What is Hardware Refresh?

A hardware refresh is the planned replacement of ageing IT equipment, such as laptops, desktops, and servers, on a regular cycle, commonly every three to five years. Rather than running devices until they fail, organisations retire them while they are still working, timed around warranty expiry, end-of-support dates, and falling performance.

Why it matters: old hardware brings rising repair costs, slower staff, and security risk once vendors stop issuing updates, while a planned cycle keeps spending predictable instead of lumpy and unexpected. Refresh timing often lines up with the depreciation schedule and AMC or warranty windows, which is why an accurate asset register is so useful: knowing each device’s age, cost, warranty, and health score makes it easy to see what is due for replacement and to budget the next cycle in advance.