Computer Repair in Kalamazoo

One of the aspects of owning a computer is upgrading. Whether it’s a desktop or a laptop, if you plan on using it longer than a couple of years, upgrading it is in your future. Technology and software advances make it almost a certainty. The question we typically hear from our clients is “What do I upgrade?” In this post we hope to make that decision a bit clearer and easier.

The first step is to determine WHY you want/need to upgrade. Are you trying to run a graphically intensive game that needs more power than your GPU (video card/chip) can provide? Does your computer start to bog down when you have multiple things going on simultaneously? Are you running out of space on your hard drive? Is your computer taking a while to boot or load programs or access information? Once you’ve determined that, the hard part is done! Now comes picking your upgrade.

RAM

If your computer is slowing down when trying to do multiple things simultaneously, then the easiest solution is adding more RAM. A simple analogy for RAM is “multiple arms”. Adding more RAM is like adding “extra arms” that allow the computer to do more things at the same time. In most computer desktops (and most laptops) adding RAM is a simple and fairly economical upgrade. RAM prices can and do fluctuate with industry demand & trends.

Hard Drive & SSD

If you are running out of space to install applications or even save documents, pictures and such, then you should upgrade your hard drive to a larger size or add an additional drive. If you don’t have the room to add another drive, which most laptops don’t, then your data would be moved to the larger replacement drive. The operating system would have to be reinstalled typically along with any applications.

If your computer is taking a long time to boot or load applications or access saved data, a better upgrade could be an SSD instead of a hard drive (HDD). An SSD is a solid state drive. Because it has no moving parts, it has much faster access times resulting in faster booting and loading of applications.

GPU (Video Card)

Today’s games are graphically intensive and can really give a basic video card a real strain, often to the point of not being able to run the game at all. The solution? A more powerful GPU! Most games will indicate the minimum and the recommended requirements for optimal play. If you want to run the game smoothly and in all of its visual glory, then upgrading to the recommended (or better!) GPU is the upgrade for you. High tier GPUs can be pricey, especially when demand is high. Investing in a popular top-end video card can easily be the most expensive upgrade you make to your computer.

Modern Macs

One thing that should probably be mentioned for Mac users is that Macs have been getting less upgradeable over the last 5-10 years. The MacBook Pro Touch Bar models actually have the RAM and SSD soldered to the logic board of the computer meaning that what you purchase the computer with is what it will have forever. They are not upgradeable in any way. If your logic board fails, any data saved to the onboard SSD could be gone for good if it wasn’t backed up. Certain iMacs still allow you to easily upgrade RAM via an access panel, but in others upgrading the RAM or replacing hard drive requires removing the glued-on screen and logic board to get to the RAM slots on the other side which requires a lot of labor. We recommend if you purchase a new Mac to buy all the upgrades you can afford along with the longest AppleCare protection available. The way they are being made now vastly limits repair options and it seems as if Apple is designing them to force you to purchase a new computer every 3-4 years. 

Those are the typical upgrades that the average user, home or business, makes to their computer. If you just aren’t sure what you need or want to upgrade on your computer, talk to one of the upgrade experts at Geek Easy Computers! We’ll help you assess your needs and get your computer running like it should, ensuring it a long productive life! Stop in anytime or give us a call. We want to make your technology upgrades easier!

Adonis Pointer is a photographer, a collector of vintage razors, and a certified technology geek! Adonis has been involved in computer technology since well, a LONG time! He has been involved in nearly every aspect of the industry from sales to repair to training to consulting. As the Social Media Manager he writes the majority of the posts on the Geek Easy Computers blog.