When do I get to buy a new computer?
We all like new toys. Well… that’s not exactly true; some of the most successful business people I know still use their computers for long periods of time (7 to 10 years), then upgrade only when the computer no longer does what it could when it was new.
In most cases, you don’t need to replace a computer before the hardware fails. Often, an upgrade is more cost-effective:
- Insufficient RAM : If you find that the tasks you are doing have changed, or you are in a position to need more memory than the computer has available, (typically you purchased too little RAM when you bought the computer) then you may need to buy a new one. However, since computer manufactures are getting good at using standard memory sizes, it’s no longer the norm to have to buy expensive RAM only from one source. Type “upgrade ram” into google, and you’ll find hundreds of companies that will help you figure out what RAM you need for your older laptop, (and of course, sell it to you).
- Insufficient Storage: Back in the day, (and by that I mean more than 15 years ago, when there were a number of different types of hard drives), it was a tough task to upgrade anything in the hard drive world. These days, things are a lot better. If you want to upgrade your notebook, it will cost you about $100 for a 160GB drive. If you want to upgrade your desktop, it’s about $100 for a 750GB drive.
As with every rule, there is an exception:
CPU/Speed: This is the most limiting factor of computers. Sure, you can upgrade the CPU, and can make your computerrun faster than the manufacturer has tested it. In most cases, it’s not worth the risk. If you put a faster chip into an existing computer, you run the risk of the chip not working properly with the existing hardware, you may run into problems where the new chip overheats, (yes, it’s a safe bet that the more powerful the chip, the more heat it produces.) Would you rather have a less reliable faster computer, or a more reliable slower computer?