Computers, despite their many useful and entertaining applications, occasionally run into problems. Components can break or malfunction through improper maintenance, mechanical error or simply aging. The average desktop PC has an operational lifespan of two to five years. When this happens to the computer system as an integrated unit the user faces the question of whether to upgrade or replace his computer. Both choices have much to recommend them but the answer ultimately depends on the circumstances surrounding the machine. The user must look at the ups and downs of each option before committing time and money to either one.
Upgrading
Compatibility between different components is an obvious and primary issue. The computer industry, like other consumer electronics industries, is constantly undergoing change. Intense productivity combines with technology advances to create new systems and new potential systems in the future. This is a major part of what makes upgrading so risky. If the computer system is beyond a certain age, such as seven or eight years, it may be difficult to find components that will work optimally with the existing components. Graphics cards, hard disk drives, CD players and memory cards, to name a few, change every few years as technology improves.
Nevertheless, upgrades must be judged by their cost-effectiveness. Memory upgrades are the cheapest and deliver the most immediate results. Adding more memory gives the system more resources it can work with. More memory means newer programs can use the system without eating its capabilities up alive.
Replacing
Cost-effectiveness and compatibility often point to replacing the entire computer instead of upgrading individual components. Progress in the complexity of software and new protocols or designs for components like the Central Processing Unit (CPU), the hard disk drive or video cards can require replacing the computer in certain instances. In all cases, upgrading costs that are higher than the cost of buying a new computer means the owner is better off buying a new machine.
Once the decision is made to replace, the owner must shop around for the best price. He would do well to ask himself what he used the old machine for the most. In other words, the purpose of the old machine should act as a reference point when shopping for a new one. A gamer wants a machine with powerful graphics cards and CPUs to deliver an immersive gaming experience. Likewise, a telecommuter wants a machine dedicated to serving as the centerpiece of a home office.
Conclusion
Computers are indispensable to modern life and lifestyles. Keeping an existing machine requires physical and virtual maintenance as well as an understanding of what the various components require. The upgrade or replace choice must be made with care and respect for what a machine can and cannot do.
If you still can't decide whether to upgrade or replace your computer talk to Austin computer stores Perth. They can offer you helpful advice and either supply and install upgrades to your existing machine with their in-store service centres, or help you choose a new computer that will suit your needs, and at a great price!