Repair or Replace? A 5-Minute Guide to the Best Value in Oldham
It all begins with an idea.
The quick value test
Answer these three questions:
How old is it?
Under 5 years: repair/upgrade usually best value.
5–8 years: consider an SSD + fresh OS; still good for everyday use.
Over 8 years: replacement may be wiser unless it’s lightly used.
What storage do you have?
HDD: upgrade to SSD for a big speed boost at low cost.
SSD already: look at RAM, cleanup, or OS reinstall.
What’s the fault?
Software issues (slow, pop-ups, broken updates): often cheap to fix.
Hardware (liquid damage, dead board): get a quote and compare with the value of the device.
Typical “best value” scenarios we see
Slow family PC with hard drive → SSD + clean install = “feels new”.
Student laptop with weak battery → battery swap = 2–3 more years.
Old office tower used for browsing → dust clean + SSD = quiet, reliable.
When replacing makes sense
Multiple major parts failing (board + screen + battery).
You need features the old machine can’t support (e.g., Windows 11 on very old CPUs).
High-end tasks (video editing, gaming) where a new CPU/GPU will save hours.
We’ll do the maths for you
Bring it in (or book pickup). We’ll give you two prices:
Repair/upgrade cost (with expected lifespan)
Equivalent replacement (new/refurb options)
Consultation is £0 and we cover Oldham + nearby towns.