...on that older computer that just broke down?

Well, there are a lot of variables to consider when looking to repair your 'several years older' computer these days.  There's not much need to go into labor costs, at least not with Nerdworks Computing since we've started our flat rate pricing.  No labor on any broken computer will ever be over $89.99, which is acceptable with almost any computer regardless of age.  No, what we're going to look at here is the cost of hardware.  I've noticed many trends over my 20+ years of working with electronics and computers, not the least of which is hardware pricing.  It's well known that the latest (newest) technology on the market is relatively expensive, while last years 'must have' dropped in cost by about half.  When you start getting into technology that's been replaced, say, DDR memory vs. DDR2 or DDR3 then the price of the replaced technology starts to rise.  This is mainly due to the older stuff simply being harder to come by. Manufacturers are busy making the new stuff, and distributors don't want to carry it anymore because they're obviously going to sell more of the new items, so they begin to phase out the old and raise their costs as 'special order' items. Retailers like Nerdworks have no control over this 'cost enhancement' so naturally try to push thier customers into newer (and less expensive) equipment.

When you get into the big box names, Dell, HP, Gateway, et al. there's a bit of a shift in how pricing works.  Most of the parts inside their machines are proprietary and are made specifically for the manufacturer, meaning the manufacturer is the only outlet you can purchase them from.  Motherboards are a prime example. Your average motherboard, in your average computer retails for around $100, maybe a little less.  Your average proprietary motherboard retails for around $400.  It's no better or worse than any other one, but it's the only one that will fit inside your proprietary case and the only place you can buy it is from the big box manufacturer.  You can always get a refurbished board for about 1/2 what the new one would cost, but you're still paying MORE for a used 'repaired' board than a normal new board. Let me put this in 'my' terms...  If any motherboard that is not a super gaming motherboard costs more than $150, it better be capable of making coffee in the morning. Failing that,  it's overpriced in a price-gouging kinda way.

So, getting back to the question at hand, how much should you spend on your older computer?  All in all, it's a difficult call but I think I've got a reasonable formula to make it easier to figure out.

1-3 years old  -  No more than $300 in any case.

4-5 years old - $200 should be about the maximum here.

6-10 years old or older - Never more than $100, unless it's a Cray Supercomputer.

These costs are still subjective owing to upgrades and the like. For instance, a 2 year old gaming rig can have a $600 video card go bad. Today, that same card is probably more in the range of $150 (if it's even available), but a vastly improved and faster card can still be in the $500-$600 range.  In this case, the repair could be justifiable simply because of the capability increase and the fact the card could be transferred to a new computer also.

The above cost guidelines are set for desktop style computers.  For laptops, simply add about $100 to each item and you're right back in line with 'what to spend'.