When the motherboard dies in my old desktop I considered getting a new computer. However the speed of this desktop was never an issue especially since I had installed an SSD boot disk and had 12GB of RAM. So, for less than $30 bucks it is back in business running smooth as ever!
Buying used motherboard only buys you more time on vintage computer.
Buying an old used motherboard saved splurging on a new computer, however it remains to be seen how long this board will last. This is the third time I've replaced a motherboard in this 10 year old computer. First was self inflicted death by spilled cola. Second died of natural causes as did the third after relatively short lives (<1 year). I'll be looking to build a new computer from scratch over the next few months as I figure this board will last less than a year as well.