It can be hard to let go of a computer that you’ve been using for a few years. Computers become our “online life” and between home and work, we spend quite a lot of time sitting in front of their screens.
For businesses, the longer you can keep a workstation or business laptop functional, the better your return on investment.
But there does come a time when the PC performance begins to slow down or just can’t keep up with the memory or graphics demands of new software. You immediately should ask the following question: how to improve computer performance? if you continue operating your PC without any type of upgrade, it can mean losses.
According to the Pan-Asia SMB PC study by Microsoft, holding on to a computer too long can cost a business AUD$3,691 per year.
Whether you just aren’t ready to give up your computer or are trying to keep IT costs down by putting off a new purchase, there are some cost-effective upgrades you can do that will breathe new life into an older computer.
How to improve computer performance?
Some of these upgrades can make it seem like you have an entirely new computer because they improve performance significantly. Others can make things like multi-taking easier, giving you hours of additional productivity per week.
If you’re looking for ways to speed up an older computer and improve productivity, here are several upgrades that can add a lot of value for much less cost than a PC replacement.
Upgrading the Hard Disk Drive (HDD) to a Solid-State Drive (SSD)
SSDs are drives that do not have any moving parts and write using flash memory, rather than a spinning platter like HDDs use.
This makes them not only more resistant to drops and less likely to crash, it also makes them much faster. By improving the read/write process, you improve the speed of multiple functions on a computer, including:
- Time to boot and reboot
- Time to open an application
- Time to search information
- Time to save large files
For example, the data access time for an HDD is 400 to 500ms (milliseconds), but for an SSD, access time is on average 20ms – 95% faster!
Other benefits include energy efficiency, because SSDs consume between 2-5 watts to each 6-15 watts of energy that an HDD consumes.
Adding Additional Random-Access Memory (RAM)
Everything you do on a computer will take up a certain amount of memory, and some web pages will take up quite a lot if they’re loaded down with scripts, videos, and graphics.
Having too little memory on your computer can cause multiple problems, ruin your productivity and the PC performance overall. It can lead to things like:
- Frozen applications
- Browsers sticking when too many tabs are open
- Large applications taking forever to load
- Long reboot times
- Freezing during an app or OS update
- Frequent application crashes
Just upgrading a computer’s memory from 4GB to 8 or 12GB can make it seem like you have a completely new computer because programs will have the RAM they need to run efficiently.
Memory upgrades are also one of the least expensive types of upgrades and they can pack a powerful productivity punch.
How to improve computer performance by adding an Additional/Larger Screen
If you’re working on a PC with a small screen, it can make opening two windows up side by side difficult and slow you down as you’re trying to get through your daily workflow.
Whether you have a desktop workstation or laptop, upgrading to a larger monitor can give you more screen real estate that makes moving through your workflow less cumbersome.
With a laptop, all you have to do is connect to a second monitor and you can use both the laptop screen and a larger monitor for a more efficient workflow. For example, you could keep email up on your laptop screen, while working in other programs from the larger monitor.
Upgrade Your Graphics Card for PC Performance
If your PC uses integrated graphics, performance can suffer, especially when you’re in graphics-intensive programs.
Upgrading the graphics card can improve rendering performance in certain programs and improve your computer’s overall image quality.
A graphics card upgrade can improve more than just gaming experience, it can improve activities like viewing high-resolution video and video editing.
Replace the Fan/Cooling System
If you’ve noticed that your PC runs hotter than it used to, this can cause problems like program crashes and slowdowns. Hot CPUs don’t perform well at all.
If your computer is on the older side, there is a chance that the fan motor and cooling system may be failing and causing excess heat to build up.
In this case, replacing your fan and cooling system can help solve the problem and get your computer back to optimal performance conditions again.
Keep Your Office Devices Productive with Help from Connected Platforms
If your computers are running slow, so is your business. Get real solutions for hardware and software productivity and keep your business optimised and cost efficient.
Would you like to learn more about how to improve computer performance to streamline your business processes? Contact our managed IT services Brisbane team for a free consultation today. Call (07) 3062 6932 or book a coffee meeting online.
