Speed up your old PC
Upgrades!
If your is computer sluggish, then it’s quite possibly filling up or maybe it’s showing other signs of old age, even if it’s only a few years old. But don’t go out and buy a new PC – it is far cheaper to breathe new life into a PC by upgrading the hard drive and/or the RAM memory.
Upgrading your computer’s RAM
RAM (Random Access Memory) is the temporary storage memory used by your computer. The more programs you use (including background processes), the more RAM you need. Adding RAM means that the computer won´t have to rely on the hard drive for memory and will therefore be able to operate more programs and software simultaneously.
To identify the type of RAM your PC is using, right click the Start button, then click System and you will see the Installed Memory (RAM) information. Generally, if you have a 32-bit system, you will need 2GB of RAM. If you have a 64-bit operating system, we recommend a minimum of 6GB of RAM.
Upgrading your computer’s hard drive
Your PC’s hard drive is where all your files and programs are stored. It can fill up very quickly with documents, music, photos and videos etc, and especially when you perform a system or software update or run a new operating system.
To check on how much storage space is left on your hard drive, click Start > Settings > System > Storage. Here you will see the total storage capacity in gigabytes (GB), how much space is currently in use and how much is remaining. If you are running short of space, the coloured bar will turn red.
Traditional hard drives tend to become less effective and reliable over time, therefore, we would recommend installing an SSD (Solid State Drive). They are more expensive than traditional hard drives (although prices have halved in the last 12 months) however, in our opinion, the benefits certainly justify the cost:
• Reliability. Since SSDs don’t have small, moving parts that are prone to failure, the chances of hard drive crashes and lost data are considerably lower.
• Speed. SSDs offer instant-load performance, meaning faster boot times, faster application loading times, and better system responsiveness.
• Efficiency. As SSDs have no moving parts, they require less power to operate, which means the battery in a laptop will last longer.
