i-c-whyUpgrade, Change or Replace
As your computer gets older, the requirements of more modern software can take its toll on performance. You may find you need more memory or a bigger hard disk. Or perhaps, you'd like a better graphics card installed but are nervous about attempting this.
Similarly, things can also fail, power supply units, graphics cards, ethernet ports, laptop screens etc. It is possible to repair and replace many things in a computer.
PCs are far more able to be upgraded as they are designed with this in mind. Laptops are limited here as they are engineered to be as compact as possible. The most important part of any hardware change is to make sure the upgrade you wish is compatible with your computer. Once this has been done, you can either source the hardware yourself or request it from us.
i-c-why can help you decide what to do, please speak to us.
Hardware Upgrade
In the case of RAM, we can run a utility to establish the best course of upgrade. For any computer we would advise at least 1Gb for Windows XP machines, with 2Gb recommended. Many computers with Windows XP were issued with 256Mb or 512Mb. Upgrade to 2Gb and you will see a new computer emerge. Other versions of Windows need at least 2Gb upwards although be aware some versions of the operating system cannot use RAM of more than 3.4Gb!
Hardware Change/Replacement
For broken Laptop screens, we will often need to keep the unit and take the old screen out first to get the exact model reference.
With graphics cards, the biggest question is why are you changing it? graphics cards are probably the most vulnerable of all computer peripherals and can suffer from bad drivers, over heating and bad connections. Before you make a decision, bring the computer to us for a quick look first.
Hard Disk Upgrades - Specifically
The most common upgrade after RAM is a bigger or second hard disk. Depending on your current computer, we can advise on the best upgrade path. We can also offer a service that copies your older drive onto the new unit. This, if it can be achieved, could avoid the need for you to re-install all your software. To maximise the availability of this option, you will need to choose a new unit that is of the same range as the older, smaller unit to maintain driver compatibility.
Pricing
Unfortunately is very dependent on the exact requirement. Please speak to us to discuss all options.