Is rebuilding an older laptop cost effective?

Image: Seamus Bellamy

I'm a passionate proponent of Right to Repair legislation. When you own a thing, you should be able to do whatever the hell you want with it–including fix or upgrade it yourself. But lately, I've been wondering: is there a point at which it's time to give up on the dead carcass of a piece of tech you love, in favor of picking up a n…