TOP 5: UPGRADES THAT CAN SPEED UP YOUR COMPUTER

  Aside from software tweaks, optimization, etc hardware upgrades are about the best things to do to speed up an old and or   even new computer be it mac and or windows.

   Here are the top 5 upgrades that can be done with a reasonable amount of skill level.

1-Hard Drive Upgrade

 

Hard drives are one the #1 bottle necks when it comes to computers be it speed and size , upgrading your hard drive gives you not only more storage space but efficiency if you get a HDD with higher RPM (Revolutions per minute) .  Solid state drives or SSD’s are even a more viable option nowadays with the cost lower though you don’t get as much storage as you would with traditional drives the speed increase improves speeds by a magnitude from boot and shutdown times to opening and closing apps. Even adding on a 2nd or 3rd drive for extra storage or backup is a viable option.

 

Skill Level : Easy

In most cases hard drive upgrades are easy whether it be laptop or desktop it may require some dissembling of your case to access hard drive but in most cases its as simple as removing screws and sliding in a new drive. Some things to keep in mind when replacing/upgrading a drive is type whether its IDE/SATA , Size 3.5 etc .

2-RAM (Random Access Memory)

Upgrading your ram can help in many ways and its one the most inexpensive and most efficient upgrade that can be made. Ram helps in categories like multi-tasking etc. Most computers come with stock 2gb + of ram nowadays and on windows 32 bit systems can only utilize about 4GB of ram. While 64 bits can utilize more, macs tend to have their own default compatibility from maxing out to 64gb etc.

Skill Level: Easy

RAM is one of the most common upgrades and is fairly easy in modern computers on laptops ram tends to be on the bottom of the laptop accessible through a door that can be unscrewed. While on desktops is plainly visible on most motherboards and have either 2 or more slots that support more ram. Now when buying RAM there are some key things to remember. You MUST find the correct RAM that matches your system this can be done through a simple google search. Key things to know,

-How much RAM your machine supports/how much is currently installed

-Type of RAM PC6300 ,PC4200, etc etc (DDR ,DDR2, and so on)

-Dimm, SODIMM types vary from desktop ram or laptop ram or even server ram

 

3-Graphics Card

Graphics cards aren’t something that can always be upgraded though for most desktop users this is a viable upgrade that can help in overall gaming performance and video/media applications. These are also a very common upgrade whether your upgrading to support a new game or for that matter to add something like dual monitors or even more to your setup.

Skill Level: Medium

Upgrading graphics card varies as there are basic level cards that are as simple as popping in and they’re are more advanced techniques like cross fire etc. As usual they’re are varying things when upgrading your graphics card to keep in mind.

-PCI Slots Type ( You’ll need to know what slots you have available PCIE, PCI x16 , AGP etc)

-In some cases some cards require external power from power supply which you’ll need to hook up

-Advanced techniques like cross fire allow for dual card setups

 

4-Operating System

Though its technically hardware this is also key and this software is the center of everything that revolves around your computer. Whether its OS X or Windows or even linux, a simple upgrade to a new OS or updates to your current one can go a long way in speed, security, etc.

Skill Level: Medium

For the most part upgrading your OS is easy though if you have  a ton of data etc there is some steps to take.

1st- Make sure your new OS is compatible with all hardware and devices you use

2nd- Back up all data as you’ll be wanting to start with a fresh slate unless you take an upgrade route and just migrate data over

Other than that new OS updates are constantly released and if your the users who are still on vista, snow leopard etc may want to take a look into upgrading to newer OS like lion or windows 7 and or 8.

 

5- CD Drive/ DVD Combo

CD Media is still popular and is a upgrade that some users don’t take into consideration. Especially if your a media junky and love to rip/burn CDs and DVDs . CD Drives are just about the same as other components open up your desktop and unscrew and slide out your drive to add on a new upgraded drive . New drives offer faster read speeds and or burning speed for CDs.

 

Skill Level : Easy

Easy as dissembling and popping out and in a new drive , though for laptops it can require a little more work then your average desktop. Basic things to keep in mind when upgrading are

-Speeds x8 x16 readers etc

-Type of interface SATA etc

 

These are just 5 of the common upgrades out there though your limited to nothing as in all computers they’re are many components that can be switched and replaced easily and or more advanced components like CPU, Power supply and more.

 

What are your 5 favorite upgrades be it mac or pc?