On the economic component, it all depends on how valuable money is to you. That sounds funny but it's different for everyone. For some people the $1-3k for a ne

On the economic component, it all depends on how valuable money is to you. That sounds funny but it's different for everyone. For some people the $1-3k for a new laptop is a major investment, and for some it's not. If you're using the laptop to work and your employer is billing someone hundreds of dollars per hour for your work, having the best possible laptop is kind of a no brainer. On the environmental component, every little bit helps, but there is a huge energy efficiency difference between new and (very) old laptops. Plus, if you are spending time on the laptop trying to make things work right, you are burning energy. And there are many other ways to control your impact on the environment in more significant ways, including by decisions about how to heat/cool your home, where to live and how far to commute, what kind of car you drive, where and how you get your food, how many children you have, etc.