Statistics from Consumers Union say that one in five notebook computers will have a major failure within the first three years of life. Often, that is a system board failure. If you look back 5-6 years or more, notebooks were generally bulkier than they are now, often with discrete boards for power supplies, ports, etc. They also topped $2,000-2,500 for an average machine. Today, notebooks run faster, are slimmer, and more often run $1,500 on average. To achieve this design and cost goal, everything is integrated onto a single board, and every possible cost-corner is cut to meet the price points consumers demand. Translation: while newer notebooks are faster, lighter, and cheaper, they are also far more expensive to fix when something goes wrong, because a system board often has to be replaced. It matters little whose name is on the system when you buy it - it was really built by Quanta, Compal, Wistron, Arima, Clevo, or one of a few other Taiwanese or South Korean ghost manufacturers. 70% of ALL notebooks, regardless of brand are built by the first two, which make almost all Dell notebooks as well. Translation: they may look different, but inside they're all alike.