Components, and when they pay off
A machine going slow does not have to be replaced. Added memory and an SSD often gets two more years out of equipment with nothing else wrong. This page says when that holds and when it is throwing money away.
What falls under it
Five kinds of component
The first two almost always pay off, the last three rarely.
- MemoryThe cheapest intervention with the largest effect. A machine swapping to disk all day gets noticeably faster, and the module costs a fraction of a new laptop.
- SSDs and drivesReplacing an old hard disk with an SSD is the difference between a minute to boot and ten seconds. A server needs a drive built for continuous running.
- Power suppliesThe part that fails most often and is suspected least. A machine dropping out at random more often has a power supply problem than a motherboard one.
- Motherboards and processorsOnly worthwhile on a machine built to order or on a server with a fixed layout. On a branded laptop this is almost always dearer than replacing.
- Graphics cardsFor design, video and computation. Outside those three, the card in a business machine is ample and a heavier one returns nothing.
The trade-off
Three questions before upgrading
They decide whether an upgrade wins two years or three months.
- Does the operating system still support the machine?A device that no longer gets the new version of Windows is not rescued with memory. Look that boundary up per model before ordering a hundred upgrades.
- How long does the rest have left?A hinge, a battery and a keyboard wear out too. A fast machine with a broken screen is still a replacement, only dearer.
- Is there warranty on the whole?Putting another brand’s part in can affect the warranty on the machine. On equipment still under contract, that is a question for the supplier and not an assumption.
What belongs with this
Upgrading is a decision within the lifespan.
Upgrade or replace
Send a list of what is in place, with age and model. You get back which machines are worth an upgrade and which are not, with the sum alongside.
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