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WelchWrite Main -- Douglas E. Welch -- Rosanne Welch


Myth of the Upgradable Computer

February 1, 2000

© 2000, Douglas E. Welch


In an effort to combat consumer’s worries about their computer becoming obsolete too quickly, many computer manufacturers have touted the ability to upgrade their systems when new technology was developed. While it might be nice to think that you can have a whole new computer without buying one, you will quickly find that an upgraded computer will never be as fast or full-featured as one you can buy today.

Weakest link

There is a saying that a chain is only as strong as its weakest link. The same is true with computers. You can add a faster processor chip or faster hard disk to your old computer, but you will still be saddled with other components running at their older, slower speeds. Even if you upgrade nearly every part of your computer it will still be slower and lack features available in current models.

If you are looking to merely extend the life of your computer you can add memory, hard disks or other devices, but if you want to make a significant improvement you are always better off replacing your old computer with a new system. You can always pass your old system along to someone with slightly lower requirements.

No choice

Older computers can have limitations on the amount of memory you can add or what types of hard disks you can install. For example, you might need to add 128MB of memory to run the latest graphics package, but in the case of my laptop, I can only have a total of 72 MB. There is no way around such a "hard" limitation. If you want to run this piece of software you will need to buy a new computer.

Today’s hard disks can transfer information at much higher speeds than older designs. Unfortunately, older computers may not recognize drives using the latest technology. Even if the computer allows you to use the new hard disk, more than likely, you will not be taking full advantage of the features of the new drive. You might be getting only a fraction of the performance for which you paid.

You can also upgrade the main processor in your computer in several ways. Some systems allow you to remove the existing processor and replace it with a faster one. This is, by far, the best method. Other upgrades, using plug-in cards will not be as fast. Even then, though, your new processor will still be saddled with the older components in your computer since they can only process data at a slower rate.

What’s the cost?

Finally, you may find that the cost of upgrading your old computer to the level you want may actually be close to the cost of a new computer with many times more power and new features. Due to the speed of innovation in computers, old systems were often superseded very quickly by new ones. Luckily, since most of today’s computers so far out-distance our needs, you will probably find that this new computer may last you longer than your current one.

You can wring some additional performance out of nearly any computer, but if you want to truly make a leap in your computing power, you are better off buying a new system that sports all the latest technology in one package.


Douglas E. Welch is a freelance writer and computer consultant in Van Nuys, California. He also writes Career Opportunities, a weekly column on high-tech careers and A Gardener's Notebook. You can find more of Douglas' writing on his web page at: http://www.welchwrite.com/

He can reached via email at douglas@welchwrite.com


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© 2000 Douglas E. Welch