Should I replace my Mac?

Replace it when a new Mac solves a real problem that repair cannot solve sensibly. Keep it when one affordable repair restores the reliability and performance you actually need.

There is no prize for keeping a Mac until it becomes an attractive aluminium doorstop. There is also no sense spending four figures because a salesperson looked concerned when you mentioned the spinning beachball.

Reasons to keep it

• It does everything you need apart from one clear fault.
• An SSD, battery or service would give it several more useful years.
• The screen, keyboard and main electronics are in good condition.
• Your applications still support a secure, suitable macOS.
• The repair cost is modest compared with a suitable replacement.

Reasons to replace it

• Several expensive faults are arriving together.
• You need software or features the hardware cannot support reliably.
• The Mac cannot provide the performance your work genuinely requires.
• Parts are unavailable or the repair approaches the value of a much better replacement.
• Reliability is critical and downtime costs more than the saving.

Do not compare the repair with the cheapest advert

Compare like with like. If your old 27-inch iMac has a large, excellent display and generous storage, a small entry-level replacement is not the same experience. Equally, do not spend heavily preserving an old Mac merely because it was expensive in 2015. What you paid is history; what it can do next is the decision.

A simple value test

Estimate the repair cost, the likely useful life afterwards and the cost of a replacement that genuinely meets your needs. A £150 repair that provides two dependable years may be excellent value. A £400 repair on a machine with another looming fault may not be.

Then include the hidden costs: transferring data, replacing incompatible software, adapters, training and time. A new Mac can be the right answer, but the price on the box is not always the final bill.

Think about the person, not the specification

Someone using email, photographs and web browsing may be delighted with a rescued older Mac. A student starting a demanding creative course may benefit from newer hardware and a longer supported future. Neither recommendation is universally right.

My rule

If it were my money, I would first identify the fault and price the sensible repair. Then I would recommend the route I would take myself—even when that means telling you not to pay me and to replace the Mac.