Resurrect or sell spare laptop?

My apologies if this sounds similar to other threads like this floating around. I have a M14X R2 purchased in Jan 2013, which ran out of warranty in Jan 2014. It’s i7-3630, 6GB RAM, 2GB 650M with a 500GB 7200rpm drive. It’s my spare laptop and has seen probably a couple of hundred hours of use in the last 3 years.

I got a new Alienware 17 but need a second portable laptop around the house and for trips and would like to get the old guy out of storage. (Plus my surface Pro 3 is really really slow) Talked to Dell about reinstating the warranty on it, and tried to figure out how I would get this upgraded to a reasonable extent. Here’s what I came up with:

1) 512GB SSD: 175$

2) 8GB RAM: 45$

3) 2-Year next day Warranty+ Accidental Damage: 479 (it’s actually 629 with a 150 gift card which I’m sure I will use for a different warranty)

4) Windows 8: 90$

So cost of bringing this guy into the semi-modern world is around 800 bucks. Is it worth it vs selling and buying a new rig? When I tried to configure an Alienware 13 with a decent configuration and a 3yr warranty I’m ending up around 1.8k pre-tax, so I still save a 1000 bucks. Most of my games are Civ and Strategy (Gal Civ3, Endless Legend etc. Skyrim works at 1600x900 and some graphics turned down)

One of my concerns is that per some of the posts here Dell no longer stocks parts for this machine. If my motherboard or some other component gets fried would I get a replacement laptop at that point, or have to wait indefinitely to get the machine repaired? Another option to reduce the cost is to skip the accidental damage, but I have little kids and I’m sure something will either spill or drop in due course…

 

Upgrade the Ram to 8GB, install an SSD and be done with it. Or just leave it the way it is and keep it as a spare laptop or a more portable alternative to the 17. I would not extend the warranty, especially at $479. Also, you are aware that Microsoft is offering Windows 10 as a free upgrade for Windows 7 (and 8) users.

 

Check out Ebay - older laptops are usually well catered for, vis: spare parts. You can either replaced parts yourself or take them to a repair place who will do it (In my experience) fairly quickly and cheaply. It's a spare laptop so it's not mission critical if something does happen and you have to wait a few days for replacement parts to arrive. Don't bother with that warranty, IMHO. Either use the saved cash to buy replacement parts or put it towards a new system should something go wrong.

Personally, unless you're hitting 6GB of RAM usage, then stick with 6GB. Get the SSD and it'll feel like a new system - furthermore, there's a high chance you will be able to transfer it to a new system (If it takes 2.5 SATA, which many still do).

As the above poster said, If your system has Windows 7, then upgrade to 10 or stick with 7. If it has Vista, then find a cheap Windows 7 OEM license on Amazon etc. You can upgrade it to 10 if you want or stick with 7.

 

When I read things like this I think: "Man, I would earn much $$ being upgrade consultant in the USA".
1. a) You can get a free upgrade to the latest MS OS called Windows 10. It's FREE so you will bring it to "full-modern world".
b) Windows 10 by default is a spy and send ALL personal information to MS servers. All means: your emails and messages, sites you visit, places you visit (by Wi-Fi hotspots), movies you watch (literally) and other stuff. So if you have some sensitive information then don't install Win10... and you will have to keep Win7 (and Win8) from installing certain updates which bring that spying functionality.
2. Do you use DVD drive at all? If not then you can buy small SSD (128GB) and keep HDD in 2nd HDD caddy. If you use CD/DVD Rom then you buy bigger SSD (256GB or 512GB). You always can buy used SSD here from respectful members.
3. I don't know your kind of work but you can buy one 8GB RAM stick. It will be equally great for all general types of work and will keep laptop for "modern" days. While 4GB stick making 8Gb total will be good enough too for spare laptop.
4. Don't spend money on insurance for old laptop. You can spend those buying used laptop on eBay. Business Dell models are great for this because business models are durable and reliable and while their prices are low because business sells "old" in big quantities.

 

Come on, be serious. Windows 10 has issues with Telemetry but you make it sound like your name is Winston Smith and the Ministry of Love has just cracked out the strap-on baby-maker and bent you over a desk. Just use one of the numerous applications to block the telemetry if you are that worried. Also, take care to turn off all voluntary data submission while installing the OS itself - which has been the case in previous Windows OS' too.

 

I'm not going to spend time on proving well-known information. Well-known for those who actually analyzed the problem.
I guess you lost the topic, it's OP who will have to deal with it and he doesn't look like he is in for "optimizing Windows".