A slow or misbehaving computer doesn't automatically mean it's time to buy a new one. Most of what walks through our door in Thames turns out to be fixable for a fraction of the cost of a replacement — here's what we check first, and when a new machine really is the better call.
Check this before you shop for a new one
- How old is it, really. A five-to-seven-year-old machine with a failing hard drive or a dead battery is usually worth repairing — those are cheap, contained fixes. Beyond that age, we'll tell you honestly if you're about to spend good money chasing a machine that's on its way out anyway.
- Is it slow, or is it actually failing. Startup clutter and a drive full of junk look identical to real hardware failure until someone opens it up. A clean-up and a memory or drive upgrade often gets an "unusably slow" machine back to feeling new.
- Is the damage contained. A cracked screen, a dead keyboard or a swollen battery are all straightforward, specific repairs. Multiple failures happening at once is a different conversation.
- What's actually on it. If it's set up exactly how you like it, with software you'd have to buy again, that tips the maths further toward repair.
When replacement is the honest answer
We're not going to talk you into a repair that doesn't make sense. If the motherboard's gone on a machine already past its useful life, or the repair cost is closing in on what a decent new machine costs, we'll say so — and if you do need something new, we build our own desktops in-store and can point you at the right laptop instead of the most expensive one.
Bring it in and we'll tell you straight
Most diagnoses happen the same day you bring a machine in, and we quote before any repair work starts. If it's a software problem rather than hardware, it can often be fixed over a remote session instead of a trip into the shop.
Not sure if it's worth fixing? Bring it in or book an on-site visit and we'll tell you straight.