Few upgrades can breathe new life into an old laptop like an SSD. Solid-state drives have no moving parts, instead relying on the same kind of flash memory used in USB thumb drives. That makes them significantly faster than traditional hard drives. They also consume less power, good news for laptop users looking to squeeze extra runtime from aging batteries.
The flipside is that SSDs have a higher cost-per-megabyte than regular drives. If your primary upgrade goal is to increase your available storage, you’re definitely better off with the latter. But if you can get by with, say, 128GB or 256GB, you’re in for big boost in boot speed, overall performance, and battery life.
You’ll want to shop around, but you can routinely find 120GB SSDs for around $120, with 256GB models selling in the $200 range. Make sure the interface (usually SATA III) is compatible with your laptop, and look for drives that come as part of a kit. These often include transfer software for moving everything from your old drive to the new one, plus an external drive enclosure so you can continue to use the old drive for extra storage.
An ideal upgrade for any computer of any age: add a second monitor. Sure, you’ll need to clear a little extra space on your desk, but the benefits far outweigh the hassles of relocating a few tchotchkes.
With a second monitor, you get to keep two apps running full-screen at the same time. This may not sound like a huge deal, but think how handy it would be to have, say, your Web browser and word processor visible at all times. Or your e-mail client and an important spreadsheet. Or a PowerPoint presentation and your image-editing program. You get the idea.
This approach not only saves you the time and hassle of switching back and forth between windows, but also makes multiple windows visible simultaneously—great for when you need to, say, drag and drop data from one to another.
Best of all, monitors are cheap. You can add a 22-inch LCD to your setup for around $150, or a 24-inch display for under $200. Just make sure your desktop or laptop has a spare video output (most models do), and make sure the monitor is compatible with that port. VGA is the standard, but many newer PCs rely on DVI or HDMI. Check the manual if you’re not sure what you have.
One easy and inexpensive way to improve an older PC’s performance is to install more RAM. How does this help? More RAM means more room for programs to run, and less time accessing the hard drive, which is a comparative slowpoke.
For example, suppose your laptop or desktop is a few years old. If you bought a lower-end model, it might have only 2 gigabytes (GB) of RAM. By doubling that, you can enjoy a fairly significant speed boost. Windows and Mac OS alike run much more smoothly on 4GB than they do on 2GB.
Depending on the type and configuration of your system, this upgrade might be as simple as adding a memory module. Head to Crucial.com and use the Crucial Memory Advisor Tool to find out what RAM you already and what your upgrade options are. (You don’t have to buy the actual modules from Crucial; once you have the information, you can shop around for the best prices.)
One important consideration: If you run Windows XP or a 32-bit version of Windows Vista or Windows 7, there’s no value in installing more than 4GB of RAM: the operating system can’t address any more than that. But if you have a 64-bit OS, consider upgrading to 8GB for maximum performance benefits.
Is your PC getting a little long in the tooth? Does it take forever to boot? Maybe you’re plagued by virus-like symptoms, such as a flaky Web browser or unwanted pop-ups.
Issues like these often drive people to start shopping for a new machine. Although the time may come when you have no alternative (like when hardware components start failing), don’t put the old gal out to pasture just yet. With a few strategic and affordable upgrades, you can give your PC a performance and/or productivity shot in the arm.
One easy and inexpensive way to improve an older PC’s performance is to install more RAM. How does this help? More RAM means more room for programs to run, and less time accessing the hard drive, which is a comparative slowpoke.
For example, suppose your laptop or desktop is a few years old. If you bought a lower-end model, it might have only 2 gigabytes (GB) of RAM. By doubling that, you can enjoy a fairly significant speed boost. Windows and Mac OS alike run much more smoothly on 4GB than they do on 2GB.
Depending on the type and configuration of your system, this upgrade might be as simple as adding a memory module. Head to Crucial.com and use the Crucial Memory Advisor Tool to find out what RAM you already and what your upgrade options are. (You don’t have to buy the actual modules from Crucial; once you have the information, you can shop around for the best prices.)
