Most desktop makers provide one-year warranties on parts and labor, with extensions available for as many as five years at an additional charge. Before you pay to extend the warranty, though, check your credit card account benefits guide—your issuer might cover mishaps for a short period after you buy a new product and possibly extend the manufacturer's warranty, too. (Many MasterCard accounts include a doubling of the standard warranty period, up to one year, for example.) If your card issuer doesn’t cover you and you plan on keeping your desktop for several years, look into the cost of added coverage. Some manufacturers and resellers offer a wide range of extended warranties; expect to spend $100 to $300 for one of these options. Our rule of thumb is that if a warranty costs more than 15% of the desktop’s purchase price, you're better off spending the money on backup drives or services that minimize downtime and protect precious data that you can't replace.