Your laptop is practically a part of you. It stores your old memories, helps you out at work, and always entertains you. Inevitably you need to part with it though, and when you do, as with most break-ups, it helps to replace it with another (preferably better-looking) one right away. Trade-in programs from hardware manufacturers and retail outlets are in place to help transition you from one laptop relationship into a new one.

Most trade-in programs ask a few simple questions about the system you already have, then either send you a shipping label to mail in your laptop, or take it off your hands right there and then if you’re in a store. In return you get credit toward a new laptop or other electronic item. How much you’ll receive depends on your laptop’s age and condition. Even if you’ve got a 10-year-old clunker that’s worth less than your stack of mixed CDs, trading it in will ensure it gets properly recycled.

In most cases you’ll get more than that, and with a couple hundred dollars or more in your pocket you can buy a low-priced laptop outright, or put it toward the cost of a bigger-budget option. Whatever you decide to do, you’ll first want to check out the advice of PCMag analyst Brian Westover, who can tell you everything you need to know about how to buy a laptop, from what you should look for to whether you’re getting scammed with that extended-warranty offer.

Before you turn in your laptop, make sure you back up your data and then either wipe the hard drive, restore it to factory default, or find your install disc and reinstall the OS. (Don’t rely on a magnet.)

Once you’ve got an idea of what you want in a new laptop, click through to our slideshow to survey your options. Then you’ll need to check them all to compare how much you can get for your old laptop, and whether or not they stock the one you’ve got your heart set on.

If you have tips on where else you can trade in a laptop, let us know in the comments.