Time To Replace Your Computer? - Comments Page 1

Thanks, Bob! You've convince me to finally get rid of my Commodore 64!

I pretty much agree with what you've written. The only recommendation I would change is the memory specification. If someone is buying a new system today (with Win10 or 11), then I'd go with a minimum of 16 GB. And to check that the motherboard allows for an additional 16 GB in the same config as it has. IOW, if it has 2 memory slots and it uses 1 for the 16GB, then 2nd slot can get another 16GB but if it has 4 slots and uses 4 GB dimms, you're going to have to replace all for 4 dimms to be upgrade to 32GB.

For my computer desktops,I require 4 Gb of RAM or more.Of course,all my interfaces use USB connectors.I try to use SSDs when I have the chance.Otherwise,if I have a spare HDD,I will use that.

I only have one machine that use the old ribbon cords,but it is a machine that I bought used,so I know the limitations of it.It is a 32-bit machine and is used for show.

Great advice. I had a 5 year old PC that crashed big time a couple of months ago due to a corrupted Registry. When I priced the cost of the tech support I'd need to reboot it, it became apparent that it made more sense to spend a few more bucks to buy a new machine -- the clincher was the fact that MS will stop supporting Windows 10 in 2025.

I have a 14 year old laptop that runs Windows 10 better than the Vista it came with. It accesses all websites flawlessly, runs videos either streaming or local without a hitch.
I guess it will do until that October 2025 fateful date. If the world still exist as we know it...

One reason for slow performance can be slow internet connection. I am using a summer rental house with very s lo w download speed. I have tried Win 11 - specified by morons and approved by Head Morons - so before 2025 I'll be moving on to Linux.

I'm awaiting delivery of a replacement for our 8-year-old Windows desktop (3rd gen i7). Over the years I've increased RAM, improved the HDD, etc., but with the number of Chrome tabs and Excel spreadsheets my wife frequently has open, it's no longer enough. (Chrome defines "memory pig") But though it's now insufficient for the inefficient Windows operating system, it will be a nice upgrade as my new Linux box.

The new Windows 11 PC will have 32Gb of RAM, a terabyte SSD, and a 12th gen i7. With luck, it, too, will last 8+ years.

Meanwhile, the (second) battery in my MacBook Pro (late 2013 version) is forcing me to search for electrical outlets way too often, so I'll likely be replacing it this fall with an M1 Pro 16" or possibly an M2 Pro if it ships this year. The current MacBook will suffice as a "desktop" attached to a contemporary Apple Display.

SSDs, tons of RAM, and battery life: three great reasons to upgrade.

No way! I'm not ditching my Commodore 64!
I put in a 1 TB SSD, and 32 GB of ram, and we're good to go!

Up until Malwarebytes automatically incorporated "PUP Removal" in their program, any time I had a slow computer I would run this program in order to speed it up. It did wonders. The download is but a few seconds only:

https://www.malwarebytes.com/adwcleaner

Years ago, i saw an ad in a tech newspaper from a computer repair shop:
"We specialize in vintage computers [more than 6 months old]"

It's always nice to have the latest and greatest but it also coat money to keep updating hardware. IMHO if it does what you need and you are satisfied with the way it works then just wait until it can't do what you need (yep I'm cheap .. lol).

Don't throw that old PC out, Linux will probably run just fine on it. My 7 year old PC with Ubuntu MATE and 16GB RAM still has plenty of horsepower for me. Yes, the RAM helps a lot.

Hi Bob, thanks for this nice survey of what makes it 'obsolete'.

One word of caution to readers though, my 'system information' reads as follows:
"Processor AMD FX-8320E Eight-Core Processor, 3200 Mhz, 4 Core(s), 8 Logical Processor(s)". Note that the speed is given as 3200 MHz which does translate to 3.2 GHz. The article states "...If the speed is listed in megahertz instead of gigahertz ...", so you need to translate the numbers!

My computer says 2.70 and 2.90 next to gigahertz which is less than the 3 you mentioned but I don't see any reason to get rid of it.

Great Advice Bob.
I have several older computers and I find that every Windows update makes them slower and slower.

The best hardware update can be replacing an old mechanical drive with a SSD which can be 10X faster. Cost will be $100 to $200. Also bring the RAM upto at least 8GB. My 12 year old HP laptop originally ran Win 10 with 4 GB RAM, I had to replace an existing SODIMM with a 4GB stick to bring it to 6GB, wish I had replaced BOTH SODIMMs This ancient laptop uses much older style RAM which is hard to get.

If all else fails try Linux. This video shows upgrading VERY old computers. The lightest Linux seems to Bionic Pup 32Bit V8.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aJcWcQ8ew6Q

My Kaypro II still works, although I'll concede that the floppy disk storage is a bit limited. I hauled that computer back and forth to work for three years, starting in 1982, until my company (Litton, now Northrop Grumman) finally stepped up and invested in a Kaypro 10 (with a massive 10 megabyte hard drive). Why waste any extra money on unnecessary upgrades?

I recently helped my brother-in-law update his 10-year-old laptop by replacing the hard drive with an SSD. He was thrilled by the performance after the swap. So it depends on what the computer is being used for and what parts you can upgrade. I doubt a three-year-old computer is really "obsolete". Maybe it just needs more RAM or a bigger SSD. As for Windows 11, I agree with Bob--there's no hurry.

The 3.0 Ghz threshold is not necessarily true. For example, Intel's i5-12400F only base clocks at 2.5 Ghz but is a very capable 12th Gen processor with 6 cores and 12 threads. Many newer processors can ramp up their speed when required and run at lower speeds to save power when it isn't needed.

Every generation of Windows going all the way back to 95 started out blazing fast. It's every time Microsoft has us install another update, that it starts running slower and slower and slower, and taking longer and longer and longer to boot up.

"If it ain't broke, don't fix it." A lot of the decision as to when to buy new involves the user;s needs. A younger gamer needs a more expensive and powerful machine than I do. I am doing this on a 10 year old HP g7-1350dx with a 1.5 GHz AMD A6 dual core CPU running 64-bit Windows 10 Pro but it has a SSD drive and 8GB of RAM. I often will have a 1/2 dozen tabs open in Firefox with several downloads running and will be watching a video with VLC. Sometimes the movie pixelates for a few seconds but it generally keeps me happy. The SSD is a big boost and I would only recommend 4 GB of RAM if running a 32-bit version of Win 10. I hope to make it to October 2025.