The true cost of old computers — in dollars, not frustration.
Most teams normalize slow logins, random reboots, and small daily delays. This calculator turns those minutes into a monthly estimate — then recommends a 3–5–7 year refresh window.
- Productivity loss from daily interruptions
- Downtime loss from unplanned outages
- A conservative "risk drag" estimate for regulated work
- A refresh recommendation you can act on
True Cost of Old Computers Calculator
Keep the defaults if you are not sure. This model is intentionally conservative: it estimates productivity loss, downtime loss, and a small risk drag factor that increases with device age and compliance sensitivity.
- 3 years : high-performance roles (CAD, heavy accounting, power users)
- 5 years : typical business use
- 7 years : basic tasks (email, word processing)
Most SMB teams should be planning a refresh now (typical 5 year lifecycle).
How the estimate works (and what it assumes)
This calculator is designed to be simple and conservative. It turns small, frequent delays into a monthly cost estimate, then adds a modest risk proxy that increases with device age and compliance sensitivity.
We estimate how many times per week each user gets interrupted by slowdowns (freezes, long logins, app hangs), multiply by minutes lost, then convert minutes to dollars using your fully-loaded hourly cost.
We estimate how often downtime events happen per month (device failure, blue screen, forced rebuild), multiply by minutes down, then convert that time to dollars for the affected users.
Older endpoints are harder to secure and keep compliant. Instead of trying to predict a breach, we apply a small percentage factor to monthly payroll cost. The factor increases with device age and sensitivity.
- A planning estimate to help you justify a refresh cycle
- Conservative by design (we’d rather understate than overstate)
- Not a guarantee of savings or an incident prediction model
We can validate device age, performance bottlenecks, and security posture with a Cyber Security Risk Assessment (CSRA), then build a prioritized refresh plan.
Get the CSRA + roadmapNext steps: get a CSRA + refresh roadmap
If the estimate is meaningful, the fastest way to turn it into action is a Cyber Security Risk Assessment (CSRA). We'll validate device age, performance bottlenecks, and security posture — then provide a prioritized refresh plan.
- Endpoint inventory + lifecycle review
- Performance + stability bottleneck checks
- Security posture + compliance sensitivity review
- A prioritized refresh roadmap
- Fewer interruptions and outages
- Lower security exposure from aging endpoints
- Clear budget + timeline for leadership
- A plan you can execute in phases
Call our Tampa office at (813) 543-8623 or visit justrightcomputers.com.
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