Hardware Upgrades & Repair in Glendale, CA
Typical price · From $75
Hardware upgrades at Technoland in Glendale typically cost $75 to $300 in labor, plus the cost of parts. The most common upgrade (replacing a spinning hard drive with an SSD) usually runs $150-$250 total including the drive and the labor to clone your data over. RAM upgrades run $75-$200 plus parts. Most upgrades are same-day if we have the parts in stock, or 1-2 days if we need to order them.
- Diagnosis first: a $75 bench diagnostic identifies the actual fault before any work is quoted, and it applies toward your repair.
- From $75 is a starting estimate, not a quote — the firm price comes after the diagnostic, and nothing proceeds until you approve it.
- Typical turnaround is 1-3 business days, depending on parts availability and how severe the fault turns out to be.
- Backed by a 30-day labor warranty, with parts warranty depending on the parts source. Steve has done this work for 38 years.
“An SSD is still the single biggest change you can make to an old machine, and it's been true for over a decade. I've handed back ten-year-old laptops that boot faster than the new budget machine somebody was about to buy to replace them.”
Scope
What we fix
- Slow computer that needs an SSD upgrade
- Not enough RAM for modern apps and browser tabs
- Failed graphics card or fan in a gaming PC
- Power supply that died or shuts off randomly
- Old desktop that needs a CPU upgrade
- Motherboard with a blown capacitor
- Custom water-cooling that needs servicing
- Adding a second drive for storage
Pricing
What it costs
Prices include all fees. 3% discount for cash or check. Diagnostic is $75 and applied toward the repair.
SSD upgrade with data clone (laptop or desktop)
Price$150-$250
TurnaroundSame day - 1 day
RAM upgrade (parts vary by laptop)
Price$75-$200
TurnaroundSame day
Graphics card install or replacement
Price$75-$150 + parts
TurnaroundSame day
Power supply replacement
Price$100-$200
TurnaroundSame day - 1 day
Motherboard repair (component-level)
Price$200-$300
Turnaround2-5 days
All pricing figures listed are starting estimates. A firm quote is provided after our $75 diagnostic inspection, which applies directly toward your total repair cost.
Final cost depends on the condition of your device and the severity of the failure, which we can only assess in person. Nothing proceeds until you approve the quote. Save 3% when you pay with cash or check.
Honest scope
What we don't do
We don't upgrade laptops with soldered RAM (most modern thin laptops, all M-series MacBooks). The RAM is permanent. We don't upgrade the CPU on most laptops — laptop CPUs are soldered to the board, unlike desktops. And we don't upgrade an old laptop just to upgrade it. If your CPU is too weak to feel modern even with an SSD and more RAM, we'll tell you that — and recommend a replacement instead of taking $250 from you for an upgrade that won't help.
Why Technoland
Where we're different
- 01
We tell you whether the upgrade is worth it BEFORE you pay. Some old laptops aren't.
- 02
We clone your data to the new drive. Nothing lost, no manual reinstall.
- 03
Quality parts (Crucial, Samsung, WD), not the cheap stuff.
- 04
30-day labor warranty. Parts warranty varies by source.
Steve told me my old laptop wasn't worth fixing, instead of charging me to find out. That's the only kind of repair shop I trust.
— Margarita V., Glendale
FAQ
Frequently asked
Almost always yes, if it's older than 2018 and still has a spinning hard drive. SSDs are 10-50x faster at reading data, which means boot times drop from minutes to seconds and programs open instantly. It's the single biggest upgrade you can make. Diminishing returns if your CPU is also ancient (pre-2015).
8GB is the minimum for modern Windows or macOS. 16GB is comfortable. 32GB is overkill for most users (gaming, video editing, or heavy multitasking are the exceptions). If you have 4GB, that's why your laptop is struggling.
Yes — that's included with every SSD upgrade. We clone your old drive to the new one so Windows or macOS, your programs, your files, and your settings all come over exactly as they were. You won't have to reinstall anything.
Most laptops made before 2018 can be upgraded (RAM and storage are usually accessible). Most thin/ultraportable laptops from 2018+ have soldered RAM and sometimes soldered storage. We can tell you in 5 minutes whether yours is upgradeable. Bring it in.
Yes. We install graphics cards, CPUs, RAM, power supplies, and storage in custom and pre-built gaming PCs. We can spec a budget-friendly upgrade or build to a higher target — just tell us your budget and what you're playing.
Where we serve
Hardware Repair & Upgrades near you
Related repairs
Ready when you are
Walk in or call Steve.
Most repairs quoted within 30 minutes. The $75 diagnostic is credited toward your repair if you go ahead.