Computer Upgrades: Software and Hardware

Looking to upgrade your computer? There are a multitude of upgrades that make your computer faster, perform better, or allow added functionality to your computer. I have added or replaced just about every type of upgrade, so put my experience and knowledge to use with your Computer Upgrade.

• RAM - The most popular upgrade. RAM is a form of memory that programs and applications access to perform the necessary functions. The more RAM you have, the more programs can run simultaneously and the quicker running programs can carry out tasks.
  • Tip - If your computer feels sluggish or slow, chances are it's time to add some RAM. The Upgrade is among the easiest upgrade to do. It usually takes longer to drive to the store to purchase it than to install it.
  • Installation Difficulty - Easy (1 Hour)
• Video Card - Video Cards are cards installed in the computer that take graphic inputs from the computer and convert them into signals that the monitor can process. Every computer has one, but not every computer has one powerful enough to run games and other graphic-taxing applications. Graphics Cards use RAM as storage to process the necessary commands.
  • Tip - Most Graphics Cards that come with new computers use RAM installed in the computer, whereas add on graphics cards have RAM installed on the card itself. This means that a new graphics card will not only do a better job with highly graphic applications, but your computer will also perform better because you graphics card will no longer be using system memory.
  • Installation Difficulty - Easy/Moderate (1 Hour)
• Sound Card - Sound Cards are cards installed in the computer that take audio inputs from the computer and convert them into signals that the speakers can process. Most Sound Cards are good enough to keep up with today's applications; however, if you are planning on doing much gaming and want Dolbe Digital audio with 4, 5, or even 6 speakers hooked up, you will need a higher performance Sound Card.
  • Installation Difficulty - Easy/Moderate (1 Hour)
• CD/DVD Drive - These are drives that are used to read CD's and/or DVD's. Other features my include the ability to write, or burn, data to CD's or DVD's for backup or file transfer purposes.
  • Installation Difficulty - Easy/Moderate (1 Hour)
• Floppy Drive - This is a very uncommon drive these days! Due to the increasing popularity of other types of removable storage devices, computer manufacturers are no longer making Floppy Drives standard options on new computers. Although they only have a 1.44MB capacity, they are still a viable storage medium for saving documents.
  • Installation Difficulty - Easy/Moderate (1 Hour)
• Hard Drive - A Hard Drive is the storage device that stores all of the data on the computer such as your documents, pictures, music, etc. Every Hard Drive has a specific capacity, which you can fill up over time. Although modern Hard Drives have massive amounts of storage capacity, if you download a lot of music or full length movies you can still fill them up.
  • Installation Difficulty - Easy/Moderate (1 If Hour Depending on Whether Data Transfer is Needed)