Repair or Replace? Here's the Math I Actually Use

The question I get asked more than almost any other isn't "how much will this cost" — it's "is it even worth fixing." There's an actual rule I use to answer that honestly, not just a sales pitch to get you to say yes.

The 50% Rule

If the repair cost is more than 50% of what the computer is worth on the used market today, replacing it is usually the smarter move. It's a widely used industry guideline for a reason: it keeps you from sinking $400 into a five-year-old machine that's only worth $250 to begin with.

Where It Actually Falls In Your Favour

Here's the case that flips the math around: an SSD upgrade runs about $80 in labour plus $70 to $150 for the drive itself, so roughly $120 all-in on the lower end. On a 5-year-old machine, that single upgrade can extend its useful life another 3 to 5 years. Compare that to buying new, and it's not close — it's one of the best-value repairs I do, full stop.

Other repairs land in similar territory when they're isolated issues on an otherwise healthy machine: RAM upgrades run $50 to $150 with parts included, and a battery replacement is $85 to $125. If the rest of the machine is solid, these are easy calls.

When Replacing Really Is the Answer

Motherboard repairs run $200 to $500, and a laptop screen replacement is $100 to $300. On an older, lower-end machine, either of those alone can blow past the 50% line fast — and if you're looking at two failures at once, the math gets even more obvious. I'll tell you flatly when that's the situation, even though it costs me the sale. That's the same reason every repair here starts with a free diagnostic and a quote before anything gets touched — you should never be finding this out after the work is already done.

Parts on any repair I do carry a 1 year warranty, and labour is guaranteed for 90 days. If you're not sure which side of the 50% line your machine falls on, that's exactly what the free diagnostic is for. Call or email and I'll give you a straight answer either way.