Confused whether to get new pc or mac mini or stick with old laptop?

Choosing the Right Tech Upgrade: A Guide to Deciding Between Repairing Your Laptop, Buying a Mac Mini, or Building a New PC

Making an informed decision regarding your technology can be challenging, especially when weighing options like repairing existing hardware versus investing in new devices. If you’re currently navigating this dilemma, you’re not alone. Let’s explore the key considerations to help you determine whether to repair your current laptop, purchase a Mac Mini, or build a new PC tailored to your needs.

Current Equipment and Usage Profile

Your current setup includes an Asus Vivobook 14-inch OLED equipped with a Ryzen 5 5600H processor, 16GB of RAM, and a 512GB SSD. For everyday tasks such as web browsing, note-taking in Notion, working with Excel, and light video editing (particularly creating reels and short videos), this configuration is quite capable.

The Dilemma

Recently, the laptop’s battery has stopped functioning, with replacement costs cited around 4,000 INR, though alternative third-party batteries are available for approximately 2,500 INR. Given this repair cost, alongside your intended subsequent use, you are contemplating:

1. Repairing the existing laptop by replacing the battery and continuing its use.
2. Purchasing a new Mac Mini M1/M2 (around 50,000 INR).
3. Building a custom PC within a similar budget (approximately 50,000 INR).

Key Considerations

1. Cost and Value

2. Repairing: Replacing the battery costs approximately 2,500-4,000 INR, which is quite economical relative to the device’s overall value. If the laptop has no other issues, this can be a cost-effective fix.

3. Mac Mini: Priced around 50,000 INR, the Mac Mini offers a compact, energy-efficient computer with robust performance, especially for creative workflows and media editing.

4. Building a PC: A custom-built PC can be tailored to your specific needs, potentially offering better performance for your budget, and flexibility for future upgrades.

5. Performance and Future Scalability

6. Existing Laptop: Likely sufficient for current light tasks, but limited in upgradeability.

7. Mac Mini: Known for stability and efficient performance, especially with macOS optimized for creative work.

8. Custom PC: Offers the possibility of future upgrades, more hardware customization, and potentially better performance for multitasking or more intensive editing