Screen, battery, keyboard, drive… above what repair cost is it smarter to switch to a refurbished Mac ? No need to be an expert : one clear rule and three questions are enough to decide, without regret.
The right question isn’t “how much does the repair cost ?” but “how much does it cost compared to an equivalent refurbished Mac ?”. The simple rule : as long as the repair stays below half the price of an equivalent refurbished Mac, you repair — it’s almost always the most economical and most eco-friendly choice. Above that, a warranted refurbished Mac becomes the smarter move.
Answer them in order : the answer almost always falls out on its own.
Add up the part(s) and, if you’re not doing it yourself, the labour. A single fault (battery, keyboard, an SSD) often stays modest ; it’s the accumulation (screen + battery + keyboard on an old Mac) that drives up the bill.
Look at the price of a comparable model refurbished. At Place du Mac, our refurbished Macs range from around €396 to €1,200 depending on the model — tested and warranted. That’s your point of comparison.
Rule of thumb : repair ≤ half that price → you repair.A repair only makes sense if the rest holds up : age, battery life, performance for your use. Repair the screen of an otherwise healthy Mac ? Yes. Invest in a 9-year-old Mac with multiple faults ? A recent refurbished one will last longer.
Your reference point is always the price of an equivalent refurbished Mac — never the price of the original brand-new Mac.
The most common choice, and often the most cost-effective :
When the repair is no longer cost-effective, start fresh on something reliable :
“Repairing an old Mac is throwing money out the window.”
False most of the time : an isolated fault on an otherwise healthy Mac can be repaired for far less than the price of a machine, and extends its use by several years. The maths only flips when the repair exceeds half the price of an equivalent refurbished Mac, or when the Mac stacks up weaknesses.
As long as the repair stays below half the price of an equivalent refurbished Mac, repair : it’s more economical, more eco-friendly, and you keep your data. Above that, a warranted refurbished Mac takes over — and there too, we can help.
The rule: if the repair cost exceeds half the price of an equivalent refurbished Mac, buying refurbished becomes the better option. Below that, repair remains the best choice.
Because an equivalent refurbished Mac, tested and warranted, is the real, realistic alternative to your machine — far cheaper than new. It’s the honest point of comparison for deciding.
Our refurbished Macs range from around €396 to €1,200 depending on the model, tested and warranted, with Grade A/B/C to fine-tune looks and budget.
Yes. We can transfer your data from the old Mac to the new one, and even recover data from a faulty machine in many cases. Tell us about your situation.
Yes: extending a Mac avoids manufacturing a new machine, by far the most polluting stage. Repairing, or failing that buying refurbished, clearly reduces your hardware’s footprint.
A diagnosis gives the real amount, parts and labour included, before any decision. Contact the workshop describing the fault, or check the repair pricing page.
Place du Mac guide — tested parts and refurbished Macs, 2-year warranty, repair workshop at 51 rue du Faubourg Poissonnière, Paris 9th. Prices shown include VAT and were recorded on our catalogue on 3 July 2026, subject to change. Apple, Mac and MacBook are trademarks of Apple Inc. ; Place du Mac is an independent repairer, not affiliated with Apple Inc.
