| Memory and hard drive upgrades are fairly | | | | When buying memory, try to purchase as few |
| straightforward changes that you (or your IT | | | | modules as possible to leave expansion slots open for |
| department) can make to keep your desktop | | | | future upgrades. |
| computer longer. And if you think your desktop is | | | | Upgrading Your Hard Drive |
| too old to find parts for, think again. There are many | | | | Kyrnin calls the hard drive the next easiest upgrade, |
| vendors of discontinued computer parts who can | | | | after memory. Of course, he is talking about desktop |
| help you. | | | | computers here. Upgrading a laptop's hard drive can |
| When is it worth it to upgrade a desktop computer? | | | | be considerably more challenging. Contacting the |
| Computer expert Mark Kyrnin recommends that you | | | | store and asking for the right parts and weighing out |
| compare the upgrade cost to the cost of buying | | | | your options is important. Check store continuation |
| new. If the upgrades cost you half or less than half | | | | programs for further information. |
| the cost of buying a new computer, then the | | | | With most individual and business users storing large |
| upgrade is probably worth it. | | | | files - like pictures, music and video - a hard drive can |
| Upgrading Memory | | | | easily be filled up. When it comes to hard drive |
| Kyrnin offers some good tips on upgrading memory: | | | | upgrades, you can either opt for an internal hard |
| Memory upgrades are easy and cheap. All you | | | | drive or an external hard drive. Kyrnin notes that the |
| need to do is determine the amount and type of | | | | most important consideration is whether your |
| memory you need. | | | | computer uses an ATA interface (found in older |
| If you aren't sure how much you have, you can | | | | models) or the newer SATA interface. You can find |
| check the operating system through the System | | | | this information in your computer's specifications, |
| option of the Control Panel window (if you use | | | | either in documentation or on the manufacturers' |
| Windows). He also recommends that you open up | | | | Website. |
| the computer housing to see how many expansion | | | | Buying Memory and Hard Drives |
| slots you have available. | | | | If you have an older desktop, you may have to shop |
| To determine how much memory you need, you | | | | around for memory and a compatible hard drive. |
| can refer to the operating system again. Usually | | | | Fortunately, there are many vendors of discontinued |
| there is minimum amount and a "recommended" | | | | computer parts and accessories that tend to stock |
| amount. You should aim for at least the | | | | specialized and obsolete components. Some |
| recommended amount. | | | | manufacturers, like IBM and Lenovo, have specific |
| You will also need to consult your computer's | | | | resellers to sell their discontinued parts. If you have |
| documentation or visit the manufacturer's Website | | | | an IBM or Lenovo machine that you are looking to |
| for the specs on your machine to determine the | | | | upgrade, you may want to check their Websites for |
| type, size and number of memory modules | | | | information on their options continuation programs. |
| supported. | | | | |