Should I Buy a New Computer or Upgrade My Old One? - Part 3 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- How Can I Upgrade? This question involves more detail about the individual's specific upgrade path. It is typically something like: * Can I upgrade my CPU? * The curse of Packard Bell. * What kind of memory do I need? * What about more data storage/backup for my files? * Other upgrades. CPU/Motherboard: Upgrading the CPU is the single biggest change you can make in your computer's performance. Unfortunately this is also one of the most difficult upgrades to perform. Many system boards cannot accept the chip that would logically be used to upgrade them. If you have a 486 or older system, you will definitely need to upgrade the motherboard to install a Pentium class chip. Avoid any "overdrive" chips that purport to be usable with a 486 system. They are costly, and perform poorly as upgrades. Even if you have a slower Pentium, chances are the current system board will either not support the speed of, or fully exploit the power of your new CPU. It may even be incompatible. Older boards don't recognize MMX chips, the Pentium Pro, or the newer Pentium II for example. For this reason, a motherboard upgrade is almost always performed at the same time as a CPU upgrade. An additional consideration is memory. Older 486 and 386 motherboards use 30 pin SIMMs or SIPPs. Some may even use proprietary memory upgrade boards no longer available. Even if your old motherboard uses the newer 72 pin SIMMs, the speed of the existing memory may be too slow. While Pentium systems can work with 70ns memory, they are happier with 60ns or faster. The Curse of Packard Bell: Packard Bell and many other computer manufacturers cut costs by designing proprietary one-board solutions that incorporate the video card onto the system board. These computers are not upgradable by simply replacing the system board. For one thing it is the wrong size and shape! Once unsuspecting consumers are faced with the need for an upgrade they find their options expensive and limited to those provided by the original manufacturer (if any). Fortunately there is a way out of Packard Hell! Besides a new motherboard and CPU, you will have to purchase a new case and graphics card. The good news is that even an inexpensive graphics card will probably still be an upgrade to the el-cheapo built-in video of the system! You can reuse the existing hard disks, memory, sound card, keyboard, mouse, monitor and modem, and probably the CD-ROM. At that point the rest of the computer is junk, but of course it always was! Computers from Packard Bell, IBM, Aptiva, Gateway 2000, Compaq, NEC, AST, and some other manufacturers are often of this proprietary type. All "slim-line" desktop systems also contain proprietary motherboards due to the need to incorporate a short riser card for the expansion slots. This is because the case isn't thick enough to accommodate vertically placed expansion cards. In any case (no pun intended), getting away from these proprietary designs and into an industry standard form factor is a good thing to do. It will enable you to economically upgrade your system for years to come! Memory: Memory is one of the easiest and most cost-effective upgrades you can make! Installation is a snap: just power down, open up your case, pop 'em in, and you are in business! If you are running with 8 or 16 Mb of RAM, you should consider upgrading to 32 Mb. Windows 95 really appreciates the extra headroom. Determining what kind to buy is easy. Just determine what type and technology you need for your system by checking the system or motherboard manual, and see if you have any available SIMM or DIMM slots. If you're using 72 pin SIMMs remember you'll need to buy them in pairs for a Pentium. If you are out of slots, you may have to replace smaller chips with larger ones. Some new system boards have the new 128 pin DIMM. This packaging eliminates the need to pair up 72 pin SIMMs when used with Pentium chips. Many motherboards will allow the use of both types, but some newer boards only accept the 128 pin DIMM. If you are buying a new motherboard, be sure to plan accordingly. Note that on some systems, the DIMM shares a "bank" with a pair of SIMMs, and you cannot use both at once. Your system or motherboard manual should lay out the options. If you will be buying all new memory with a new motherboard, consider buying a board that supports 128 pin DIMMs and the new SRAM technology. While SRAM is currently slightly more expensive than DRAM or EDO technology, the enhanced performance will really pay off with the fast new Pentium class chips we are using today. Note that some systems won't allow you to mix technology, it's either DRAM, EDO or SRAM. Disk SubSystem: You can add as many as two hard disks to most basic system configurations that feature dual IDE controllers. The original drive and the CD-ROM take up two connections, leaving two for additional drives. If your current controller only supports two drives, you can add a secondary IDE controller in an expansion slot. If you need more storage, consider installing a SCSI adapter that will allow you to chain up to 7 or 14 devices. SCSI allows faster disk access and less CPU resources than IDE for a performance boost. You'll find more types of devices can be used with SCSI, like Scanners and faster Tape Drives in addition to Hard Drives, Removable Drives, CD-ROMs, DVD, Optical, etc. Other Upgrades: Other components are more easily upgraded. A new graphics card, monitor or modem, a faster CD-ROM, or a cool new keyboard will certainly work well with what you have already, and provide enhanced performance and functionality! -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Prepared by Peter Conrad Cumminsky, consultant, ASEE, CET, Team OS/2 (707) 987-9484 Visit my Computer Taming web site at URL:http://www.angelfire.com/biz/taming/ (C) Copyright 1993-1997 peterconrad@hotmail.com.