Computers and Technology

At some point you have been bogged down with a slow computer, one that doesn't quite respond like it used to. With the low costs of new computers, you have a difficult decision, should I upgrade or should I just replace.

There are all kinds of new computers out there, from the hottest PCs for the gamer in your house that might cost $6,000 or more, to the bargain PC that you can buy for around $300. Your wallet can determine how much you can spend on a new PC.

Most of the upgrades you will probably want to look at like an improved computer processor, some more memory, or a new graphics card can cost between $25 and $350.

New hardware comes out so quickly that what was cutting edge six months ago has had two successors since then. But, by keeping an eye on the hardware that you can purchase thats six months to a year old, you can save a ton of money with your upgrades without giving up too much power. Video cards in particular demand premium prices when they first come out, and then prices plummet once a new, improved model comes out.

Computer processors seem to follow these same guidelines, by buying an older processor you can usually buy a great processor for about a third of the price of the best one on the market. Usually in the $200-300 range finds the best deals on processors. What youll find is that you get almost as much power as the top of the line at a fraction of the price.

In almost all upgrades, I recommend buying more computer memory. For just a $100-200 you can usually significantly increase the memory in your computer and this typically is the most cost-effective upgrade you can make.

You can usually upgrade most computers at least once cost effectively. By adding just a little better hardware, you can extend the life of your computer a few years and improve your computer experience. Moving to a brand new computer can be quite a large change, with whole new sets of software to get used to which is why most people resist moving to a new computer.

But, eventually your options to upgrade become pretty slim. Now it depends on how you use the computer. But, if youre an average computer user, a few games here and there, lots of internet, and some office documents. Most of the time a computer can last you between 5-10 years with some key strategic upgrades

If however, you tend more towards the power user side of the equation, youre probably going to want a completely new system every three years or so. That seems to be right around when computer power doubles. For example a $1,000 computer three years ago, compared to a $1,000 computer today which has double the power.

If you decide to move towards a new computer, it's become much easier with USB drives that can make easy backups of your important files. You can buy a 100GB USB drive for around $100, which is very handy to keep all of your important data.

I recommend going to http://www.pricewatch.com. You can get a feel for what type of upgrades you can afford, and then compare it to the costs of a brand new computer. Almost every computer upgrade you can imagine can be found there at a reasonable price.

Overall, the decision whether to upgrade or replace comes down to cost effectiveness if you can put in a small upgrade for under a few hundred bucks and it makes your computer last just a few short years longer, that is probably the right decision. But, over time it just doesn't make as much sense when even the mid to low priced systems are more effective than your current computer could ever be with all the upgrades. Good Luck with your decision.