One important consideration: If you run Windows XP or a 32-bit version of Windows Vista or Windows 7, there’s no value in installing more than 4GB of RAM: the operating system can’t address any more than that. But if you have a 64-bit OS, consider upgrading to 8GB for maximum performance benefits.
Add a second monitor
(photo: Rick Broida)
An ideal upgrade for any computer of any age: add a second monitor. Sure, you’ll need to clear a little extra space on your desk, but the benefits far outweigh the hassles of relocating a few tchotchkes.
With a second monitor, you get to keep two apps running full-screen at the same time. This may not sound like a huge deal, but think how handy it would be to have, say, your Web browser and word processor visible at all times. Or your e-mail client and an important spreadsheet. Or a PowerPoint presentation and your image-editing program. You get the idea.
This approach not only saves you the time and hassle of switching back and forth between windows, but also makes multiple windows visible simultaneously—great for when you need to, say, drag and drop data from one to another.
Best of all, monitors are cheap. You can add a 22-inch LCD to your setup for around $150, or a 24-inch display for under $200. Just make sure your desktop or laptop has a spare video output (most models do), and make sure the monitor is compatible with that port. VGA is the standard, but many newer PCs rely on DVI or HDMI. Check the manual if you’re not sure what you have.
Install an SSD
(photo: Rick Broida)
Few upgrades can breathe new life into an old laptop like an SSD. Solid-state drives have no moving parts, instead relying on the same kind of flash memory used in USB thumb drives. That makes them significantly faster than traditional hard drives. They also consume less power, good news for laptop users looking to squeeze extra runtime from aging batteries.
The flipside is that SSDs have a higher cost-per-megabyte than regular drives. If your primary upgrade goal is to increase your available storage, you’re definitely better off with the latter. But if you can get by with, say, 128GB or 256GB, you’re in for big boost in boot speed, overall performance, and battery life.
You’ll want to shop around, but you can routinely find 120GB SSDs for around $120, with 256GB models selling in the $200 range. Make sure the interface (usually SATA III) is compatible with your laptop, and look for drives that come as part of a kit. These often include transfer software for moving everything from your old drive to the new one, plus an external drive enclosure so you can continue to use the old drive for extra storage.
Reinstall Windows
The ultimate PC upgrade isn’t an upgrade at all, though it’ll sure feel that way when you’re done. If you’re willing to invest a little time and effort (but no money), you can make your PC as fast and hassle-free as the day you took it out of the box.
How is that possible? By erasing the entire hard drive and reinstalling Windows. This isn’t a quick procedure—you’ll need time to make backup copies of all your important data and an external hard drive to temporarily house all that data. You’ll also need a Windows installation disc or whatever system-restoration discs were provided by your computer manufacturer. (For a full step-by-step tutorial, see the Resources area below.)
This is a hassle, no doubt about it. But if your computer is a few years old, you won’t believe the difference. What was once a pokey, troublesome machine will seem brand new—and that “new” PC won’t have cost you a cent.
Like your body, your house, and your car, your PC needs regular cleaning to keep it running smoothly. There might be dust bunnies choking its fans, junk files clogging the hard drive, maybe even stealth viruses slowing down the entire system. Fortunately, with a little maintenance of your hardware and software alike, you can restore your PC to its former trouble-free glory, and perhaps even squeeze a few extra years out of it.
Clean out the dust
(photo: Rick Broida)
Computers generate a lot of heat. Fans help dissipate all that heat, which would otherwise shorten the life of internal components and even cause system crashes. Unfortunately, as time goes by, those fans suck in a lot of dust and pet hair, which accumulates to the point where components don’t cool properly and the fans themselves get clogged--sometimes to the point of failure.
