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Crash Course on Upgrading Your PC

By: Kay Brener

Buying a new computer when the old one seems to have gotten too old for your taste may prove to be an expense that you cannot afford. Instead of cracking you head thinking about ways to make extra cash for such an investment, try upgrading your old computer so you can make it work as well as other, newer models. Here is the smartest way to do it.

Computer components work together in a consensus, which means that you must keep in mind the limitations they exert on one another. For instance, the motherboard of your computer allows only a certain amount of memory to be placed on it, so do not throw your cash away for something like it. So, the first step is to right down your PC current configuration, marking which parts can support an upgrade.

We suggest that the purchase list for your upgrade starts with the RAM (random access memory). With a little investment, you can considerably improve the performances on your computer, but first, you need to make a little research on your computer to see how much RAM you can install on it and what type you should buy to avoid any conflict between the new component and the motherboard.

Here are a few things to ponder before obtaining more memory: If a memory module's access time is low, it'll support a CPU with a high bus rate, and if your CPU has a high bus frequency, it'll behoove you to buy high quality memory.

Do you tax your PC with cycle hungry tasks like playing 3D games or editing digital videos? Or perhaps your PC came stock with an onboard graphics card and you've a spare slot just waiting for a faster graphics adapter to give your rig a little more pep. This type of upgrade can be costly, so be sure you know what type of performance boost you need.

Graphics cards are quite expensive, so it is not worth spending over $600 only on this upgrade if you do not necessarily needed. For surfing the web, consulting your e-mail or writing text documents, making such a huge expense is simply useless. Another thing that must be kept in mind when purchasing a video card is to see which is the slot type your card goes on the motherboard. Whether is PCI, PCI Express or AGP, the new item must be compatible or otherwise, you will just throw money out the window.

Continuing the research on your necessities, take a look at your hard drive. If you like to stock up a lot of music, photos or movies, you will be in dire need of a bigger hard drive. Making copies on DVD's or USB drives is a solution, but having a sturdy 200 GB hard drive is a more elegant and easier to handle solution.

Another great plus of new hard drives is that they come with a special software that provide you with the ability to transfer all of your old hard drive into the new one. This means that you do not have to install Windows all over again and you do not have to appeal to intermediary backup solutions just for this. You will surely enjoy the advantage of having a new faster hard drive that will save and load files at a speedier rate than you experienced before.

Many PC gamers and aficionados upgrade their motherboards to stay on the cutting edge of computer technology. But if you've a plan for a new mobo, make sure you don't have a proprietary PC-think Dell, HP, IBM, et al.-as in some instances you'll need to purchase a new case just to get it to squeeze in, and you'll often spend several times as much for the newer main board than you did for the older one.

Even it is seems like a hassle, an upgrade to your PC will do justice to your needs and your wallet, as well. You will end up paying less than you would if you decided in favor of a new machine, but only if you plan thoroughly ahead.

Article Source: Main Articles

Kay Brenner is a Computer tool consultant who specializes in restoring your slow PC, saving you time and money wrestling with a sick computer. To learn how to avoid computer problems, download a free PC Tune Up

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