How much does a slow computer cost? IT also counts on retaining people

7 min read · DataRoad

How much does a slow computer cost? Much more than it seems. In the example we showed below, 15 minutes lost per day equate to about €790 per person per year. Multiply that by your team and you have a value that often pays for the renewal of the IT park — with the added advantage that people stop losing their patience every morning.

The slow computer is the most undervalued problem in companies. Not for the operation; it doesn't generate an alarm, no one opens a support request. It simply steals minutes, every day, from everyone.

The calculation: minutes per day × team = euros per year

To put a number on the problem, we started from the cost per hour of a person for the company.

According to the INE, the average monthly gross remuneration per worker in Portugal was €1,694 in 2025. In 12 months, it is approximately €20,330 gross. Adding the TSU of the employing entity (23.75% in the vast majority of cases), the annual cost rises to approximately €25,160. Divided by 1,760 hours of effective work (220 working days × 8 hours), it gives about €14.30 per hour.

Example: 15 minutes lost per day = €3.57 per day, per person. In 220 working days, approximately 786 € per person per year.

Illustrative example, calculated with the average remuneration of the INE (2025), TSU of 23.75% and 1,760 hours of work per year. It does not include lost invoicing. If your team earns above the national average, the value increases.

Fifteen minutes a day is too little? Add in the long start-up time in the morning, the Outlook that crashes when you open an attachment, the Teams call that freezes, the shared file that takes ages to open, and the mid-afternoon restart. It all adds up quickly.

Signs that your computer park is aging

“Computer park” is the set of computers, laptops and equipment of the company. These are the most common signs that it is costing you money:

• Longer loading and sign-in times — several minutes until the person is able to work.
• Mechanical discs instead of SSD drives, or drives that are almost full.
• Little memory For current use: a browser with dozens of tabs open at the same time, Teams, Outlook, and the billing program.
• Computers that do not support Windows 11. Support for Windows 10 ends on October 14, 2025. Companies can pay for extended security updates (ESU) for equipment for up to three years, but the price doubles every year. We explain the options in Windows 10: end of support, what to do.
• Laptop batteries that can no longer handle a meeting outside the secretary's office.
• Equipment without updates for months, or with safety warnings ignored.
• Each person with a different configuration, This makes each problem a unique case.

If you want to do the survey using the method, use ours. IT hardware audit checklist.

The IT also counts in the retention of people

Think about the first day of a new employee. They receive a slow laptop, without the installed applications, and spend the morning waiting for access. The message the company unintentionally sends is that their work is not a priority.

The same thing happens in day-to-day life. Those who spend every morning on the computer become frustrated — and that frustration adds up to everything else. Work tools are part of the experience of working in a company, just like the office or the chair. In a market where good people have alternatives, equipment that works and support that responds quickly are part of the value proposition to the employee.

There is also an effect less visible: when support is slow, people stop asking for help. They find their own solutions — they store files on pens, use personal cloud accounts, forward emails to their mobile phones. Productivity seems to be resolved, but the security risk has increased.

What changes with maintenance and monitoring

The difference lies in moving from “solving when someone complains” to “solving before someone notices.”.

1. Equipment monitoring. An agent installed on each computer alerts the technical team when the disk is almost full, when there are recurring errors, or when updates are missing. See how it works IT monitoring.
2. Managed updates. Installed outside of working hours, in a controlled manner, without interrupting anyone.
3. Standard configuration. All computers have the same base, the same applications, and the same security policies. A new computer is ready in hours, not days.
4. Renewal plan. Knowing in advance which equipment should be replaced this year and next year, rather than buying it in a rush when a fault occurs.
5. Support that responds. Remote, local and telephone support, with immediate response times. That's what we offer. Computer support for companies from DataRoad, under contract IT Unlimited Premium, With on-site assistance included.

The slow computer is the silent version of a bigger problem. The noisy version is total standstill, and you can also calculate: see How much does an hour of downtime cost in a 20-station company?.

A real case: Reltio, a mixed Apple and Dell park

Reltio, a US data software company with an office in Lisbon, has DataRoad as its IT Unlimited contract partner. The park includes 40 MacBook Pro computers and 35 Dell equipment, 125 structured network points and Cisco Meraki equipment — firewalls, switches and access points.

A mixed park is exactly where the lack of method pays the most dearly: two platforms, two ways to configure, two lists of updates. With continuous maintenance and management of the office network, the operation is proactively monitored and supported. As Apple Technical Partner, DataRoad supports companies with Mac equipment side by side with Windows — see our Apple services for businesses. Read the the case of Reltio.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much time is lost on average with a slow computer?

It depends on the equipment and usage, so the best thing to do is to measure it in your company: ask the team how long they expect it to take to start up and throughout the day. In our example, 15 minutes a day costs about €790 per person and per year, just in paid time.

Is it worth repairing or replacing a slow computer?

Often, an SSD drive and more memory solve the problem on a recent device. If the computer does not support Windows 11 or has been in heavy use for several years, replacing it usually costs less than the time wasted.

Does preventive maintenance solve the slowness?

It solves a large part: up-to-date updates, free space on disks, unnecessary programs removed, and warnings before the failure reaches the user. The rest is solved with a plan to renew the fleet.

Does DataRoad support Mac computers?

Yes. DataRoad is an Apple Technical Partner and manages Apple and mixed parks, with Mac and Windows, under the IT Unlimited contract.

Performance diagnosis of your fleet in 5 working days

We analyze your team's computers — age, disks, memory, compatibility with Windows 11 and updates — and deliver a prioritized plan: what to optimize, what to replace, and when. For companies with more than 10 seats · contract support · remote, on-site, and phone support.

Sources

• Government of Portugal — “Real wages grew by 3.2% in 2025” (INE data: average monthly gross remuneration of €1,694)
• INE — Highlights: Average monthly gross remuneration per worker
• PwC Fiscal Guide 2026 — Social Security (employer’s contribution rate: 23.75%)
• Microsoft Learn — Extended Security Updates (ESU) for Windows 10
• Microsoft Learn — Windows 11 requirements