Upgrade, Repair, or Replace?

Upgrade

Upgrading a computer can help extend the life of the unit as a whole and keep you from having to replace the machine and find a way to transfer all of your files. Upgrading really comes into play when your needs change. That bargain low end PC may have been a great deal but you find yourself multitasking more and the machine is slowing to a crawl trying to keep up with your demands. Maybe you are using interactive software such as games or you just got a new TV and want to hook up your PC to your giant TV screen to watch movies. On that topic, maybe you think your computer should be able to play blu ray movies instead of buying a player, or you think that your computer should have DVR functionality. You can do all of these with upgrades. Sure you could buy a new PC with many of these capabilities but your machine in only 2 years old. Upgrades can give your PC the life you need it to have.

Repair

Repairing a computer when it is damaged is mostly an economical decision. Is it cheaper to replace it? Is it worth repairing and can you get a few more years out of it? These are some questions you should ask yourself. Maybe your repair coincides with an upgrade you wanted to do or were thinking about anyhow. Let's say your 160GB hard drive dies and you had been thinking about wanting to get more space anyhow. It’s technically an upgrade, but you are doing it to repair the computer. Many people's first "built my own PC" experience comes from what used to be a Dell or HP box that now has a new video card, upgraded processor, and more RAM. These were installed after a failure in hardware or a failure to perform adequately on newer software.
Laptops are even more subject to repairs. If you cracked your screen out of warranty, the new screens are not really worth buying as they are extremely expensive. Buying a used screen from somewhere like eBay, or buying a donor laptop of the same model as yours with a bad motherboard can be a cheap way to get your laptop up and running again.

Replace

Buying a new computer can be a very tough decision; it used to be both a financial decision as well as data loss. Now with computers costing under $500 for most people (including a monitor), one of the little addressed issues is data loss. You cannot underestimate what people will put up with to protect their iTunes collection, or downloaded videos. There are several reasons to buy a new computer, the first and easiest decision comes when you currently do not have a computer (Nothing to upgrade right?). Alright now that we knocked out the easiest situation, the second most obvious situation if you want to replace is if you experienced some sort of damage to your computer rendering it unusable. If you take your computer in somewhere and they tell you it is beyond repair or simply too expensive.


Nowadays very few repairs are worth making from a cost perspective, at least from a home user's standpoint. Often times a simple hardware repair is going to at least cost you $135+ and with new computers costing little more than double that, it can be a tough decision to make. Normally it does depend on how old the computer is; you might not have that much to gain if it is only 6 months old. 


Now that we have taken a look at some situations that we cannot control let’s look at ones we can: 


If Your Needs Change: 


For example, if you get a new job and your old computer cannot run the needed software, or if perhaps when you bought your computer you didn't play games and now for some reason you got into hardcore gaming. People’s needs change very often and when most people buy computers a good salesperson will match you with something that fits your needs. If you don't play games it is unlikely you will have a top flight gaming machine sitting on your desk, people change, needs change, and so could your computing needs. 


It’s Just Time: 


For example, it’s been a few years, old faithful just isn't as faithful anymore, you are lacking features you really want and quite honestly you are in a position to afford a new computer. Spending the money on a new computer is a lot easier when you can write a check or pay cash. Every couple of years most people will need to replace their computers, we think the term for that is built-in obsolescence. Eventually, new operating systems come out - for example when the 64bit operating systems were released you couldn't just upgrade one thing, you needed a whole new computer if you wanted to utilize it. Technology changes over time and every now and again you are going to need a new computer, for most people that’s just a fact of life. 


Reality Check:


 One thing this lesson doesn't take into account is the reality of your check book; obviously if financial constraints mean you should repair your computer, or if you really cannot afford it, then use your better judgment. Sometimes it is better to wait, and even if sometimes you can convince yourself it is better to buy new always take a look at things logically, don't put yourself out if you honestly cannot afford it at that time. 


Buying a new computer can be a very exciting and very scary thing. It is important to do your research and really assess your needs. Be honest with yourself, and try to really determine what your needs are and what they might be in a year or so. Try, if you can, to buy a little ahead, there is usually a sweet spot with computers where you can get the most value, it usually is on hardware one step below the top of the line. Don't buy the bargain basement model, and try to avoid buying top of the line for the sake of it (of course if you need it that's a different story).
In our next lesson, we will teach you how to make sure a new video card you want to install is compatible with your system.