The Computer Upgrader

Start here

1. Read the usage page so that you understand your own requirements.

2. It will be useful to figure out what the age and cpu type of the computer you have. If you don't already know this, take a look further down this page and also at the cpu page, it will help.

3. Lets find out if it's suitable for any purpose. The first place to start is age. If a desktop computer is older than seven years old, it's probably not worth dealing with. It can be difficult to find and install software on older machines. That means at least a pentium (at this writing seven years old) machine. A working laptop can have a longer useful life but often they get knocked out of commision (literally) by that age. A really unusual or old computer may have collector value, and ebay should be consulted on computers from the seventies and eighties.

A FAQ page with more info on checking your system hardware and software:
http://www.nmsu.edu/~centra/part_faqs.html

Most hardware for IBM compatible computers, i.e. most consumer computers, is standardized. Basically, most of these machines are simply composites of standard parts, any of which can be replaced without harming the system. However, some companies, most notably Compaq, Sony, and Hewlett Packard, have incorporated non-standard devices, sometimes built right onto the motherboard, or into the case. In these cases, upgrade of one part may require the replacement of many other parts, if it is possible at all. Also, parts that go bad may need to be bought directly from the manufacturer, often at signifigantly higher prices than the standardized alternative."

http://nasa.com

Whether you have a Cray in your living room like this one, or a generic pc, the chances are that at some point it will make sense to upgrade.

The first step to upgrading one's computer, of necessity, is finding out where you stand to begin with. Before you make the decision to upgrade, you have to know what needs work, and what is working fine as it is. There are a few steps involved, most of which are fairly simple...
The first, most basic step, is to see what your operating system will tell you about your hardware. See sidebar.

If you have a Windows based computer, doubleclick the System icon, located in the Windows control panel, which can be accessed through either My Computer or through the settings folder under the start menu. This tab will tell you several useful things about your computer:

As you can see, this tab alone shows you the amount of RAM that you have, as well as the exact version of your operating system that you are currently using. Also, it usually tells you at least the manufacturer of the chip, and sometimes may also tell you the model. It usually does not tell you the clock speed, but some models do.

If your computer is not one of those models, or do not have a Windows based computer, please procede to the next page.

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This website is part of a worldwide effort to make
the entire lifecycle of computer equipment more productive
and lessen the environmental impact of computer manufacturing and use.