When to Replace an Old Computer
Don’t Wait Until It is Too Late
When a computer fail it is always at the wrong time, and usually in the middle of a work day. Using a computer that is several years old is like playing musical chairs with your data. Knowing when to replace it is the key.
You will never know when the music will stop. Computer components will ALL fail at some point. It is just a matter of when they will fail.
Transitioning to a New Computer – It is not as scary as it seems.
How Long Does a Computer Last
A typical “off the shelf” computer system (Dell, HP, Lenovo etc) has a lifespan of only about 2-3 years. A higher quality computer will last much longer than that of course, but after about 3 years you want to start preparing.
Know the Warning Signs
When desktop computer components begin to fail it may not be quite so obvious at first. It could be something as subtle as an overall sluggishness or your programs just don’t snap open like they used to. It could be something more obvious like system freezes, video problems, blue screen, error messages or a failure to boot. Either way, these are your warning signs telling you that a computer crash is looming. This would be the time to be proactive and do a computer upgrade before you lose your data.
Making the Transition
Here are a few good reasons to replace a machine BEFORE it fails, particularly if you use your computer for business.
No Down Time
If you keep pushing that old machine it will die at some point. You will lose a lot of time and be out of commission until you replace that system. If you buy a new machine before the old one fails, you do not skip a beat. You can keep using the old machine until the new system arrives.
Data loss Potential
If your backups are not solid, and your system fails, your data may go down the drain with the system particularly with a hard drive failure.
Data Transfer
If the hard drive has not yet failed on the old system, it is fairly easy to get your data copied over to the new system. Pickup an external USB hard drive enclosure, and install your old hard drive inside it. From there you can plug in via USB to copy your data over to your new system’s drive when it arrives. See Transition to new PC
What to do with your Old Computer
If the old system is still working you can pass that down to a family member or friend for non-critical or personal use. It could last for a little while longer. Once you have all of you data backed up, you can wipe and reinstall a fresh copy of the operating system before handing it down. It will be a clean slate for the recipient.
Using old Components in a New Computer
If you have a machine that is 5 years old for example and you are thinking about reusing some of the old parts, keep this in mind. You will be putting 5 year old parts in a NEW machine, and the clock is ticking on these old components. You could get your new system and a week later it could cause your new system to crash. Do not blame the new machine when this happens. It would be the OLD components causing this problem.
It is certainly okay to get all the mileage out of an old hard drive or video card for example. When they fail (and they will), you can just replace that component. It will not do any harm to your new system. As long as you understand this, feel free to use old components in a new machine until they fail.
Newer Faster Components
Perhaps one of the best reasons of all to replace an older machine is that you will get a newer, faster machine with the latest technology. You will not have to worry about your computer for many more years!
Consider a Higher Quality Machine
If you have a failing assembly line computer like a Dell, HP etc, consider spending a bit more and get a higher quality computer. You will get nearly DOUBLE the lifespan out of a better quality system in addition to a much faster machine. It is a lot of work to change from one computer to another. So wouldn’t you rather go through that every 6 years rather than every 2 years? It makes a lot more sense if you think about it.
High Performance Desktops
If you need a powerful business class workstation that will last for years, see our QuadStation multi monitor computers.
Fast, quiet, rock solid professional workstations with support from 2-12 monitors. Built and supported right here in the USA.
The longest lasting computer systems available.
Basic Computers
If you just need a basic computer but you want something a better than a cheap off the shelf system, see the NTI ITX2 System.
We call this basic, but there is nothing basic about it. The ITX2 is packed with power and supports 1-2 displays.
If you already have monitors no problem we will build a great computer for you. If you need a full setup like you see here, add monitors and mount during checkout.
3 Display Laptop
If you need portability, see our QuadStation Traveler 3 display laptop. This is not a regular laptop by any means.
Use with the 2 external USB monitors, or grab just the laptop and go.
Also See: Tips on buying a new computer | Custom built or off the shelf | Transitioning to a new PC | Laptops
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