Purchasing hardware to upgrade your PC can be confusing, time consuming, and just downright frustrating to make sure that you are getting the right parts.

One of the first things to consider when thinking about upgrading is whether the cost of the upgrade will even be worth it. Thinking about long term costs, it could very well be a better idea to upgrade the whole computer. In many cases, it can be cost effective to simply add more RAM, or upgrade a video card. In some cases, especially when the computer is older than 4 years, it is probably a good idea to upgrade your whole system.

If you have decided to upgrade specific hardware, the question becomes “How much am i willing to upgrade?” This is a cost vs. benefit question. For example, you probably wouldn’t want to put 8GB of RAM into a computer with a single-core CPU. If you run programs like CAD or video editing software, you will need a more powerful video card capable of rendering complex images etc…

Now that you have decided which hardware to upgrade, you will be asking yourself, “Is this the right piece of hardware for me?” There are many right answers to this question, but unfortunately there are also many wrong answers. There are several different categories for even specific pieces of hardware. For example, RAM has many different styles, ranging from newest (DDR3) to the not so new (numerous). Video Card have different interfaces as well, ranging from the newer PCIe, to older AGP. Determining your hardware configuration can be easy with the right tools. One great tool for determining hardware configurations is Speccy, which can answer many of these questions for you.

If you have decided to upgrade your entire system, you will be asking yourself; “How much am i willing to spend on my new computer?”. This should be said: “How much am i willing to spend on myself?”. In reality, this is your work computer, and will have a DIRECT impact on how efficient and productive you will be at work. Personal requirements of a computer can vary greatly depending on your situation, and can affect the price of the new computer. It is vital to research the minimum system requirements of every program that you plan to use. Also take into consideration that these are MINIMUM system requirements, so leave yourself some room to grow. Another question to ask yourself is how often are you on the go?  In general today, laptop prices are very competitive with desktop prices, making this an easy decision.

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