Replace motherboard or invest in new laptop?!?

sallytheteamonkey

Hello I need advice please!

I have a Toshiba M3 laptop. It's a few years old but has always been a good machine until Friday, when it would not switch on. The repairshop says the motherboard has gone and it will be £110 to replace it. Is it worth it? Do replaced motherboards last long? Or should I spend an extra couple hundred and get a new (or refurbished) computer?

Thanks

macman

No reason why a replacement mobo should not last as long as the first one.Check what warranty the repair shop are offering on their work-usually only about 90 days. Price seems very cheap for both parts and labour though? Would have thought £150 minimum?

sallytheteamonkey

Thanks Macman. I guess I'm getting a good price then! It's good little local place so I guess that's why it's cheap. I've just heard from friends that sometimes they get a part fixed and it breaks again but not being a techie, I have no idea if that will be the case or not.

macman

As I said, ask them what warranty they are giving. At that price they could be using a reclaimed mobo, not a new one. Nothing necessarily wrong with that, but you should be told what you are getting.

sallytheteamonkey

Hmm I never thought about warranty. I will check that tonight.

Loaner - I bought the laptop as a refurbished one a year ago, so I don't know its exact age but I think it's about 3 or 4 years.

DatabaseError

not too sure which model you have, but might be worth looking 2nd hand (ebay etc..) for a broken one and just swopping the board yourself.....

sallytheteamonkey

I went to check and it turns out the mother board will be £200 so I don't think it's such a good deal anymore. and only three months' warranty

`i don't know how to switch the motherboards - is it easy?

DatabaseError

never, ever tried in a lappy...but a 2nd hand (faulty) M3 went for £30...for that price I'd have a go...most you can lose is £30

macman

Sorry to have turned your quote of £110 into £200! How did they explain that?

totalsolutions

Motherboard replacement ? ? What's wrong with yours? Most "faults" are described as the motherboard...! And yes they are easy to replace just a few screws and flexi cables. Its fairly small parts so take your time and photograph it as you go.

Kingfisher73

This is quite a common problem on the Tecra M3. I've changed about 7 or 8 of these motherboards for this fault in the last 9 months for some of our customers. (I'm an IT repair tech for my sins )

Afraid to say it is almost certainly the motherboard at fault.

I wouldn't recommend trying to source the board yourself to replace it though, as unless you can find a guaranteed parts source, a lot of places sell "recovered" parts from ex-corporate machines or scrapped kit. In that case the part may have the same fault waiting to happen.

Wether to repair or replace? To be honest, it all depends on what you use the laptop for. If it does all you want it to do and the repair is the cheaper option, then repair. If you're finding the machine is getting slow in everyday use, then maybe it would be time to consider an upgrade anyway.