I occasionally use C:B on a laptop, that is even older than yours (2007, CoreDuo, 32-Bit, 2,5GB).
OS is Ubuntu 14.04 and I compile C:B from trunk every two weeks or so on that machine itself.
That is, C::B actually can run on an older machine, even with larger projects like C::B. Compiling is of course slower, Apart from
that, C::B is fine. In case you are tight on memory, you might consider to disable code-completion.
I also exchanged the HD against an SSD. Although startup time improves substantially, the compiletime does not decrease
the same way, at least on linux. When you start compiling with gcc or clang, the HD-LED flickers only for a few seconds.
From that on it does so relatively sparingly. On Windows, on the other hand, when I compile with Visual Studio the HD-LED
flickers throughout the whole compilation heavily (even without anti-virus). The easiest way to improve the situation on an
old machine is to put more memory in and perhaps use a ramdisk. RAM gives the best bang for the buck.
When I first got it it had only 1GB RAM and Windows Vista. Starting even the bare Vista OS was so painfully slow, let alone daring to
start a non-trivial program like an IDE. Windows 7 is better but it depends on having enough memory to run a full-blown IDE.
I hope, the repair guy did not advise against security updates for programs (like the flash raynebc mentioned). Do your other, older applications still get those?