It is only a matter of time before performance declines and errors increase with any piece of technology. How do you know if need to upgrade the whole thing verses just a single component? A typical gauge we use is this: If a computer is less than 3 years old, upgrading the hard drive to a Solid State Drive (SSD) and increasing the RAM can breathe new life into a computer. However, if the computer is over 3 years old, the time and money may be better put towards a new system.

Key Indicators for Upgrading
Here are some key symptoms we look for that usually indicate a system should be replaced:

1. Frequent crashes and freezes. Random crashes, system freezes, combined with advanced age, are evidence your computer is declining. These types of issues are hard to troubleshoot, as it can come from almost any component, driver, software or more.
2. File errors. If you cannot read or modify certain files, your files get corrupted or more obviously, your computer indicates there’s a problem with the hard drive at startup, you hard drive could be close to failure. Windows can try to work around these issues, even repair sometimes, but in the end it is only a stop-gap measure to buy you a little more time.
3. It is painfully slow. As software and technology move forward, the computer you purchased is frozen in time from when you bought it. As such, you will see updates to software add new features, but it will begin to push the limits to the point where your computer becomes progressively slower. Tasks that used to take seconds can take minutes. Even starting up the system gives you more time to get coffee and use the restroom, and then coming back 30 mins later to see if it usable.
4. It is making weird noises. If it is a hard drive or internal fan, you can usually hear them making noises that were not there before. However, newer systems have fewer moving parts, so excessive noise is more likely indicative of a problem. Noise combined with any of these other issues referenced here almost assuredly suggest it’s time to replace it.
5. You cannot update your operating system. Most Operating Systems (OS), whether Mac or Windows, will perform a pre-update check to confirm if your system will support an OS upgrade. If it does not, that means your computer not only is too old to support the newer (and usually safer) OS, but also that you are likely using an OS that is no longer supported.

If you need help troubleshooting an issue, or want to check to see if you should replace a component verses upgrading your computer entirely, please reach out to us for a free consultation at info@terrapintechnology.com