That’s why it’s essential to blow the dust out of your PC, and do so on a regular basis (at least every six months). If you have a desktop PC, turn the system off, remove the side panel, then use a can of compressed air to blow out all the dust. (You may want to do this outside.) Hit the fan blades with short bursts as well, making sure to get all the fans inside the system (including those inside the power supply and on your video card). Pay special attention to any heat sinks you see; they usually reside on the motherboard on your video card.
Laptops require a bit more surgery. After turning it off, remove the battery and unplug the AC adapter. Now flip the laptop over and look for an access panel that’s in close proximity to any air vent on an outer edge of the laptop. (Some laptops have multiple panels, others may have a single, very large one.)
Using a small screwdriver, unscrew that panel and remove it. You should see a fan somewhere underneath. Now it's time to blow out the dust with your can of compressed air (again, outside may be preferable). Hit the blades, the areas around the fan, the air vents, and anywhere else you see dust within the laptop’s guts.
After you've blown out all the dust, replace the access panel and battery, then power up the system. It should run quieter and cooler than it did before, and the added bonus is your components will last longer.
Clean out the junk
Fortunately, a PC “spring cleaning” doesn’t require a mop, a broom, or even a trashcan. (Well, maybe a virtual one.) All you need is a utility designed to find and remove all that accumulated junk.Every spring you clear out all the stuff that’s cluttering up your house, right? Your computer can get similarly cluttered with so-called “junk” files, which accumulate over time. These are temporary and/or superfluous files produced by Windows and various programs, and the more of them that pile up, the slower your PC will run.
One popular option: Piriform’s CCleaner (which was originally known as “Crap Cleaner,” which should give you some idea as to its function). This free program, available for both Windows and Mac, scours your computer and Web browser for temporary files, form histories, and other potentially unnecessary stuff. On Windows machines it will also clean the Registry of old and unused entries. Run CCleaner every few months to keep your computer, well, clean!
Defrag your hard drive--if you have to
There’s another kind of “junk” that can accumulate on your PC: Tiny file fragments that get scattered across your hard drive over time. Years ago, it was important to run some sort of defragmentation utility (colloquially known as a “defragger”) to put your drive’s house in order, so to speak.
Today, things are a bit different. If your PC has Windows XP and a relatively small hard drive (320 gigabytes or less), a monthly defrag is still a good idea. You can do this using Windows’ built-in defragger: Open My Computer, right-click the icon for your hard drive, then click Properties. Switch to the Tools tab, click Defragment Now, then click Defragment to begin.
Newer PCs with larger hard drives don’t really need this kind of manual attention, especially considering that Windows Vista, Windows 7, and Windows 8 all have automated defraggers that run at scheduled times. That said, many users swear by pro-level utilities like Diskeeper, which promise to do a faster and more effective job than Windows’ own tools.
One caveat: If your PC has a solid-state drive (SSD), don’t defrag it. Doing so can actually shorten its lifespan, and the nature of SSD technology is such that there’s no benefit from defragging anyway.
Wipe the hard drive
If you really want to “clean” your PC, consider a radical step: wipe the hard drive and reinstall Windows. That’s the kind of project that can consume an afternoon, if not an entire weekend, but the end result is a computer that’s literally like new—and probably good for another couple years of duty (assuming the hardware is still ship-shape).
The broad strokes of this process look like this: You make a list of everything important on your PC (programs, documents, photos, bookmarks, address books, and so on), then use a backup tool to offload all the data to an external hard drive. (The programs can be reinstalled from discs and/or downloads, so there’s no need to preserve them.)
Next, you use whatever system-restoration discs came with your PC. (If it didn’t come with any, contact your manufacturer about creating or obtaining a set.) This will erase the hard drive and reload Windows (along with any software supplied by the manufacturer). When that’s done, you simply reinstall your programs, then restore your data.
There are countless tutorials online that provide step-by-step instructions for this procedure, and it’s a good idea to review the entire process before beginning, just so you don’t encounter any unwelcome surprises. Again, this can be a somewhat scary exercise, but when the work is done, you’ll love the snappy, like-new performance of your squeaky-clean PC.
