One of the few things that depreciates more rapidly than cars is technology. You can buy a $2,000 computer brand new, and then just a few short years later you’ll be struggling to make back 10% of that, especially if your computer isn’t an Apple product.

Instead of forking out another couple of grand and repeating the cycle ad infinitum, why not consider doing some DIY laptop repair? Sometimes all you need is a larger hard drive or more RAM. If a larger hard drive is all you need, then you can either consider an external hard drive, or perhaps even look into swapping in a new hard drive with a greater capacity.

Whatever the case, don’t be so quick to throw out that computer you’ve had if it’s just a little more sluggish than when you first got it. Sometimes a good defrag or re-image is all you need to get your computer back to speed.

Another great idea is to run reputable virus scan and removable software. There are, of course, a seemingly infinite range of options for virus removal, so it is essential to do your research before parting ways with any cash. Malwarebytes Anti-Malware is a free anti-virus program available for Windows and Apple operating systems that can scan and remove malware (kind of like a virus) that infects and compromises the speed, stability and reliability of your computer. Although this powerful software is free, those who are serious about real-time security should consider the paid version, which has the added benefits of real-time protection from malware, a scan scheduler, and a flash memory scanner.

Finally, if you’re like us and enjoy playing a decent game on the computer every now and then, but you feel that your computer is no longer cutting the mustard, a new graphics card, in addition to more RAM, can really breathe life back into your old computer. However, sometimes your computer really is at the end of its tether, and it might, in fact, be a good idea to part with your old machine. If this is the case, it is, like most things, a good idea to shop around to make sure you get a good deal for a computer or laptop that satisfies your requirements.