Page 23 - April 2024 News On 7

Dr. Jim's Computer Repair TECH TALK
Jim Sanders

Let’s talk about when it is a good time to upgrade your computer and which direction you should go. First and foremost;
what is your main use of the computer? Do you simply surf the internet and check emails? Are you upgrading because
your laptop is slowing down or your system simply does not meet your needs any longer? Let’s tackle the slower
computer and possible solutions to update and not upgrade.
Computer running slow, this could be as easy as having a tune-up done to your system to clean out unwanted software
and possible malware or viruses. Many times, a tune-up will make your system run like a new computer.Computer start-
up taking forever to load? This could be caused by TSR (terminate and stay resident), this is software that has been
installed on the computer that loads when you start your system and stay running in the background. Some software
does need to run in the background to keep your system running but there are many that do not need to be there. The
other reason your computer could be taking forever to load is a failing hard drive. Hard drive technology has changed
over the years, most systems older than 5 years have SATA drives which have moving parts.Picture an old record player
with a record playing. This is very similar to a SATA drive with the plater (record) and the read write HGA (needle). Over
time moving parts start to wear out. Hard drives can be replaced and upgraded to the newer technology SSD.SSD drives
load much faster and have no moving parts so in theory should last longer. Memory (RAM) may be another way to speed
up an older computer. Most systems in the last five years came with 4GB of RAM (Random Access Memory). RAM can be
upgraded on most computers but keep in mind it is system dependent on the make and model of the
computer.Upgrading to a minimum of 8GB is recommended as a base amount.
Lots of things to ponder for sure. If you are thinking about purchasing a new computer but want to see if your older
system can meet your needs; we can asses your system and point you in the right direction.
Until next time.
Dr. Jim