There is nothing better than the feeling when you get a new computer, turn it on and set it up ready for you to conquer the world (we can be hopeful). Then over time the feeling diminishes, the noise of the fan starts to frustrate you a little and you notice you have to wait longer and longer for anything to happen.

Are you tired of waiting for applications to load or your documents to appear? Now there are things you can do before you consider buying a new machine, a simple upgrade can spring life into your computer and in some instances make it feel new again.

Here are just a few things you can do to boost your computer and refresh your computer:

Over time dust will accumulate inside the computer, this will clog up the fan and cause the computer to heat up and it is possible it could lead to overheating. Even if it doesn’t overheat it can cause the machine fan to get louder to compensate for the dust.

Depending on your machine it could get seriously dusty, this can depend on the location you store the machine, try not to have a Desktop Computer on a carpet as this can cause even more dust and heat issues. In the case of a laptop the fans under the case can become layed with dust and this has been known to cause crashing and could lead to the early death of your machine.

Frequently cleaning up the dust via either using compressed air or if you feel confident opening the back of laptop or side panel on a Desktop.

Some machines do not have the option to do this because of soldered RAM (looking at you Apple). However, if you do have a machine that can be upgraded then you should take advantage of this. RAM stands for Random Access Memory, if you are multi-tasking or using memory-intensive applications such as Video Editing then RAM plays a significant role and can make a major difference.

RAM also plays a huge part when gaming, if you love to game then RAM does become very important, not having enough RAM can lower your FPS (Frames Per Second) and cause stutters.

Most modern laptops are sold with a Solid State Drive (SSD) now, but that does not mean the performance is up to the job. Due to attempts to limit costs manufacturers often put the cheapest options, this is fine for everyday document use, but for heavy users it won’t be up to the job.

There are many different types of SSDs and that conversation will be for another post for much more detail. However, a Sata SSD boasts speeds of around 560MB/s and a NVMe drive can boast up to 7450MB/s and that is likely to increase as technology evolves.

Speeds can play a major factor in how your machine performs, but in reference to speeding up your computer. If your computer has a mechanical drive, the typical speeds are from 50MB/s to 150MB/s although, there is a drive that boasts 750MB/s but no normal computer is likely to achieve that.

If you have had your machine a while the chances are that your graphics card would be outdated. You can try upgrading the drivers, we do 100% recommend ensuring the drivers are regularly updates, especially for graphics cards. Are you a gamer? If so the latest games will ultimately demand you keep updating your graphics cards to ensure the best performance from your games.

Unfortunately, most laptops will not allow the abillity to upgrade a graphics card. I say most as there are companies that have released modular laptops, also, with the right skills there are people out there that have been able to change cards on machines that do not support it (would not recommend this, especially from an IT Support prespective).

Upgrading your graphics card (where possible), can lead to smoother and better cinematic experiences. One thing to mention though, Desktop Graphics Cards do get expensive, especially in todays market, shop wisely.

If anything mentioned in this post has raised any alarm bells, we would be glad to talk to you about it. Just making some upgrades can spring life into your machine and upgrades such as an SSD, won’t break the bank and can mean you squeeze out an extra few years with your beloved device.

Upgrade your computer to boost productivity and enhance your overall experience.

Call us on 01423 438953, book an appointment or complete our form below.