Before you buy that cheap new PC
I see a lot of people who get a new computer grab the first cheap PC they see on the shelf. After all, they are all running the same operating system (Windows 10) and I can check email and browse the internet with any of them, right? The funny thing is many times I see them getting rid of a faster computer to replace it with a newer but slower computer. Newer does not always mean faster and that is especially true with most of the cheaper options today. A quick check at a local retailer shows an inexpensive desktop with an AMD A9 processor which has a CPU benchmark score of 2300. Benchmark scores are a way of comparing performance in different processors. The higher the number, the faster the processor. An i7-2600 processor from eight years ago has a score of 8197. It’s a much much faster processor than the cheap newer A9. Don’t be fooled by a shiny new case, there is more to be considered.
It may be worth replacing the hard drive in an older computer with a new solid state drive and reloading the operating system to give it new life. Sometimes an upgrade is a better option. Of course there are other things to take into account. New computers come with newer port options. They have also not had years of wear, so the physical condition is also something to consider, especially in laptops. Desktops tend to have a longer life because they essentially just sit in one spot and don’t get banged around like a laptop. They are also less likely to suffer from heating issues that the cramped spaces inside a laptop create. But if the laptop is in good condition, it may still be worth looking at an upgrade if the hardware is not too out of date.
Some new computers are using solid state drives now and in most of these cases the capacity is smaller than the capacity of the computer it is replacing. I’ve found this true in not only cheaper computers but ones that were quite expensive. One client replaced an aging Mac laptop with a brand new one and was puzzled when he began to get a message stating that he was out of storage. “How could that be?” he asked, “I just bought this computer a few months ago!” The new laptop came with a 128 GB SSD compared to the 500GB drive in the computer he replaced.
Don’t assume a newer computer will be better in all ways than your current system. Do some research, or give iSharpe Computer Solutions a call to help you make the best decision.