The question often arises as to when and whether
a person should upgrade their computer - invest the money to repair it and/or
make it better - or just shuck the whole box and buy a new computer altogether.
As a guideline, one must first consider the
question of age. How old is your computer system? A computer system
that is five years old should be replaced once it starts experiencing
difficulties that exceed $100.00 in repair costs. This assumes that the
computer is still doing everything an owner wants to do with it. If an
owner wants to do more, then the same rule applies. If it costs more than
$100.00 to upgrade it to do what you want to do, then buy a new system.
Yes, the new system can run upwards of $800.00
or more for a decent family PC while an upgrade may only cost half that, however
you are beginning to push the life-expectancy of your PC. If one thing
failed on it, there will probably be something else dying on it in the near
future. These little failures can nickel and dime you into paying a lot
more over the long term than you would pay for a new system that worked
reliably. The frustration of dealing with a buggy computer can cost you a
great deal of time and energy as well.
Another sign that you need to buy new is if you
are using Windows ME or older. Your computer may be running fine, but if you do
ANY internet work at all, you can not upgrade the equipment sufficiently to run
the software you need TODAY to keep your computer secure from Internet
threats. If you are using Windows ME or earlier, buy a new computer TODAY.
Failing that, you can still try reformatting and reinstalling.
This won't necessarily make your computer run any faster, but if you have your
original system disks, it's a fast and generally inexpensive alternative to
buying a new computer. Be sure to update your Windows program with
Windows update and always, always, always have an updated antivirus program and
a firewall installed.
But you are on borrowed time at best.
Upgrading your computer:
For newer computers - computers purchased in the
last two or three years - you may consider an upgrade instead of a new computer.
If you are inclined to be a
do-it-yourselfer, you can purchase the following items separately and install
them yourself. DO NOT ATTEMPT THIS without first reading all of the
literature and taking the proper grounding precautions.
For the rest of the world out there who are
unsure about this practice, it would be more cost effective to have a qualified
technician perform the upgrade for you.
The four things to consider when upgrading are
(in order of consideration):
RAM: Your memory should be upgraded
to AT LEAST 512 megabytes of RAM. This amount gives you the best bang for
your buck and may improve performance enough to avoid other, more costly
upgrades. You can go higher - especially if you are manipulating large
graphic files or doing video editing or capturing - but most older motherboards
have a 512 megabyte RAM limitation. Check with your computer manufacturer
for the maximum amount of RAM (as well as the KIND of RAM it uses) before
upgrading the RAM. The actual inserting of the RAM can be done by you or a
qualified technician for relatively low cost.
HARD DRIVE: The storage capacity of
a computer is limited to the size of the hard drive. If you are over 75%
full on your hard drive, a larger hard drive is in order. Most computers
with a 20 gigabyte hard drive should be able to expand to a 40 gigabyte hard
drive. You can even consider putting in more than one new hard drive for
greater capacity. Also, there are a lot of tools available today to
transfer all of your old hard drive onto the new one - thus preventing the
sometimes heartbreaking experience of trying to reinstall all of your software
and files. This is a somewhat more advanced procedure than increasing the
RAM and should only be done by those who have had some experience - or who can
afford to lose everything on their hard drive and start from scratch should a
major mistake be made.
A new hard drive will definitely improve
speed - especially if coupled with an interface card compatible with the speed
of the hard drive. Many older computers communicate inside at a speed
considerably lower than what today's hard drives can do. An interface card
(Called an IDE Interface) matching the internal speed of the hard drive will
mean your computer can receive information from the hard drive much faster than
it was originally designed to do. Huge performance leaps in boot time and
application start-up times can be seen by doing this.
CPU: The heart of a computer is the CPU,
or the Central Processing Unit. In order to upgrade the CPU, you will
usually need to upgrade the 'motherboard' as well. If you stay within the
class of processor you have (ie Pentium III or Celeron 500 to 1000), you may be
able to find a faster processor that fits your current motherboard. This
can be difficult, however. Failing that, you can purchase motherboard
(also called mainboard) / CPU / RAM bundles from many local computer
stores. If you are going to go this route, be aware that the costs can be
as high or higher than buying a new computer.
