I have an Inspiron E1705 Laptop and recently it has been running very slow. I thought that dumping temporary internet files and a possible defrag (although I don't know much about or how to do either) might solve it. However, today the computer seemed to come to a grinding halt and I believe that one of two cooling fans quit as a result of a cordless phone being dropped on it from a few feet (no it wasn't me ). At this point the computer is already 5 years old and it is reaching it's limit in terms of storage and damage (the screen is already partially broken and can no longer move).

Do you think the best solution would be to simply get a replacement? The computer is mainly for regular home usage and new Inspiron and XPS laptops are fairly cheap.

Thanks for your help and opinions.

you'd be looking at £200-£300 for a repair, you could easily pick up a new or refurb for under that. It's sometimes hard to part with a reliable piece of kit tho.