When a laptop starts playing up, the real question isn’t always “can this be fixed” — it usually can be. The question that actually matters is whether it’s worth fixing. Here’s how we think it through on the bench.
Start with the age and the fault together
A three-year-old laptop with a cracked screen is almost always worth repairing — the rest of the machine still has years left in it. A seven-year-old laptop with a failing motherboard is a different story, even if the repair itself is possible, because you’d be spending money keeping ageing components running.
As a rough guide by age:
- Under 3 years old: almost always worth repairing. The components have plenty of life left.
- 3 to 5 years old: worth repairing for the common fixes, such as a screen, battery or SSD upgrade.
- 6 years or older: think carefully. Many older machines can’t officially run Windows 11, so even a good repair can leave you on an operating system that no longer gets security updates.
The same thinking applies to desktop PCs, with one difference: desktops are easier and cheaper to upgrade, so a new SSD or more memory can give an older tower several more years of use.
Compare the repair cost to a refurbished replacement
This is the single most useful comparison. If a repair costs more than around 60% of what a similarly-specced refurbished laptop would cost, replacement usually makes more financial sense — especially since a Grade A refurbished machine comes with a 12-month warranty on the whole unit, whereas a repair is covered for 90 days on the work done.
Rule of thumb: screen and battery repairs are almost always worth it. Motherboard, GPU, or multiple simultaneous faults on an older machine usually aren’t.
Some faults are always worth fixing
Screens, batteries, keyboards, and storage upgrades are typically cost-effective at any laptop age, because the part is a small fraction of the machine’s value and the rest of the hardware is unaffected. Software problems such as a slow system, viruses or Windows errors are almost always fixable too.
Some faults rarely are
Motherboard failures, multiple simultaneous component faults, or a laptop that’s already had two or three previous repairs are usually the point where replacing makes more sense than continuing to invest in an ageing machine.
We’ll tell you honestly either way
Every device that comes in for diagnosis gets an honest answer, not an upsell. If replacing makes more sense, we’ll say so — and if you go that route, our own refurbished laptops are tested, graded and come with a 12-month warranty, and you can add an extended 3-year warranty at checkout.
Not sure which side of the line your laptop falls on? Book a free diagnosis and we’ll give you a straight answer.