Q. My computer is old, and defragmenting the drive is not going to make it any faster. I can add memory chips, but what else can I do to speed things up without spending a ton or buying a new machine?
A. Before you start, make a list of your computer’s current components — like its hard drive type and capacity, the amount of memory installed and other system details — so you know what you’re starting with and to ensure any upgraded parts will be compatible. Your machine’s manual or system information box should have the configuration. You should also fully back up the data on your hard drive before tinkering around under the hood.
Adding random-access memory (RAM) should give the computer the ability to run more programs at once, browse the web faster and play games more smoothly. Before you buy, check with the manufacturer so you know the type and amount of RAM to install in your specific model. The cost of the additional vary by type and amount of memory you can expand to, some models have limited capacity.
If your computer uses a traditional hard drive, swapping it out for a solid-state drive is another way to increase the speed, as solid state drives have no moving parts and can read and write data faster. Solid-state drives are also not as expensive as they used to be – like most electronics the capacity has gone up and the cost has gone down.
However, changing the computer’s hard drive also involves backing up all your data from the old drive and copying it onto the new one after reinstalling systems and applications. Some DIY’ers can do this, but most people dont have the tools and experience to complete this successfully. Let us do this for you and not have to worry when something goes wrong!. If your computer can accommodate it, adding a larger or additional hard drive can also expand your system’s storage if things are getting tight.
Upgrading the computer’s main processor is often expensive and can require a new motherboard. But mostt times the cost and risk outweigh any gains in speed, so we generally would recommend replacing your system rather than doing this upgrade. If you like to play video games, upgrading the computer’s graphics card is another option for more speed and fluid display, as long as your model supports it.
Once you know what you want to do, contact us and we can give you recomendations on whether its a good investment, and if so, what the cost would be to upgrade your system.
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