I have an HP Pavilion dm4 that I bought in 2010, I could upgrade the 4gb of RAM to 8 and get an SSD hard drive, but is it even worth it to try and upgrade it at this point rather than buy a whole new laptop?
Edit: Thank you all! After reading through your comments, I remembered I used to Photoshop a lot and that I'll probably get back into it if I have a decent pc, and after researching the cost of RAM, I've decided to look into purchasing a new laptop instead of upgrading. Thank you for all your advice!
No computer lasts forever, but to get the most out of your investment, you probably want to stretch its life out for as long as you can. Upgrades and repairs can carry your machine along for a decent amount of time, but at a certain point, you might be better off investing in a new computer instead of dribbling away your money on continuing maintenance.
Eventually, every computer slows down—even if you’re using it for the exact same things you were five years ago.
“Over time, you’ll get Windows updates, or a new version of macOS, and these things can weigh heavily on the PC,” says Joe Silverman, owner of New York Computer Help. Even some of your apps will update themselves over time, and the web pages you visit may just require more resources than they used to. [Remember what the web looked like in the 90s?]. When the machine slows to a crawl, you’ll have to bite the bullet and spend your money on something better.
Before you shell out for a new set of RAM though, you should figure out what’s actually causing the slowdown. This will tell you whether you really need a replacement, or you’ll find it worthwhile to eke out more time with an incremental repair or upgrade.
Diagnose the problem
Your computer consists of multiple components, each with their own specific purpose. Any one [or more] of them could be causing your slowdowns or other issues. To make sure you spend your money in the right place, you need to diagnose the source of the problem.
First, make sure it isn’t a software issue. “It’s always good to run a virus or malware test, and make sure there are no infections in the background,” says Silverman. You can also check programs’ resource usage: On a PC, open the Windows Task Manager [hit Ctrl+Shift+Esc] and click More Details; on a Mac, open Spotlight [press Command+Space] and search for Activity Monitor instead. If you see one program gobbling up all the CPU or RAM, uninstalling it and replacing it with an alternative may speed things up.
“Check the operating system, too—there could be corruption somewhere,” says Silverman. “If you haven’t reinstalled the operating system in five years, it might be time.”
If you can’t narrow the issue down to just one program—or the problem lies with an essential one, like your web browser—then you may need to upgrade your hardware. During the next slowdown, open up that same Task Manager, head to the Performance tab, and look at your CPU and memory usage. If either of those graphs shows particularly high, sustained usage, you know which part probably requires an upgrade.
It’s also possible that one of your components is failing entirely. “Do a hard drive test with a program like HD Tune, which has a free trial,” says Silverman. “It will let you know how slow or abnormal some of the read-write activities are, and if your hard drive is failing.” I also like CrystalDiskInfo, which isn’t as thorough as HD Tune, but will give you a basic, clear idea of your hard drive’s health for free.
While you’re running through potential trouble areas, check your RAM as well. “Failing RAM could cause slowness, but it can also stop your computer from turning on, or it may shut down randomly,” says Silverman. “So run a RAM test like Memtest, which will check each stick and see if it’s good or not. If you have a bad stick, you want to make sure you replace it.”
Once you narrow down the problem to a specific component or two, you’ll be able to better target your repairs.
Run the numbers
Unfortunately, upgrading parts costs money—and some replacements are more worthwhile than others.
“RAM can definitely improve performance, and upgrading from a mechanical hard drive to a solid state drive, or SSD, is probably the best way to speed up your computer,” says Silverman. As a bonus, you can probably perform both of those upgrades yourself. “But I wouldn’t upgrade the motherboard or CPU,” he says, “since it’s going to be a nominal speed bump.” When you replace the CPU with a newer model, you often have to swap out other components to ensure compatibility—and at that point, you might as well just buy a new machine.
To determine whether an upgrade is worth your money, look at how much it will cost, and compare that to the computer’s age. “If the computer is seven years old or more, and it requires a repair that is more than 25 percent of the cost of a new computer, I’d say don’t fix it,” says Silverman. “If your computer is three to four years old, that’s a better time to start looking at an upgrade, since you can buy one to three more years of time.” At that age, you can probably get away with a repair that costs 50 percent of a new machine. Pricier than that, and again, you should think about a new computer.
Final thoughts
It would be great if we could tell you exactly what to do when your repair or replacement will have a specific cost. But it’s difficult to give hard numbers that apply to everyone. That’s why it helps to perform those diagnostics.
