That old friend is sitting in the corner, rather morose. He has been a little slow lately, and does not have the pep he once had. Five years old, and already considered an antique. The old friend is your computer, and it is time to decide whether to upgrade it or replace it. There are options that should be considered to help decide what to do.
Computers are a lot like cars. They are a mechanical device that wears out. Even with maintenance, there comes a time that major work is required, or it needs to be replaced.
1. Upgrading Your Old Computer
Adding memory is a commonplace upgrade. Memory fits in slots on the motherboard. Computer components are always changing, and today’s memory is not suitable for your old computer. The motherboard also has a size limitation on how much memory can be used. A technician can determine these things, or it can be researched.
Go to the manufacturer’s web site and look for the specifications. The type, speed and size of the memory and the maximum limits will be listed. It is a simple chore to change the memory. Many stores will do it for you, if you purchase the memory from them.
2. CPU And Motherboard
Older motherboards and processors are generally not upgraded. Like memory, the physical sockets change with the newer incarnations, so today’s components will not work with the elderly machine.
3. Hard Drive
If your machine has extra bays available, it is easy to add another hard drive. Determine whether it is a SATA or IDE device. The hard drive must be formatted after installation. If a consumer wishes to replace a hard drive, he needs the Microsoft Windows installation CD to install MS Windows on the drive. Registration is mandatory, so the owner must have the key code with which to register the computer.
4. Buying A New Computer
New computers have come down in price a great deal over the last few years. Buying a replacement computer makes sense if the cost of upgrading the old machine is more than one-third to one-half the cost of a new computer.
Be aware is that older software may not be compatible with the operating system of a new machine. If the software will not run on the new computer, a newer version that is compatible must be purchased. This is all part of the bottom line cost of a new computer.
Be aware of the store and manufacturer’s warranty. Sometimes it is beneficial to have a machine custom built, as often the warranties for individual components is greater than those offered by a store on a complete unit.
Great article. I’ve been telling customers more and more lately in many cases to get a new computer vs. repairing an older one. The prices are really coming down, and customers really should get off of Windows XP and Vista and at least get up to Windows 7.