Repair the laptop or buy a new one? How to decide.
A laptop that's slow, won't charge, or has a cracked screen feels like a reason to shop. Often it isn't. Many of the repairs we do cost a fraction of a new machine and give it two or three more good years. Here's the honest way to decide, the same way we do at the bench.
The repairs that are almost always worth it
- Battery: the most common fix. Brings back hours of unplugged use for far less than a new laptop.
- SSD upgrade: a laptop that takes minutes to boot or open programs usually has a worn or slow drive. A new SSD makes it feel new again, and we move your files over.
- Screen: cracked or flickering displays are routine replacements on most models.
- Keyboard, charging port, fan cleaning and thermal paste: small parts, big difference, especially for overheating and shutdowns.
When replacing makes more sense
- The laptop is 5+ years old and no longer receives updates from Windows or macOS.
- Several things are failing at once (battery, hinge and screen, for example).
- The motherboard is damaged and the part costs approach the price of a comparable new machine.
- It can't run the software you need even when healthy.
The simple rule we use
If the repair costs well under half of what a comparable new laptop would cost, and the rest of the machine is healthy, repair it. A $90 battery or a $120 SSD upgrade on a working $800 laptop is easy math. A $400 motherboard on a 7-year-old laptop usually isn't. We'll tell you which side of the line you're on, even if it means we don't do the repair.
Windows and Mac
We work on both. MacBook batteries, screens and keyboards, Windows laptops from every major brand, and desktops too. Gaming laptops with overheating problems are a specialty: cleaning the fans and replacing dried thermal paste often fixes the throttling completely.
What the free diagnosis covers
We test the battery health, drive health, memory, cooling, charging and display, and give you one fixed price for whatever it needs. No obligation, and your data stays on your machine.
Quick answers
Is it worth replacing a laptop battery?
Usually yes. A new battery costs a fraction of a new laptop and restores full-day use. If the laptop is otherwise healthy and under five years old, it's one of the best repairs you can do.
My laptop is very slow. Repair or replace?
Slowness is most often a worn hard drive or too little memory, both cheap to fix. An SSD upgrade makes most laptops feel new. We check the drive and memory for free before recommending anything.
How old is too old to repair?
Around five years or more, especially if it no longer gets updates. Even then, a single cheap part can be worth it; we'll be honest about it.
Do you repair MacBooks?
Yes: batteries, screens, keyboards, charging and overheating, plus Windows laptops and desktops.
Will I lose my files?
No. Repairs don't touch your data, and when we upgrade a drive we move your files to the new one.