What do you do about when your PC breaks down? Note that I’m not saying “if” your PC will break down. PCs are not made to last for a long time. Most PCs have a useful life of between 3 and 6 years depending on how much usage they get.
When you purchase a personal computer, it normally comes with a warranty period of a year. This is not surprising as breakdowns during the first year are relatively rare unless faulty parts or poor manufacturing was involved. As such, the regular, one-year warranty costs the manufacturer very little.
When a PC breaks down, there are two costs involved in getting it repaired. Replacement parts can be tricky. Replacing a circuit or connection that’s part of the motherboard can involve just buying a plug-in board to replace that one function. However, some functions are not available as plug-in boards and you may need to replace the entire motherboard.
On top of the cost for parts, a repair involves labor for accomplishing the repair. If the repair is simple and/or you know how to do it yourself, then the out-of-pocket cost is negligible. If the repair is complicated or you don’t know how to accomplish it, labor can run up to $125 or more per hour. Parts plus even a few hours of labor might make it more sensible to just buy a new PC.
If you rely on your PC and would need it repaired ASAP if it broke, then you may want to purchase an extended warranty. They are available primarily at the time your purchase the unit. The prices vary by manufacturer or VAR, but they usually run about $100 – $150 to extend your warranty so that it covers 3-4 years of service. Look carefully at all the conditions and what is included. As an example, is the surface completed “on-site” or do you have to send the unit to a repair location? As well, is labor included or does the warranty only include replacement parts?
