A broken laptop can be a very stressful situation especially if the laptop in question is used every day and is an important part of your job, school, or business. The purpose of this article is to offer you some things to consider when it comes time to get your laptop repaired.

1 Repair vs. Replacement: One of the first questions that usually come to mind is “Is now a good time to just buy a new laptop?” The answer to that question is… “It Depends.” Depending on the severity of your laptop repair, the falling prices of most laptops, and the age of your broken laptop, it may be a wise choice to throw in the towel and spring for a new laptop.

Some of the types of repairs that would warrant this action are:

• A broken LCD screen
• A broken motherboard (beyond component-level repair)
• A severely damaged case

These types of repairs are the most costly (usually ranging from $300 to $700) and factoring in how long you have had your laptop this may be a good time to get a new one.

2 Your Data: Whether you are replacing your laptop or repairing it, you still have to figure out what to do with your data. If you can’t turn on your laptop it makes it very difficult to back up your data. That is why it is very important to do regular backups of your laptop data to guard yourself against this situation. This will also give you a way to access your data while your laptop is getting repaired. Some laptop repair services offer data backup and recovery with their repairs. Make sure you ask about data recovery and backup options when speaking with a laptop repair service.

In addition to recovering your data, you also want to ensure that your data is safe and secure with whoever you choose to repair your laptop. With that being said, you want to make sure you choose a reputable repair service for your laptop repair.

3 Repair Cost: I don’t know about you but I want to know how much my laptop repair is going to cost before I send it in. This is a tricky situation because most laptop repair services need to diagnose your laptop to find out what’s wrong with it before they give you a price. Even some of the laptop repair services offering flat rate repair, do not cover the parts that it takes to repair your laptop. If you are worried about repair costs, do not ship your laptop to a company that says they need to diagnose your laptop before giving you a repair cost. You are opening yourself up to getting a big shock once you find out what the bill is going to be.

4 Not All Laptop Repairs are Handled Equally: There are a lot of laptop repair services that will simply replace a major component rather than repair the affected area which can cost you 3 to 4 times the cost. For instance, let’s say you have a problem with your motherboard. One service center may simply replace your motherboard and charge you anywhere from $300 to $700 for simply changing out a part, while another laptop repair service center actually takes the time to diagnose the problem and discover you have a bad capacitor on your motherboard and repairs the damaged component, saving you the cost of a new motherboard.

I hope that this article has given you some insight into the world of laptop repair. So before you choose a laptop repair service center to handle your laptop repair, do some research, speak with them over the phone and ask questions. The more informed you are about what to expect and what to look for in a laptop repair service the more you can save.