Is That PC Still Worth Keeping?

Read this before you buy a new computer

Computers... We love 'em and love to hate 'em. But before you trash that old PC and buy a new one, you may only need some tweaks, fixes or upgrades. If you are in the Parker, Colorado area, I can help you. If you're outside that area, please feel free to use this site as a resource. I've assembled loads of articles, links and resources for you to use.

Many PCs come with too little memory for it to run at its full potential. They also come with a lot of programs that you don't need and that load in the background for no good reason. And, over time, your PC collects lots of files from the internet that are taking up space and slowing things down. Add to that adware and spyware programs you didn't even know were running. All these factors can slow your PC down and bring your blood pressure up. With a good tune up and, perhaps, an upgrade, your old PC may have a couple years left in it.

Each new version of Windows requires more resources from your computer. If your computer came loaded with Windows XP, then it's only a few years old at the most and can still be a fine PC for most people. When Windows XP was first released, many computers came with a minimum of RAM and you would probably benefit from an upgrade. If you upgraded your PC from Windows 98 or ME to Windows XP, It's highly likely that you don't have enough RAM and you're PC is struggling to keep up. Your processor is probably marginally adequate as well. If you're still using Windows 95, 98, ME or 2000, you should very seriously consider getting up to Windows XP as soon as possible. No, Microsoft doesn't pay me anything for the sales pitch. The reason is this; Microsoft stopped supporting Windows 2000 on June 30, 2005. The older versions of Windows aren't supported either and are much less stable. Hackers are still writing nastyware for all Windows versions and XP is the only one being patched. It's also the most stable and secure of them all.

A new computer can cost only a few hundred dollars if you watch for a sale - and there's always a sale. I picked up a refurbished HP computer for my daughter for $200 and it's as good as some lower-end new PCs. If your old monitor still works and is still in focus, use it with the new PC, it'll work. My minimum recommended hardware list for Windows XP is: RAM - 256MB for simple documents, email and web surfing. 512MB or more is really recommended for most people as antivirus and other security software is running all the time and most people have more than one program open.

Processor - I wouldn't go any slower than 600MHz. Something this slow will work, but will struggle, and it shows the age of the computer. If your processor is faster than 1GHz, you're fine for a while. Hard drive - If your hard drive is bigger than 10 GB, you're fine. But keep in mind that hard drives get old and fail. It's not a matter of if, but when.

There are other, more advanced hardware specifications, but these will help guide most home users.

The Parker Computer Guy can tell you if your PC needs to be upgraded, tuned up or cleaned out. And if your computer is in need of repair, we can fix it quickly and get you back on track.

How To Upgrade Your PC

Before you upgrade your PC hardware it's best to search all options and ask for advice. Only after this you can go and buy a new component. It's also useful to check if you really need an upgrade.

Do not upgrade your very old PC because it would cost a lot of money. It's cheaper to buy a new computer in such cases because they are easier to upgrade later.

Upgrading the hard drive:

The majority of people do not really need to upgrade their hard disk, unless they use it for playing a lot of music, movies, and games. A 20 GB hard drive is sufficient to keep new office and internet applications, and all your files and data.

A medium sized hard drive would be around 40 GB and the maximum would be around 60 - 80 GB.

Before upgrading your hard disk it's best to do a complete disk checkup including disk scan, defragmentation, etc. If you happen to be an average user and need more storage you can add an additional drive to the existing one. Before an upgrade, be sure to back up your files.

Upgrading the RAM:

RAM or Random Access Memory is the short-term memory of the PC. It keeps data that is being worked on now and may or may not be transferred to the hard drive that represents the long-term memory of the computer.

Current processors can perform an enormous number of operations per second. The hard drive, on the other hand, is significantly slower to handle so much information. This is where a high-speed RAM memory comes in. RAM needs a power supply to keep data. Once the power is turned off the data is lost.

Almost all PCs have 64 MB RAM and often 128 MB. If you want to run newer applications on your PC then you must upgrade to 128/256 MB RAM.

A lot of people who upgrade from 98 to Win 2000 discover that their computers lock up very often. This is because they don't have enough RAM.

CPU upgrade:

If you choose this upgrade, you will have faster execution of instructions but it leaves the RAM and hard drive capacity unchanged.

This sis the most cost effective upgrade and can increase the efficiency of your computer considerably. Seek a professional help before you take a decision.

Motherboard:

Upgrading motherboard is not such a good proposition unless you replace the CPU and the RAM as well to achieve greater performance levels. You upgrade the motherboard either because the current one doesn't support a faster CPU or the CPU requires a different socket. It could be very expensive. Think about buying a new PC.

Ports:

Ports are sockets at the back of your computer where you plug in external devices. Older PCs work on "parallel" ports. If you need to work a lot on peripherals such as digital cameras, digital camcorders, CD burners, and scanners then you need to upgrade to USB and Firewire ports if you are not using them already.

Both tend to be cheaper than the "parallel" and SCSI devices they replace. Always make sure that there are no compatibility problems with other devices in your PC when you plan to upgrade any hardware on your machine.