RSS
Subscribe to magazine
Follow us on:
  • Recommend:
  • 0 Comments

The Lowdown on Upgrades

Is your aging PC worth saving, or should you put the money toward a racy new model? Check out our superguide full of tips on how to bring your computer into the present.

  

Pick Up the Pace

RAM and CPU Upgrades

If your goal is to wring faster performance out of an aging computer, additional memory and a replacement CPU remain the two upgrades that will do the most good. RAM is cheap and easy enough to install that boosting your memory to a comfortable level--64MB, if you want to run Windows 98 or Office 2000 at a reasonable clip--isn't a major decision. At press time, typical RAM prices ranged between $1.50 and $4 per megabyte, depending on the memory type, size, and vendor.

Processor upgrades are a trickier matter. If the system you really want costs more than $1000, and that's more than you're willing to spend, a new CPU (supplemented with more RAM, if needed) can be an effective stopgap. The cost? Anywhere from $90 to $400. But upgrading the processor makes little fiscal sense if you'd be just as content with a new sub-$1000 PC. And the upgrade won't boost your PC's speed to rival that of systems based on the fastest Pentium III and Athlon processors; for that, you'll have to replace your motherboard (see "The Mother(board) of All Upgrades").

Would you recommend this story? YES NO

  • Recommend:
  • 0 Comments

Subscribe to the High-Tech at Home Newsletter - weekly

See All Newsletters »
Lenovo Laptop Deals

Subscribe to the High-Tech at Home Newsletter - weekly

See All Newsletters »
Today's Special Offers
Editors' Picks