FINAL COST: The final cost of what you are doing
to upgrade is the last thing to take into consideration. If you are
replacing most of your computers insides (motherboard, CPU, RAM, Hard drives),
you will probably need a new power supply or computer tower (also called a
case). It's also possible that you will need a new Video card.
Depending on how high-end you go, the upgrade option can be VERY
expensive. On the other hand, the upgrade option can segue into the final
option of buying new.
What to get in a new computer:
This is the single-most important thing to
consider when buying a new computer. Or so most folks think. Before
you buy new (or even upgrade), you must first decide what your computer needs
are now AND tomorrow, then decide how you will address those needs. For
your "now" needs, look at the recommended system requirements
for any new software you may need to purchase, then increase the values by
100-500%. Take the highest numbers you have from that research and make
them the LOWEST values you will accept in your computer. This will
ensure that your computer should run everything available for the next few years
in the event you need to get a new program later. That should address your
tomorrow needs as well.
Once your research is done, there are several
options for how to approach a new computer purchase:
Buy a new complete package:
A new computer from a reputable dealer is the
best route to go. While you can purchase a computer from a store like
Office Depot or Price Club, we suggest you deal directly with the
manufacturer. But do your homework first. Read about the
manufacturer and especially read about their customer service department.
If anything goes wrong with your store bought or directly purchased system,
those are the folks you will have to deal with to fix it.
Also, consider your software package in the
deal. A new computer's cost is only about 1/3-1/5 that of the final cost
of the software the average computer user purchases over the lifetime of the
computer. If the software you want is available, it may be less expensive
to get it preinstalled now than wait to buy it later. This is why dealing
directly with the manufacturer is better than with a store-bought system.
The manufacturer can better accommodate your needs.
The other advantage to buying direct is that you
only have one company to complain to should anything go wrong and they will
always have the parts in stock.
Another option to consider when buying new is to
buy your computer from a local mom and pop shop. Often times, you can get
a much better quality computer for the same or lower price. You should
also have many of the software bundling features you want - or you could buy
your own software and have them install it as part of the deal. Depending
on the shop, you may even have local service and support should anything go
wrong. You can also specify exactly what you want and have a face-to-face
with the people responsible for building you your system.
The down side to this is that some of these shops
are in it strictly for the money. Find out how long they've been in
business and NEVER deal with one who hasn't been around at least five
years. Also shop around. What you can get at one place for one price
may be considerably less expensive at another.
When buying a new computer, expect to pay between
$800 and $1500, depending on the features / needs / software you've decided on.
The bargain computers or value computers many
companies offer are not recommend for a growing family, however for some folks
without children or whose children are grown and gone, they remain a viable
option. There are decent computers that can be purchased for about $500.00, but a growing family will outstrip its capabilities relatively
quickly. You might also save money by using your own monitor and current
printer instead of buying them as well.
Making it yourself:
If you are truly the adventurous kind, or are
technically inclined, making the computer yourself is an option. Not only
will you save money, you will learn about what goes into a computer, how to fix
it yourself if anything goes wrong and you will have the satisfaction of having
done it yourself. Doing it yourself isn't rocket science, but we STRONGLY
urge you to read up on how it's done and to obtain the right tools for the job
before-hand. A grounding cable and mat are for starters. Static
electricity will eat electronic components much easier than most folks could
believe. Also, do not use powered screwdrivers. They can
cross-thread or strip a screw-hole. Never force anything. Gentle,
firm pressure should be all that's necessary. Other computer building tips
can be found at various web-sites.
The nice thing about the mom and pop option or
the make-it-yourself option is that you have a more immediate, hands on
experience that helps demystify the computer. By doing the research
yourself before-hand, you are better informed about what you are
purchasing.
Wrapping it all up:
The overall cost of computer ownership will be as
expensive (or more so) as a new car purchase during a person's
lifetime. You don't just walk into a showroom, point to a car and say,
"I'll take that one". You do your research. A computer
purchase should be done the same way - whether upgrading or buying new.
The cost of the items, their upgradability, its performance and the things you
want to do with it will all affect your computing experience. Doing the
research now - before your computer starts tossing up the infamous 'blue screen
of death' - will save you a lot of heartache, frustration, time and money down
the road.
