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I have an HP Pavilion model dv5210us that recently failed with 4 beeps at boot which means "Graphics controller not functional" and I am told this requires replacement of the mother board.

Is this correct, and if so, is it more economical to buy a new machine or repair this one?

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Apart from a simple financial calculation (which you probably did, and still left you wondering), this is usually a subjective decision.

Personally, I'd go with just buying a new machine. Servising parts is expensive, and on top of that, when electronic components start to go haywire, chances are something happened that caused that. And there is a possibility that other components are just waiting for their "best moment" as well (you know, ... the kind which will cause you the most grief).

Apart from the warranty repairs, servising laptops in terms of price is a murder. I recently gave my left leg and three of my kidneys just to get the service man to change my fan.

Go with a new clean buy ... imho.

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  • THREE kidneys. You must love that laptop ;)
    – Journeyman Geek
    Apr 13, 2011 at 10:06
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Well, if you can do the repair yourself, you could try to get a 2nd hand replacement mobo. I've done this myself (other model), and it's doable for most laptops with moderate repair skills.

If you need to use a professional repair shop, then yes, it's more economical to buy a new computer. Though you can still sell the old one for people to break down...

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I think you should go for a replace as it would be more beneficial. Repairing would cost the same amount as buying a new one.

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