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When was the last time you upgraded your desktop computers?
According to a recent study commissioned by Samsung, 54% of companies favour renewing their IT equipment every 2 to 5 years.
Given the acceleration of technology and digital transformation, modern businesses must equip their employees with high-performing, secure, and durable devices.
The purchase of IT equipment is often viewed as a significant expense. But is it really just an expense, or could it actually be a strategic investment that adds substantial value to your employees’ work? What should your company’s IT replacement budget look like?
This article offers an objective, data-driven, and strategic analysis of IT workstation costs. We consider salaries, equipment lifespan, and the role technology plays in overall business performance.
It often costs hundreds or thousands of dollars to procure the various types of equipment needed to meet business requirements, particularly during digital transformation initiatives.
Over the years, we’ve had numerous ad hoc discussions with business leaders, helping them better understand the relative value of these expenditures or investments.
To objectively compare the cost of IT equipment to the hourly wage of the employee using it, we’ve established the following assumptions.
Using this data, we can calculate the hourly cost of each piece of equipment and then compare it to the hourly wage of the user.
The following table illustrates the percentage represented by the hourly cost of a workstation relative to the user’s hourly wage.
| Hourly Cost | Min. Wage | 1,50 | 2,00 | 2,50 | 3,00 | 3,50 | 4,00 | |
| Purchase Price | 4 Years / 1,800 hrs | $16.10 | $24.15 | $32.20 | $40.25 | $48.30 | $56.35 | $64.40 |
| $950.00 | $0.13 | 0,82 % | 0,55 % | 0,41 % | 0,33 % | 0,27 % | 0,23 % | 0,20 % |
| $1,250.00 | $0.17 | 1,08 % | 0,72 % | 0,54 % | 0,43 % | 0,36 % | 0,31 % | 0,27 % |
| $1,600.00 | $0.22 | 1,38 % | 0,92 % | 0,69 % | 0,55% | 0,46 % | 0,39 % | 0,35 % |
| $1,950.00 | $0.27 | 1,68 % | 1,12 % | 0,84 % | 0,67 % | 0,56 % | 0,48 % | 0,42 % |
| $2,300.00 | $0.32 | 1,98 % | 1,32 % | 0,99 % | 0,79 % | 0,66 % | 0,57 % | 0,50 % |
| $2,700.00 | $0.38 | 2,33 % | 1,55 % | 1,16 % | 0,93 % | 0,78 % | 0,67 % | 0,58 % |
| $3,100.00 | $0.43 | 2,67 % | 1,78 % | 1,34 % | 1,07 % | 0,89 % | 0,76% | 0,67 % |
When equipment level is aligned with the employee’s wage level (an assumption that isn’t always true), the hourly cost of IT equipment consistently represents less than 1% of the employee’s hourly wage.
💡 The diagonal range in the table above shows values between 0,67% and 0,82%
In other words, even high-end equipment used by a highly paid employee remains a marginal expense relative to salary costs.
This is a purely mathematical, objective observation: the cost of IT equipment is low in proportion to compensation.
Ask yourself the following questions:
While these questions may be subjective, they serve as critical reflection points for IT decision-makers.
Beyond the numbers, there are several strong reasons to invest in high-performing, business-ready workstations.
💡Did You Know?
According to Samsung’s report, delays in replacing outdated equipment lead to significant productivity losses — an average of 12 workdays per year due to technical issues with obsolete hardware.
Faster, more powerful computers accelerate recurring tasks, reduce wait times, minimize crashes, and enhance user experience.
Over time, this translates into measurable productivity gains.
Effectively managing your hardware lifecycle helps you avoid hidden costs… and get the most out of every dollar spent.
Replacing aging computers might feel expensive in the short term, but prolonging the use of obsolete machines often leads to hidden expenses:
Our analysis shows that purchasing workstations is a negligible cost compared to employee salaries—often less than 1%.
Combined with a reasonable 4-to-5-year lifecycle, this low ratio enables your business to spread the investment, meet operational needs, and increase IT ROI without straining the IT budget.
Providing a smooth, modern work environment also shows you care about employee well-being.
Fewer technical frustrations = higher retention and less absenteeism.
Younger generations care deeply about the tools they’re given. Outdated workstations can signal neglect. In contrast, modern equipment conveys trust, efficiency, and innovation.
Obsolete devices often miss out on critical security updates (firmware, microcode, OS). Extending their use beyond a reasonable lifespan exposes your organization to major vulnerabilities.
For example, official free support for Windows 10 ends on October 14, 2025. After this date, workstations not compatible with Windows 11 will no longer receive security patches—putting your business at serious risk.
ited offers personalized support to prepare your IT environment for the Windows 11 migration.
Need Help Sourcing Windows-Ready IT Equipment?
💡Statistics Canada tracks yearly IT equipment price trends through the CPI Index. The data reveals a downward trend in costs—making IT equipment increasingly affordable, even for small and medium-sized businesses.
💡The Government of Quebec recommends going beyond the purchase price to assess the Total Cost of Ownership (TCO)—including maintenance, downtime, replacement, training, lost productivity, and server refresh cycles.
It’s not too late to rethink your approach to IT workstations.
Speak with an ited expert to maximize the value of your hardware investments. We can help you source equipment that fits your exact needs.
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