The Real Cost of Buying a New Computer

So your computer is starting to slow down and you need to look into replacing it? Before you go out and spend hundreds of dollars because you don't think your old rig is up to the speed of things, consider the real cost of upgrading that old machine.

The Hardware

Many people thing the cost of the hardware is upfront. After all, there is a big sticker price on the machine that tells you what it costs. But, don't forget about the taxes, the rebates, and the warranties that you'll need to pay for. For example, a $500 computer will probably come with an extra $40 in taxes, as well as a $100 warranty to add on to the cost. Additionally, you'll find that many computers on "sale" are going to actually cost you more in cash as you have to take advantage of rebates that need to be mailed in.

The Service

Most new computers these days are loaded down with a ton of unwanted factoryware and don't even come with the restore discs for your operating system. So, the nice folks at places like Best Buy will offer to help you out by removing that software and making those discs – but it's all going to cost you. For a new computer, this can often cost up to an additional $100.

Old Peripherals

If you're running an older version of Windows, there is a very good chance that you may not be able to use things like your printer, scanner, or speakers with Vista or Windows 7. The companies that make these peripherals will usually only support hardware back to a certain version. If you fall behind that date, you may need to pay an additional $150+ to replace all those things you know you'll need.

The Total Cost

So what's the actual total of buying all that new stuff for your PC? Well, if you are interested in buying a $500 PC, it can cost you as much as $900 just to get that new PC home and useable. That's an outstanding amount of money that you may not have even realized you needed to spend. And that's for a barebones $500 machine. If you want higher end technology, be prepared to spend even more.

As you can see, the price of not keeping up with maintenance on your computer can be outrageous. So, keep up to date with spyware, adware, and regular maintenance. Your wallet will thank you for it.

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