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To Upgrade Or Not

Tuesday, April 28th, 2009
by Matt Hartley

It’s something that has been on my mind for some time now. I want to upgrade my current desktop system to something with a bit more kick to it. But alas, there is a problem. Due to the OS I use and the fact that it was a substantial system for its time, even while multi-tasking, this current system is still meeting my needs just fine.

Granted, the idea of new monitors, faster CPU, and more hard drive space is appealing. But considering that I recently bumped up the latter of the stuff listed above leaves me wondering what is my driving force for needing to upgrade? After some soul searching, I finally realized it is merely my belief that I need something faster and better.

Yes, there are indeed instances where being able to upgrade something like a mobile phone or notebook makes a lot of sense. But if your OS allows you to stick with otherwise perfectly functional and otherwise speedy computing, what is the hurry? My current system is running with:

AMD Athlon(tm) 64 Processor 3700+

ASUS Motherboard (forget which one)

GeForce 6800 GS w/256 MB of memory (AGP)

2 GBs of DDRAM

2 x 500 GBs of hard drive(s)

2 x DVD Burners

1 external DVD Burner (USB)

2 x external USB 2.0 500 GB hard drives

Once again, the greatest system that I built new all those years ago… not really. But considering that, it still runs like a champ. What’s comical is that my Intel dual-core notebook provides me with 3 Gigs of RAM and is significantly faster both in the CPU and bus speeds. Yet in the end, even with stuff like video editing, massive multi-tasking, etc., I really have never had too much problem with the older desktop in comparison.

I think at this point my only reason for upgrading is to gain more throughput with my motherboard, a faster (Intel based) CPU just for the sake of it, and maybe a newer case. You know, it’s kind of funny, but lately I am finding it harder and harder to sell myself on a brand new system. Have you ever had this kind of experience?

3 Comments

Aryeh Goretsky

April 29th, 2009
at 12:39am

Hello,

I think it really depends on what your needs are. If you find that you are not using a computer for new tasks and that it adequately handles the existing workload then there is little need to upgrade. On the other hand, perhaps some modest upgrades could be considered, like upgrading the memory to a full 4GB or 8GB of RAM, consolidating the four 500GB hard disk drives into two internal 1TB hard disk drives, consolidate the three DVD±RW disc drives if you only need to use one, et cetera.

Of course, there is also the matter of upgrading that so you can familiarize yourself with new hardware and software, but that is a different issue than everyday use.

Regards,

Aryeh Goretsky

Douglas Hornick

April 29th, 2009
at 2:02pm

I know exactly what you mean. I’ve been a computer hardware nut since I upgraded my first system in 1987. I’ve built all of my computers since then with the exception of my two laptops. In 2004 I bought an AMD 64 3500+, an ASUS A8N-SLI Deluxe motherboard, a pair of 512MB Kingstons and a full tower case that offers all the room I could ever want. In late 2007 I had the same dilema you have now. Do I upgrade? Since I build all my systems my decisions are slightly different. All I really need to do is consider upgrading the CPU, memory and hard disk. I decided to go for an AMD 64×2 4400+, upgrade to 4GB of memory and, in 2008, a 500GB hard drive. Building your own systems allows you to choose what, when and how much to upgrade. So if you have the know-how, upgrading the CPU to an AMD64×2 model and 2 more Gigs of memory would be all you really need to do. You will need to be certain if your CPU is a 939 or AM2 model when you make the purchase. You could effectively have a new computer in just a few days.

Nat

April 29th, 2009
at 10:18pm

I used to upgrade my machine every 6 months to a year, either the entire thing or significant components. But I’m finding that it’s just not that necessary anymore. The majority of what I do is internet-based, so a machine that was top of the line 3 or 4 years ago still works perfectly fine. Even with a high speed internet connection, that’s still the bottleneck.

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Douglas Hornick

Nat

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