Keep it
What's still healthy, and roughly how many good years it has left. Most "old and slow" computers land here — often all they need is the $99 tune-up.
A free second opinion
It's your computer…
Keep it, upgrade it, or replace it?
Ten free minutes tells you.
Before you spend $700 at the electronics store, talk to a Missouri technician who doesn't sell computers — no commissions, no affiliate links, no reason to steer you wrong. Describe your machine and what's bugging you, and you'll hang up with one of three verdicts:
Upgrade it
What would actually help — usually memory or a faster drive — what it costs all-in, and the most it makes sense to spend on a machine that age.
Replace it
Two or three exact machines for your budget and what you actually do, plus what to ignore at the store. We earn nothing on the answer.
Free means free — no obligation, and "do nothing" is always one of the options.
Why the advice is honest
BrainRoad accepts no hardware commissions, affiliate payments, or retailer incentives — from anyone, ever. We make our living fixing and maintaining computers, not selling them. So when the answer is "keep it," we say so, and when it's "replace it," the recommendation is chosen for your budget, not our margin.
Worth knowing while prices are high: a computer should last six to nine years with basic care, and the AI boom has pushed new-computer prices up sharply. Keeping a good machine going has never been the better deal.
Whatever the verdict, the next step is yours
- Do nothing — the answer is yours to keep either way
- Keep: book the $99 tune-up and feel the difference the same day
- Replace: we set up the new machine and move everything over for $149
- Either way: Home Care ($199/yr) keeps it maintained so this question stays answered
A $700 mistake is worth ten free minutes.
Call and tell us what your computer is doing and what you use it for. Keep, upgrade, or replace — you'll get the straight answer, and what happens next is entirely up to you.