Make Your Old Pc Last Longer

When your computer begins to lag or becomes unresponsive, a spot of spring cleaning can often be enough to revive it. But there eventually comes a time when its going to take a bit more to get it speeding along like new. Fortunately, PCs are modular, so you can upgrade them piece by piece. Rather than shelling out on a brand new expensive system, you can probably get away with upgrading the slowest components. Its easier and cheaper than you might expect.

Safety advice

When opening your PC, make sure it is plugged into the wall but that the power at the wall is switched off. Also earth yourself, preferably by wearing an earthing bracelet or by touching a metallic object you know to be earthed, such as a radiator. Avoid touching any PC components that you arent specifically working on. Add more memory Adding extra memory or RAM is one of the simplest and most worthwhile upgrades you can perform. Expect to pay $75 for 4GB. Before you buy more memory, youll need to know what type your system uses and how much it can support. XP and the 32-bit versions of Vista and Windows 7 can make use of around 3.5GB. The 64-bit Home Premium edition of Windows 7 can handle 16GB, while the Professional or Ultimate editions support up to 192GB. There are lots of different versions of RAM to choose from including SDR, DDR, DDR2 and DDR3. The Crucial System Scanner tool can tell you which type your motherboard takes. Installing memory modules is very straightforward. Turn off your computer, open the case and lay it flat on the floor to get easy access to the memory sockets. Locate a spare slot and press down on the locking tabs at either end, pushing away from the centre as you do so. Insert a new memory stick into the slot the notches ensure it will only fit one way and push down hard with your thumbs. When its all the way in, you should hear a click.

Add a new graphics card

If your PC has an older graphics card or uses graphics chips built onto the motherboard, it can be worth upgrading this element standalone cards start at around $40 but you get what you pay for. As well as making modern games run faster and smoother, cards can also speed up graphically intensive operating systems, like Vista and 7. Newish motherboards have PCI-Express graphics slots, while older ones will use AGP or PCI. Some motherboards may offer two identical graphics slots that let you install two cards next to each other and link them together for even greater speeds.

Upgrade your hard disk

If your hard disk is beginning to run out of space, its definitely worth upgrading to a roomier model. Newer hard disks offer far greater capacity, and you can choose between internal and external models. Depending on the age of your motherboard, the internal disks will be either IDE or SATA. Hard disks come in a variety of speeds you want a minimum of 7,200rpm, which is what most SATA disks are. External drives connect to your PC via USB and provide useful extra storage.

Upgrade your processor

Although you can boost the speed of your system in various ways, eventually you will need to think about upgrading the CPU. When you do, its probably also worth getting a new, compatible motherboard. This can lead to other components becoming obsolete, so bear this in mind before you go shopping.


By: Francis David