In general, if you know a single component bears the blame for slowing down your computer, upgrading that part can probably extend your machine’s lifespan by a few years. If a lot of components are struggling to keep up, you’re running on borrowed time. In that case, you’re probably better off buying a new PC.
We get this question a lot [no surprise]. While it might help our bottom line to always push for a repair, we believe in helping our customers make a decision that best fits their needs – even if it means declining a repair to purchase a new computer. We all need a tech pro we can trust, and we aspire to be that tech pro for you!
When you’re deciding whether to fix or replace your computer, you should always start by getting a free repair quote. Any reputable computer repair store will offer free quotes and will diagnose your problem for you. If you’re trying to make a decision about repairing vs. replacing your computer without getting a free repair quote, you’re probably just being lazy [we say that with kindness]. Without knowing how much a computer repair will cost, you’re flying blind.
If you don’t know of a computer repair store nearby – google it! Choose a store with good reviews that looks trustworthy and make sure they offer free estimates [there are still some dinosaurs that don’t offer free quotes – ridiculous].
Once you know how much a repair will cost, it’s time to ask yourself a few more questions. You might not know the answer to all these questions, so its often helpful to talk them out with a professional. Again – someone you can trust to give you honest answers! We’ve compiled a list of the most relevant questions to ask below:
Price to repair vs. replace – What is the cost of repair vs. the original purchase price of your computer? What would a new computer cost you [incl. hardware upgrades, software, accessories, shipping + tax]? Are you ready to buy a new laptop now? If you got your current computer repaired, would it increase the resale value in the future if you decide to buy a new computer anyway?
Personal preference – Is your computer setup exactly how you like it, and would that be difficult for you to recreate? Are you attached to this specific computer [ie., comfortable with size/design/keyboard layout], or would any computer be just fine with you? Do you always prefer to have the latest tech gadget or are you okay with something completely functional even if it’s a few years old?
You’ve made your decision already? Great! Still have some questions? No problem, here’s what we think about those question categories above.
Age / Condition – We all know computers don’t last forever and should be replaced eventually, but exactly how long is eventually? Well that’s both a matter of opinion and personal preference, but in general a regular consumer should probably replace their computer every 5-10 years.
Ten years may seem like an eternity in computer years, but computers are lasting a lot longer than they used to. To make my point, I’m typing this article on a 9-year-old Dell 755 desktop computer [that I spent $60 to upgrade to an SSD] and it works great. Seriously, if I cleaned up the casing a little I could probably fool most people into believing it was a brand-new machine. Age is just a number!
Besides age, is there anything else wrong with the computer? An older computer with a single problem may make sense to repair while a bit newer computer with a litany of issues may make sense to replace. However, make sure to keep in mind that some computer ‘fixes’ can solve a host of problems. For example, an operating system reinstall [factory reset] will remove viruses, fix error messages, speed up your machine, and clean out endless amounts of junk all at once.
Every computer is different and more expensive machines tend to last longer than cheaper machines [no surprise there]. So, before you run out to replace your machine, keep in mind there’s a very good chance that a factory reinstall and maybe an SSD upgrade can breathe significantly new life into your older computer.
Price – It’s hard to get too specific here since everyone has a different budget, but the broad strokes are the same. A repair will almost always be cheaper than a replacement computer, but if the repair is looking to cost 50-70% of the cost of a replacement then you should always consider the age/condition of the machine before making a decision. And please – Always get a free quote before deciding to skip a repair. Do yourself that favor! Lastly, don’t forget that if you decide to upgrade to a new computer, your older computer has a higher resale value if it’s working.
Personal preference – Deciding on a repair vs. replacement computer isn’t all dollars and cents. If you love the design/layout of your computer and its setup exactly how you like it – it might make a lot of sense to fix your computer! No sense in replacing a machine you love when it can be repaired. On the other hand, if you’ve always slightly detested your computer and had your eye on a newer model – take the plunge! Also, you might opt for a new computer if you’re the type to always need the latest gadget or you might opt for a repair if you believe in preserving the environment by reducing tech waste.
In summary, there are a lot of factors that can affect your decision to get your computer repaired vs. buying a new computer. Always get a free repair quote, consider the age and condition of your device, factor in the cost savings of a repair, and ultimately – do whatever you prefer!
And remember, if you’re in need of a free computer repair quote or just a second opinion, we’re always here to help! Check out our Locations Page for a store near you.