Upgrade, repair or replace
Three different questions that get asked as one. Separating them usually saves money.
They are not the same question
Upgrade means the machine works but is not fast enough. Repair means something has broken. Replace means neither of the first two is worth doing. People arrive asking about one and frequently need a different one.
Establishing which you are actually facing costs least of anything in the process, and is the step most often skipped.
How each is decided
Upgrade is decided by whether one identifiable component is the constraint and whether the machine will accept a better one. Repair is decided by what failed and whether the part is replaceable at sensible cost. Replace is decided by the first two both coming back negative, or by several faults arriving together.
- Works but slow, one clear bottleneck, machine accepts the part → upgrade
- Something has failed, the part is replaceable at sensible cost → repair
- Multiple faults, or a repair approaching the machine's worth → replace
Why we will tell you to replace when it is true
A business that both sells machines and fixes them has no reason to push either answer. Recommending a repair that will not last loses the customer; recommending a replacement that was not needed loses them faster.
The useful position is the accurate one, and it is the one we can afford to take.
Questions
Is there an age at which a computer is not worth fixing?
Can I keep my files whichever route I take?
Next
Performance upgrades
Entry-level custom PCs
Build consultation
Work out which one it is
Describe the machine and what it is doing, and we will tell you which of the three applies.