Upgrading a computer or laptop might be costly. While there are occasionally low-cost solutions, a new gadget might cost several hundred dollars or even a couple of thousand dollars. It’s fair to want to postpone a costly update, but when do you need a new machine?
The short answer is that it depends. Everyone has unique financial and practical conditions. However, there are certain basic guidelines for folks like gamers and PC builders, as well as some red lines that should be followed by everyone. The following article should help you decide whether it’s time to retire an old computer and upgrade to something new.
- The most critical aspect is security.
Hackers and bad actors are continually exploring the code of any operating system in search of vulnerabilities. Companies like Microsoft then seek to address such flaws as soon as possible so that their consumers are not exposed to risks. However, technology companies gradually discontinue support for their outdated operating systems. Windows 7 was the most recent Microsoft operating system to lose support in 2020, and Windows 8 will be next.
If your computer can’t run a newer operating system, you should think about upgrading. A security compromise might put sensitive information, personal data, bank accounts, and credit cards at danger. You don’t need to have the most recent operating system to keep secure – Windows 10 customers should receive maintenance and security upgrades until at least 2025. However, when the most sophisticated operating system your machine can run is no longer supported, it is time to update. Something close to your previous gear is unlikely to be that expensive by then.
- Individual component upgrades are less expensive.
Because desktop PCs are often modular, you may boost your rig’s capabilities by simply replacing out one or two of the parts with a more modern and powerful version. A new CPU or graphics card may greatly improve the performance of your PC and may be sufficient to bring it up to speed with a modern machine. Some improvements are also simple. Extra RAM must be clipped into vacant channels on the motherboard or replaced with bigger sticks. An SSD, for example, requires power and connection to a free SATA port.
However, PC components must remain compatible, and there will come a time when a motherboard will no longer be compatible with the latest RAM, CPUs, or graphics cards. It’s time to buy anything new or basically construct yourself a new setup at this stage.
You can still save money by using a desktop computer. Some components, such as solid-state drives, hard drives, cases, and power supply units, are likely to perform just as well in future builds as they did in past versions. Even if a complete overhaul is required, you may be able to salvage enough parts from your old equipment to save a substantial amount of money.
- Computers live longer.
The design of a desktop increases its longevity in addition to allowing for upgrades. Electronic components can be killed by heat or have their lifespans significantly reduced. If a PC isn’t maintained clean, a layer of dust on the inside components will function as insulation, affect performance, and shorten the components’ lives even more.
A desktop is much simpler to keep cool. PC builders may experiment with fan designs and airflow in addition to cooling choices like air and water. Desktop computers are more easier to maintain and have more space within the chassis for heat to vent. If you have a desktop PC and see that your GPU is accumulating dust, give it a thorough cleaning using a PC vacuum or a fast blast of compressed air. Airflow is also impeded by laptops because of their size and design. Currently, I’m lying down and writing in a notepad that’s resting on my chest. One of the laptop’s air intake vents is blocked by my stomach, so if the fans need to turn on, they will have a harder time cooling the device. I’ve never used my stomach to obstruct the intake fan on my PC.
You need to think about parts like screens, batteries, and charging wires in addition to cleaning and cooling. Unlike other components, batteries have a shorter lifespan, and when a laptop’s battery stops holding a charge, the majority of its usefulness is lost. A laptop charging cable can get ruined after a few years of being coiled, bent, and twisted. This will need to be fixed with a soldering iron or replaced very expensively. A desktop computer can endure through a console generation or even as long as its operating system is supported, as was previously indicated. A laptop, on the other hand, typically lasts between three and five years.
- When the moment comes, your computer will start alerting you.
My ASUS laptop is at least five years old and is definitely showing its age. The keys are breaking off, it frequently bluescreens, the Wi-Fi is unreliable, and the battery is practically dead. The battery problem is made worse by the fact that it will only occasionally let me know it needs charging, preferring instead to just shut off if I unintentionally leave the charger out for longer than two minutes. The charger I’m using right now is charger #2, and it’s being kept alive right now by a combination of bread ties and my terrible soldering.
None of these problems are new; the laptop was trouble-free for at least three and a half years prior to starting to malfunction. Those problems have progressively become worse to the point that I am forced to get a new one. I did choose an upper mid-range model when I bought the previous ASUS, so the specifications are still enough for the tasks I require in a laptop. But the old beast needs to be retired to a cabinet because of its unreliability and lack of mobility.
So when should you buy a new computer or laptop? If you’re like me, it happens when your current one becomes so unreliable that you can hardly use it any more.
