25 Aug 2026

How Much Does a Slow Computer Really Cost?

The Cost of Waiting

A computer over five years old can easily cost an employee 15 minutes every day through:

Slow startup and sign-in
Freezing applications
Delays opening files and spreadsheets
Poor performance during video calls
Restarts and recurring problems

Across 230 working days, that represents 57 lost hours per employee every year.

At an employment cost of £25 per hour, one slow computer could consume £1,400 in productivity annually .

Suddenly, delaying replacement does not look like a saving.

Today’s Workloads Are Heavier

A five-year-old computer may still switch on, but the job it performs has changed.

Employees now run Teams meetings, Microsoft 365, cloud applications, security software and numerous browser tabs simultaneously. Older processors, memory and storage struggle to keep up.

Modern computers can complete demanding tasks several times faster, but the biggest difference is felt in everyday work: quicker startup, smoother calls, faster applications and less waiting.

Slow Equipment Frustrates Good Employees

People become understandably frustrated when their equipment prevents them from working effectively.

Slow computers cause complaints, stress, missed work and more calls to the IT helpdesk. Support can optimise an ageing machine, but it cannot turn old hardware into a modern device.

Eventually, supporting it becomes another cost of delaying replacement.

Ageing Hardware Is a Business Risk

Older components are more likely to fail, while out-of-warranty repairs take longer and create unexpected downtime.

There is also a security concern. Support for Windows 10 ended on 14 October 2025, and many older computers cannot officially run Windows 11 or receive the latest manufacturer security updates.

You Wouldn’t Treat Your Phone This Way

Many people replace a mobile phone every two or three years and spend well over £1,000 on a premium model.

Yet the computer used to produce eight hours of paid work every day is expected to last indefinitely.

For most employees, their computer is the tool that generates their output. Replacing it should be viewed as a productivity investment, not an unnecessary IT expense.

When Should You Replace It?

Watch for these warning signs:

More than five years old
Cannot officially run Windows 11
Regularly freezes or becomes unresponsive
Struggles during video calls
Recurring support tickets
Out of warranty
Employee complaints

Many businesses depreciate computers over approximately three years. Keeping them much longer simply to “sweat the asset” often makes little financial sense when lost productivity and support costs are factored in.