Is it Time to Upgrade to a New Computer?
When your computer is running slowly or malfunctioning, you may think it’s time to upgrade and buy a new one. However, some very simple upgrades to the existing machine can buy you months or years more service from the one you currently own. Here are two key factors to help you decide whether or not it’s time for a new computer.
Run a full defrag. While some computers are set to do this on their own, some have to be prompted. A defragmentation helps your computer to compile and compress data into a more orderly structure, allowing it to access information more quickly. This will also free up more space on the hard drive as duplicate information is merged and old updates are purged.
Upgrade your RAM. RAM stands for Random Access Memory and is responsible for holding all of the activity your computer is currently working on. So, if you have five tabs open, music playing, and a game running, your RAM may be unable to handle such demands. If your computer can accept more RAM, this will make it faster. A qualified computer technician can advise you of your processor’s ability to accept and utilize more RAM.
If your computer is still running slowly or shutting off at random, try these tips before buying a new one. You may be surprised at what upgrading your RAM and defragging can do for its performance. If these things don’t help, a computer professional can help guide you in choosing your next machine with your needs in mind.