Upgrading a PC vs. Buying New - Final thoughts before upgrading
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There are some things to consider before you upgrade. When you look to upgrade, take a look at the connections the hardware uses, and what is going to be used when you think you'll upgrade next. If you have an AGP-based computer, upgrading your video card now will leave you stuck with that card in that computer forever. If you have a PCI-Express system, and you upgrade your video card, chances are that next time you upgrade, you will be able to transfer that card to the new computer.
Hard drives and optical drives can usually be transferred to newer systems. There has recently been a change from IDE to SATA for optical media. If you upgrade to SATA hard drives and optical drives, they should be good for years to come. PCI-Express cards should be good for years to come, but chances are PCI devices won't be around much longer.
There is very little chance that memory, motherboards or CPUs are going to be upgradable when you decide to get a new computer. These parts are usually the parts that make the difference between deciding to do an upgrade and deciding to buy a new PC.
Conclusion
I hope you have learned a thing or two about upgrading computer hardware. It can quickly become overwhelming when you are trying to figure out what can and can't be upgraded, what is beneficial, and when it's best to let go and buy a new PC. But if you carefully work out an upgrade plan before you begin, then upgrading will be easy and cheap and still give you a nice upgrade to your slumping computer.
If you have any questions about what to get for your computer, stop by the forums and helpful members will gladly help you decide what parts should be upgraded, and what would be better left alone. Computer hardware is constantly changing, and new technologies are always changing. You might not be able to afford the latest and greatest every six months, but now you can keep your computer speedy for cheap.
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